Welcome to The Ultimate Wellness Circle May!
Hello Friends!
Here’s what’s in the hopper for May:
New recipes, new workouts and a very special bonus program from my friend and colleague Coach Jen Mendez! Jen is sharing her 6 favorite body weight exercises - NO GYM REQUIRED! Using these exercises, we put together a great Tabata Style workout for you including videos instruction and low impact modifications. I think you are going to love it!
Simply scroll down this page to access all of your recipes, workouts and Bonus material for May!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mama’s!
This month’s health and fitness topics include
Bonus Content:
A Tabata Style Workout from Coach Jennifer Mendez.6 New Recipes
I’m sharing my current favorite “coffee shake” as well as 5 more healthy and EASY recipes. Print the recipes and try a new one each week“Go Sleeveless In 14 Days”
Get Sexy, strong, toned arms in just 2 weeks with my highly effective arm workouts.
Love,
Lisa
May Recipes
This month I am sharing my current favorite recipes…All tried, tested and delicious:
My Cinnamon Coffee Smoothie, Thai Crunch Salad, Cauliflower Tacos, Cedar Plank Salmon, Chicken Tikka Masala and more!
Download The Recipes
May Workouts
Strong, toned arms aren't just for tank tops and sleeveless dresses, they also optimize your upper body strength and dramatically improve your joint health.
For each exercise perform 1-3 sets of 15 reps.
Go Sleeveless Week 1
Go Sleeveless Week 2
May Bonus Content: Meet Coach Jennifer Mendez!
Hi all! When I left the accounting field in 1998 to pursue my interest in fitness, it immediately became a passion. I have extensive training and certifications which all complement my belief that anyone can have improved posture, flexibility & strength at any age. I specialize in the biomechanics of the body to help each client excel in their sport including golf, tennis, running, skiing, endurance training as well as general fitness. I have a talent for helping my clients overcome back pain and balance issues as well as improving posture, fitness endurance and injury prevention.
I am a Dallas native and graduated from University of North Texas with an Accounting degree. I have been doing various races since 1992 — road & trail runs, adventure races, triathlons, marathons, ultra-marathons, winter up-hill races, etc. I also enjoy golfing, biking, hiking and eating! I moved to the valley in 2009 and absolutely love the energy and activity of the Roaring Fork Valley.
Jen has over 30 certifications in the fitness/health field including:
Golf BioMechanics (at the renowned CHEK Institute)
TPI Golf Fitness Professional – Level 1 & 2 (Titleist Performance Institute)
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
National Academy Sports Medicine (NASM) – CPT & Sports Fitness Specialist
Integrated Flexibility Training (through NASM)
Scientific Back & Scientific Core (CHEK Institute)
Advanced Metabolic Typing Advisor (finding yours and what foods work best for you)
Nutrition Lifestyle Coach (CHEK Institute)
Jen’s Cardio & Strength Training: Tabata Style
A cardio and strength workout that is anything but boring……This workout is fun, fierce, and meant to get your heart rate up.
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS TABATA?
Tabata is a style of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that involves 20 seconds of maximum effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a certain number of rounds. Traditionally it’s eight rounds, but you can scale up and down.
This program consists of full-body Tabata-style training, using various muscle groups to give you an all-over workout. It’s made up of six exercises, each completed in 2-4 minute bursts, separated by 60-second rest periods.
So here’s the deal.....If you’re doing it properly, it will be tough. It’s one of those workouts that will get you huffing and puffing, but you’ll feel like a bad-ass when you’re done! And we have included low impact modifications for each exercise, so this workout is appropriate for all fitness levels.
TABATA BENEFITS:
Cardio optimization (how you intake and process oxygen, the foundation of all health and fitness).
Superior calorie burn.
Body fat burn.
Strengthens the whole body
BEFORE STARTING THIS WORKOUT:
You will need a Tabata timer to time your intervals. Click here to download: TABATA TIMER.
Do a 10 minute warm up to prepared the body for more intense exercise. To warm up you can do one of your Ultimate Core Workouts, spin on a stationary bike, jump rope intervals, or go out for a brisk walk or jog to warm up the body.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
As mentioned above, each exercise shows a low impact modification in the right hand corner of the video.
A traditional Tabata Workout is 20 seconds of work + 10 seconds of rest. Do 8 rounds. Beginners, start with 4 rounds and work your way up.
Take care of your knee joints and engage your core: Keep your knees in line with the direction your toes are pointing, and always stacked on top of your heels, or behind them - never jutting out in front, especially on impact like jumping or landing. This will fire the leg and booty muscles better and create strength without strain!
Squat Thrusts
The squat thrust builds strength and explosiveness in the lower body with an emphasis on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. I love this exercise to improve conditioning and fat loss.
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds. Rest 1 minute before moving on to the next exercise.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.
Lower into a squat position and place your hands on the floor.
Jump (or step )your legs back into a plank position.
Jump (or step) your legs forward to return to a squat position.
Return to the standing position.
2. Reverse Lunge Plyos
Plometrics: also known as "jump training" or "plyos", are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power (speed-strength). These are advanced, so be sure to check out the modification!
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds. Rest 1 minute before moving on to the next exercise.
1. Start by standing with feet shoulder width apart. Next, step forward with your right foot. This is the starting position.
2. Begin exercise by lowering body down until your forward thigh (right thigh) is parallel to the ground and back knee is almost touching the ground. As soon as you reach this point, explode back up and alternate leg positions in the air
3. As you land drop back down into the lunge and then explode back up and switch feet positions again. Keep doing this for the desired reps.
Coaching Tips:
Don't stop after each lunge. Drop into the next lunge as soon as your feet hit the ground.
Swing your arms to gain momentum and balance.
3. Pushup to Side Plank (alternating)
The push-up to side plank is an upper-body and core-focused exercise combining two of my favorite body weight movements. (pushups and plank!)
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds. Rest 1 minute before moving on to the next exercise.
Get into a standard pushup position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Breathe in and begin to lower your body as one unit until your chest nears the floor.
As you come up, shift your weight on the left side of the body, twist to the side while bringing the right arm straight up towards the ceiling to a side plank.Lower the arm back to the floor for another pushup and twist to the other side.
Repeat by alternating each side.Coaching Tips:
Remember to breathe!
Engage and tighten your core to maintain balance.
Don’t rush the moves, ensure proper form throughout.
4. Squat Jack with Hand Touch
Squat jacks, or "sumo squat jumps," will give you a deeper burn in your quads and glutes, both calorie-burning powerhouses. Fun but challenging…check out the modification.
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds. Rest 1 minute before moving on to the next exercise.
1. Stand with feet together and knees slightly bent.
2. While looking forward slightly, eyes and chest up, hop feet out and 1 touch hand to the ground.
3. Keep knees lined up with ankles and behind the toes. Hop feet in and bring hands up. Repeat hopping and touching the ground, alternating hands.
Coaching tips: Keep your head and eyes up throughout the movement. If you can’t touch the ground, that’s ok, modify by reaching towards the ground, and build up towards the full range of motion.
5. Squat Chop
Another functional exercise favorite….Twist and lift for a stronger core!
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds. Rest 1 minute before moving on to the next exercise.
1. Stand with feet hip width apart holding ball in two hands up over right shoulder.
2. Bend knees and lower body into squat position as you pull the ball down toward left ankle.
3. As you stand back up, reach the ball back up over right shoulder. Repeat for desired number of repetitions and switch sides.
6. Tricep Wall Extension
An amazing strength builder…this one is harder than it looks! The closer you stand to the wall, the easier this one is.
20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest. Do 4-8 rounds
Stand a few feet away from a wall.
Place your hands just wider than your shoulders on the wall.
With your arms parallel to your sides, bend your elbows and lower your body towards the wall until your elbows are at 90 degree angles. Return and repeat, making sure your back is kept straight.
