All Watermelon, All Summer! Crazy Pool Workout #LivingOnTheWedge

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

I am so happy that June is here, it’s officially the kickoff to my summer-long binge of watermelon. Those who know me understand and accept that I am a watermelon worshiper and those who are visiting for the first time will quickly come to realize the magnitude of my affection for this fruit. Last year, I celebrated watermelon with a week full of undivided attention and am including those links at the bottom of this post – please visit! This year, I am spreading out the watermelon love with an entire summer of #LivingOnTheWedge – twice a month, I’ll share my best creative and unique ways to make watermelon a part of a fit, flavorful and fabulous lifestyle.

As crazy as it sounds, today I have a watermelon and am ready to workout. Last year, I shared a WOD using a watermelon in lieu of a medicine ball – this year, I taking the action to the swimming pool so we can all stay cool! In terms of weird and wacky workouts, Prancersize doesn’t have anything on this! In addition to the graphic, I have a video demo further down (you’ll definitely laugh).

A couple great things about exercising in the pool (other than staying cool) are that it’s easy on your joints and offers extra resistance for easy toning and muscle-making! Watermelons come in a variety of sizes, for this workout, I’ve used a seedless watermelon that weighs 30 lbs and a personal-sized watermelon weighing in at 10 lbs — adjust to meet your fitness level. One of the perks of working out with a watermelon is that you get to EAT the equipment afterward! #EatTheEquipment

I have another idea for watermelons and large bodies of water! If you’re having a pool party, keep the kids (and grown-ups) thoroughly entertained and active with a game of Greased Watermelon Football. Just lather up a good-sized melon with petroleum jelly and toss it in the pool. When the whistle blows, everyone jumps in and the first person to emerge on dry land with the watermelon in hand is declared the winner. A greased watermelon, along with its awkward-to-grasp size and a jumble of underwater arms and legs, makes this end goal much harder than it sounds.

After the watermelon water workout and spirited game of greased watermelon football, I’m just going to kick back and relax on my new pool float. How awesome is this — a slice of heaven!

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Remember to check back all summer to take part in my great big celebration of watermelon – I’ll have posts on picnics, celebrations, special recipes, health benefits, family fun, a giveaway and (maybe the most fun of all) the first-ever running of the Watermelon Mile. I feel like a world record is going to be set! In the meantime, check out my “Living on the Wedge” Watermelon Board on Pinterest filled full with watermelon recipes, facts, health benefits and all the wacky watermelon things that catch my eye. I’d love for you to follow the board and if you have recipes, tips or anything watermelon-related, please follow the instructions to join as a pinner to the group!

#LivingOnTheWedge 2014 Posts

All Watermelon, All Summer! Jump into June w/ Watermelon Pool WOD #LivingOnTheWedge @WatermelonBoard #sponsored

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Have you ever worked out in a pool workout or used anything “alternative” for an exercise weight? Please share in the comments below! XOXO Jennifer

The post is sponsored by the National Watermelon Promotion Board. However, the opinions and content (unless otherwise noted) shared are my own and NWPB did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Body Boosting Fitness Shake and Bodyweight Leg Workout

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Bowflex Body.

Anytime someone says creamy, indulgent-tasting shakes are good for me, they have my rapt attention. That’s why I was ready to find out more about Bowflex Body, a line of premium nutrition products that inludes a vanilla fitness shake mix along with “boosters” (including chocolate) to mix in depending on my protein, energy, or fat-burning needs for the day.

As a meal replacement option, the Premium Vanilla Fitness Shake (with booster or not) is a convenient and safe way to ensure most of us are getting the optimal nutrition needed to power through until the next meal. I’ve swapped out a shake for a full meal at lunch or dinner a few times a week and had great results in leaning out. But, typically getting lean and dieting for weight loss is not an issue for me, often I’m trying to fill in the gaps in my day where I need extra quality calories (without the junk) – like after a workout or before bed.

Easy to keep in a gym bag and shake, shake, shake after a workout.

