Workout Wednesday: VA is for …

Viral Vital Active Apparel!

Exercise experts’ whose limited editions that I follow:

Winning wear from Blogilates! How oGorgeous is this? #BeYOUtiful

• Blogilates‘ oGorgeous & BODYPOP
• Joanna Soh‘s Fit & Feminine
• K&K‘s Tone It Up! 

TIU from head to toe!

Woman Crush Wednesday *Bonus* Move to +Add+ to the Mix:

Calf Raises for Legs like Lifetime‘s Devious Maids‘ Dania Ramírez (20 reps each set as follows ~ feet shoulder width apart):

• Toes facing forward
• Toes facing inward
• Toes facing outward

Stand on tippy-toes to raise calves, then release on balls of feet

You can do these while watching Season 3 (which aired its finale 2 weeks ago) episodes!

For upper bod and core, take it down to the floor to score more!

Fitness Friday: Sun Buns

☼Sun☼ Out, Buns Out!

In this case, I don’t mean the buns-in-the-oven that I mentioned recently, unless you have one (or more on the way) ~ at which case I suggest that you consult with your physician about the upcoming physical activity!

Once upon a time (a decade ago), someone told me that I have a bubble butt ~ he meant that as a compliment: that my behind looked lifted and firm!

Flashback Friday: My BFF & I rock out the same EXP ReRock Jeans! #2greatMindsThinkAlike

So, our ☼sunny☼, sweaty series goes down to the derierre to round out all of the ☼summer☼ routines!

As Ice Cube raps:

♫Put your back (or another word) into it!♪

~ from the Save the Last Dance soundtrack

Bottom Moves to Get YOU into Tip-Top Shape

• Squats (legs): try variations of stances (wide/plié, hip/shoulder width, narrow) and my 1K challenge!
• Deadlifts (legs & back): while standing with your legs hip/shoulder width apart and holding your choice of resistance down in front of you close to your body, lower the weight toward your ankles then raise it up to your hips ~ lift with your knees, NOT with your back, and DON’T lock your knees!
• Clean Press (my personal favorite for legs & shoulders): start at deadlift position, then squat while lifting the weight over your head!
• Standing Extensions (quadriceps) & Curls (hamstrings): while standing with your legs together, lift one leg directly in front of you (quads/front of your thigh) then bring it behind you (hams/back of your thigh) ~ 3×20 each leg
• Vic(tory) Kicks: kick your legs up to the sky!

Flashback Friday: *DCC*

Workout Wednesday: Prayer Pose

Maligayang Bati. Mami Aya! * HBD, Nurse Nanay! 

In spirit of the recent Church💒 Sacraments (including my students’ First Communion and Confirmation), how about we put prayer into practice in our workout routines? 

I propose the 🙏Prayer Pose: place palms together in front of your chest, with your elbows bent at 45*

Here are lower bod and midsection moves that you can do in Prayer Pose (as opposed yet similar to Tree🌳 Pose) while standing and maintaining your balance …
During each rep, say something that you’re grateful for👏 (THANKSgiving prayers) or say a full☝️ prayer during a set✌️
3 sets of 12-15 reps
🙏Squats (as opposed to Prisoner👮 Position with hands behind your head): alternate stances between sets ~ wide/plié • narrow • shoulder width ~ drop low [legs]
🙏Lunges (as opposed to Warrior⛺️ yoga🌅 poses): extend one leg in front of you with knee bent at 90* and stretch other leg straight behind you then drop it down
🙏Calf Raises: alternate toe-point directions between sets ~ facing each other • facing forward • facing outward ~ start on tippy toes than lower to balls of feet👣 (calves)
🙏Abductors: with both legs together and toes facing forward, raise one leg outward to hip level; repeat on the other side after each set [inner thighs]
🙏Extensions: with both legs together and toes facing forward, raise one leg forward to hip level; repeat on the other side after each set [quadriceps]
🙏Elevated Curls: with both legs together and toes facing forward, raise one leg backward while bending the knee at 90*; repeat on the other side after each set [hamstrings]
🙏Bun Press: with both legs together and toes facing forward, raise one leg straight backward; repeat on the other side after each set [glutes]
🙏Knee Raises: draw one knee at a time up toward your chest [legs and core]
🙏Trunk Twists: turn your torso to the left, then to the right for one rep [core]

More bonus🌠 moves while laying on a clean, flat surface …

🙏Pray-Ups (as opposed to Pistol🔫 Pose): on your back, with palms together in prayer pose and legs extended straight out, tuck tummy in while bringing arms and legs together [core]

🙏Laying Curls: on your belly, with palms together in prayer pose and knees bent, curl legs behind you [hams]

And another 1 …

🙏Pray Raise (as opposed to Pistol🔫 Pose): either standing or sitting, lift arms up in prayer [chest]

Workout Wednesday: 2014 Strong & Limber Legs

Strut your stuff!

‘Tis the time to start baring your legs with shorts, skirts and dresses with higher hemlines and of course swimsuits!

Yesterday, I addressed feet and toes, and now we’re moving our way on up to those limbs attached! This training session will shape up your bottom half by keeping you limber and tightening up your tush so you can show off your stems in these warm days! (20x each)

Full Legs • Calves • Thighs • Butt

Recommended Resistance: wrap around weights for your ankles or resistance bands

Props: mat for laying exercises, stable chair for sitting exercise (leg extension*)

Let’s start our legs with a Squat Series for full leg sequence…
1. Narrow Squats: stand with feet together, squat to sitting position and raise to starting position (20x)
2. Squat Pulses: stand with feet facing forward and legs at hip width, squat low and raise halfway (20x)
3. Plié/Sumo Squats: stand in wide stance with feet facing out at 45* and legs last hip width, squat low and raise all the way up (20x)
—
Let’s step into our Lunge sets to keep working out our whole legs…
4. Side Lunges: stand in wide stance with feet facing forward, lunge to each side, alternating sides for each repetition (20x per leg)
5. Split Lunge Pulses: bend forward knee at 45* and drop backward knee toward floor one leg at a time, switch sides after set (20x per leg)
6. Lunge Box Step: start side lunge, followed by forward lunge, another side lunge, backward lunge and finish rep with one side lunge, then switch sides (4x per leg x 5 lunges per leg per rep = 20x)
—
Calves for your Bottom Halves
7. Calf Raises: stand with legs at hip width, start at tippy toes than lean back on ankles (20x)
—
Thigh Time
8. Leg Extension (quadriceps, top of your thighs): sit down on stable chair, extend legs out, your choice of one at a time per set, alternating sides or both at once (20x per leg)
9. Leg Curls (hamstrings, back of your thighs): stand with legs together OR position hands shoulder width apart and knees on mat, raise one foot at a time toward backside (20x per leg)
10. Leg Abduction (outer thighs): stand with legs together, raise one leg to the same side up to hip level, switch side after set OR lay on one side with legs straight out and lift top leg upward (20x per leg)
11. Leg Adduction (inner thighs): stand with legs together, raise one leg to the opposite side up to hip level, switch side after set OR lay on one side with top leg bent in front of you and lift bottom leg upward (20x per leg)
12. Clam Shell (overall thighs): lay on back with legs raised and heels together so knees face outward, bring knees together (20x)
—
Wrap up this Round with Your Butt
13. Donkey Kicks (glutes): position hands shoulder width apart and knees on mat, raise flexed foot one at a time toward ceiling while clenching your glutes (20x per leg)
14. Bridge Pulses (thighs and glutes): lay on your back with feet flat and knees together, raise hips while separating your thighs and clenching your glutes (20x)

For more high time for thighs, here’s my Thigh Day Friday post, which I originally shared for the sake of my soccer student’s request for inner thighs!

For the remaining 2014 routines, please click on the following links:

• Study Pump-Up the Jam Session
• Post-April Fool’s Pranks & Planks + HIITs
• Pre-Easter Thank GOD Stretch Sesh
• Eggcellent Eggsercise 2014 for the Core 
• Upper Cut Upper Bod (arms)

Go Beast Mode! 

To the tune of…

Wayback Wednesday: JRob took this at the Vela Wedding almost a decade ago! Click for more wedding wear!

ZZ Top’s

I sang “I’m Every Woman” as a tribute to the recently deceased Whitney Houston/Queen of the Night @ Karaoke Night a couple of years ago! Click for more warm weather wear!

She’s Got Legs

Representing my *DALLAS COWBOYS* on my 30th Birthday! Click for my Ball Calls on my ‘Boys & the NFL!

♫She knows how to use them…♪