Month: February 2017

20 Minute “Revenge Body” Workout

On By ls1228In Exercise, Extreme Blonde Moments, Fitness, Helpful TipsLeave a comment

If you haven’t seen pictures or promo commercials for Khloe Kardashian’s newest reality series about her slimmer, stronger body, you are either really lucky (I am being entirely serious) or you don’t have cable/satellite TV, you avoid the magazines at the checkout lines, and you don’t use your computer for any social media at all.  Hmmm

Regardless, there is a new wave in fitness that is touting a faster and heavier workout regimen meant to sculpt muscle and burn the fat we girls all hate.  One of the trainers who worked with Khloe Kardashian shared her workout with Shape Magazine and even provided a video (click on the link below) to help keep those of us brave enough to give it a try from doing it wrong and getting hurt.

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Lacey Stone’s 20 Minute Revenge Body Workout 

How it works: Perform all six exercises in a row, then repeat two more times. (This is what Stone calls a ‘Max Monster Set’). Take up to 2 minutes of rest during the workout, either in the middle or at the end.

You will need: An aerobic stepper with risers, one 30-pound dumbbell, and one 20-pound dumbbell (“If you feel you can do more reps—the weight isn’t heavy enough!,” Stone says.)

1. Bench Press with Leg Lift 

Laying on a weight bench with a 30-pound dumbbell in your right hand and your knees at a 90-degree angle, simultaneously lift your left leg up and perform a dumbbell press, reaching your right arm towards your ankle at the top. Perform 10 reps on each side.

2. Alternating Reverse Lunge 

backward-lungeWith your feet shoulder-width apart and a 30 to 35-pound dumbbell in each hand, step your left leg back to come into a lunge position going as low as you can to bring your right thigh parallel to the ground, while making sure to keep your right knee over your right ankle. Push off your toes to come back to starting position. Perform 10 reps on each side.

3. Plank Row 

plank-row-with-db_2Start in a plank position with your upper body elevated on a bench and your feet a bit wider than hip-distance apart. With a 20-pound dumbbell in your right hand, perform a row, lifting your elbow up towards the ceiling as you keep your core tight and glutes engaged. Perform 12 reps on each side. 

4. Speed In and Outs

speedupoversBegin standing with both feet on the riser, then step each foot off and back on as quickly as you can. Perform AMRAP for 1 minute (30 seconds leading with right leg and 30 seconds leading with left leg).

5. Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press 

1103-lunge-to-pressBegin with both feet on the riser, and a 20-pound dumbbell in your right hand. Perform a shoulder press, then bring your right foot back to perform a reverse lunge. Perform 10 reps on each side.

6. Biceps/Triceps Combo 

Using 20-pound dumbbells, perform 10 bicep curls, then immediately begin triceps dips using the stepper, performing AMRAP for 1 minute. 

 

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Bob Harper “Biggest Loser Trainer” Suffers Massive Heart Attack

On By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Fitness, headlines, health, SafetyLeave a comment

bob-harper-20728663-1-402That one of the fittest men in America can suffer a heart attack so severe that he remains unconscious for two whole days following should scare the shit out of everyone reading.

“NEW YORK (AP) — Fitness trainer and host of NBC’s “Biggest Loser” Bob Harper says he is recovering from a serious heart attack that left him unconscious for two days.

Harper tells TMZ he was working out in a gym in New York City this month when he collapsed. He says a doctor who also was in the gym performed CPR on him.

The 51-year-old Harper says he spent eight days in a New York hospital and has not yet been cleared to fly home to Los Angeles.

Harper has been a fixture on all 17 seasons of “The Biggest Loser.” He served as a trainer on the show from 2004 to 2015. He took over as host of the reality weight loss program last year.”

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Learn CPR and make sure those around you and the gym you go to are equipped with the tools to save you should you, God forbid, or someone you love, suffer the same scary fate while exercising.  Obviously call 911 first (not 999 like this UK graphic shows).

Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 3,000 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments

Being Press Secretary For Trump Is A No Win Job

On By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, politicsLeave a comment

trump_spicerI don’t envy the job of White House Press Secretary for this Administration.  The job is never going to be a cake walk, especially in a 24 hour news cycle that changes by the minute, but Sean Spicer (who I am no fan of on a good day) has a particularly difficult job made more challenging by a non-compliant President who feeds the ravenous alligators tasty morsels via frequent tantalizing tweets that other Press Secretaries absolutely didn’t have to deal with.