These easy-to-make shakes have become a staple in my post-workout nutrition plan. It’s so important to take in a protein-rich mini-meal within 30 minute of an intense workout or long run. It’s also key that that the meal or shake have a bit of carbohydrates to help the body efficiently process the protein – Bowflex Body makes it so easy! After finishing the “Murph” CrossFit WOD (1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 pushups 300 squats and a final 1 mile run) on Memorial Day, I knew my muscles were going to be screaming for some tasty TLC. I brought along my mixer filled with a scoop of the Premium Vanilla Fitness Shake along with the Rich Chocolate Booster AND the Peanut Butter Protein Booster. I’m greedy like that!

Start Shaking It Up, Here’s How:

Premium Vanilla Fitness Shake: Start with this powdered mix as your base and blend into water or your milk of choice. The instructions say use 8 ounces of liquid, but I’ve used 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk and 8 ounces of water and it still tastes great (and my mind thinks I’m getting more). You can also throw a scoop into morning or post-workout smoothie if you like frozen beverages. Not only does it taste super creamy and delicious, but for just 125 calories, you get 15g high quality protein, 5 g prebiotic fiber, only 5g sugar and 16 potent antioxidants including acai, goji, pomegranate, mangosteen, spinach, kale and more. It is also lactose free, soy free, low sodium and low fat.

Rich Chocolate Booster for Fat Burning: Toss in one of these 10-calorie packets to kick up your metabolism with Garcinia cambogia, green coffee bean, African mango and cocoa exacts.

Peanut Butter Booster for Muscle Management: Add a packet of this booster to help grow, maintain and provide workout recovery benefits to your muscles. This advanced protein formula gives you an additional 10g on top of the 15g already in each serving of shake.

Mixed Berry Booster for Extra Antioxidant Benefits: This refreshing mix-in gives the already vitamin and antioxidant-loaded vanilla shake an extra one-two punch of protection with blueberry, raspberry and strawberry extracts blended to help fight free radicals.

Two BowFlex Body Energy Products worth checking out:

Berry Pomegranate Pre-Energy: This tasty mix gets you revved up for your workout without the crash of sugar-loaded coffee or energy drinks. It works great for either aerobic or anaerobic activity and has just 80 mg of caffeine with theanine, an amino acid from green tea that helps prevent caffeine jitters and “crash.”

Passion Fruit Daily Energy: Designed to take every day, if needed, this formulation helps with focus, aerobic performance and sustained energy when you need a little extra oomph! Like the Pre-Energy formula this Daily Energy has jitter- and-crash free caffeine from the amino acid theanine found in green tea – just less at 50mg.

You really need to try Bowflex Body nutrition products yourself to discover the fat-burning, health-boosting benefits I’m raving about. Use the discount code BOWFLEXSHAKE to receive 20% off your order along with free shipping and handling. A sampler pack is also available. Bowflex has a 30-day, 100% guarantee on their products, so you really don’t have anything to lose — except maybe that muffin top or a bad case of the “hangres”! Get more details on the ingredients used in these fitness products and check out the FAQ for answers to common questions. Also, visit BowFlex Body on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and connect — they also have a great blog.

Body Boosting #BowFlexBody Fitness Shake + Bodyweight Leg WOD @BowflexBody #BeFitForLife #Fitfluential #Ad

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Also, I am sharing a bodyweight “leg day” exercise that you can do anywhere, no gym required. Have fun!

Kick up leg day with this no-equipment-needed workout of bodyweight exercises.

What “Booster” benefit are you most interested in — burning fat, increasting protein, or upping antioxidants? What is your favorite bodyweight leg exercise? Please share in the comments! xoxo Jennifer

Plyometric Power Workout – How To Increase Your Vertical Jump

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

Whether you want to up your game in basketball or volleyball, or just need to grab stuff off the top shelf without dragging out the step stool out, a vertical jump workout will help you catch that big air you crave.

