The Guilty Pleasure Workout

Greetings! 

We know that it can be hard to fit in a workout, so this week we decided to create something that you can complete while watching one of your favorite guilty pleasure TV shows. (Real Housewives? Guilty! Bachelor in Paradise? Guilty! Big Brother? Guilty!)

If you give it a try, let us know which show you watched in the comments below!

Cheers!

Julia & Vicki

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The Final Full-Body CrossFit-Inspired Workout: Week 4

Greetings! 

Here is the fourth and final workout in our Full-Body CrossFit-Inspired series. We've had great results following these workouts over the past month and love that they are short (typically 30 minutes), effective, and require no equipment (which allows us to perform the workouts in the comfort of our own homes). Score!

However, we believe in changing it up to keep things interesting, so next week we will launch a brand new series. Stay tuned!

How-Tos:

Samson Stretch

Waiter's Bow
Superman
Donkey Kicks 

Notes:
High Knees: Each knee raise counts as one rep. 
Lunges: Alternate legs, totaling five on each leg. 
Bicycles: Each crunch counts as one rep. 
Donkey Kicks: Perform five on the right leg, then five on the left leg per round. 

Tips for modifying: Go at your own pace and modify as necessary.  If you can't complete the entire workout as is, you can always do less rounds (or do less per round) until you are able to work up to it. Also, take water breaks between rounds when needed to catch your breath. Wait to begin the next round until you have recovered and complete each exercise correctly.

If you have any questions about the workout or any of the moves, leave a comment below! 

Have a great week!

Vicki & Julia

Full-Body CrossFit-Inspired Workout: Week 3

Hey, Happy Ladies! 

This week we're sharing the third workout in our CrossFit-Inspired series. It's very similar to last week's workout, but we've changed the number of rounds and some of the exercises in the circuits.

How-Tos:

Samson Stretch

Waiter's Bow
Superman
Donkey Kicks 

Tips for modifying: We believe in making your workout your own. It's important to go at your own pace and modify as necessary.  If you can't complete the entire workout as is, you can always do less rounds (or do less per round) until you are able to work up to it.

Personally, burpees are a huge challenge for us. When we first started working out, we could hardly do three in a row without gasping for air. If you are a beginner, start out at five burpees per round. As you improve your endurance, you can work up to ten burpees. If you stick with it, you will be amazed at how much this exercise will improve your endurance and tone your entire body.

Also, don't forget to take breaks when needed. If you are so fatigued that you are unable to perform the exercises properly, take a water break, catch your breath, and then start again when you have recovered. 

One thing you don't need to modify... your cool down! Enjoy your glass of wine after a workout well done! 

Cheers!

- Vicki & Julia

Full-Body CrossFit-Inpired Workout: Week 2

Greetings!

We are so happy to finally share our new workout with you. We experienced a few technical difficulties, which prevented us from posting this at the beginning of the week. But don't fret, Happy Lady, we jedi mind-tricked those evil computer viruses and are back in blogging business! Besides, it all worked out in the end because we think this will be the perfect mid-week pick-me-up!

Warning: This is a challenging workout, but if you take your time and stop for water breaks when needed, we are confident that you will get through it... and when you do, you will feel energized, accomplished, and ready to take on this crazy week!

Stretch How-Tos:

Samson Stretch

Waiter's Bow

Cheers!

- Vicki & Julia

The Happy Body Checklist: Tip #4

This week we’re sharing the fourth tip on our Happy Body Checklist. (Once a week, we’re posting one of our favorite tips to stay motivated and meet our fitness goals. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any tips!)

Tip #3: Mix it up!

Although we appreciate having a routine, especially when it comes to Tabata Tuesdays or Friday Happy Hours, we also think it's important to mix it up! 

Here are five ways to breathe new life into your current workout routine: 

1.  Buy a Groupon – This is one of our favorite ways to try a new workout class at an affordable price. Browse the Health and Fitness section for something that strikes your fancy. We've had great experiences purchasing yoga, CrossFit and Barre classes through this website.

