This week, I was determined to start strength training, no matter what. I’m not going to lie, I was really intimidated by the thought of working out at the gym using the machines or the free weights. And did I really need to do that type of training, anyway? The more I’ve been reading on the different fitness blogs, the more I see that the trend that seems to work well for the goals I have in mind is using my own body weight resistance along with dumbbells and kettlebells. After looking at so many great, free sites, I settled on Tone It Up because I remember reading their fitness tips in Self Magazine in the past. When I researched their website, I really liked the fitness community that Karena and Katrina have built. Plus, I saw their new show, Toned Up, on Bravo and thought they had cute, quirky personalities. And I mean, look at them – they’re gorgeous!
Right now Tone It Up has a series they’re calling #LoveYourBody, which I think is so empowering. When I signed up for the newsletter, which gives me free access to the #TIU community, daily workout routines, inspirational quotes, and some recipes, I loved their message about what I could do with the 4 weeks until Valentine’s Day:
Remember there are 4 FULL WEEKS left of the Love Your Body Series~ just in time for Valentine’s Day. You have a HOT DATE with yourself! Take a look at your calendar- commit to yourself and your goals. In 4 weeks anything is possible…
♥ If you run/jog or walk 2 miles a day… that’s 2 MARATHONS you’ll complete by Valentine’s Day
♥ Is weight loss your goal? With the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan, you could lose 8-10 pounds in a healthy way
♥ Is toning your goal too? You will see a major difference in muscle tone with the workouts below
♥ If you compliment 1 woman a day from now until Valentine’s Day… that’s 26 women who won’t forget how you made them feel beautiful.
♥ Connect with a new team member in the community each day… that’s 26 new TIU girlfriends 🙂
♥ 4 weeks doesn’t seem like much… but you can achieve a lot between now until then! ” ~ToneItUp
I was totally inspired by this! I really like that they take a whole body/mind approach – not just working out and eating clean, but connecting with other people, too. I feel like supporting each other is so important.
So when I got the weekly schedule in my inbox on Sunday, I new I was going to start on Monday after work. I love that the schedule has video links, pdf downloads, and a Pinterest-ready photo of each workout, as well. I also REALLY love that the whole thing is themed – each of the workouts are named with Valentine’s Day in mind. So cute!
- Monday: My mom and I had taken a quick-paced mid-morning walk as my “cupid cardio” and then I came home and did the #LoveYourAbs workout 3 times, which took me about 30 minutes.
- Tuesday: I went to the gym and did the run/walk intervals on the treadmill for cardio and I did #LoveYourBodywithKettlebells for my toning. This workout was killer, and even though it was only 19 minutes (I only did one set) I’m still feeling it!
- Wednesday: rest day. I was starting to feel sick, and since I’d worked all day, I decided to take a break today.
- Thursday: Despite having a pretty bad cold, woke up and did 18 minutes on the stationary bike followed by 1 round of #LoveYourArms&Abs (15 minutes). If I wasn’t feeling sick, I definitely would’ve done the recommended 2 rounds.
- Friday: I took another sick day, but still woke up and did 18 minutes on the recumbent bike, followed by 3 rounds of #LoveYourBooty, and I know I’ll be feeling that workout for a few days.
- Saturday: I’m going to rest on the cardio, but I’ll complete the week’s plan by doing two sets of #LoveYourWholeBody2 (35 minutes).
I have really liked these workouts because they don’t require a lot of equipment. I have everything I need – a kettlebell, some hand weights, and a yoga mat. It doesn’t get simpler than that. I can feel the workouts working by how sore my muscles are each day, but the thing I’m enjoying about these workouts is that I can do them. Some of the moves (like the side plank) are out of reach for me, but I can find easy ways to modify them. I feel so good when I’m finished with each round of toning, and I really like that none of the workouts take that much time. I can easily fit in 30 minutes a day. I like checking in on FB and Twitter, and getting support from the @ToneItUp girls every time I use the #TIU hashtag.
Another fun thing about these workouts is that Sofi really gets into them. She thinks it’s playtime every time I hit the mat to do crunches, booty bridges, etc. It’s impossible not to start laughing every time she licks my face when I’m trying to do leg lifts or is right underneath me as I’m doing kettlebell swings. So, we’ve made a deal – she get get a few kisses and licks in and then she has to let me get my toning in, and afterward we’ll fit in a play session on the ground. How can I resist – how cute is this?
A huge thank you to Karena and Katrina for making such a fun, easy-to-follow, FREE program. I know I can keep this up! I can’t wait to see how my body changes in the next four weeks!!
Bella on the Beach 
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