While many traditional vertical jump workouts focus on heavy lifting in the weight room with exercises like Bulgarian Squat Jumps, Box Squats and Deadlifts, you can still get enviable gains with explosive plyometric bodyweight exercises. And, the beauty of this type of workout is little or no equipment is needed, so it can be done anytime, anywhere! Just grab a jump rope and exercise box (or curb) for this workout. Do this this Power Plyo Vertical Jump Workout once per week and enjoy some newfound oomph in your vert!

Here are the details for the above exercises:

Jump Rope: Warm up with jump rope for 2 minutes to get blood pumping and help activate muscles used in jumping. Only do warmup once, not at the top of each set.

Three Sets of Exercises Below (2 minutes rest after each set)

Depth Jumps: Step off box or bench and, upon landing, explode upward immediately. Reach arms overhead to increase lift and land softly back down on ground in athletic position. 10 reps / 3 sets

180 Squat Jumps: In an upright position, squat down slowly until your knees are flexed to almost right angles. Jump explosively without locking out knees, and rotate body quickly to land facing the opposite direction. 10 reps / 3 sets

Tuck Jumps: From standing, lower into a squat position and then jump as high as possible while bringing knees up and in toward chest. 10 reps / 3 sets

Lateral Box Jump Burpees: Stand to the side of box and jump laterally, leaping over it. Upon landing, drop to a full burpee with an upward jump finish. 10 reps / 3 sets

Walking Lunges: From upright with hands on hips, step forward with one leg and drop hip until back knee is almost touching ground. Keep torso erect and ensure front knee stays above front foot. Drive forward and extend up position. 10 reps (each side) / 3 sets

Single-Leg Box Jump: Stand facing approximately 18-inches way from box with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump on box with one leg, using bent-elbow arms to help drive upward. Fully extend body at top of box and then softly jump backward with both legs to starting position. 5 reps (each side) / 3 sets

I finally have my Workout and WOD Gallery back in working order, so head over to nab some new ideas for your fitness routine!

Increase Your Vertical Jump With Plyo Power Workout #Fitfluential

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So, what’s your favorite explosive lower body exercise? (I just giggled when I typed that)

6 Allergy Busting Tips for Spring Outdoor Exercise and Running

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

Springtime is one of the most enjoyable times of the year to exercise outside. After months of being trapped indoors, feeling the warm sunshine on my skin and enjoying Mother Nature’s endless and colorful beauty (especially wildflowers on the trail) makes me want to never want to come home from my run. That is, until the sneezing and sniffling starts. But, this year, I’m having a #SneezeFreeSpring thanks to the advice and help of MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy. More than 35 million people suffer from seasonal allergies and often confuse the symptoms with those of a common cold – you can find out more about seasonal allergies, their causes and treatments here.

6 Allergy-Busting Tips for Spring Outdoor Exercise

Avoid Mid-Day Exercise: You may have to reschedule your “runch” (running lunch break) to morning or evening until spring allergy season passes. Experts say that most pollen in urban areas hits peak levels around noon, or shortly thereafter. Also, be warned, pollen is going to be peskiest on warm, dry and breezy days.

Wear Protective Gear: Sporting a billed cap, wrap-around sunglasses and even a bandana over your nose and mouth (if you dare), can hinder the assault of some pollen. Opt for a full cap rather than a visor as this will help keep pollen out of your hair.

Wash Off Afterward: Although you’ve already been exposed to allergens exercising, it’s always a good idea to wash away the allergen offenders on your skin before they agitate you further (and infiltrate your carpet and furnishings). Also, don’t forget to wash hair and skip the use of hair styling products which only further attract floating particles in the air. So, hop in the shower ASAP after exercise, or if that’s not possible, at least rise off arms and legs down with a garden hose until you get home.

Change Into Clean Stuff: Don’t hang out in your sweaty exercise clothes, the moisture traps allergens like a magnet. Change into clean clothes and toss your used ones into the wash – definitely don’t recycle them for a second wear! Same goes for your bed sheets, change them at least once a week to lessen allergy symptoms.

