Badass Fitness

A Halloween WOD to Make Your Muscles Scream, with Playlist!

Happy Halloween Eve!

Just for you all, I created a scary-but-don't-fear-it WOD and playlist to celebrate the goulish occasion! 

It's super challenging, as Badass Fitness workouts tend to be! But if it's easy, why bother? This also happens to be super-satisfying as you push through and feel those legs and glutes almost literally catch on fire -- like they've been hit by lightning and other scary supernatural forces!

So give this a try, along with the playlist below! I promise you this will make you feel better than raiding your kids' trick or treat stash;) So go ahead and #getafterit.

Badass Halloween 2012 Playlist 

1. Halloween Theme ( John Carpenter / MCA Music ), Halloween Scream Themes
2. Ghostbusters Dance Remix, The Hit Crew
3. The Beautiful People, Marilyn Manson
4. Scream, Usher
5. Everyday Is Halloween (Leather Strip Remix), Ministry
6. Thriller, Michael Jackson
7. Maneater, Nelly Furtado
8. Bad to the Bone, George Thorogood & The Destroyers
9. Bring Me to Life, Evanescence
10. E.T., Katy Perry
11. Maniac Mummy Move (Halloween Party Mix), Halloween #1 Hit Makers
12. The Boogie Monster, Gnarls Barkley
13. Bela Lugosi’s Dead, Godhead
14. Bloodletting (The Vampire Song), Concrete Blonde
15. Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites, Skrillex
16. Thriller (Tronix DJ Remix Edit), RagDollz 
17. Black Cat, Janet Jackson
18. Phantom of the Opera (Remix), Joe Burgess
19. Halloween (Halloween Club Remix), DiscoPhantom

Coming up: Chicken "fried rice" you can - and will want to - shovel in, forget the chopsticks!

FEAR NOTHING: A Badass Playlist

A few hours later, I am still riding a wave of endorphins from this morning's cycle class. I had a new playlist, a tough ride profile, and a big class of students ready to #getafterit before dawn. #Badass!

I call this the "Fear Nothing" mix, because it's all about believing you CAN -- no matter how high the mountain gets, how heavy the weights feel, or how many miles you have left to run. For those of you teaching cycling, I have also posted the ride profile below. But this mix is just as good in the gym, in the CrossFit "box," or on a great run.

Enjoy it, and remember: The voice in your head telling you "can't" is a LIAR.

 

The Fear Nothing Ride:

Song 1: warmup (easy level)

Song 2: Moderate level and resistance w sprints on the chorus. Remember: you could have "piunded the alarm this morning, but you didn't! So #getafterit

Song 3: 30-20-10s, 4 loops. Take the last 30 seconds of the song to recover. Challenge: Go fastest and hardest on the last loop when your legs want to quit. YES you can.

Song 4: Tabata drills at moderate level of resistance.

Song 5: Straight uphill! Start at moderate, keep adding on resistance while maintaining pace every 30 seconds to end at breathless/anaerobic. On the "wobble" chorus, out of the saddle. If your legs feel "wobbly," you are right where you need to be! Working it!

Song 6: Take the first minute to recover at easy level from song 5. Then 30-20-10s, 4 loops, then another 45 seconds of recovery at the end of the song. Challenge: Take each section a little steeper than the first 30-20-10 song. The finish is in sight!

Song 7: Tabata drills at moderate level of resistance. The team behind you wants to win. Show them who's boss.

Song 8: This is our steepest, hardest push today! Start at the heavy side of "moderate" and every 30 seconds, add resistance. Do not let your pace wane. We are in this to win this.

Song 9: Take the first minute to recover at easy. We are in the valley, and the finish line is up at the top of this small mountain. Go from moderate to hard to anaerobic during the final 3 minutes.

Song 10: Cool down victory lap!

Abracadabra, Abradacabra, Abraca-Badass Builder!

Badass CEO Confession: I am actually really self-conscious of my own Badass.

