Tomorrow I’m going to share with you guys an awesome workout I did a couple weeks ago that incorporates the Turkish Get-Up exercise. Since this move requires a bit of choreography, I thought I’d throw up a quick post breaking down how to do a proper Turkish Get-Up. I use a 15-lb kettlebell when I do it, but a dumbbell also works just fine. Adjust the weight to your fitness level, and if you want to start out with just your bodyweight until you master the motion, that’s fine, too!

• Step 1: Start on your back, right arm extended perpendicular to the ground holding the weight, right knee bent with foot flat on the ground, left leg extended on the ground.
• Step 2: Using your left arm for support, push yourself into a seated position, right arm still straight up, left hand flat on the ground.
• Step 3: Lift your butt off the ground, supporting yourself on your left hand and right foot. The majority of your weight should be off your left leg. Again, adjust right arm so that it is always staying perpendicular to the ground throughout the whole exercise.
• Step 4: Bend your left leg, bringing it back under your butt, knee on the ground.
• Step 5: Push off that left leg and hand to bring yourself into a kneeling position.
• Step 6: Stand up, bringing your left foot in line with your right, posture should be straight, right arm still fully extended holding the weight.
• Step 7: Reverse the movement back into the starting position.

Once you’ve got the move down, I would encourage you to use a weight that really challenges you—if you can do five Turkish Get-Ups in a row without a bit of struggle, increase the weight! I know a lot of people (by “people” I really mean “girls,” but I’m trying this whole politically correct thing) worry they’ll look bulky if they do weight training, but I promise that unless you’ve adopted the training style of a bodybuilder, use crazy heavy weights and are supplementing with Ceatine, using a heavier kettlebell for your Turkish Get-Ups will be a-OK . 15 pounds isn’t exactly anything to write home about, but  I started with a 10 and was happy I traded up.

If you’re a newbie to this move, practice it a couple times. Tomorrow’s workout is a doozy!

You'll Also Love:

On Saturday morning, I had the chance to do a bootcamp-style workout at Fenway Park put on by Equinox. Not only is it just always a cool experience being in Fenway, but the workout was challenging and they had delicious smoothies and fresh fruit skewers for us afterwards (I’ll take seven, please). It was the perfect healthy way to start off the day, even though I kinda undermined that by eating a burrito immediately afterwards (oops).

The workout was made up of several 4-minute-long stations. There was a mix of bleacher sprints, calisthenic drills, sandbells, tabata, ropes and even yoga. I’d never used or heard of sandbells before, but I think they may need to be my next fitness equipment purchase. I like the versatility of them—you can slam them around or grip them and use them like any other weight. And it was my first time using ropes … holy hell. I will never laugh at the contestants on Biggest Loser again for crying when Bob and Jillian make them grab the ropes.

I love trying to new workouts and switching up my fitness routine, so this was super fun and something different to do. Big thanks to the trainers at Equinox Dartmouth St. for putting on a great workout!

Did you guys get in any fun workouts this weekend?

You'll Also Love:

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend (blogging is so weird—it’s like writing an email to no one in particular). I just got back from a couple days on Nantucket, which was a wonderful change of pace from the Boston weekend scene.

Body-weight workouts are the best because you can pretty much do them anywhere. Your living room, hotel rooms, the beach, your backyard, a gym…they go where you go. I usually put together these no-equipment-needed workouts when I’m visiting my parents on the Vineyard or in Maine. It’d be a huge pain to lug kettle bells and other equipment with me, so I just use the weight I already carry around with me every day.

This workout is a slight variation of a traditional tabata, in that I did 10 rounds for each exercise instead of the typical 8. Deal. With. It. And before I get into the specifics, let me just put it out there that I’m fully aware my pike jump skills are unimpressive at best. Laugh away at the picture.

30-Minute Body Weight Tabata Workout

For each of the following exercises, you’ll set an interval timer for 10 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Once you’ve completed the 5 minutes of one exercise, take a quick drink of water and move on to the next.