Experiment with Natural Remedies: Some say local honey has been linked to a reduction in seasonal allergies. It can’t hurt to try, especially considering the carbohydrates in honey will provide you with some extra energy to fuel your workout. You also might look into Quercinten, an antioxidant found in many foods like red onions, capers, cranberries and more – you can kick up the concentration and histamine-blocking benefit by taking a supplement. Check with your doctor.

Consider Allergy Medications: Even with every precaution, allergy symptoms may persist. Don’t let allergens win and keep you stuck indoors. Visit with an allergist or your medical professional about over-the-counter and prescription medications that can keep you kicking asphalt outdoors all year long. You can even drop in at your convenience to talk to one of the nurse practitioners or physicians assistants at MinuteClinic who can recommend the right over-the-counter medications and write prescriptions when medically appropriate.

MinuteClinic, a no-appointment-needed, walk-in service at CVS Pharmacy, offers quality medical care on your schedule – plus most major insurances are accepted.

#SneezeFreeSpring

Allergy Busting Tips for Outdoor Exercise #SneezeFreeSpring @MinuteClinic #Ad

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This post is sponsored by MinuteClinic

How To Make Burpees Fun – Did I Really Just Say That?!

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

Notice the headline reads “How to Make Burpees More Fun,” not “How to Make Burpees Easier.” There is just no way around the truth that this full-body, functional exercise is a a tough one – I’ve seen grown men hurl. String a bunch of burpees together and your heart rate will sky rocket and the muscles of your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core will be screaming for sweet mother mercy. Why do you think the burpee is a go-to conditioning exercise at military boot camp, police and special ops training, and football team practice?! Because burpees get results!

However, seeing the same old burpee sets programmed into your workout can almost feel like a punishment, am I right? One way I like to make this exercise a bit more bearable (maybe FUN isn’t the right word) is by creating an interesting variation – like piggybacking on another element to create a compound exercise or doing them with a partner to create a good laugh. Here are my five favorite takes on this essential exercise:

Disclaimer, most of these videos are sped up in double time so that you will be spared the misery of me slogging them out in real time!

Burpee Power Jack: Drop into plank position of burpee and then simultaneously jump both feet outward past width of shoulders. While still in plank jump feet back in and pop up from burpee to finish one rep.

Partner Leap Frog Burpee: Grab a friend and stand shoulder to shoulder. First person drops into a plank position (or rests chest down on the ground) while second person performs a lateral tuck jump over planking person’s torso. Upon landing, jumper drops into a burpee and then pops up, lateral jumps back over friend to start position, and drops into a plank himself. First person now pops up from plank and takes his turn lateral jumping over second person, performing full burpee, and then jumping back over and dropping to plank. Repeat until worn out.

Burpee Box Jump: Stand facing box or platform of a comfortable height (I do 20 to 24-inches), make sure you are a body-length distance away if you like your face. Drop into a burpee push-up, pop back up, hop toward box and then jump with both feet landing on the box. Jump off backward, hop backward to the burpee start position for one rep.

Burpee Pull Up: Stand under pull-up and drop into burpee with or without push-up. Pop up from burpee and immediately jump to bar with both hands and pull up until chin clears bar. Land on ground in start position to finish rep.

Burpee Tuck Jump: Drop down into burpee with or with-out push up and pop back up. Instead of the little hop and hand clap that comes with a traditional burpee finish, jump explosively upward with both feet, tucking knees toward chest. Land in the standing start position to finish one rep.

How To Make Burpees More Fun – 5 Variations to Mix Up Your #WOD #Workout #Fitfluential

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Soooo . . .do you have a favorite way to burpee? Challenge me in the comments please!

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Category Archives: Workouts

All Watermelon, All Summer! Crazy Pool Workout #LivingOnTheWedge

Body Boosting Fitness Shake and Bodyweight Leg Workout

Plyometric Power Workout – How To Increase Your Vertical Jump

6 Allergy Busting Tips for Spring Outdoor Exercise and Running

How To Make Burpees Fun – Did I Really Just Say That?!