Medicine Ball Circuit Workout

Hello, friends. I hope everyone is having a great week! The next few days will be very busy for me-- lots going on with work and life outside of work! When I'm pressed for time, quick efficient workouts save the day. It's so important to move and get your sweat on every day, even when you're tired and your schedule is full. A quick workout might just leave you feeling energized and refreshed-- ready to tackle the rest of your day. 

The workout I'm sharing today utilizes a medicine ball, but dumbbells can be substituted if you don't have one. 

Tips, Tricks, and Explanations

Trunk Swings- Hold the medicine ball at chest height out in front of you. Rotate your torso to one side (keeping hips centered) while your arms are extended out. Rotate back to center. Stand up straight and keep your core engaged!

Wood Chops- With the medicine ball in your hands above one shoulder, step out to the opposite side while swinging your arms down across your body in a chopping motion. Step back and return to your starting position. Keep your core engaged and your back flat!

Squat Toss- Squat down as if you are sitting in a low chair, keeping your core tight, your back flat, and making sure that your knees don’t extend past your toes. As you squat down, toss the medicine ball up into the air, catch it, and repeat the exercise.

Ball Swings- This is like a kettlebell swing. Hinge from your hips with the medicine ball in your hands. While keeping your back flat, drive your hips forward to propel the ball up to shoulder height. Keep your core engaged!

Medicine Ball Push-Ups- Start with your left hand on the floor and your right hand on the medicine ball. Perform a push-up. Shift the ball so that it is now under your left hand and your right hand is on the floor. Perform your second push-up. Continue the process until you have completed all of your repetitions.

Single-Leg Butt Lift- Lying on your back, place one foot in the medicine ball and extend your other foot straight out. Raise your hips to the ceiling, placing your weight on the foot that is resting on the medicine ball.

Rock and Press- This is a basic sit-up with a medicine ball press. As you perform a sit-up with the medicine ball at your chest, press the ball toward the ceiling as you come up. 

Let me know if you try this and of course, ask away if you have any questions. 

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Blueberry Muffin French Toast + Bosu Circuit

Good Morning and Happy Saturday. I just love weekends :)

Remember those Blueberry Muffins that I shared with you on Wednesday? Well, if you didn't make them, you're missing out! Why, you ask? Because today, I'm turning the leftover muffins into French toast- that's right, Blueberry Muffin French Toast.

It all starts with my go-to French Toast recipe. First, scramble an egg. Next, add a splash of milk, a pinch of salt, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Mix all of the ingredients until well combined. Slice your leftover muffins in halves or thirds and dip into the wet mixture.

Cook the muffin slices over medium-low heat until golden brown on both sides.

Ahhhh, Blueberry Muffin French Toast perfection!

And it only gets better with a drizzle of syrup. Ok, maybe two drizzles.

 

And after you indulge with this ah-maz-ing French toast, you can get moving with this Bosu Blast Circuit I created.

If you're not familiar with Bosu balls, they have a flat platform on one side and a rubber dome on the other. It naturally creates instability and it encourages you to use your core to keep balanced during your workouts.

Don't have a Bosu ball at home? If you have a gym membership, your gym probably has one that you can use. Otherwise, most of these exercises can be done without the Bosu.

And if you don't feel comfortable using the Bosu, please do the exercises without it-- Bosu balls create instability and I don't want anyone to injure themselves. Listen to your body!



Any plans for the weekend?
I've got a run scheduled today (4 miles) and plan on doing nothing else for the rest of the day, but try to stay warm! We went from kind-of-like-fall to winter weather here on the island.