2. Join a team – If you played a sport growing up, think about joining an adult recreational team. Many cities have great leagues with all levels of play.  

3. Try a new route – Jogging/biking that same route every workout? Explore a different part of your neighborhood! You will be amazed at how the new scenery will keep your mind engaged through your workout.

4. Hit the web - Browse fitness websites, Pinterest or blogs (wink, wink) for inspiration. 

5.  Train for a race – Check the internet for upcoming races in your area. There are tons of options for all fitness levels, from Mud Runs to a full-blown marathon. 

2014 Pretty Muddy Race with our Fellow Happy Ladies

 How do you keep your workout interesting? Let us know in the comments below!

- Vicki & Julia

Full-Body CrossFit-Inspired Workout

Greetings! 

We are excited to share a new, CrossFit-inspired, full-body workout with you this week. 

We included a couple links below to show you how to do the less familiar moves, but leave us a comment if you have any questions.

Have a great week!

 Stretch How-Tos:

Samson Stretch

Waiter's Bow

- Vicki & Julia

The Happy Body Checklist: Tip #3 (and our adventures in stand-up paddle-boarding!)

Hello, Happy Lady! 

This week we’re sharing the third tip on our Happy Body Checklist. (Once a week, we’re posting one of our favorite tips to stay motivated and meet our fitness goals. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any tips!)

Tip #3: Work it into everyday life!

The best way to stay active is to make it a lifestyle, not a task on your to-do list. Take a look at your upcoming week and think about where you can fit in extra physical activity without stepping foot in the gym.  

Recently, we decided to add a fun workout to a typically inactive brunch outing. Instead of heading straight for coffee and omelets, we decided to try stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP) at Lake Natoma with one of our favorite Happy Ladies, Anna!

Although we were initially nervous about our ability to balance on the board, we are happy to report that none of us fell in the water (a miracle, considering our clumsy tendencies). We were a little shaky when first standing on the board, but after we got our footing, it was smooth sailing! We were able to paddle alongside each other, snap pictures and chat as we took in the beautiful scenery. Not only did we have great experience, but our arms, legs and core were engaged the entire time! 

Needless to say, we are officially SUP fans! 

 

If you're located near Lake Natoma and would like to try SUP, check out the Sac State Aquatic Center web page for more information. We paddled for one hour for $13/person. No introductory class required!

Have you made simple changes to incorporate activity into your everyday life? Comment below! We would love to hear new ideas!

- Julia & Vicki

tabata tuesday: cardio + strength burst workout (version 3)

Happy Tabata Tuesday!

This week we're sharing our third and final workout in the Cardio + Strength Burst series.

(Stay tuned for next week's workout because we are launching a new format!)

Have a great week, Happy Ladies!

Also, don't forget to post a pic of yourself completing the workout and tag #youhadmeathappybody on Instagram! 

Vicki & Julia

the happy body checklist: tip #2

Greetings! This week we’re sharing the second tip on our Happy Body Checklist. (Once a week we’re posting one of our favorite tips to stay motivated and meet our fitness goals. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any tips!)

Tip #2: Make it social!

We both work 40+ hours a week, and don’t always have time to socialize and work out, so we decided to combine it. (Who doesn't love to kill two birds with one stone?)

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In addition to partnering up for workouts, we like to make the routine as chat-friendly as possible. One of our favorite tricks is to set up an interval timer on our phone so we can catch up on each other’s lives instead of wasting breath on counting reps!

There’s an app for that! We love the “Seconds” app, a programmable timer for our favorite interval and tabata workouts.

Also, as we mentioned in our first tip, we love to workout with our friends via FaceTime! 

Here we are mid-squat with our fellow happy lady, Lindsey! (Lindsey is an original member of our neighborhood workout group and one of our best friends. She broke our hearts when she moved to the East Coast... but no distance can stop us from our social workouts! Love you, lady! Xo)

  
By making it social and enjoyable, we actually look forward to getting in a workout at the end of a busy day!

Do you incorporate exercise in your social life? Let us know in the comments below! We would love to discover new social workout ideas!

