Jumps Archives | Strength and Sunshine

Happy Power Monday! So it finally warmed up with weekend! In the upper 50s, but that comes with a price. Rain. Tons of rain. So really the weather was pretty depressing. It poured all day Saturday, was dark, dreary, completely not my ideal weather. At least I only had to go out for grocery shopping which was another pretty depressing experience. They were out of like everything I needed, like my new favorite hummus and….PSPs! So I had to settle and buy some white sweet potatoes. Never had one, but hopefully they will make up for the lose of the PSP (probably not though). And I was in dire need to place a Vitacost order so I was able to do that and hopefully those essential will get here quick!

Do you go through phases where you just crave certain foods everyday and become obsessed with certain ingredients? Over the summer I was obsessed with smoked paprika, cinnamon, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. Now I am obsessed with unsweetened cocoa powder, cumin, fenugreek, carrots, and PSPs! I have been going through my cocoa powder like a beast! Breakfast just isn’t the same with out it, haha. O and I also am really like raw hazelnuts. I don;t think I had ever had a real raw whole hazelnut, but I got them at the grocery for a recipe and now I absolutely adore them. I love how each nut and seed has its own distinct and unique flavor and texture 🙂

Anyway, (awkward transition) I am definitely in need of a Power Monday this week and I have a good one I have been saving up for you guys!

So this is probably my favorite lower body workout of all-time. It was originally created by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean (she says it is her all-time favorite too!). I found this workout probably last year and have modified it a lot since then. So I wanted to share my version of it with you guys. It is so fun and I always get through it relatively quick, but it always leaves me feeling like I have worked hard and strong!Read More

After temperatures below zero and never high then 8°, I am pretty sure we all could appreciate a way to warm up. I have never seen my phone say -7 degrees, but it did and that was scary, haha! There is nothing I hate more than the cold and sometimes hundreds of mugs of hot tea, bundling up in a cozy robe and fuzzy socks just doesn’t cut it. Sometimes the only warm up is to suck it up and start moving! Yes, that might require taking off that robe and fuzzy socks in place of some workout clothes, but the freeze will wear off soon enough.

Last week I needed a new leg workout. I just did not feel like doing any from my normal rotation; I needed something new for the new year I guess. So when it was time to get those legs pumping I had no plan in mind, just a pad of paper and pen to write down some ideas as I went along. Well, I ended up creating one killer workout that left me sweaty, sore, de-frozen, and with a smile on my face. Because I love training so much, right 😉 O, and I was also a little bloody. I don’t know how it happened, but when I was finished I looked down at my left hand and the space between my forefinger and thumb was coated in blood. I guess I just went total balls-to-the-wall hardcore 😉 And believe it or not I finally had elbow-sweat during the BB squats! I rarely sweat, especially the infamous elbow-sweat. If I do sweat I usually break out in red dots (yes I am allergic to my own sweat, haha). I was really proud of myself when I finished though. Sweat, blood, and all 🙂

So get ready for one crazy leg workout this Power Monday! It is definitely a new favorite that I will be keeping in my weekly rotations.Read More