My own gluteus wanna-be-flat-e-us has the additional challenge of genetics and my love of running to contend with.  I rely on standard squats and lunges to keep my rear view in plain view, instead of disappearing, as it likes to do when I’m in run training mode.  But those get boring and not-so-challenging after awhile.  But my searches for the perfect FEMININE butt-lift exercises paid off when I found this workout.  Yes … I want this booty!  The “Brazil Butt Lift” has nothing on this workout!

Booty-Making Home Workout | Kettlebell and Body Weight Glute Training

     This is from the Flat Belly Diet and it is delicious!! The cucumber and lemon are natural diurectics. The ginger and spearmint help relieve bloating. Regardless, a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy your 8 glasses a day … especially if drinking that much water doesn’t appeal to you.  Make the night before and fill up your water bottle for the day.  Or, you can do what I do and fill a mason jar with ice, “sassy water”, and garnish with a lemon – there’s something about drinking fresh water out of a mason jar that brings images of a summer country vacation.  :)

Today I’ve been wrapping up my schoolwork for the week and preparing for my fitness classes.  Because I don’t have access to a lot of equipment for boot camp, I’ve relied on the internet to inspire me to be more creative in my workouts.  And today, I seem to keep pulling up references to Rocky in my searches.  Rocky has inspired me since I was little.  So I caved to my ADD.  If nothing else, there’s motivation to be found here …

“It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward, that’s how winning is done!! Cause if you’re willing to go through all the battling you gotta go through to get to where you want to get, who’s got the right to stop you?? …It’s your right to listen to your gut, it ain’t nobody’s right to say NO after you earn the right to be where you wanna be and do what you wanna do. Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits!”

-Rocky Balboa

The Rocky movies are almost more famous for his training and his commitment to training than they are to his boxing matches. Have you ever noticed how Rocky’s opponents are always training with the best equipment and using the latest, greatest training “methods” while Rocky is getting the job done with just the basics combined with raw, hard work?  Somehow, Rocky always comes out the champion.

Rocky has always inspired me to go harder and stronger.  This realization is another one of those “ah ha” moments I’ve had in my fitness career – you don’t need a state-of-the-art gym, expensive equipment, or the latest training DVDs.  All you need is a desire, a commitment, and a will to overcome any obstacles that get in your way.

Here’s what we have in store for tonight:

Static Squat In and Out Jump

Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands behind head and back straight.  Lower into squat position.  Keeping knees bent and staying low, jump and spread your legs so that you land in a wide squat position.  Jump back to start.  Continue alternating as quickly as possible for 45 seconds.

Mountain Climber

Assume a push-up position with your arms straight and body in a straight line.  Drive your right knee up toward your chest, then return to start position and repeat with left knee.  Alternate knees as quickly as possible for 45 seconds.

Lunge Jump

Stand with feet together, elbows bent at 90 degree angles by your sides.  Lunge forward with your right foot.  Jump straight up as you thrust your arms forward, elbows still bent.  Switch legs in mid-air, like a scissor, and land in a lunge with your left leg forward, arms at your sides.  Continue alternating legs for 45 seconds.

Squat Thrust

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Bend your knees, put your hands on the floor, and extend both feet back so you’re in push-up position.  Keep your back straight and core braced.  Jump your feet back into your hands, then stand.  Repeat for 45 seconds.

…. On The Stability Ball …

Prone Jackknife

Start in push-up position, hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart and shins on the stability ball.  Pull your knees toward your chest, keeping your back straight and core engaged, until only your toes are on the ball.  Straighten your legs to roll the ball back to start.  Do 10 reps.

Back Extension Rear Leg Raise

Rest your hips and stomach on a stability ball. Straighten your legs and position your toes hip-width apart on the floor. Extend your arms in line with your shoulders. Lift your right leg about 6 inches off of the floor while reaching your arms as far out as possible.  Lower leg and return to starting position.  Repeat with left leg.  Continue to alternate.  Do 15 reps.

Stability Ball Leg Curl

Lie on the floor with your calves on the stability ball, arms to the sides, palms facing up.   Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your feet.  Bend your knees to roll the ball toward you, then straighten them to roll it back.  Lower to start position.  Do 10 reps.

Prone Oblique Roll

Get in plank position with your shins about hip-width apart on a stability ball and your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Keeping your feet on the ball, draw your right knee toward your right shoulder (the left just comes along for the ride). Return to center.  Do 15 reps.

Nose to Knee Crunch

Get in plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart on a stability ball. Draw your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 1 second, then return to plank position.  Do 15 reps.

… Standard Exercises …

The Matrix

Using a 5-pound medicine ball, kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart. Lengthen your spine and press the ball against your abs. Slowly lean back as far as possible, keeping your knees planted. Hold the reclined position for 3 seconds, then use your core to slowly come up to the starting position. Do 15 reps.

Single Leg Romanian Dead Lift

Stand with feet hip-width apart, right foot raised about 1 inch off of floor, right arm extended in front of you.  Bending forward from your hips, raise your right leg behind you, keeping your back flat and right leg straight until your body forms a T and your right arm hangs down from your shoulder.  Return to start.  Repeat on left. Do 10 reps each side.

Single Leg Lunges

Stand with feet hip-width apart, then step right leg out about 2-3 feet in front of you.  Slowly lower into a lunge, keeping your right knee over your toes.  Drive through your right heel to straighten back to start.  Repeat on left. Do 10 reps each side.

Dirty Dog

Begin on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Pull your belly button into your spine and stabilize your core. Keeping your knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side as high as you comfortably can without rotating your hips. Hold the position for a count of two and then slowly lower your leg back down. Perform 10 repetitions and then switch legs. Complete three sets of the exercise on each leg.

Looking forward to another great workout tonight!  And remember, if you need to lose weight to trim down any area of your body, strength training alone will not help you achieve this goal. You should make dietary changes and keep up with a schedule of regular aerobic activity!

So now I’m constantly on the lookout for great new, low-carb, high fiber recipes.  I just found this one, and the ingredients are going on my grocery shopping list IMMEDIATELY!

Shaved Fennel Salad

If you’re using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly – not quite see through thin, but close

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup  loosely chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.

Serves 4 to 6

Having such a full plate right now sometimes discourages me from getting in the mileage I want to get in every week.  Add to that the enthusiasm of 3 friends from high school that are all wanting to run the first ever SLO Marathon together.  WITH me (and you thought peer pressure ended in high school)!  In April.  Yes, that’s a little more than 107 days away, which to you non-runners means I should be out, covering some ground, 3-5 days  per week.  Family, work, school … running?  Finding the time to run is simply DE-motivating!

Did I mention these 3 friends of mine from high school and myself were NOT runners in high school?  This will be quite an accomplishment for all of us who’ve become runners well after high school, college and families.  You would think that alone would prompt me to get off the couch! But it wasn’t until I got this group message from one of my schoolmates on Facebook last night that I felt the fire beneath my butt had been lit:

“Linda, don’t worry. You’ve done this before and know what it takes. You’re gonna do awesome. I know you have it in you. You’re a strong athlete.

Heather, you’re there. You could do it now. If you’re logging that kind of mileage, you’re in for a surprise because on race day your body does the amazing.

Denny…nice…sounds like you’re killing it. I’m actually going to be in Kauai and Honolulu for a week. If you happen to be on either of them, let me know.

I plan on being in SLO near the end of the month. It would be great to get together for a run and to see you guys. Keep up the training. One of the best feelings is knowing that you will make your body do something that 99.9% of the population won’t ever attempt. As long as you don’t give yourself the option to quit, you will finish. I think I’ve cried every time I finish. Because of the emotion of doing so. It’s great. Plus we’re all just a little crazy, which makes it even better.”

This morning, I got up and logged 5.5 miles before I did anything else.  Consider it ON!

Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Blend in vanilla.  Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.