"Too bubbly, too big, not perky enough..." Seriously, these are the thoughts that go through my head fairly regularly. Yeah, yeah, I know, it is silly and totally NOT in keeping with my own Badass CEO mantra to love ourselves and embrace our strengths instead of focusing on what we think our flaws. Never mind the irony of this blog's name. Sigh. Being human is tough, right? Almost as tough as following our own advice sometimes! Double sigh.

But here's another confession: When that voice pops into my head, I give myself a mental slap in the face and remind myself of this: The gluteus maximum, minimus -- and the legs and hips to which they are connected -- are the all-powerful muscles that enable me to power through a cycling class,  run to the top of the football stadium, and run 400s at the track in under 90 seconds. So hey, so what if there's some junk back in the trunk? A little junk gives me a little oomph in my fitness performance! 

The WOD below is all about embracing your junk in the trunk and making it stronger -- and guys, this applies to you as well, because we don't like pancake booties! Lunges, bench step-ups, squats and deadlifts are all key exercises to building not just a shapelier badass, but a stronger one that will power you through those races, bootcamps, classes and hiking vacations.

I did this workout last week, and it took me about an hour. You go through the entire circuit below twice (or once if you are pressed for time, and it is still a great workout!) (This was adapted and inspired by a summer post from PurelyTwins, fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors, who are awesome and should be included in your bookmarked links!)

All you need is a bench with risers (I used 3 on each side, but do what works for you) and a set of dumbbells. Start with those 50 jacks as a warmup and also do 25 jumping jacks between every set to keep the heart rate (and metabolism, hence calorie burn) up. I used 15-lb dumbbells, but use whatever weight is challenging. From there, you get stronger and add on over time!

Now go on, #getafterit! Your badass will thank you!

 Coming up: How to Squash your chocolate cravings, and lessons from my organic farm tour with fellow SweatPink ambassador/blogger GingerMantra!

Back to the Track = Badass Bliss!!!

My mom ran track. My grandfather ran hurdles. My dad, at age 53, has amazing quads - better than guys half his age. 

And while I never ran with any sort of organized track team in high school or college, I know it's in my blood. I feel it as soon as I get out there on the track. Smoking a 400 with a new PR not only gets my blood racing (literally), it makes me so friggin PUMPED! 

Turns out, I am not the only one! 

I moved my Sunday night bootcamp from the Florida State football stadium, aka The Doak, to a local high school track this weekend as a change-up. Muscle confusion is good, right?! And I can tell when my bootcampers are getting strong and need something different, more challenging.

So there we were, doing all these 400s and 200s and 100s, and as much as their lungs were burning, they walked away feeling strong, victorious and - best of all - excited for next week's track edition of Badass Bootcamp. 

Yep, my job was done. They had smoked the track, discovered the awesomeness that is a good track workout. And they wanted MORE. #Win.

So here is the workout we did. You can do this at any local track, by yourself or with a partner or group of friends. I love fitness that is attainable, accessible, and fun. This workout is all of those things! It is awesome cross training for anyone preparing for a distance race, triathlon or obstacle race event. These intervals WILL make you faster at those steadier endurance paces.

Even if you don't get through the full thing the first time, keep at it and you will get stronger every time. Your goal on the 400s and 200s is to match or beat your time on each round. But really, the goal is to finish and prove to yourself how awesome and determined you are! 

 

Coming up: Cake for breakfast? Heck yes! And the Badass Fitness VP addresses a somewhat controversial subject...;) 

 

Manic Monday WOD: Three Circuits for a Full-Body Badass Kickin'

Hey hey it's Monday! Definitely not the best day of the week (that honor is split between Friday, Saturday and Sunday, right?) but a chance to start strong and set the tone for the week ahead.

