A Perfect Thanksgiving Weekend ♥

well hello everyone! i hope you all had a nice thansgiving weekend full of family, friends, and good food :) (i know i did!) - sorry i know this post is a week late - but at least im posting! haha

my weekend started last tuesday afternoon when i came home after 5 straight weeks of being in logan. it was SO GOOD to be home! i came home to a nice clean house and my mom making my favorite cookies (pumpkin chocolate chip). yes, i had to give a can for eating those! (turkey day challenge). i was able to go and pick up my little sister lara from high school and i got a running jump hug from my cute little brother jason. then i spent the afternoon hanging out with the cute neighbor boy, andrew :)

wednesday morning i couldn't have been more excited to wake up at 4am and go to work at GPP. I LOVE IT THERE! it was so good to be back and see all the people that i have grown to love over the past few years. the workout for wednesday was "Hoofin Bi" - a killer biceps workout with a little running to break it up.

the slow biceps curls were killer and i was super excited to have run every round! i haven't been able to run farther than 400m the last couple of months because of my IT band so it was really refreshing!

wednesday afternoon i tested my skills with a shotgun. andrew and i, along with another couple went up the mountain to spend a little time shooting.  i haven't shot too many guns in my time so it was a fun adventure. i even hit a clay pigeon - whoot whoot! :)

andrew let me use his jacket so that i wouldn't get a bruise from the kick back. i look super top heavy with little chicken legs! haha - so much fun though!

then comes thanskgiving - one of my favorite holidays! :)
i started my day off right - at GPP for our annual Turkey Day Mashup! this year the workout was called "Pie Burn" and we had a little over 120 people storming the workout with us! it was awesome! 

PIE BURN

10 burpees EMOM (every min on the min) for 5 min 

3 min Rough Boy Squats

3 min continuous plate switches

1 min rest 

10 burpees EMOM for 5 min 

Class does reps in unison on trainers count:

Shoulder Medley - 2 rounds

20 front raises 15/20

20 upright row 15/20

20 OH press 15/20

Triceps Medley - 2 rounds

10 narrow push-ups BW

20 skull crushers 15/20 

20 OH French press 15/20

Ab Medley - 2 rounds

20 situps 

20 R side ups

20 L side ups 

20 Superman back ext's

Legs Medley -2 rounds

20 BTB squats 

20 alternating lunge switches

20 single leg DL 15/20 

10 burpees EMOM for 5 min

On trainer's count perform 3 rounds of the following:

20 v-ups

20 T2T side ups R

20 T2T side ups L

20 T2T superman back ext

20 T2T tap down crunches

20 sec ab bridges

10 burpees EMOM

it was a long workout but we stormed it with our amazing community which made it so. much. fun!

the whole crew!

GPP was PACKED!

skull crushers!

i got to have my bff ali storm the workout with me!

realized that this is the first and only picture that the four of us have together. these are the amazing trainers that taught me everything i know, and have given me so many opportunities. i love them with all my heart!

left to right: megan wallace, neil anderson, lizz bennett, and myself!

after the fun workout it was time to stuff myself with amazing food and spend some quality time with my amazing family :) we hosted my grandparents at our house for thanksgiving and enjoyed a nice mellow day together. my mom is an incredible cook and made everything look as good as it tasted. 

this is me and my beautiful little sister lara :) i have missed her!

and of course my adorable baby brother jason :) 

the fancy table my mom put together :)

all the delicious food! (see the bottom left - orange rolls from Dick's bakery. they are my all time favorite and i only eat them on thanksgiving. yum!)

thanksgiving was a relaxing day that ended in lots of thanks and a fully tummy. im already looking forward to next year! ;)

friday started out with GPP! the workout was "thrust-o-rama". this one is a SORE MAKER - like hardcore. but, it is the most complete movement that we, at GPP can give a person.

only one movement, 20 min, 200 thrusters

this is me doing the thruster movement. you first clean it to your rack, squat it down (toes out knees out - back straight - head up) and then you press it overhead (head through your shoulders - over your center of balance). then, instead of dropping it in between reps after you press it overhead you go right back down into the squat then press again.

i took it easy throughout the workout because on saturday i had to perform at both a football and a basketball game, so i couldn't be too crazy sore. on saturday the Aggies won Idaho 45-9 at the football game and took the WAC Championship! it was awesome and now the aggies are headed to the "Famous Potato Bowl" on december 15th! its going to be a blast and i cant wait to cheer on my aggies at the bowl game. aggies also pulled out a win at the basketball game against weber state. i even got tackled by one of the players during the first quarter which was pretty exciting. haha it was actually really epic and i wish i had a picture or a slow motion video recording of it to post here on the blog. oh well, you will just have to imagine a 250+ pound basketball player lurching at me full force and us landing in the band. super funny, and i had about 100 people ask me over the next couple of days if i was okay - which of course i was just fine!

anyways that is my thanksgiving weekend in a nut shell! again, i apologize that it is up a bit late but i hope you still enjoy it! have a fabulous week!

