Post-Pregnancy Belly Blast // Tabata Timer // Julia B.

The baby is here and everything is perfect. Beautiful, healthy baby? Check. Happy, helpful husband? Check. Va-jay-jay all in one piece? BIG CHECK! 

Now it's time to get that body in check.

Julia is in beast mode and there is no stopping her until she is back down to fighting weight. Currently she is at 150 lbs and her goal weight is 130 lbs. 

She swears by the help of her trusty Tabata Timer to keep her workouts on track. This is a free app you can download directly to your smartphone. 

The Tabata Timer creates a 4-minute workout that is broken down into :20 and :10 second intervals. 

We compiled a list of Julia's Tabata Timer Workout for today along with some helpful tips! We hope you enjoy this workout & will join us on this journey to get Julia back to feeling her best! 

20 Minutes of Ass-Kicking a la Julia

(1) Booty Blast

(2) Core

(3) Upper Body & Booty Mix

(4) Upper Body

(5) Cardio

Tabata Timer & Julia are ready to go!

(1) Booty Blast

Jump Squats & Regular Squats

:20 second Jump Squats

:10 second Regular Squats

Repeat for Four Minutes 

Jump Squat & Regular Squat: Part 1

Jump Squat & Regular Squat: Part 2
 (For the second part of the Regular Squat, use this same form minus the jump.)

Squatting Pointers

*Spread your butt cheeks when you sit down into the squat.

*Clench your butt cheeks when you stand or jump up out of the squat.

*Do not let your knees fall over your toes when squatting down.

*Sit down deep into the squat, like you're sitting down on a toilet.

(2) Core

Suitcase Crunches & Plank

:20 seconds Suitcase Crunches

:10 second Plank

Repeat for Four Minutes 

Suitcase Crunch: Part 1

Suitcase Crunch: Part 2

The Plank! 

Crunching Pointers

*Keep your belly button pressed to your spine when crunching.

*Keep elbows wide, do not fold them around your head.

*Pretend like you're holding a tennis ball under your chin, do not tuck your chin to your chest.

*Keep your lower back on the ground at all times.

Plank Pointers:

*keep your butt down when planking so that your body is flat (LIKE A PLANK!)

(3) Upper Body Booty Mix

Squat Thrust & Jump Squat with REST

:20 second Squat Thrust

:10 REST

:20 second Jump Squat

:10 REST 

Repeat for Four Minutes 

Squat Thrust: Part One

Squat Thrust: Part 2

Squat Thrust: Part 3

Jump Squat: Part 1

Jump Squat: Part 2

Squat Thrust Pointers

*Keep your butt down.

*Your hands should be just wider than shoulder-width apart (like a push-up).

*Focus on using your core when thrusting your legs out and bringing them back in.

(4) Upper BodyBicep Curls & Incline Push-Ups:20 second Bicep Curls:10 second Push-Ups
Repeat for Four Minutes 

Bicep Curl: Part 1 

Bicep Curl: Part 2

Incline Push-Up Position: Part 1

Incline Push-Up Position: Part 2

Bicep Curl Pointers

*Keep elbows close to your rib cage.

*Keep shoulders down, no shrugging.

*Focus on using only your bicep muscles. Do not swing your forearms up and down, it's cheating!

(5) Cardio/Sprint Interval:20 second Hard Sprint:10 second Easy Jog
Repeat for Four Minutes 

Getting Ready to Sprint!
(She looks real excited.)

:10 second jogging recovery

:20 seconds of hard sprinting
(The old man was trying to stay out of the pic. Hehe!)

:10 second easy jog recovery

Sprinting Pointers

*Run like a motherf*cker.

WHOOP WHOOP! All finished.

 Thank you to our good & fit friend Lea Ann who introduced us to the Tabata Timer. She is a well-known trainer at River Oaks and Houston Country Clubs.

Follow her on Instagram for some serious workout tips! @leabratcher

http://instagram.com/leabratcher

Stay tuned for our next fitness post on Julia's fresh & clean dieting tips.

In Fitness We Trust,

bohoBaby Grace 

bohoMelisa: Workin' on our Fitness {Cardio Burst}

Today we have a guest post from one of our best friends, bohoMelisa. You may have heard about her in previous posts; like here, or here, or here. We've known Melisa for a long time, and I have never met anyone that works out harder than this chick. She has kicked all of our a$$e$ on many occasions, and we always go back for more. She is very motivating, and pushes you to limits you didn't know you could reach, which sometimes results in a dry heave or two, but that's no biggie to her.
She ain't no joke, and neither is this lil workout she is sharing with you. I've done it quite a few times now and it's torture, but in a gooood way! It's the perfect warm-up that also works out that booty-do, so without further ado…………………………..............................……………………………………………………………………….

{bohoMelisa}

I like to work out. I want to sweat profusely, feel like I am about to die and if I throw up at the end that is an added bonus. I completely understand there are few people who want to work out that hard. And for that fact, it has been hard to find a workout partner. I grew up with my dads work philosophy of, "if you have a pulse and functioning legs, there is no reason to stop". Giving up is never an option. Never. EVER.
I stopped working as a pediatric nurse practitioner about a year and a half ago to raise my kids (that's a whole different story). So being the Type A OCD person I am, I needed to direct my energy somewhere else. Working out became my new obsession. I mean, I am a wife and mom of 3 so I only had a couple hours a day to feed this new obsession. This means I had to get in, get 'er done and get out. I am not a trainer, I don't claim to be and I don't want to be. But I have been in the gym enough times, played college sports and am fairly confident with my anatomy and physiology knowledge to workout effectively and efficiently. A short cardio burst to get my heart rate up and then some weights is my routine a couple days a week. The other days I like to do pure cardio for at least 45 minutes. 
Here is a short calorie blasting treadmill workout (a good warm up before weights or more cardio) :
• 30 seconds on a low speed (5-6)
• 30 seconds on a medium speed (6-7)
• 30 seconds on a medium/high speed (6.5-7.5) - this will be your speed for all the hills so will need to be maintained.
• 45 seconds on incline 5 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline) at the same medium/high speed
• 45 seconds on incline 5 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline)
• 45 seconds on incline 7.5 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline)
• 45 seconds on incline 7.5 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline)
• 45 seconds on incline 10 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline) 
• 45 seconds on incline 10 at same medium/high speed
• 15 second recover flat (zero incline) 
Now for speed work!
• 20 seconds - high speed (level 8.5 or more)
• 10 seconds rest - hop off treadmill with feet on the sides
Repeat above speed work x 8
Recover medium speed (level 6-7) for 1 min

Challenge yourself not to stop except for the rest times. If you need to, slow down, but try not to stop. Keep changing up your workouts so you don't get bored and your muscles stay confused!

Here are a few songs that get me pumped up:

So, if you see a girl sweating, looking like death and possibly throwing up at the gym, wave because it might be me! ;)

Just do it,

bohoMelisa

 Melisa and her husband Jacques