Ok, it’s mid-May. Bathing suits have hit stores since Feb. If you’re like me, you’ve already bought 3 different sets (oh my god…) and the tags are still on them. So in honor of summer and your debut in these lovely 2 pieces, the Pop Pilates Bikini Bod workout has finally arrived!
This is the first of more to come. In this video we focus on triceps, obliques, transverse abs, lower abs, and glutes/lower body strength. Can’t get too much in for a short 10 min video, so I will be sure to film another followup to round your workout out.
The one thing I want to stress on this vid is the tricep dip in the beginning. It looks like my elbows are not bending enough because I am not hoisted up on a chair for a lower dip. You can go ahead and place your hands on the edge of a chair and perform the exercise until your elbows create a 90 degree angle. The dips in this vid are very slight, but if you focus on pulling your shoulder blades together and your elbows straight back, the mini dips are very effective and tiring!
Ok, time for bed. A long day ahead of me tomorrow!
Okay, so I had a million requests about creating a workout vid to help get rid of the fat that creates the “muffin top” that hangs over your jeans. Finally got around to filming it. Let me just say this. Oh. My. God.
We actually had to film this a few times for a variety of technical reasons and yes, I had to do the full workout each time. (Notice that my red shirt, the orange mat, and the green ball are very technicolor-looking…circa 1985 fitness video)
You see, I make each 10 minute workout vid intense enough for a 10 minute workout. Well, when you do a 10 minute Pop Pilates Vid for 30 minutes back to back, you’ll be sore in places you didn’t even know existed.
Today, I am sore. Yes. I am extremely extremely EXTREMELY sore from my own workout. It’s amazing. I can feel my butt firming and lifting from those knee-to-elbow pulses with every step I take. And my obliques. Man, my obliques. I can barely bend side to side.
I love being sore after a good workout. And even though it hurts to function today, a good workout soreness is sweet to me. It let’s me know I did something different and I did it well.
Let me know how you feel after this one! You don’t have to do it 3x back to back. ;)
Pop Pilates: 3 Min Abs Challenge! This one is a three min super ab blast to Cascada’s “Evacuate the Dance Floor”. If you don’t have time to squeeze in a workout or just want to kill your core for a short amount of time…this is the one! Make sure you get a dumbell (you just need one) to tone your arms too. See how many times you can do it before you die.
Pop Pilates: Body Slimming Workout So this is awesome. I was reading FitSugar’s blog and read all about Lady Gaga’s rockin’ ab routine! You’ll be ready to wear super tight leotards too after this workout. “Outta My Head” by Leona Lewis “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga “Remedy” by Little Boots
Pop Pilates: Legs and Thighs Workout This is a great request. I love this routine because it really sculpts your inner and outer thighs (thigh master status!), tightens your butt, and tones your whole leg. “Magic” by Robin Thicke “Watcha Say” by Jason Derulo “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” by Lady GaGa
Pop Pilates: Super Butt Workout Oh man. This will make it hard for you to sit down tomorrow.
“Fireflies” by Owl City “Off the Wall” by Michael Jackson “Girls Were Made to Love” by Sugar Ray featuring Collie Buddz
Just wanted to get you all in on the latest scoop…
Back in Dec, right before Christmas I had an epiphany and decided that I MUST get samples done for an oGorgeous line of super cute fitness clothes. So what do I do? Buy a ticket from jEtBlue that same night and fly out on Mon and go home on Tues, shipping bolts and bolts and bolts of lycra, mesh, cotton fleece, zippers, and trim back to San Francisco on the bottom of a bus.
What is this all about? Well, the influx of sales in December really inspired me to keep moving forward and grow the line. The super sweet feedback I got from customers truly instilled a sense of earned confidence within me. I felt like I needed to do more. I love love love this feeling, this itching feeling to DO. Just do.
Yoga bags will last you years and years, but fashion is ever-changing. It has been my childhood deam to be a fashion designer and now I am going to make it happen. Just know that there is nothing that can stand in your way except youself…that’s a quote, but I’m going to make it mine. I’m going to own it.
Being inspired is a beautiful thing. The DRIVE can take you anywhere. You feel like life is in YOUR hands. IT is in YOUR control, so make it happen.
Weird though, because sometimes the motivation just comes spontaneously, and it comes in a burst. You act whimsical, dangerously, insensibly, and your eyes are shining bright. I love this. Love this.
Anyway, enough of my random bits of thought.
The new oGorgeous Spring 2010 line will debut featuring three ultra cute and super stylish (yet functional) tops and the most darling sweater in the world.
Can’t wait? Neither can I!
Samples are currently being produced. I’ll upload some snippets of my designs later for your preview.
Alrighty! This was our first video made by request as suggested by a YouTube fan. I was so excited to film this one!
This workout was actually quite difficult. A lot of women are able to work out their core, but when it comes to upper body strength, men tend to be more naturally gifted with the ability to flex their power in this area - but only because they USUALLY are born with greater stature. This workout is designed to help you tone up your chest, shoulders, and arms without using any weights.
It’s just you and your mat, girlies.