So this WOD is meant to start strong, and basically make Monday our beyotch. You will need:

• Bosu balance trainer (tho if you don't have one, the burpees and squats can be done without it)
• Dumbbells 

You'll do three rounds of all three circuits, each of which has 3 exercises. By the time you get through all 3 circuits, you'll have worked yourself from head to toe. Take that, Monday! #BOOM

Circuit 1:

• 10 Bosu burpees
• 20 weighted Bosu squats
• 20 dumbbell plank rows

 

Circuit 2

• 20 Bosu hop-ups
• 20 squat presses
• 20 biceps curls

 

Circuit 3

• 20 waist cinchers
• 10 walking planks
• 1-minute plank

 

Wednesday WOD: Zero Excuses, All Tabata

It's Wednesday, time to push through that midway Hump toward the weekend - and this time, we get a three-day weekend thanks to Labor Day!

This WOD (workout of the day) is all Tabata drills, alternating cardio rounds with strength. Ideally, you rest no more than 2 minutes between each Tabata set to keep the heart rate pumping and the muscles firing. This one is no joke, but it WILL power you through the day and make you feel invincible heading toward the weekend! It will also make the most of 25 minutes of work, using high intensity interval training to stoke the metabolism and burn major calories.

Now go on. #getafterit

Coming up: My Foodie Pen Pal surprise, and chocolate and cookies I am NOT feeling guilt over!

TGIF! Time for a #50BadassReps Burner!

The summer is ending, college football season is near, and another Friday is here! Time to store the pool floaties and beach towels away and get our game faces on, people!

Those football games don't get won with easy breezy gym sessions and margarita dates. Victory - on the football field and in your own Badass Journey - comes with hard work, buckets of perspiration... and #50BadassReps!

So bust open your own "offense" with this #50BadassReps WOD. It's 50 reps of various moves, multiplied, for a Badass-whoopin' that will make your endorphins flow like a bottle of vino at Friday Happy Hour.

Workout now, Toast later!

Treadmill Tedium? Not with this 3+3 x 3 Workout!

When teaching fitness is your job, and one that has you leading group classes a dozen or so times a week, it feels kind of like going on a "fit-cation" when life pulls you away from the regular schedule for a chance to work out solo.

This is where I find myself for a whole week, working from Miami for client events affiliated with my PR "day job." I miss my bootcamp students, clients and group fitness classes in Tallahassee something fierce - but admittedly, it's kind of nice to "break out" and work out for myself, by myself, and with no one BUT myself. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, at whatever intensity I want.

I use these schedule breaks to push my body out of its comfort zone, to test out new routines for clients, and to just enjoy being fit.

The gym where I'm staying is simple - a few treadmills, a few ellipticals, an indoor bike, free weights, a decent set of machines. It's not a two-story fitness center mecca or even the kind of on-site gym you'd find at a resort hotel. But with a little creativity, even the most basic setup can be challenging.

Today's workout is a quickie that can be finished in 30 minutes or less. It mixes 3 cardio bursts on the treadmill with 3 sets of 3 different exercises. Because, as we know, great things come in 3's! It is perfect for a workout in the hotel gym or just to mix up your hometown gym routine.

So next time you find yourself facing the treadmill and thinking, boring, think again! I put myself through this one and it WILL break you out of any tedium ;)

Coming up: Can a cookie that tastes SOOO good really be good FOR me?! A review of The Protein Bakery's goods...And a Decades Playlist to go with a simple cycling profile that will simply kick your mother-lovin' #Badass to the curb! In a good way!

5 Moves, 5 Rounds, 1 Badass-Kickin' Circuit Workout!

Badass Confession: Group fitness classes built around complicated choreography or multiple pieces of equipment scare me a little, and they turn me off a LOT. I just think, why get myself all flustered and discombobulated over missing the drop-kick-turn-squat-pivot or whatever when I can easily kick butt by going 110 percent with something more simple?

Today's circuit is 5 moves, in a row, done 5 times, for a metabolism-boosting interval workout that I promise you will feel. You might even curse my name a little when you wake up the next morning - but you'll love the results if you incorporate this interval circuit into your regular fitness regimen!

So go "all in" with this puppy, and then call it a day! No choreography, and all you need are dumbbells of a moderate weight (lots of reps here, so you can go a little lighter than you might normally and still feel this one!) Warmup for 5 or so minutes and then begin, resting for 1-2 minutes between each of the 5 rounds.

And a few video how-to's below....

Burpees

 

Dead man crawls

 

Whew!!!

PS: We have a winner in last week's Energy Bits giveaway! Elisa, I will be sending you the Energy Bits sample! Shoot me your mailing address at [email protected]. Congrats and enjoy:) I will be doing more of these giveaways, so be sure to participate for your chance at free stuff! Cuz, really, why lose out on free stuff?

A busy runner and fellow boot camp fan, Elisa wrote:

I try to stay on top of things nutritionally (I keep your grocery list as a reminder/re-inspiration) and try to have good meals and snacks at the ready... It's all still a work in progress... Maybe I am too crazy to 'qualify' for the ENERGYbits, but I'd love to see how ALL of my work could improve!

Badass Cycling: Steep Hills, Low Hills, More Hills!

Simple doesn't mean easy. Just ask my students. Some of the toughest bootcamps and cycling classes we do are a simple format of repeating challenges. Example: Tabata drills, ShockWave.

Today's cycling profile is simple but kicks major Badass: Rolling hills, rolling hills, and more hills. Steep ones, moderate ones, fast ones, short ones, long ones. I promise you will feel this in your legs, your lungs, and your glutes. Endorphins will pump, and you'll emerge feeling so powerful, you'll think you can climb the Pyrenees like those Tour de France badasses.

Try for yourself, and enjoy the playlist!

Badasses, Let's Roll! Ride

• Somebody That I Used to Know (Tiësto Remix, feat. Kimbra), Gotye, 4:33: Warmup, easy for the first 2 minutes and gradually adding resistance until the "road" ends at a slight incline in minute 4
• Beethoven Vs. Vivaldi (Remix), UltraMax, 5:35: Alternate 30 seconds of moderate resistance and pace, with 30 seconds at that "hard" level by adding a turn and maintaining pace. Repeat pattern for the song. 
• Roadhouse Blues (Crystal Method Remix), The Doors vs. The Crystal Method, 4:57: Alternate 30 seconds at moderate resistance and pace, with 1 minute at "hard" for the entire song.
• My Body, Young the Giant, 4:04:  OK, now it gets real. Keep the resistance and pace challenging at the "hard" level, and use the three rounds of chorus to add resistance and power out of the saddle with speed. Get to breathless each time.
• 4 Minutes (The Dance Remix), In.Deep Dance Remix Tribute: Madonna vs Michael Jackson, 5:01: Take 2 minutes to recover at flat and easy, then start to add back a little resistance until you are at moderate resistance and ready to tackle the longest, steepest climb yet.
• Plastic Drums vs Bring Back The Drums, Eddie Cumana, Kobbe & Hugo Rizzo, 9:15: Here it is, the big nasty one. Alternate 4 times between "moderate" effort for 30 seconds and "hard" for 30 seconds. Then, for the second half of the ride, alternate between 6 rounds of 20 seconds at "hard" and 20 seconds at breathless/anaerobic by adding resistance and speed, coming in and out of the saddle to maintain momentum.
• We Found Love (Cahill Club Remix), Rihanna, 6:30:  Back the resistance off to moderate for 1 minute of active recovery. Then alternate between rolling hills of 1 minute at moderate and 1 minute at hard.
• Titanium, David Guetta & Sia, 4:05: The last push. Prove your legs are made of titanium! Alternate between "hard" with resistance and strong pace, adding resistance and powering out of the saddle on the choruses to get to anaerobic.
• Allegretto, Bond, 3:53:  Yes! The speedy push to the finish! Back the resistance off to easy-moderate, lock in a pace of 70-80 percent of your max ("hard" level) and push through to the finish line. This is all about speed and endurance for the win.
• No Diggity, Blackstreet & Dr. Dre, 5:05: Cool down! Chill out! Stretch!

Coming up: Hydration Matters...and the Trigger Point "foam roller on steroids" meets ice for an amazing muscle recovery tool!