Consider this scenario:

Inauguration day:  Aerial drone photos are taken of the crowds gathering on the Mall. Side by side comparisons are made between the 2009 crowd and the 2017 crowd.  The National Parks Service, using an established and accepted method to estimate the crowd size, gives their rough estimate of 250,000 on The Mall.  Instead of accepting the side by side shots as fact and simply moving on, there are accusations of the media lying and subversive attempts by the White House to force the National Parks Service to doctor the photographs to make the crowds larger…  The White House then send Spicer out to face the press with lies that he was told to read to them as the official statement.  He looked like an idiot and it was only made worse when Presidential Adviser, Kellyanne Conway, made the now infamous gaffe when she referred to Spicer’s statement as, “alternative facts.”

You kind of have to admire the daily linguistic gymnastics he does trying to:

  • Justify the flow of controversial Executive Orders;
  • Address the latest protest, march or threatened march against the increasingly unpopular President;
  • Address why POTUS has spent 3 out of his first 4 weekends in office, at great taxpayer expense, hosting dignitaries and Cabinet replacement hopefuls, at the very technologically insecure Trump owned resort in Florida, where he holds meetings in front of other club members, instead of at the White House;
  • Address the latest rumors, leaks and beltway gossip flying;
  • Address the rapidly falling (and conflicting) approval polls;
  • Address questions from the press as to why POTUS is out speaking at campaign type rallies instead of taking care of business in Washington, D.C.;
  • Make sense of the lies and made up world events spoken and tweeted out by POTUS;
  • Creatively spin the questionable pasts of some of Trump’s more controversial nominees and appointees (when they aren’t resigning or being walked out by White House Security for failing FBI background checks); while at the same time
  • Begging the media to be nicer to the overly popularity conscious POTUS,

Let’s face it.  Sean Spicer’s job sucks and he has a really shitty boss.  Saturday Night Live parodies him, by having Melissa McCarthy hilariously play him, to HUGE ratings, and he gets derided by his boss because a woman played him.  Yeah.  It sucks to be Sean Spicer.

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Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 3,000 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments

 

Pointing Out the Idiocy in DC Isn’t Fun

On By ls1228In Dirty dealing, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Pisses Me Off, politicsLeave a comment

americaheartI love this country.  I am a history geek and a political junkie. Anyone who thinks I enjoy pointing out every ill or poorly advised, moronic, illegal, unethical, immoral and dangerous thing that the Donald Trump White House has done in their first 3 weeks, couldn’t be more wrong.

Whether I think the man occupying the Oval Office is a buffoon or not, he is The President of The United States, and he swore an Oath to Uphold the Laws and Constitution of the United States of America.  He isn’t doing that so far and it is the right and obligation of every American to demand that he do as he has sworn to do.  He owes at least that to you, me, and everyone in these United States.

It breaks my heart to see the country I love brought down in reputation and esteem and to be a laughingstock in the world’s media.

worldviewoftrump

We have become an international punchline because one man with a monumental ego, the people he has surrounded himself with in the White House, and one party are on a giddy path of deploying vengeful racist, sexist, immoral, and unethical policies, actions and behaviors toward their peers and the populace that hasn’t been seen in my lifetime.

That’s just a few things in the first 3 weeks folks…Hmmm

Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 3,000 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Idea

On By ls1228In DIY, Extreme Blonde Moments, Gift Ideas, Helpful Tips, holiday projectsLeave a comment

rosesI’m not about Valentine’s Day.  As a kid I loved the whole exchange of cards in the classroom, in High School there was flower delivery in home room, but as I grew into adulthood, I realized Valentine’s Day is a number of things I really hate:

  • A Hallmark Holiday: A commercialized date for guilting lovers into showing their affection with cards, flowers and other red/pink/heart shaped gift items that are way too expensive;
  • Amateur Night: A night when restaurants overbook, overcharge and make you eat off of a prix-fixe menu of things you don’t want to eat; and
  • A Day of Overblown Expectations: If you are in a new relationship you could be with someone who wants far too early declarations of love, if you’ve been together a while you could be with someone wanting more of a “real commitment” like moving in together or meeting parents , or even worse, if you’ve been exclusive for quite a while, you could be with someone looking for that cliché “Valentine’s marriage proposal.”