The one move that will make you want to die is the shoulder circles. They are power in numbers and come at the end of the routine. Try not to stop! Finish it out!
Songs in this workout include: “She Wolf” by Shakira “Tik Tok” by Kesha “Starstruck” by Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy and Flo Rida
Just filmed a new Pop Pilates video this weekend. Faced some major technical issues, but here it is, FINALLY!
So, I’m just gonna warn you, it will be a super charged 11 min workout for your core. You’ll feel it all over your upper abs, your lower abs, and your sides. Plus, there’s a funny little segment for your obliques in which I do “The Wiggle”. Super weird looking.
Just do it.
Let me know how you like it and what you want to work on for the next video!!!
Here are the songs in this workout:
“My Delirium” by Ladyhawke “Shut Up and Let Me Go” by The Ting Tings “Quicksand” by La Roux “Memories” by David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi
We just paired with SheKnows.com, a popular online woman’s magazine, to host a “Win a Designer Yoga Bag” contest! We’re giving away one of the most popular styles from our line…the Beverly Bow-Tie in Electric Blue.
So if you’re strapped for cash but good with probability, click here and enter every hour to increase your chances of winning. This contest will be open for a whole month. So technically…
If you slept your 8 hours every night, you’d have 16 hours a day to enter. Times that by 7 days a week. Times that by the 27 days that are left until the contest expires.
16hrs/day*7days/week*27days/mo = 3024 submissions
And what are the chances of someone actually doing that? Hmm probably none so secure your winnings and enter now!
Thanks to freegrechen.com for posting our contest as well. Check them out for other fashion freebies.
BizTechDay just ended today and I met so many amazing people. Here are the great take-away quotes that resonated with me.
Would I want ads on Craigslist so that I can make more money? No. I want this to be the one place on the internet where people can be free of ads. - Craig Newmark, Craigslist.
All businesses are the same. There is no secret. - Michael Gerber, World’s #1 Small Business Guru.
If you simply focus on what’s good for the community, then do it, and you won’t have to question your business decisions. - Matt Mullenweg, Wordpress.
Bring a million business cards (I actually ran out! Ugh) - Me
Me and Craig! He said his next goal is to translate Craigslist into Hebrew and Arabic to build communities and ease the tension between Israel and Palestine.
Matt Mullenweg of Wordpress and his yellow sneakers. Him and digg guy have the same swagger.
Tim Ferris, author of 4 hour Work Week. Porter Gale, VP of Marketing for Virgin America. Kevin Rose, founder of Digg.
Michael Gerber. A true worldly thinker. He says that in business, like all other things, you just need to do what feels right. Then the answer will come. It will just come.
Sue Kwon, news anchor for CBS5 Consumer Watch. She said a lot of very informative things, but the best of all? Blot your face with cut up squares from toilet seat covers before an interview!!!
Thank you Edith Yeung for giving me the opportunity to attend BizTechDay and meet so many incredible people. Such a cute little lady!
Just found out this morning that I won a scholarship to BizTechDay 2009. Whoohoo! What does that mean? It means that the $600 conference fee is fully covered AND I get to hang out with people like…
Craig Newmark – Founder of Craigslist.org
Tim Ferriss – Author of 4-Hour Workweek
Kevin Rose – Founder of Digg
Porter Gale – VP Marketing at Virgin America
Michael Gerber – World’s No 1 Small Business Guru per Inc Magazine and the New York Times Best Selling Author of the E-Myth
Matt Mullenweg – Founder of WordPress
Kevin Hartz – Paypal Angel Investor
Fabio Rosati – CEO of Elance
Joel Comm – Creator of iFart iPhone App – Over 1 Million downloads
Gary Swart – CEO of oDesk
Mark O’Leary – Regional VP for Business Services for Comcast
Randy Williams, Founder of Keiretsu Forum. The World’s largest angel investor network – over $180m invested in 200 companies
Chris Larsen – Founder of Prosper.com
Michelle Broderick – Director of Marketing at Yelp
Alison Covarrubias – Founder & CEO of Hatch Network
Julie Castro Abrams – CEO of Women’s Initiative
Justin Kan – Founder of Justin.TV
Ramon Ray – Chief Editor of SmallBizTechnology.com
OH. MY. GOD.
Well, well, time to go pick out a cute business ensemble because now is the time to dress to impress! I am so excited!
I’ve been trying FOREVER to get my mom to workout! She says she’d rather starve to lose weight. Uh huh. And that exercise is boring and requires too much energy. Mm hm.
Well, apparently seeing my sister teach kickboxing, my dad coaching tennis, and of course you know me and my Pilates, didn’t inspire her very much. Anyway, I decided to take my mom to Zumba today. Zumba is a latin based cardio dance class. The last time I danced that much was when I was training to be a ballroom dancer at Arthur Murray!
Guess what? My mom actually liked it!? OH. MY. GOD.
She was having fun and said the class went by so fast! All these years I’ve been trying very sneaky ways to get her to be more active and none of them have worked. Until. Today. And we weren’t even supposed to stay for Zumba! We were there the 1st hour for Cardio Sculpt and then stayed for Zumba because we were already in the dance room. You know, the answers you’re looking for are there. Just put yourself out there and they will find YOU.
Check it out here, so much fun! Dancing is one of the best ways to get your cardio and toning done all in one in my opinion.
Sometimes women who are looking to lose weight or be more healthy look to only the “calories” or “fat cal” part of the nutrition label. This is good for starters, but what we need to do is more proactive in what we choose to eat nutritiously. Sometimes you can get more bang for your buck when you eat something low in calories AND high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Why? Because according to Harvard researchers eating the right things can lead to you looking up to years younger than your “Real Age”.
So I investigated this Real Age thing at www.realage.com and based on things like happiness, stress, income, ethnicity, medical problems, foods eaten, workout hours, and weird things like how fast you drive, I found out that I am 16.7 years old! I’m 22.7, so that’s astonishing. I went back and redid some questions and changed some answers like I probably exaggerated on but my age went down to 15.8! Odd. Give the test a shot and it will make you more aware.
Anyway, on to the super foods and what they can do for common female issues:
GOAL: Clearer skin
How to: Do not eat high glycemic foods (carby things like sugary donuts, fried anything). Instead try cherries, oranges, tomatoes, whole grain pastas, peanuts, artichoke, grapefruits, grapes, and squash. These foods do not cause an immediate spike in insulin because they are low on the GI scale, which lessens your risk of getting diabetes too.
GOAL: Digestive movement
How to: Drink lots of water! At least eight 8 oz glasses a day. That’s about 4 Crystal Geyser water bottles which is not bad at all between workouts and the water you need to drink during meals. Also, eat high fiber whole grains, fruits, and veggies. The #1 recommended fruit across the board was Papaya. Runner-ups include apples, pears, berries, citrus, and kiwi. Of the veggies list, broccoli, spinach, and sweet potatoes seemed popular. Oh, and everyone mentioned Raisin Bran Cereal or anything bran!
GOAL: Lose weight
How to: Pretty much stay away from anything fried, salted, or pre-packed. When snacking, choose fruits and when eating salads go easy on the dressing. In fact, try vinaigrettes - they add lots of flavors for itty-bitty calories and don’t weigh down your veggies. Egg whites are so good and make great omelets! Try egg whites with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a super good breakfast that’s high in vitamins and protein and low in calories. Remember to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Really.
GOAL: Promote healthy, shiny, hair!
How to: Eat salmon! Its omega-3 fatty acids, quality protein, b-12 and iron resources are tough to beat. Don’t eat it and you’ll get dull hair and dandruff. Eew. Vegetarians, eat flax-seed. Kidney beans and lentils have plenty of protein to promote hair growth. And finally, poultry like chicken and turkey help fight brittle hair and color loss.
GOAL: Increase metabolism
How to: There really are not any foods that make you have an increased metabolism. What you can do though is drink lots of water, exercise regularly (esp. weight training to burn cals even when you’re sleeping and aerobics to increase your blood flow and heart rate), and eat small frequent meals. This helps your body understand that you are not in starvation mode and therefore will burn fat instead of trying to hoard it.
CONCLUSION: To achieve these goals most efficiently, I say don’t get overwhelmed and just do the following.
Exercise regularly, at least every other day.
Drink lots of water, at least eight 8oz glasses or 4 water bottles.
Increase fruit intake
Increase colorful vegetables intake
Substitute white rice and bread for anything 100% whole wheat or bran.
Stop eating foods you already KNOW are bad for you but are in denial about!
This just in! oGorgeous is showcasing our unique mat bag collection on Luxuryyogabags.com alongside other yoga bag brands such as Yogoco, RoZCoo, Plank Designs, and Crescent Moon. Check out Luxury’s blog for a comprehensive look at our line. Very cool!
On another note, we’ll be filming more Pilates videos. Don’t worry. The first one you saw was just a test run! If you want to request videos focused on certain muscles in your body, just post them here, on the Blogilates youtube channel, or email me. Whatever you prefer. I think I’ll make a fully focused abs mania session. Yes, that sounds perfect…maniacal abs…hahaha.
Yesterday I went to Hollywood to do a segment on KTLA to help promote the Girls CEO Connection Conference that I’m speaking at this Saturday August 8th. My talk will be about starting online businesses. Anyway, I had to wake up at 5am to do hair and make up, but it was all fun!
Thanks to Sylvia Scott for putting this all togther, my models Paloma, Shauna, and Heather, and Sam Livits for supporting me all the way.
I am entering this bikini design contest by Roxy. After finishing my fashion illustration class (which was a BLAST by the way!) I now have a justification for drawing overly skinny and tall women that cannot exist in real life. Haha.
Anyway, check it out! I have gotten so much better at drawing faces. I still have work to do obviously, but my proportions have improved drastically. You should see what I used to draw when I was like six - big heads, huge boobs, skinny waist, a nose shaped like an L…
Ok well, can y’alls please vote for my entry? I could only enter one so I picked the crazy weird hoodie swimsuit. I called it the “HOODED KIWI SPORTS BIKINI”. Here’s the link:
