Remember the workout I posted yesterday? It ended up taking me about 30 minutes total to complete with the running and CrossFit WOD and clearly it was effective because my glutes (we’ll be PC here) are sore today. When girls ask me “how do I get rid of this” while pointing to their upper thighs, my response is always “squats and lunges.” Seriously, do them and in high quantities! Maybe my fitness video for the week should be a devotional piece on the benefits of squats and lunges!
After the glute/leg assault it was time to eat!
Amazing and colorful salad with avocado, tempeh, banana peppers, carrots, grape tomatoes, artichoke, red peppers and feta with a lemon dijon vinaigrette.
Things went a little downhill on the eating front after the salad.
First, I decided that I wanted a grilled cheese for dinner. Cheddar and mozzarella on 9-grain cooked in cast iron with Kerrygold salted butter. It just doesn’t get better than grilled cheese.
Wait, it does get better when you decide to follow your grilled cheese with a cupcake. Lemon cupcake with lemon curd filling and buttercream.
After my early dinner I headed over to Y2 (fueled by cheese and sugar) and taught a fun but tough 60-minute hot vinyasa class. A lot of my friends were practicing and we grabbed wine after. It was a great night!
Oddly enough, I woke up NOT craving oatmeal or Greek yogurt but eggs and vegetables instead. I sautéed some mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach and then added a beaten egg to make a quick scramble. Whole wheat English muffin and fruit on the side.
I worked from home this morning and broke at noon for a run and lunch before heading into the office.
Since my breakfast was missing peanut butter I had to work it into my lunch. Salted crunchy peanut butter, honey and banana on 9-grain. I really can’t decide whether the PB&H or grilled cheese is my all-time favorite sandwich but I’m happy to have eaten both of them in a 24-hour span!
I would also like to point out that I have enjoyed my last four meals in a row outside on the patio. The weather in Charlotte right now is glorious. So warm and sunny.
I picked up an unsweetened green tea on the way in to the club. Once the weather gets warm I stop craving hot tea in the afternoons and switch to seltzer water and iced tea instead.
Final food picture for this post…my snack this afternoon was Greek yogurt with a little bit of Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola.
And now I’m off to teach BodyPump where I will do countless more squats and lunges. Ouch!
Squats and lunges – love them or hate them?
Squats are the best! Seriously, there is no body that works the full body the same way. I spend more time in the squat rack than anywhere else in the gym.
With that, I’m off to the gym to do mine!
Cupcakes, hmmmmm…
don’t hate chris…you know you love them 🙂
I LOVE squats…. and I HATE lunges. I always feel clumsy doing lunges, plus I have bad knees so they are difficult to do without pain!
Squats & lunges are definitely the way to get awesome legs/ butt. 🙂 I would rather do an endless number of squats vs lunges but since they both work their magic in their own ways, I must do both! I like the pump express when it’s squats and chest rather than lunges/shoulders.
I can’t get enough PB/Banana combos these days. I wake up craving a banana slathered in pb with chia seeds sprinkled on top and an iced coffee. MMmmmm! Your cupcake looks moist. It’s all about the balance, right? 🙂
yes, it is best to have a blend of both! 🙂
pb/banana is soooo good!
Yay for veggies and eggs for breakfast! That is my absolute favorite! I’m not big on oatmeal or greek yogurt in the morning. I am an eggs/veggies or smoothie girl!
I love to hate squats and lunges…I’m definitely missing my regular workouts since we are on spring break this week! 🙂
i always want eggs for brunch but usually not early in the morning. weird.
hope you’re enjoying spring break!
love squats….lunges…not so much. I have tightness in my knees from soccer and lunges irritate them. It’s just more uncomfortable than anything!
lunges can be hard for people with a history of knee problems 🙁
A squats and lunges video would be awesome! I am always unsure of how many reps to do and how often.
That 9-grain bread looks amazing – where do you get it? I need it in my life.:)
it’s from great harvest although it’s actually not my favorite of their breads. i usually get dakota or whole grain goodness and the 9-grain is a bit dry/dense.
Got the whole grain goodness to try – and wow! It’s amazing – thank you for the recommendation.
I love them both and seem to somehow incorporate them into any workout! I tell my clients the exact same thing, when they ask that question. I’ve never had a banana PB grilled sandwich….sound delicious and putting it on the list. I’m sure good bread is key. Happy “almost” Friday!
I’m not a fan of squats and lunges but if you say it can help my upper thighs, sign me up!!
Put me down in the “loves squats” camp. I go to a kettlebell class at my Y twice a week, and it’s basically non-stop squatting while swinging. I love it! As for lunges, I like them in yoga, probably because they’re mostly stationary. The moving and lunging always trips me up (har, har). 🙂
i’m just starting to do some kettlebells and i love them! it is a great workout.
I’m obsessed with unsweetened green tea! If you take your empty cup back to Starbucks that day you can get a refill for only 54 cents! I’ve been know to drink 3 ventis a day :]
i had no idea! what a great tip. i’m going to ask if my starbucks does that. thank you!!!
I have a love/hate relationship with squats and lunges…good results, but sorta not a fan of them in the moment! =)
yes, the moment can be a little painful sometimes!
You should post more WOD! I could only get through 1/2 of that yesterday! Good eats too!
will do! 🙂
Ahhh I love them both! People dread those tracks in BodyPump, but I was a dancer for 13 years and I have always had strong legs…I actually dread biceps and overhead shoulder presses with the bar! But really, squats and lunges are so killer, and I have noticed I have toned up significantly more since starting BP about 6 months ago…I think the extra weight helps to tone even harder. Oh, and I love the lunge track in BP 80 with the propulsion lunges! Hurts so good!!
biceps are my least favorite too! i loooovvvee the lunge/squat tracks and they usually have some of the best music. the propulsion lunges are amazing!
I’m a lunges girl because I find they really help my knees for running. Haven’t gotten into squats because I can’t seem to get the right form down, I should visit a trainer.
And I’d have a hard time choosing between grilled cheese and PB/Banans too, but if I think of it as one of those “If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life…” hands down PB would win!
squats are easier in regards to form than lunges. i’ll do a video about them and demo the form.
i agree that PB would win in that scenario!
I am feeling very inspired to do some squats tonight. I despise lunges, but they are so good for you. Thanks for the reminder that if I want to complain about the butt and thighs, I should do something about them!
Just came across your blog and I love it! I have been trying to find my motivation to get back to really working out and running. Thanks to you and your blog, I may have found it!
-Mandy
I love lunges/squats while I am doing them, BUT I hate that they always put me out of commission for a couple of days after!
that cupcake looks UNREAL! did you make it?? if so Id love the recipe
I did squats for the first time in awhile on Wednesday and I’m still so sore (it’s now Friday)! Guess I need to start doing them more regularly! Also…I need to make a grilled cheese now!
Love lunges and squats!! It’s incredible how much your legs can burn from just your own body weight. If you haven’t done lunges in awhile, they can hurt for days (sometimes in a good way)!