I’m not your normal hearts and flowers girl.  Don’t get me wrong, I love romance, but when it comes to the Hallmark holidays, I’m not the girl that wants a guy to go spend excessive money on that stuff.  I did see something simple and thoughtful that I (and pretty much any girl, I think) would love though!

Wrap a Bottle of Wine in a Scarf!  Two Gifts in One!

When making a wine bottle wrap, Bordeaux-style bottles, like those used for Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and other medium- to full-bodied red wines, are easiest to wrap because they have higher shoulders. It’s also important to use a fabric another than silk due to the weight of the bottles. A pashmina style, like the Jones pink or Collection XIIX paisley from Macys.com, will work beautifully for under $40. Next time you’re out shopping for wrapping paper, just pick up a few scarves instead and keep them stored at home until it’s time to wrap that next wine bottle or gift box.

valentines-day-2016

Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 2,900 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments

You Don’t Need Cardio to Sculpt Hard Abs?

On By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, health, Helpful TipsLeave a comment

absWhen my jeans are a touch too tight I pull out the food scale, cut calories, and make myself miserable by piling on the cardio.  That just gives me a headache, makes me grumpy, and leaves me hungry.

I get that adding more fruits and vegetables is a good thing to do when you want to lose a few, and those are things I already enjoy, but no matter how hard I try, the joy of eating like something other than a rabbit and the desire to lose a few pounds always seem to stay at cross purposes.

I have always believed you can’t lose weight while still enjoying an unrestricted diet.  I’m not good at starving myself, sticking to a diet or counting calories.  I don’t  overeat, but I do like to eat food that tastes good.  To be perfectly honest, it isn’t even always about wanting to lose weight. Most of the time I just want to tighten up.

The blogger profiled in an article I read today in Shape Magazine makes more sense to me than cutting carbs, logging hundreds of miles on the treadmill, doing hours upon hours of crunches, sit-ups and other ab focused exercises that just seemed to leave me hungry and with an aching back, ever did!

Faith Brar profiled 24 year old Instagram fitness blogger, @Lindseylivingwell, who had open heart surgery at only 7 years old.  With her history, she has great inspiration to keep herself fit and healthy.  Like many others, she has tried many approaches to do that, finally settling on something that worked for her, and I think, works for me too!

“#transformationtuesday “skinny” v. strong 💪🏼 and sorry, I’m about to get sassy. • first of all, I hate the word skinny. I hate that people tell me I was “skinny” in my before pictures – I didn’t need to lose weight. and maybe they’re right. but the truth is I don’t give two shits about being skinny 👋🏼👋🏼 I don’t care if I have a fast metabolism. at the end of the day, if I’m not eating to fuel my body, it doesn’t matter if I’m skinny if I’m not healthy. • the girl on the left was doing whatever she could to keep a flat stomach. endless hours of cardio, restricting carbs and other food groups, limiting calories to 1100/day. weight loss was her number one goal. and honestly, she felt awful. • FLASH FORWARD to the girl on the right. hi, that’s me 🙋🏼 present day. that girl is lifting weights 3-4x a week. yes I still do cardio, but my main goal is to gain muscle, not lose weight. I count macros, consume 400+ more calories, AND still eat an occasional donut 🍩 I don’t care that I don’t weigh any less. I feel good. I don’t care that my thighs look bigger. it’s MUSCLE. I don’t want to look skinny, I want to be strong 💥 • my point is, don’t fixate yourself and your fitness journey on some skinny bullshit (sorry for the language). and if you’re one of those people messaging me, or anyone else, saying I “don’t need to workout,” shame on you. do whatever routine works for you and helps to be your best, HEALTHY self. healthy looks different on everyone 👊🏼 you got this. #YouKnowILoveAGoodRant #SorryNotSorry“

Posted by l i n d s e y ❃ 24 (@lindseylivingwell) on Jan 31, 2017 at 4:39am PST

And, lest I fall down on my own blogger job, speaking of traditional ab routines that leave you with an aching back:

crvsplvssu

magnets_productKeeping Lindsey’s lessons in changing my mind set at the top of my list, I’m off to the rowing machine to burn some calories and build some muscle at the same time.  Then I’m texting my husband and asking him to stop at In-N-Out on his way home.  What?  I’m not having him bring me a shake 😦 or a soda.

Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 2,900 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments