All Things Fit – These Crazy Montanas

A Family Workout

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 Taryn and Tavia3 Comments

The weekend is here, finally!! Although that no longer means sleeping in late (babies don’t understand that), it does mean we get to work out as a family! It’s a little difficult to take Max into the gym with us. He doesn’t just sit happily in his stroller like he used to. We’re getting creative and hitting the pavement!

Here’s What We did:

Warm up: We walked about 1/2 a mile to our community nature trail. There are park benches along the trail that are perfect for different exercises!

Push-ups off the bench: Get as low as you can and get as many reps as you can for 4 sets.

Step-ups: These are my favorite. Get anywhere between 12-25 reps per leg for 3-4 sets. Burn baby burn!

Squat Jumps: These are a doozy. Make sure you are squatting low, keeping your weight back in your heels and fire up from your booty. Try to land as softly as you can on top of the bench. To modify: Don’t jump onto the bench. Squat down and jump as high as you can! Get 12-15 reps for 3 sets.

Finish, by jogging 3 minutes, walking 3 minutes. Until you are back home or it has been 30 minutes!

oh, and don’t forget to FLEX!

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did!

Happy Weekend Friends!!

XOXO

-Tavia

No Excuses.

October 14, 2015 Taryn and Tavia1 Comment

You know those days where the thought of working out just makes you want to eat some ice cream and take a nap? Don’t lie.. I know it happens to all of us. I can’t be the only one. I had one of those days today. It took some major inner battles (and a couple cups of coffee) to get my butt moving. I tell you what, once I got in the groove, I was in it. My Pandora station was killing it and my body followed. Here’s what went down.

Thin Thigh Tuesday (Is that a thing?):

Warm up: 5 minutes on the elliptical. My warm ups are crucial to my workouts nowadays. It gives me a chance to find the right Pandora station and get ready to rock.

Set 1:

Curtsy Lunges: 1 warm up set of 20 reps per leg. Add dumbbells and get 15 reps per leg.

Stiff Legged Dead Lift: 15 reps with weight. I used the 25lb dumbbells. Listen to your body. Make sure you are isolating your hamstrings and glutes with every rep! If you are feeling it only in your back, your weight is too heavy!

1 minute plank.

Repeat 3x through.

Set 2:

Sumo squats: 25 reps with a weight you are comfortable with. Remember to keep your toes pointed towards the corners of the room, your hips tucked, weight in your heels, and your booty tight! 😉

Seated Hamstring Curls: 25 rep with a weight that is hard to move after 12 reps. Burn,baby, burn.

Push Ups: As many as you can on your toes, and then drop to your knees and get 10 reps.

Repeat 3x through

Set 3:

Stationary lunges: 20 per leg

1 minute on the stair climber at a level where you have to jog a little. It hurts so ~~bad~~ good.

V-ups: 20 reps

Repeat 3x through

Workout DONE! Remember to modify where you have to. Don’t use weights if it is too much, and cut your reps down if you are feeling light headed!

Let me know what y’all think!! If you have any questions about what something is, leave a comment or send me an email!

Happy Workouts Friends!

XOXO

Tavia

Workin’ Out with the Babies

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Today is an exciting day! I had two good friends that came over (one has a baby) and we got our lift on in my garage! Who knew that events like these would be the highlight of my ~~week~~ day?! We put the babies in their jumpers and turned our beast mode on.

Here is what we did:

Round 1:

Lat pulldowns: 1st set 8 reps heavy

2nd set 12 reps one plate lighter

3rd set 20 reps one plate lighter than the second set

Round 2:

Bent over cable rows: 15 reps (a weight that is challenging but one that you can keep good form)

Dumbbell rows: 15 reps

Repeat 4x

Round 3:

Deadlifts (you heard, the real kind): 15 reps

Hyperextensions (back extensions) 20-25 reps

Round 4:

Or not…Max had enough and was ready to take a nap! Ha! He did have a great time watching all the ladies get their lift on…and it was a major bonus that he got to hang out with his little buddy!

^^Our new garage gym! Lots of my workouts will be happening here!

^^My friends are good motivators. That back is amazeballs.

Do any of you guys have to workout with your babes? How do you keep them entertained?

Happy hump day y’all!

Family Workout

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Sunday was another beautiful day in Texas. The hubby and I decided to load baby Max into the stroller and walk to our community gym to get a “pump” in. Working out together used to be part of our everyday routine back in the college days, but now it is such a rare occurrence we try to make the very best of every minute! Max, of course, doesn’t object to a good stroller ride and some entertaining workout moves from his mommy and daddy. Here is what we did.

Warm Up: Half mile walk to the gym 🙂

Round 1:

Shoulder side laterals: 20 reps

Seated shoulder press: 10 reps (heavy)

Reverse flyes: 20 reps

Repeat 4x through. Remember to increase your weight if you are flying through your reps!

Round 2:

Barbell upright row: 20 reps

Front raise with a plate (I used the 25lb plate): 12 reps

Push-ups: 15

Repeat 3x through

Round 3:

Seated machine shoulder press: 20 reps (last set is a drop set, get as many reps as you can, drop the weight, and repeat until you can’t do anymore!)

Squat press with Max as the weight: 20 reps (he was getting antsy at this point, he loves squat press! 🙂 )

Repeat 4x through

This concluded our fast and furious shoulder workout! Our workouts together have changed a little since baby Max was born. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I hope y’all enjoyed your weekend as much as we did over here!

Getting My Body Back

January 7, 2015January 11, 2015 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

39 weeks

5 days postpartum

2 months postpartum

8 months postpartum

These pictures are my progress pics from 39 weeks pregnant all the way until now! 8 months postpartum.

I get asked a lot about how I lost my baby weight. There are two major factors…nutrition and lifting weights! My focus is never on lots of cardio. Here’s why and it’s fairly simple; muscle burns fat the most efficiently, period. The only way to gain muscle is to lift weights. I promise you will not get bulky by lifting weights! Unless you are eating a huge surplus in calories lifting weights will not make you big. I’m not saying ditch the cardio all together…try to get cardio twice a week for 30 minute sessions. If you are consistent with your weight room sessions, that is all the cardio you will need!

Here are some quick work-outs to get you started in the weight room!

Total Body:

Warm-up: 10-15 minutes on a cardio equipment of choice..it’s just important to get that blood flowing!

Dumbbell Squat Press: Grab a pair of weights you are comfortable with that are challenging and complete 15 reps

Shoulder Side Lateral Raises: 20 Reps of these bad boys.

Walking Lunges: My all time favorite. Add weights if you can! I like to do these timed. Try 30 seconds of walking lunges, increase your time if this is to easy.

Step-up with Bicep Curl: Step-up on a bench or a step if your gym has one, and complete 20 reps per leg with a bicep curl at the top!

Complete this whole work-out 4x through. Your heart will be pumping and your muscles will be talking to you (Ok, maybe YELLING at you) and you will love every minute! 🙂

Legs:

Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes on cardio equipment (I prefer the elliptical)

Squats: 20 full range of motion squats (add dumbbells or use a barbell) I use the 20’s

Lying Hamstring Curls: 15-20 reps with a weight that is burning like crazy by rep 8!

Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 15 reps

Leg Extension: 25-30 reps

Walking Lunges: Use dumbbells and time yourself! Go for a minute!

Repeat this workout 3x through!

Upper Body:

Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes on a cardio machine

Lat Pull-downs: 12-15 reps with a weight that is challenging

Incline Chest Press: 15-20 reps

One-Armed Rows: I love rows. And I love to go super heavy on rows. Reps of 12-15

Tricep Extensions: 15-20 reps

Bicep Curls: There are so many variations to bicep curls, choose a different one every workout! My favorite are hammer curls with a heavy weight super set with a lighter barbell palms up curl. Get 12-15 reps with the hammer curls immediately follower by 20 reps with the lighter barbell.

Abs: I don’t make ab exercises a focus of mine because abs really are made in the kitchen! But with that said, who doesn’t love a good belly burner?! Choose your favorite ab exercise; crunches, v-ups, leg lifts, bicycle crunches, etc. Whenever I do abs I think high reps! I always complete no less than 20 reps!

These workouts are just a few examples that should help you get going in the weight room. Don’t be afraid to try new things! YouTube is full of fun examples that you can put to use in the gym!

The Montanas in Montana Part II

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 Taryn and Tavia1 Comment

Our trip to Montana was nothing but amazing. We spent the first few days in my hometown, Billings, visiting family and enjoying every second. Then, we left for Big Sky to shred some “pow pow”. The weather was freezing, -20 to be exact, the snow was perfect, and the mountain was beautiful. I am not a very good skier, I’m so bad that most of the green runs were somewhat terrifying. The only thing going through my head most of the time was “make a pizza, pizza, turn, turn, holy crap!” The good news is that by the end of our trip, 3 full ski days, I was starting to feel much more confident! And there is an upside of being bad, I got a major workout! Talk about some burning quads and buns! (I may have counted that as my workouts) Our vacation was perfect; so much snow, beautiful mountain views, precious bundled babies, family naps, and priceless family bonding. We can’t wait for next year!

^^Max was a little too excited about our trip to sleep on the airplane ride home! Thanks Auntie Kienna for the pic! 🙂

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays as much as we did! Here is to an amazing 2015!!

What We Ate Wednesday

December 18, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I cannot believe it is already time for What We Ate Wednesday again! The weeks are flying by. We are 9 days out from Christmas and I am the farthest thing from prepared! With all the crazy that the holidays bring it is so important for me to stay on top of my meals! I try to eat in as much as possible. That is the easiest way for me to stay on track with all the holiday yumminess so easily accessible everywhere. Here is my day!

Breakfast: The usual. 3 egg yolks with 2 egg whites and half a cup of oatmeal.

Snack: A protein shake (orgain organic powder mixed with 2 cups almond milk) and a cocoa loco bar from Mimi’s house. Holy delicious.

Lunch: Taco Salad! Honestly, I wasn’t that excited about this lunch because we literally have nothing in our refrigerator. All we had was some salad and leftover taco meat from the night before. I heated up with meat with some sharp cheddar on top and then threw it all on a bed of super greens. It actually turned out delicious!

I also had a cup of Roiboos tea to go with it…if you have never tried Roiboos, try it! It is amazing and has so many health benefits!

Snack: 1 handful of almonds with about a cup of dried raspberries. I will probably never eat those little raspberries again…they are so sour!

Dinner: Faux fried chicken, super greens salad, and organic macaroni and cheese (my weakness..all in moderation y’all)

Faux friend chicken recipe:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium size bowl add two whole eggs and mix well.

In a gallon size ziplock add 2 cups organic Panko bread crumbs and 3 tbs of parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Dip your chicken breasts in the eggs until fully coated and throw them into the ziplock bag mixture. Shake well.

Place coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes! Super east and super delicious.

What We Ate Wednesday

December 4, 2014December 5, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I get asked all the time what I eat. So I have decided to show y’all! Every Wednesday I will post all of my meals and recipes! I don’t ever diet, ever. It is much easier for me to stay healthy if I have a good balance. What does that mean? I eat things like cookies and pizza every once in a while and I never deprive myself (that leads to bad decisions later!). I do my best to make sure we are eating organic ingredients all the time. None of that fake food is welcome in this Montana house! We don’t do artificial sweeteners, colors, fat free, low fat, etc etc. I have included Max’s little meals too, mostly because pictures are much cuter with his face!

Breakfast: My breakfast is almost always the same. I do 3 whole eggs + 2 egg whites with 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1 banana mixed in (I add cinnamon for more flavor). I am pretty much addicted to orange juice, so I have my little glass every morning. Max enjoys his breakfast oatmeal at this time too 🙂

Snack: Ok, this is weird, and not a norm, but breastfeeding cravings have been way worse than any pregnancy craving! Lately, that craving has called for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I use two slices of bread, about 1 1/2 tbs peanut butter and 1/2 tbs jelly.

Lunch: Max and I ventured to our local Whole Foods to buy ingredients for our dinner so lunch was on the go. I made myself a salad from the salad bar at Whole Foods. Loaded that sucker up with spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, almonds, chicken, and a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I also had two tacos from the taco bar. (My phone died or I would have had photo evidence of this amazing lunch)

Snack: My favorite part of the day is my Orgain Organic protein shake. I mixed two scoops of the protein powder with 2 cups almond milk.

Dinner: With all this gloomy weather we have been having I have been in the mood for soups lately. I decided chicken chili was the way to go! This bad boy is the bomb.com.

Here is how its made:

1 onion chopped and placed on the bottom of the crockpot

3 chicken breasts

1 package taco seasoning

1 can black beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can corn

1 10oz can of tomato paste

1 can of rotel

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Layer all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. This made my house smell amazing!

While the hubby and I enjoyed our chicken chilli, Max was chowing down on some sweet potatoes and peas! He loves both! Yay!

And all of that, along with about a gallon of water, is how my Wednesday meals looked! What do y’all think?

Workin’ Out With Mimi

October 20, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

You all know that saying “I got it from my mama”? Well, I really did get it from my mama! Ha! She is the reason I am who I am today. The reason I love eating healthy, working out, and spreading what I know to others. I was lucky enough to grow up with her teaching me her ways to a healthy life. There are so many things she taught me about being healthy and having a healthy body image while growing up. These are just a few that are most important to me:

1. Leave the scale behind. No one cares what that number says and neither should you. It is all about how you feel.

2. Eat in as much as possible. It is much easier to control the quality of your food if you are the one making it.

3. Do something active everyday! Find what you love to do and just do it! It doesn’t matter if you love roller blading or weight lifting, just do something! Your body will thank you.

This whole post was inspired by my walk with my mom today that somehow turned into a “burn up the booty” session. We lunged between every other mail box, did step ups, and Bulgarian squats on park benches. That was our “something active” today. What was yours ?!

Precious Little Moments

October 14, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Last week was one of those I can’t get my head above the water kind of weeks. Laundry was never ending, there were always dishes in the sink, and the little baby toys were always scattered randomly throughout my house (he isn’t even mobile yet, why are there toys everywhere? LOL). Why was last week crazier than all the other weeks? I took more time to just sit and watch Max instead of rushing to clean when he was happy in his jumper. We read so many books, sang so many songs, took long walks, and worked out at home together (he really likes to laugh at me). I took more time to enjoy the little things with that little babe of mine. Time is going so fast and it is making me one of those emotional moms. Just look at this little face…who wants to clean (or be any kind of productive) when you have these little cheeks to love on?! So, my new goal is to slow down, enjoy every little second I have with this baby while he is still just that, a baby!

Before you get bombarded with sweet baby pictures, here is what we like to do on our long walks!

The Walk Challenge

Walk for 10 minutes do 15 burpees (yes my neighbors might think I’m crazy HA) and repeat

At every bench you walk by, do 15 step-ups on each leg

After you finish your step-ups do 15 push-ups followed by 20 dips on that same bench and continue walking!

This makes our walks a little more exciting for me and baby Max! Try it! Let me know what you think!