Vicki & Julia

tabata tuesday: new cardio + strength burst workout

Happy Tabata Tuesday!

Did we just invent a holiday? Possibly.

However, after you view this week's workout, you'll see that it's something to celebrate. After all... we included BURPEES!! If that doesn't make you want to pop a bottle of champagne, we don't know what will! (We kid, we kid.)

The dreaded burpee. (Murphy decided to sit this round out.)

Knee to elbow

 

We hope you all have a great week! Let us know if you try the workout... comment below or post your pic on Instagram with #youhadmeathappyhour!

 

Julia & Vicki

the happy body checklist: tip #1

Greetings, Happy Ladies! 

Need a little inspiration? This week we’re launching the Happy Body Checklist. Every Wednesday, we’ll post a simple tip that has helped us stay motivated and meet our fitness goals. Make sure to subscribe (right hand side of our blog) so you don’t miss a post!

Tip #1: Partner up!

The best way to breathe new life into your workout routine is to find a partner! Ask a friend, coworker or neighbor (our favorite!) to join you for your workouts. Can’t get together with your partner in person? Use FaceTime so you can complete the workout together, wherever you are.

Not only do workout partners hold you accountable, they also give you new perspective. Typically, we tend to gravitate towards the exercises that are easiest for us.  When you work out with a partner, compromise to include both of your favorite exercises and activities to help maintain well-rounded workouts. 

Take it a step further: Make a schedule. Use that handy-dandy smart phone to create a shared calendar with your workout buddy and add all of your workouts. Once you have an appointment with a set date, place and time, it’s much harder to flake on your workout and leave your friend hanging. 

Ethel and Lucy never leave each other hanging. 

 

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We have had our share of false starts in the past, but since we became workout buddies, we've consistently worked out together every week for over one year (celebrated with champagne, of course). Not only have we become more fit, but most importantly, we've become great friends.

Cheers!

Vicki & Julia

cardio + strength burst workout

Happy Monday!

We are excited to share a brand new workout with you this week. It's a similar format to last week's workout, except we've changed up the exercises and added strength bursts (a strength-building exercise to complete one time between each tabata round) and a set of core exercises.

Don't worry, your cool down remains the same... a glass of wine! Cheers!

P.S. We know that some of the exercises might be unfamiliar to you, so we are currently working on taking pictures and videos of how to properly complete each move. In the meantime, Google any exercises that you are unfamiliar with or leave your questions in the comments section below.

Also, don't forget to post a pic of yourself completing the workout and tag #youhadmeathappybody on Instagram! 

Have a great week, Happy Ladies!

Vicki & Julia

you had me at happy body: 30-minute weekly workout

Hey, Happy Lady! Have we got a treat for you. And guess what? It's on the house! (You can tip us later. We accept all bribes, preferably in red wine and fine cheese.)

But first... some history.

About a year ago, we decided to start our own neighborhood workout group. We had grand plans of a weekly, boot-camp style, 60-minute workout with lots of equipment. We even went so far as setting up all the stations in our backyard, labeling each one, and inviting all our friends and neighbors. It was a great idea in theory, but in reality, it was a lot of work and time that we did not have.

As the weeks went on, our workouts evolved. We ditched most of the equipment, we stopped setting up stations, and as the summer progressed and the temperatures increased, we decided to move it indoors. (Happy Ladies can be delicate flowers in the California valley heat).

Then, one week, Vicki stumbled upon a great workout style called "tabata." Did someone say ciabatta?? No. Get your head outta the bread. This, Happy Ladies, is one of the best exercise concepts known to (wo)man. The idea is that you perform an exercise at maximal intensity for a set amount of time, typically 20 seconds, then rest for a shorter period of time, typically 10 seconds. Basically, a form of high intensity interval training.

First off, it's great for those that tend to get bored during workouts. Second, it's a great way to push yourself to the next level... because let's face it, you can do most things for 20 seconds. And third, it blasts calories in a fraction of the time. (Read: more time for happy hour.)

So, without further ado, here is your workout. 

Try it out and let us know what you think!

Julia & Vicki