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Posts Tagged ‘Pretty Fit Elaine’

Workout Wednesday: 2014 Post-April Fool’s Pranks & Planks Are Where HIIT’s At!

In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Relationships, Sports, Technology, Travel, Weekly Wonders, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Workout Wednesday on 04/03/2014 at 03:20

Welcome to Pretty Fit Elaine‘s Greatest HIITs!

Just when your heart wasn’t racing enough on April Fools’ Day from pranking and being pranked, how about we be planked today? Here’s my combo of plank and HIIT (high intensity interval training) moves!

Let’s ring in Spring with a Spring in our step to fling bling on our body ~ as in when we’re seen, our peers go “Bling-wow” at the sight of our amazing beauty! It’s really a matter of feeling good, and we’re bound to feel good with this series will seriously get us into shape come Spring and Summer!

Recap from last week’s 2014 Kickoff/Tipoff: these routines have 20 reps (x) or secs (s) of 14 different sets!

Recommendation: turn on upbeat music to maintain momentum and rhythm! Groove is in the heart…

2014 Planks & HIITs
1. Burpees: squat to plank (on hands and toes, straight back) to jump (20x)
2. Quick Run: to recover from the powerful start (20s)
3. Superman Rollovers: lie face down with arms and legs extended, roll entire length of your body to one side, raise your arms and legs simultaneously (20x each side)
4. Split lunges: back on feet, jump into lunge (20x each side)
5. Mountain Climbers: back to plank while drawing our knees into alternate sides in running motion (20x per leg, both sides = 1 rep)
6. Kick Line: back on feet, lift knees one at a time then extend into kick straight up into air toward the other side [right knee lift to kick in left direction, alternate] (20x per leg, both sides = 1 rep)
7. Bird Dog: on all fours with hands flat and knees on ground, lift alternating arms and legs (20x)
8. Side Kicks: self-explanatory (20x per leg)
9. Tap-Out Push-ups: push-ups while tapping shoulders one at a time with alternating hand (20x)
10. Squats: your choice of narrow, wide ~ sumo or plié squats (20x)
11. Crunches: your choice of sit-ups [hands behind head or arms across chest, feet on floor or legs crossed in the air], v-ups [extending and lifting both arms and legs simultaneously] or bicycle/cross-cross [hands behind head, elbows meeting alternating knees] (20x)
12. Fast Freestyle Dance (20s)
13. Plank ~ stay still to stimulate your core (20s)
14. Tae Bo Jumping Jacks by punching alternate sides: left fist to right side, vice versa (20x per side)

This training session is no April Fools’ prank. We start strong and we finish strong! Beast Mode = Banging Beautiful Bods, right? We got this!

While resistance strengthens and defines our muscles, and stretching loosens them and relieves tension, cardio is absolutely essential because it builds our endurance and melts fat. HIIT it to stay fit!

Optional: Rearrange the sequence of these moves according to similar positions, such as planks together and standing sets together. However, I organized the order in such a way that the mix of targeted areas should provide a more effective challenge.

*Keep Beast and Wild-Train On*

Grub Glory! Eat Happy!

In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 02/26/2014 at 21:33

Happy Hump Day the Healthy Pretty Fit Way!

Today, I’ll feature food, as a perk to my freelance writing.

When I visited AM Donuts, I was pleased to photograph around the storefront and bakery, as well as to try the main menu items that I intended:

AM Donuts serves Bubble Tea!

AM DonutsBubble Tea & Maple Bacon Bar

The added bonus was that the owner packed his personal favorites for me to take home!

AM Donuts & Croissants

AM Donuts & Croissants Care Package, including *exclusive* Cherry Chocolate Fritter & Red Velvet Cake Donut

Then, when I covered the Claudie C. Royals Banquet on Claudie C. Royals Day, I chowed down even more!

Claudie C. Royals Banquet 2014

Claudie C. Royals Banquet Main Course & Sides + Beverage: Lasagna, Fried Chicken, Corn, Salad, Sweet Tea

Claudie C. Royals Banquet Dessert

Claudie C. Royals Banquet Desserts: Special Strawberry Shortcake Banana Nut Pudding, Lemon & Chocolate Nut Cupcakes, Chocolate Sugar-Dusted Brownies

Today, I wrote about how I ate healthy a week ago then rewarded myself the next day in What I Ate Wednesday and Thursday

Moral of this story:

A good day can lead into another one!

And because I love y’all so much, here’s  how I packed my sweets for the sweet from the sweet on VDay ♥

VDay Sweet Treats

Valentine’s Day 2014 ♥ Banana LOVE Berry Much Abunch

Now that I’ve gone bananas with good grub and am armed with study food, I’ll get back to working on my dissertation

3:33 ~ make a wish!!!

Champion

In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 02/03/2014 at 17:46

Happy Super Bowl XLVIII Monday!!!

Today’s Word of the Day is: Champion.

Almost two years ago exactly, I judged this Skills USA speech tournament, in which the students presented their interpretations of the word “champion.” What does it mean to you?

For me, a champion is someone who takes a winning approach to life, even in moments of defeat, one who still demonstrates good sportsmanship and holds her/his head up high without giving up. Last night, the NFC Champs won the “Big Game,” but the AFC Champs still are champions in my eyes because they still maintained a championship attitude. The heart of a champion does not feel like a loser even when it is beat.

This is what I aim to accomplish in my dissertation research and after I earn my Ph.D.: to show coaches that genuine leadership is based on developing their players into champions in life, not just in the game. I myself also am practicing this championship lifestyle by persisting along the way…

Here is a quote that I posted on my FB Fan Page:

“The #character of a #man is to #establish something where no one else has ever done before.” ~ Reggie Miller about his time w/his only NBA team, the Indiana Pacers

Before I get back to writing my study, I am about to go beast mode for energy. Speaking of which, here’s some comic relief that I posted on my friend’s Facebook last week:

  • My Buddy: How does a guy get man boobs?
  • Yours truly: By not working out their #pecs! #Dudes with #moobs must hit the #weights & work on their #BenchPress both #flat & on #incline for more #definition + try the #ChestFly… Go #BeastMode!
  • My Buddy: Thanks, Elaine. I’ll diet hardcore the next couple of weeks…
  • Yours truly: ¡El gusto es mío, mi amigo! I just sent ya an invite to the #BestWorkoutForMen #app for #iPhone which is the #male version of the 1 that I contribute to: #PrettyFit. Best wishes on the #diet but I hope you also add more #exercise into the #mix so that way you could #reward yourself w/a #YOLO (i.e., #PanDulce) every once in awhile…

Without further ado, here are my latest on the Pretty Fit Way:

Other winners in my life include my Double A-TeamAsia and Annie, who my good friend and spiritual mentor, Bishop Mike, has so graciously blessed during his leadership of the Diocese of San Angelo, before his retirement and the ordination of Bishop Sis one week ago. Here are A&A‘s and my heartfelt Valentine’s greetings and their photo full of love:

♥LOVE♥ is in the air & on the way, so we pray …

Image

For you to have a HAPPY ST. ♥ VALENTINE’S ♥ DAY!!! 

Warmest Wishes Sealed with a Kiss & ♥HEART ♥felt  Hugs

XOXO from: Elaine + the ♥CUPID ♥ Cats Asia & Annie

… who would do the Cupid Shuffle, but they’d rather stay comfy & content on their ♥LOVE♥ bed!!!

♥Now, Asia is joining Annie on the Cardio Cat Challenge, as her New 2014 Resolution is to exercise more, Dr. Price’s orders!

Wrapping Up the 2013 Scene

In ♥ & Soul, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, Travel, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 12/26/2013 at 21:34

Merry CHRISTmas and Happy Hanukkah that kicked off yesterday!

MFFL

Merry TEX-mas, Peace & Joy to Y’all & my Dallas Mavericks

My gifts to y’all who I call Team: Dr. D (for my Ph.D.) are links to my last Pretty Fit posts and Rants of the year!

Elaine the MFFL’s Final 3 of 2013

Pretty Fit Elaine’s Thursday Tips 

Now I could make valuable use of this time to work more on my dissertation! Meanwhile, here are my Season’s Greetings for 2013, so enjoy!

Dispo Holiday Greetings

Season’s Greetings!

Dispo Annual Newsletter

2013 in Review

3:33 ~ make a wish!!!