Week Three

Bikini Boot Camp- Week 3

It's finally starting to feel like spring in Calgary, which makes me super excited about getting healthier and looking great in my summer shorts! #bikiniespy is less than 60 days away and I'm slowing gaining more confidence to get into my bikini thanks to Cara's Fit and Fierce boot camp! Each week is getting tougher and tougher and week 3 was no exception. 


OUCH !!!
A concept Cara introduced to the Fit & Fierce ladies and myself was a notion of OUCH ! This is where the group holds a fitness position or repeats an exercise while one ladies runs a lap or runs a set of lines. When the first lady gets back and joins the others in holding a strength building position or repeats the same exercise as the rest of the group. The next lady goes for a run. The whole exercise is done when everyone has gone through the cycle and does their run. This specific work is called OUCH for a reason, boy does it hurt!  The concept of OUCH can be incorporated to any group exercise.       

          

 

The Language of Fitness 

Leap frogs, tuck jumps, bicycle crunches, walking lunges, tricep dips, spears, hold and go, hammer curls, ball slams, burpees, cat crawls, scissor kicks, v-ups, bicycle crunches....what are these, are they even english ?? Every day Cara has a interesting new exercise that has a even more interesting name. These exercise sound fun and cutesy but are really endurance testing workouts. Such as Cat Crawls and Leap Frogs - they are full body work outs that focus on your legs, arms and abdominals.

Time's flying by, week 3 is already long gone and there are only a few weeks left! I'm still feeling great after every work out and I'm starting to see more muscle definition in my legs and arms. #bikiniespy is just around the corner and I'm getting really excited for more results!

                                                       

**** 53 Days Till #bikiniespy !! ****

xoxo

Absolutely Delicious and HEALTHY

 Baked Root Vegetables - Yumm!! 

This great, super easy recipe is a quick meal that can be made with many different combinations of root veggies! It's also a fun healthy dish that will keep you on track to your bikini body!!

              Amount Per Serving  Calories: 221 | Total Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg


    Prep Time: 25 Min   Cook Time: 40 Min   Ready In : 1 Hr 5 Min   Severs: 8 Servings 

Ingredients

• 1 pound new potatoes, halved
• 1/2 large rutabaga, peeled and cubed
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and cubed
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sweet red chili sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Toss potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potato, parsnips, and carrots with olive oil and chili sauce in a large bowl until coated. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, grill seasoning, and pepper. Toss again until evenly coated, then spread vegetables into a 9x13 inch roasting pan.
3. Roast vegetables in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then stir, return to oven, and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.

----> You can add a bit of maple syrup in the roasting pan when there's 10-15 minutes left to leaves a woodsy caramelized layer!!

*** 61 DAYS till #bikiniespy!!!! ***

xoxo

Week TWO

Bikini Boot Camp - Week Two

The second week of Cara's Define Fitness- Fit & Fierce boot camp at Athlete Factory was exciting. My body is starting to get use to my new fitness routine. I wasn't as sore after every work out. Cara is very good at keeping our interest, work out's are never the exact same. This week had a lot of burpee's incorporated into many works outs. I feel like the burpee will become a staple in many of Cara's exercises. They aren't a fan favorite but the definitely make you SWEAT and get your heart rate up!

Here is an example of a burpee so you can do them at home! Have fun!

This week we also did some track work. The four of use would take positions on the running track. We were to run the first 10 meters and start doing high knees for a period of time until Cara would tell us to stop. We would the have to run the next 10 meters and jump side-to-side, after a period of time Cara would tell us to stop. From there we had to run the next 10 meters and do stutter steps. This is where you feet are always moving up and down in the same position. We hold the stutter step for a period of time, until Cara says to stop and then we sprint the last 10 meters to the end of the track. We do this a few more times but Cara adds another element that challenges us a bit more. While we are doing the high knees, side jumps and stutter steps Cara yells down and a number. This means we must got down in a push up position as fast as we can and get up to continue our exercise. When she yells a number  we must go down and do that many burpee's and get back up as fast as possible to continue our specific exercise.

The track work was probably the most difficult circuit of exercises we have done. It was super challenging, however it was our last workout of the day so when we were done we knew when had the best work out, and that feeling was rewarding.    

During the week lunges and squats where integrated into every exercise. Front lunges, backwards lunges, walking lunges, and a combination of squats and lunges where slipped right in. Getting our behinds in shape!   

Week two  was challenging but  I felt much better about it! Not only am I feeling better and find myself having more  energy , I'm starting to see some results. Especially from all the lunges and squats! Thanks Cara!

 My booty will be looking great in that bikini for #bikiniespy!! Can't  wait!  

**** 68 days TILL #bikiniespy!!! ****

xoxo

Bikini Recipe of the WEEK :)

Chuck Wagon Salad

If you're looking for a change the Chuck Wagon Salad is good and hearty. This salad is also a fun and healthy meal for the whole family! 

Prep Time: 15 min Cook time: 15 min Ready in: 30 min

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 227 | Total Fat: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 20mg

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked wagon wheel pasta
• 1 cup sliced, cooked lean sirloin, cold
• 3/4 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
• 2 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
• 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine pasta, beef, onion, and green pepper. Mix well. Stir together barbecue sauce and prepared mustard, and mix into beef mixture.
3. Serve beef mixture over mixed greens, and garnish with tomato

Enjoy!!

xoxo

***** 81 DAYS TILL #BIKINIESPY!!****

Week ONE

Check out Cara Fullerton from Define Fitness and host of the Fit & Fierce Boot Camp!!

Bikini Boot Camp WEEK ONE :)

One word to sum up week one of the Fit & Fierce Boot Camp brought to you by Define Fitness at the Athlete Factory, would be SORE! Being a basketball player, I'm use to working hard. However, playing basketball and training in a boot camp is a little different. Days after a session at Cara's boot camp and I was sore in muscles I never knew I had!! That just means that the boot camp is a highly intensive full body work out!

There were many dynamics to week one's work outs. Exercise circuits with 5 exercises that are to be repeated 5 times. These circuit exercises work the entire body, both lower and upper, and there is always a conditioning aspect! Cara also incorporates different exercise equipment in these circuits. Using medicine balls while squatting and
using hand weights to intensify the upper body exercises.

Week one also featured a lot of fun partner exercises . There's always something different and exciting to try out. In the pictures posted, Cara gets us to pair up. One person is on a mat and the other person grabs on to their partners ankles. The person holding the ankles has to do 5 squats. When the squats are done then the partner on the mat, after holding a push up position, has to do 5 "ups and downs." These are when you move from the push up position to on your elbows and then back up in the push up position. After that is done 5 times, you switch positions and start from the beginning. This exercise is done in a set of three. This exercise works many parts of your body; abs, legs and arms. It also encourages team building! It's interesting how it's much more intense when you know your partner is depending on you!!

The third class on Thursday was all about conditioning. We used the bike and stepping stools at different intervals to keep the heart beat up. Cara set up a conditioning circuit that involved running lines and skipping with a skipping rope and of course she added the infamous burpee's on to the end of the work out to make sure she is making us SWEAT!

Week one was gruelling and challenging but I always felt great after the workout is done! I  was pretty sore for a couple day's after, but as the week went on, I could start walking straight again. It's just week one, and I'm slowly but surely getting bikini ready!

xoxo

**** 82 DAYS LEFT TILL #BIKINIESPY !!! *****

Fit & Fierce Boot Camp

#bikiniespy will be Calgary's most exciting charity event this summer!! To get ready for the event and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, myself Jaclyn Cerciello from espy experience will be getting bikini ready!!

What does this mean ?? I will be attending Cara Fullerton's Fit & Fierce Boot camp is brought to you by Define Fitness located inside the Athlete Factory! I will be getting in shape 3 times a week. Once a week I will be blogging about my experience at Cara's boot camp, along with posting fitness tips and healthy recipes!! All things to obtain a healthy and balanced lifestyle while getting bikini ready for #bikiniespy !!

So stay tuned for my weekly blog !!

xoxo

Welcome to the first ever #bikiniespy !!

July 2012 will be a memorable one !! Not only is it the centennial Calgary Stampede but Espy will be hosting the first ever #bikiniespy in support of Special Olympics Calgary !!

What is #bikiniespy you ask??

Inspired from Novembers #nakedespy where the first 100 guys dressed only in their underwear lineup in front of Espy in support of Prostate Cancer comes #bikiniespy!!  In support of Special Olympics the first 100 girls lined up outside espy in their BIKINIS and COWBOY BOOTS on Saturday, July 7, 2012, the very first Saturday of the Centennial year of the Calgary Stampede will receive a FREE Stampede outfit from our denim designers (value $600), an OFFICIAL Calgary Stampede Cowboy Hat courtesy of Smithbilt Hats, a gourmet family pancake breakfast, and a morning of Stampede fun with rodeo contestants, Special Olympics Athletes, and musical guests at espy!

Charity! #bikiniespy is in support of Special Olympics Calgary! The ladies who line up for the free clothes and pancakes will be asked to donate a MINIMUM of $50 to Special Olympics Calgary.