• Pike Jump into Squat Jump: Place hands on ground so you’re in a peaked pike position and jump your legs into the air. Don’t worry if you can’t get very far off the ground at first (I’m right there with you, dude!). When your feet land back on the ground, push up back into a squat position, and then jump in the air, arms overhead. Repeat.
• Side Plank Lift with Knee Tuck (alternate sides each interval): Start in a side plank position on your right hand and lower your hips towards the ground and then lift back up into side plank position. Crunch your left knee in to meet your left elbow. Repeat. During the next 20-second work interval, you’ll do the same thing on your left hand. Continue to alternate sides throughout the 5 minutes.
• Knee Tuck, Roll, Back Row: Start laying on your back and do a full body crunch, lifting your torso and crunching in your knees so that you can hug them. Extend back out, lowering onto back. Roll to your right so that you’re on your stomach and do a back row, lifting your legs and chest off the ground while pulling your elbows back in a row. Extend back out and roll to the right again so that you’re on your back. Repeat sequence, only rolling to the left this time.
• Side Lunge Knee-Up Jumps (alternate legs each interval): Squat down on your right leg, extending your left leg out to the left in a side lunge. Bring leg back in, jumping up on your right foot and bringing that left knee up to your chest. Land back on right leg and repeat. During the next 20-second interval, you’ll do the same thing on your left leg.
• Up-Down Planks: Essentially, you’re starting in an elbow plank position and, one arm at a time, going up into a regular plank position, then back down into an elbow plank…and so on. Just remember to alternate the arm you’re leading with.
• Skiers / High Knees (alternate between the two exercises each interval): For skiers, you do a two-foot lateral jump, side to side, like you’re skiing down a mountain (think moguls section). For high knees, it’s like running in place only pick those knees up to hit your hands. You’ll do skiers the first 20 seconds, high knees the second 20-second interval, and so on and so forth.

What are some of your favorite body weight exercises?

You'll Also Love:

We’ve all heard of 8-minute abs, but have you guys ever watched the original workout video? It’s…well, it’s special. And by that I mean it was filmed in the late 80s/early 90s, the spandex is on a whole new level of not OK, and the instructor’s commentary is pricelessly cheesy. Lots of “hang in there, gang!”

That being said, it’s not a bad ab workout, and I’ve done it countless times. The problem is, if you don’t switch up your workout routine, any fixed sequence is going to eventually stop being challenging. 8-minute abs quickly became an easy joke of a workout for me, and it was time to give it a serious makeover. Not just regarding the wardrobe (c’mon man, the bright blue spandex shorts with tube socks combo should be illegal), but with the exercises as well. I kept the structure of the workout the same, and switched up most of the ab movements. The result was an 8-minute abs 2.0 workout that actually challenged me again.

And before we get to the workout breakdown, how sick are the Nike running leggings I’m wearing?? I’m obsessed and trying to wear them as much as possible before summer hits—think they’d pass as Casual Friday-appropriate? I may test that boundary…

8-Minute Abs 2.0

You’ll do each move for 45 seconds and move immediately on to the next without taking a break. The last move (elbow plank) is only held for 30 seconds.

• Leg Lifts: Laying on your back with hands under your bum for support, lift legs off the ground and up, perpendicular to the ground (keeping them straight the whole time). Lower.
• Side V Crunches (Right): Start laying on your side with bottom arm stretched outwards on the ground for support. Do a side crunch, lifting your legs up and crunching them in to meet your elbow and raised torso.
• Side V Crunches (Left)
• Toe Touch Crunches: Lay on back with legs lifted perpendicular to the ground. Crunch up, reaching your hands towards your toes (you don’t actually have to touch them—I can’t, anyway haha)
• Cheek-to-Cheek Plank: Start in an elbow plank position. Keeping shoulders level, twist your torso to lower your right hip to the floor. Return to plank position and then twist the other way, lowering your right hip to the floor.
• Side Plank Lifts (Right): Start in a side plank position. Lower your hips towards the ground, and then lift upwards, crunching into an arch passed your original straight plank position. Continue lowering and raising.
• Side Plank Lifts (Left)
• Seated Leg Scissors: Sit with hands lightly on ground by your sides for support, lean back slightly and lift legs off the ground. Crisscross them back and forth keeping toes pointed, left over right then right over left, and so on.
• Butt Lifts: Lay on back with legs lifted perpendicular to the ground. Lift butt straight off the ground, reaching toes towards ceiling, and then lower. Try not to rock back and forth too much (the momentum makes the exercise easier, but you’ll get a better workout from slow, controlled lifting and lowering).
• Windshield Wipers: Lay on back, legs perpendicular to the ground and arms outstretched for support. Lower your legs to the right, twisting your hips, until they are just hovering above the ground. Lift back to starting position and over to the left side. Continue back and forth in a windshield-wiper motion.
• Elbow Plank (30-sec): You know the drill!

My parents’ dog Ginny was visiting while I shot this workout and between high-fiving me in the face with her paw and running in front of the camera every 5 seconds, I would say she definitely is not a proponent of fitness. Had to give her a little loving scolding:

Stay tuned for 8-minute abs 3.0—I’m sure after a few months, my muscles will have mastered and become bored of this one as well!

You'll Also Love:

This jacket is great for directing traffic, helping school children cross the street and walking through the woods during hunting season. It also made for a fun outfit this weekend. I paired it with pajama-esque polka dot pants because I like attention thought it’d be a nice mix of preppy and trendy.

jacket: Zara //  top: ASOS // pants: Forever 21 // shoes: Aldo // sunglasses: Ray-Ban // bracelets: Alex & Ani and LIT Boutique // necklace: Urban Outfitters

You'll Also Love:

I’ve already shared this sweet potato hummus recipe as part of a toast snack, but it’s so freaking good and I talk about it so frequently that I think it deserves its own blog post.

I eat it with pita chips and veggies, and also spread it on whole wheat sandwiches along with avocado, spinach and tomatoes. It’s delicious—I probably eat that for lunch at least four days a week.

Ingredients

Yields 2 ¼ cups

• 1 cup packed mashed sweet potato (about 1 large potato)
• 1 ½ cup chickpeas (about 1 can, rinsed)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel the potato and cut it up into chunks. Boil until soft when poked with a fork.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Using a food processor, blend together.
4. Refrigerate until cool.
5. Serve.

It’s a crazy week over here because I’m moving tomorrow (I’ll talk more about that later) so I’ll have to add the nutrition info for this hummus another day.

You'll Also Love:

As I wrote about a few weeks ago, I’m running a half marathon the first weekend in June and trying to incorporate some speed workouts into my training. I decided to start out on the treadmill instead of a track or running trail because it’s an easy way for me to force myself to maintain a certain pace for a given amount of time. If, for example, you tell me to run at a 10K pace for half a mile…that literally means nothing to me. I’ll just go as fast as I feel like because, well, that’s what I pretty much do during any race ever. I love running, but I’m actually a huge joke of “a runner.”

This was a good way to ease into the whole speed workout thang—not too intense, but still forces you to get those legs moving. It takes just over 30 minutes to complete.

Speaking of running, after everything that’s happened in Boston this past week, I find myself appreciating my daily runs around the city even more. This really is a beautiful, amazing place to call home. Here are a couple Instagram pics I snapped trotting around Southie:

And before I send you off to carpe the shit out of this diem, I wanted to spread the word about a Spin-A-Thon at Ten X Club in Dedham on Saturday May 11^th that’s raising money for Girls on the Run, a great organization that supports positive emotional, social and physical development in 3^rd to 6^th grade girls. Jocelyn reached out to me and told me that she and 11 other ladies are running the 200-mile Reach the Beach relay, and this spin-a-thon is part of their fundraising efforts. Visit the Facebook page for more details and sign up for one of four spin classes if you’re in the area! I’m not sure if I’ll be in Boston that weekend yet, but if so, I’ll most definitely make it for a class—I LOVE spinning (and charity, of course).

You'll Also Love:

I’ve always enjoyed hummus, but since switching to a low-dairy diet (you can read more about that here), I’ve really come to love it. Like we used to hang out in larger groups and hook up every once in a while, but now we’ve gone full-on “Facebook official” with the relationship and Hummus takes me on dates and holds my hand and stuff. It’s serious.

I use hummus on sandwiches instead of cheese, and when it comes to dips and cracker toppers, I don’t even miss dairy as long as I have a bowl of hummus.

This zesty lemon artichoke hummus recipe packs a big punch with the flavor profile—we’re talking garlic, lemon and cayenne pepper. It’s amazing. But if you prefer a milder taste, just use 1 garlic clove instead of 2 and 1/8-¼ tsp of cayenne pepper instead of ½ tsp. After doing some Internet recipe research, I adapted mine from this one and this one.

Zesty Lemon Artichoke Hummus

Yields 2 cups of hummus.

Ingredients

• 1 can artichoke hearts (14oz can, which is about 6 hearts)
• 1 can chickpeas (15oz can)
• 2 cloves garlic (just 1 if you prefer milder flavors)
• 6 tbsp lemon juice (about 3 lemons’ worth)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup tahini
• ½ tsp cayenne (only use 1/8 to ¼ tsp if you prefer milder flavors)
• salt and pepper to taste
• parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Drain, rinse and dry and chickpeas and artichoke hearts. I’ve heard it’s best to remove the skins of the chickpeas to make a smoother hummus, but I don’t. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
2. Mix everything together in a bowl except for the parsley and ½ an artichoke heart (chop that up and use as a garnish). I like to mush my chickpeas with a fork because my food processor is small and, well, a cheap POS, so I find some pre-smushing helps the resulting hummus be smooth.
3. Blend in a food processor. Garnish with some parsley, the chopped artichoke and a little drizzle of olive oil.
4. Serve with pita chips, crackers or cut veggies, or use as a spread in pita wraps and sandwiches.

Nutrition Info

Serving Size = ½ cup

Calories: 260
–Calories from Fat: 142
Total Fat: 16g
–Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 260mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24g
–Dietary Fiber: 7g
–Sugars: 1g
Protein: 8g

You'll Also Love:

I haven’t really had the heart for my usual posts this week, and it still doesn’t feel quite right blogging–tragedies like Monday’s Boston Marathon have a way of making light, fluffy topics feel trivial. But I put together this workout and post last week and wanted it to run as scheduled. 

———-

Ra-ra-ra-reeeeeeeee-mix! I feel like a workout DJ—next thing you know, I’ll be doing Sunday Brunch at GEM.

I took segments from some of my previous workouts and combined them into this mashup routine. It’ll take about 30 minutes to complete, and because things are always changing up, you won’t get bored.

I’m including full descriptions below, but as a reference, these are the original workouts I’m pulling from:

• 15-Minute Ab Workout (the first set of exercises)
• 20-20-20 Kettlebell Workout (two rounds of the routine)
• Full-Body Pyramid Workout (six rounds of the routine, starting with 6-rep rounds and ending with a 1-rep round)
• Quick-Hit Countdown Workout (three rounds of the routine, starting with a 10-rep round and ending with an 8-rep round)

Pumps & Iron Workout Mashup

Part 1

(from  15-Minute Ab Workout)

Complete three rounds of the following exercises. Don’t take a break between rounds.

• 30 seconds Windshield Wipers: Lay on back, legs perpendicular to the ground and arms outstretched for support. Lower your legs to the right, twisting your hips, until they are just hovering above the ground. Lift back to starting position and over to the left side. Continue back and forth in a windshield wiper motion.
• 30 seconds Bicycle Crunches: Lay on back, hands behind head. When you crunch up towards your bent left knee, your right leg should be extended out and not touching the ground. Switch sides, crunching over towards the right with your left leg extended. Continue in a fluid, cycling motion.
• 30 seconds Boat Pose: If you practice yoga, you’re probably familiar with boat pose. Sit in a “V” pose with legs held straight up at about a 45-degree angle with the ground and arms out straight. If it’s too difficult to keep your legs straight, bend them at the knee for Half Boat Pose. Hold for the 30 seconds.

Part 2

(from 20-20-20 Kettlebell Workout)

Complete two rounds of the following sequence as fast as you can without sacrificing proper form.

• 20 Kettle Bell Swings: Start with kettle bell down between your legs and, using your arms as a pendulum, swing the bell to slightly above eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat.
• 20 Goblet Squats: Squat down, legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart, holding the kettle bell to your chest. Make sure your butt is pushing backwards, as if you’re sitting down on an invisible chair. This move, while clearly working the glutes and thighs, is also great for your back—don’t let your torso bend far forward with the weight of the kettle bell.
• 20 Russian Twists: Sit with legs elevated, leaning slightly backwards, and twist from right to left, bringing kettle bell from one side of your body to the other.

Part 3

(from Full-Body Pyramid Workout)

You’ll start by going through the four moves, doing 6 reps of each (that’s 6 reps on each side for the side plank twists, and 6x2=12 reps for the kettlebell swings). The next round, you’ll do 5 reps of each, reducing each round by 1 until you reach the tip of the pyramid where you only have to do 1 rep of each exercise.

• Jump lunge mountain climbers: Start in a lunge position and jump up, landing with opposite leg in front, back in a lunge position. Place hands flat on ground and do a mountain climber set (one on each side) so that the same foot ends up in front. Stand back up into lunge position and repeat. To make sure you aren’t working one leg more than the other, alternate the front foot on your uneven rounds of 5 reps, 3 reps, etc.
• Side plank twists with weight (complete on both sides): Start in a side plank position holding a weight in your outstretched arm parallel to the ground. Twist your body in as if your torso were turning into a regular plank position, and as you do so, bring the weight in across your rib cage, crunching as if hugging yourself. I used a 10lb hand weight.
• Medicine ball burpees: This is a regular burpee, only holding on to a medicine ball the whole time. Squat down, placing medicine ball on the ground in front of you, carefully jump back into a plank position, jump back up to squatting, then stand up and jump with your arms (and medicine ball) in the air. I used a 6lb med ball.
• Kettlebell swings x2: This is hands-down one of my favorite exercises. Start with kettlebell down between your legs and, using your arms as a pendulum, swing the bell to slightly above eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat. Multiply the round by 2 for your rep count (during the first round, you’ll do 6×2= 12 reps). I used a 25lb kettlebell.

Part 4

(from Quick-Hit Countdown Workout)

For the first round, you’ll do 10 reps of each exercise, doubling up the split squats: 10 burpees, 10 leg lifts, 20 split squats, 10 clean and press with each arm. The next round, you’ll do 9 reps of each, and the last round, 8 reps.

• Burpees: Squat down, placing hands on the ground in front of you, carefully jump back into a plank position, jump back up to squatting, then stand up and jump with your arms in the air.
• Leg Lifts: Laying on your back with hands under your bum for support, lift legs off the ground and up, perpendicular to the ground (keeping them straight the whole time). Lower.
• Split Squats x2: Start in deep squatting position with feet staggered. Back foot should be on the ball; front foot should be flat. Jump up and switch legs, landing back in deep squat with opposite leg in front.
• Clean and Press (each arm): With feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, bend knees and bring kettle bell from a straight-arm hanging position to closely held by the center of your chest with arm bent. From there, straighten legs as you extend your arm skyward. Reverse the moves to bring yourself back to starting position. Try to keep the kettle bell towards the center of your body throughout this move. When done correctly, this isn’t just an upper-body workout, but great for your core.

You'll Also Love:

What happened yesterday is an absolute tragedy.

Thank you all for the concerned phone calls, texts, tweets, emails and Facebook messages. I was on Boylston Street not far from the finish line, felt and saw the bombs go off, but thankfully was safely in a building. We were evacuated, and all my friends and family members are safe. So many others weren’t as lucky; let’s keep the victims, their families and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

When things like this happen, you can’t help but wonder what the hell is wrong with people. But look to the first responders, the outpouring of support in the aftermath of the explosions, the overwhelming display of love for Boston and the victims of this tragedy, and you will see what the hell is RIGHT with people. I adore this city and have no doubt that the 2014 Boston Marathon will be an unbelievably moving display of community and love. And that’s how we make sure those who do such evil things don’t succeed—by stopping the cycle of hate that can be so easily born out of tragedies like this, and focusing on loving and supporting each other.

I love you, Boston.

For anyone looking to help, here are two of the many ways to get involved and show your support:

• The One Fund: Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino just announced the formation of this fun to help the people most closely affected.
• Run For Boston 4/17: Any time tomorrow, gather some friends (or go solo), wear blue or yellow, take a picture with a “Run for Boston” sign and post it to Facebook page provided in the link to show your support.