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

One workout away from a GOOD MOOD

happy thursday! 
it is now officially one week away from thanksgiving and i couldn't be more excited! its not about the delicious food for me, but its about being with my family and taking a day to reflect on everything i have to be grateful for :) its definitely one of my favorite holidays! also, GPP is hosting a "Turkey Day Mashup" workout on thanksgiving for anyone who wants to come. i hope to see you all there! it is going to be a blast - 8:00am SHARP.

today started out with 2 hours of practice - (tonight is one of the biggest basketball games of the season! ah!) starting my day with 2 hours of dancing is seriously the best start to my day. i might not always like getting up early and going to practice in the freezing cold, but i really wouldn't have it any other way. :) next came my gymnastics class. gymnastics is a great workout! you literally use every muscle in your body, and utilize all of the 10 aspects of fitness in an hour of gymnastics. i have been working on my front aerial and it is coming
along nicely :) i usually have a class after gymnastics but, today it was cancelled! yayee :) so, i immediately went to the gym. today's workout was "Ride the Lightning". i have only done this one a couple of times, and i don't remember liking it very much but i really enjoyed it today! i am also very proud to say that this is the FIRST time that i have completed that many kipping pullups without destroying my hands. it is a small victory, but one that made me super happy :)

today, i subbed out the deadlifts with 20 weighted lunges per minute. my boss Neil Anderson has been training dancers for about 5 years now, and he has discovered that deadlifts arent the best movement for dancers to do because of our hamstring and back flexibility. so, thats my reason for the sub :)

its not GPP, but it'll do... 

lately it has been kind of hard for me to get to the gym. i make up excuses or just allow myself to get buried in homework. but, once i get there and do a workout i am so much HAPPIER! i feel better, i look better, and i'm in a better mood. it never ceases to amaze me how i am ALWAYS in a better mood after a good workout. exercise releases "happy endorphin's", thus putting us in a better mood. i saw a quote on pinterest that said, "You are only ONE workout away from a GOOD mood." i couldn't agree more. we all need to realize that once we get off our "excuse couch" and get to the gym we will be happier -- not to mention healthier. so, get to the gym and JUST DO IT. its worth it :)

""wow, i really regret that workout." - said no one ever." 

you wont regret it :) i PROMISE!

have a great day everyone!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

A New Gym Friend

happy tuesday everyone!
i hope everyone had a great weekend and have decided that this week is going to be good! 

i should have posted this yesterday but i didn't quite get to it! so, here it is today :)

my workout of the day yesterday :) . (found here)
this is a workout that i absolutely DREAD. plate cleans, and double pump burpees all in one workout?! death. but, the next day i am always sore in all the right places! so, the pain pays off!

five rounds for time. like i said ROUGH.

ANYWAYS, back to the story. i was at the field house minding my own business doing my GPP workout. (note- i often get stopped throughout my workout at the field house with inquires as to what i am doing or better yet, the big meat head guy telling me i am doing something wrong. now like i have said a hundred times before, GPP is different that ANYTHING anyone has seen before. that's why people are so curious, or so sure that i am doing a movement wrong ;)) well yesterday i was stopped during round 2 of my workout. not by a guy trying to correct me, but by a nice guy asking me what i was doing. i explained to him that i was doing a "double pump burpee" and he asked me to show him how do it. immediately "Trainer Kate" came out (LOVED IT!). i carefully explained the movement to him and watched him do a couple. then, to my surprise he asked, "whats next?" - he wanted to keep doing my workout with me! i explained the rest of the workout to him and rattled on about what GPP is all about. he did 2 rounds with me before he had to leave for class. it was awesome :)  i probably wont ever see that guy again, but i loved that he wanted to learn. it is people like him that i LOVE training!  just thought i would share! if any of my logan peeps ever see me at the field house please come join me! i love a workout buddy, and always love helping anyone with workouts!

also, turkey day challenge ends in 9 days! i re -started (i was struggling big time with motivation) and i have been perfect! 9 days - thats nothing! i can do it, and i will be motivated!  motivation is a choice, a skill. it takes practice and hard work to acquire a skill. you have to work at it everyday. lets keep working!

thanks for reading!

have a fabulous tuesday! 

xoxo,

lil kate

"trainer kate" ♥ 

Do Something You've Never Done

happy hump day! i hope that you are all surviving this week and enjoying every bit of it! :)

today i just want to touch on the subject of doing things we have never done before. we all want something. whether it be more money, better health, or to be happier. but, the problem is that most of the time we just want it handed to us.  we want it the "easy" way. but, if you want something you have to do something you have never done.  if you are overweight, then you are going to have to diet and workout to get that weight off and become the best version of you. yes, i know it is hard. and yes, i know its not fun. BUT, it is worth it. you are going to have to work harder than you have ever worked before. we can help each other and be each other's support system. you don't have to be alone in this! here's to the quote of the week thanks to the amazing trainer and two time ironman Lizz Bennett - "YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS."

we got this :) have a fabulous night!

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

Thriller, Howl, and the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE!

wow! okay so i know i am the worst at blogging but mid terms kinda got in the way of me posting the past little while. now, they are all over and i am ready to start sharing again! :)

so, first off - HAPPY MONDAY! i hope you are all enjoying today. it is a great day! :)

this past weekend was CRAZY and sooo much fun! first came performing "Thriller" at the first mens basketball game and then saturday was full of volunteering for the "Howl". i had never been to the Howl before and i was quite shocked...i think that volunteering was the way to go! it got pretty nuts haha

friday night was a blast! i LOVE performing at basketball! and to make things even better - we had a super fun halftime to perform! Thriler!  here are a few pics:

the whole group after we won 74-41! go aggies!

me and ash are way scary ;) haha

saturday like i mentioned before was full of helping with the Howl. we (when i say "we" i mean rachel, chelsie, and myself) worked for about 4 hours during the day with set up, and then went back 2 hours before it started to finish setting up and getting everything ready, then stayed after to help clean up! throughout the actual event we were in charge of the hospitality room and making sure that everyone had everything they needed (snacks, drinks, etc). we also got to play around during the event - visit all the shows and do a little dancing. it was fun :)

chels and i are experts at making signs :)

a little playing :) - do you like the sparkly lashes? 

just a few of our favorite neighbors!  :)

lots of fun costumes!

it was such a great weekend and i was so glad to be able to spend it with my amazing roommates :) i really don't know what i would do without them!

now, for the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE! this time of year is really hard for me to be good with my dieting. i feel like i have to eat everything in sight! i was getting super discouraged until i read this on the GPP website (seriously - its like the trainers can read my mind. they post things that i NEED to see! i think it is one of the huge factors that differentiates them from every other gym. they pay attention to the their clients and are so in tune with their needs. it really is amazing!)

from GPP's website on 10-24-12:

"Having a little trouble curbing the appetite this fall? It is a thing.

Autumn is a crazy time of year. One of the hardest times to watch what you eat. I think Karla H. said it best today,

"It's probably because we know we don't have to get into a swimsuit for another 6 months!"

So TRUE, right?

There are probably some other, more deeply seeded reasons for blowing our diets than just the comfort of knowing you'll be wearing baggy pants and sweaters for the next 6 months. These are probably rooted in our genetic coding due to the scarcity of food and lack of warmth which is about to be thrust upon us by mother nature. Well, not really thrust upon "US" any more, but your body still thinks that way. Once the daily photo period begins to shorten and the weather turns a little cold, as far as your appetite is concerned, IT IS ON!

There is nothing you'll want more this time of year than foods that will fatten you up and sustain you for a long cold winter. The drive to eat more, and more often will be hard to fight. But, fight you must! Because here is the thing, the average American gains between 5-15 lbs over the next 3 months! Here is the other thing, if you come into this season a "little heavier" than average, the damage could be 15-20 lbs when all is said and done, if you aren't careful."

this was exactly what i needed to read - i needed to know that i WASN'T alone in my struggling to stay strict on my dieting. so, since everyone seemed to be struggling with the same problem GPP decided to make a TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE starting today and continuing on until Thanksgiving Day. brilliant! the rules are as follows (also directly from GPP's website)

"The GPP Turkey Day Challenge

Beginning Monday Oct. 29 we issue this challenge to those who need to clean up their eating, become more committed to exercise and improve health. 

There are 3 parts to this challenge that you must commit to:

You may eat NO ADDED SUGAR - no white sugar, no brown sugar, no high fructose corn syrup (you'll have to check labels for this sneaky beast). Honey and agave are ok. Unprocessed fruits are OK.  You can have Splenda and Asptartame, but why the H would you want to?  Basically, anything that is a sugary sweet eaten for pleasure alone is off limits.  Just until Thanksgiving day.

You must complete 5 GPP workouts per week PLUS three extra 30 minute cardio sessions per week.

You are to pick a health related challenge to stick to.  Once picked, you should post this healthy challenge and how you will be accountable for compliance to it.  For example: you may choose to begin a few rounds of BCD & post (daily) whether or not you stuck to it.   Below are a few suggestions of health related challenges you may consider:

Comply strictly with a GPP meal plan.

Get 6-8 hours of sleep per night.

50 extra burpees per day.

Pray/meditate daily

No unhealthy snacks.

Take a daily multi vitamin.

5 servings of fruits + 5 servings of vegetables per day.

Eat .9 g of lean protein per lb of lean body weight daily.

Eat healthy & correct portions of breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Weekly community service.

Weigh & measure weekly.

The TEETH

If you are going to commit to any of the above, you have to be committed enough to put some teeth into it.  In other words, it has to HURT if you break your commitment.  So here is how that works:

You must commit to, and define your intention to complete the challenge to comments.

You must post daily results of your challenge to comments.

There are penalties for not following through.  Each time you miss a workout, indulge in a sugary treat, or mess up on your personal goal (your observable, measurable & repeatable one) you are to pay $1, or 1 can of food for every offense!  Strictly enforced by HONOR.  These are to be dropped off at GPP HQ.  Questions or exceptions are to be voted upon by those in the challenge.  Majority rules! 

All of the money raised and food items collected will be donated to the Bountiful Food Pantry. 

Challenge ends at midnight, Nov. 21st. 

We invite anyone looking to get a healthy jump on this holiday season to participate!  We look forward to your successful daily posts!"

i am really excited to start this challenge for many reasons, but one of them is because i KNOW that i CAN succeed with the support system that GPP has.  reading everyone's posts everyday is seriously so incredibly inspiring. the community at GPP is very unique and extremely tight knit. everyone wants everyone else to succeed - and they will help you to do so. so, i want to invite all of you readers to join in as well - lets help each other reach our fitness goals!

my goals that i am going to strive for everyday of this challenge is as follows:

50 extra burpees per day.
Pray/meditate daily
No unhealthy snacks.
Take a daily multi vitamin.

I am also going to try to limit my carb intake - meaning limited breads, pastas, rice, etc.

oh, and before i forget - one more thing that i HAVE GOT TO WORK ON that the amazing janetha from "meals and moves" brought to my attention. she is going to cut out all the BLT's. no, not the delicious sandwiches but "bites" "licks" and "tastes". its the spoonfuls of peanut butter, the handfuls of this or that and the CONSTANT snacking that kills me. the calories add up and QUICK. so i am going to rigorously work on cutting that out as well! 

i hope all of you will also jump on the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE!!! we can do it together :) lets set ourselves up for success!

have a fabulous night!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

Ballet Blast and "The Burpee Mile"

hello hello!

it is thursday and officially the beginning of a very short fall break. oh well! short or not, i am grateful for a day off to be able to go home spend time with my family, go on a date with a cute boy, and work at GPP - just a few of my favorite things :)

anyways, today i want to touch on a couple of exciting things that have happened and are happening this week.  yesterday i went to my very first "ballet blast" class.  let me tell you, I LOVED IT! i was pleasantly surprised as to how hard it was!  ballet blast is a very unique workout that you have probably never seen or done before. it combines aerobic exercises with basic ballet technique to give you a workout you will definitely remember the next morning. it works on a lot of cardio and toning/ shaping. exactly what most women want. ballet blast is great because it is perfect for women of all ages, and there is no need for any previous dance experience - you catch on quickly! and, the best part of it is? - it is SO MUCH FUN! my good friend Julia Williams was the instructor last night and she did an amazing job. she never skipped a beat and kept the entire class pumped up the entire time.  if there are classes near you i would definitely recommend giving it a try!

here is a picture form last night's class!

now, on to "The Burpee Mile" :) my amazing gym GPP, has put together quite the charity event set for this Saturday.  it is one mile of burpees. i know that one mile of burpees seems overwhelming- impossible even, but anyone can do it. whether you do the entire mile or just one single burpee, you can come participate and make a difference.  everyone is going to start together and everyone is going finish together. "The Burpee Mile" will be remembered for a long time. it is $5 to register for the event and $20 for a t-shirt (sneak peek of the shirt here). all proceeds are going to the charity "No More Victims", a group fighting against child abuse. 

i have been so inspired these past three weeks as the event has been created and advertised. the number of sponsors that have contributed to the event and the number of people participating is absolutely amazing. i love that we as a community can combine forces and use our fitness to help others.

my amazing boss Neil Anderson puts it all much better than i can so here is a little article that he posted on the GPP website a couple of days ago.  i loved it so much i just couldn't not share. thank you Neil, Lizz and Meg, thank you GPP, and thank you to the amazing community that has helped make this event possible.

Said best by Neil Anderson:
"My health is one of my most treasured gifts. I am grateful for it daily. I realize not everyone has been blessed with this gift. Because of this, I realize that having good health does not come without responsibility. I love the thought of being able to take some of the health I have been blessed with and use it to directly benefit someone else (albeit in a small way). I have long felt that there is no greater usefulness for the act of becoming healthy and fit than to use it in service of another. I believe if more people would put the health they feverishly forge through exercising to this kind of good use - we'd live in an entirely different world. One that would be much better in EVERY regard.

The other thing I believe is, WE all have the power to create this "different world" here and now.

It has already taken root. I am humbled to report the support behind the Burpee Mile has been enormous. I am proud to be a part of such a unique and kind community. And I'm not just talking our GPP community. This cause has transcended our influence. It has brought to itself gifted and caring people who are willing to put aside differences and unite for a superior cause. It is inspiring to know such generosity and humanity exists in such large quantities.

Here is the thing, our combined influences are limited. (Haha, maybe not so much if we'd have started a little earlier. 3 weeks from conception to delivery isn't much time for something like this). So, to make a difference for those who need it, we'll need your help. Please become involved if you can.

Going around the community to invite folks to a "mile of burpees" has been a funny experience. I've never gotten funnier looks. I realize the incredible fear that this invokes. I have the fear myself - bad! But, here is my perspective on it all.

Whatever my fear of burpees ... Whatever the pain I imagine awaits me from doing a mile of them ... all of it PALES in comparison to those who have truly suffered.

Perhaps, as an individual I may not be able to contribute much to this from almost ANY other perspective. I certainly cannot erase terrible things that have been inflicted upon the innocent. But I shall surely try to provide relief where I can. And, by HELL I've got SOME burpees in me. Maybe not a mile of them, but surely SOME. What I have, I intend to give.

If you feel like me, and can contribute anything to a worthy cause, please join us this weekend for The Burpee Mile. "

i truly hope that all that can participate do. and, if you are offsite - do it too! simply register online with the link above and start burpee-ing! i plan on doing it offsite saturday afternoon in logan. if any of my logan peeps want to join me - i would LOVE the company!

enjoy your weekend!

xoxo,

lil kate♥

Obstacles

ob·sta·cle  [ob-stuh-kuhl] Show IPA
noun: something that obstructs or hinders progress.
    ***HINDERS*** progress. that's not what we want!

obstacles are everywhere, and whether we like them or not they will always be there. and yes, they will hinder our progress if we let them. each and everyday you will have to overcome obstacles to reach your health and fitness goals. whether it be finding time to go to the gym, deciding to make a home-cooked meal instead of going out, or deciding to eat only one cookie instead of the whole batch.

what we all need to remember is that although there are obstacles everywhere, we can overcome each and EVERY ONE. we can make careful, conscience decisions everyday on our diets/ exercise, and we can plan ahead to AVOID certain obstacles. we just have to believe that we can do it. we have to find that inner strength that will push us to limits we never thought possible. at GPP we want to "reap the benefits of life and AVOID the pitfalls of life" lets keep avoiding :)

WE ARE GREATER THAN OUR OBSTACLES. WE WILL OVERCOME.

xoxo,
lil kate ♥