F-F-Friday baby!!!

And you know what that means, it’s that time again, time for another round of fit Friday fun!

Today’s I thought we’d have ourselves a short sharp, total body workout that you can get done in less just 12 minutes, with or without equipment, totally your call!

12 minutes, erry-body got time for dat’!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with the right combination of exercises you can have an awesome workout in next to no time at all, and that my friend is what we are going to do today!

Allow me to introduce you to my secret weapon, aka- the 12 minute – Total body Tune Up !

We are going to do just 5 exercises that will incorporate most of your major muscle groups, I’m talkin’ quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, lats, delts/shoulders, chest, biceps and abs/core which means you get serious bang for your workout buck!

Just because your workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, trust me. When you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing!

And you will be feeling energized, focused and ready to take on the rest of your day!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

♦ 5 exercises
→ Push Ups
→ Plank with rear leg raise
→ V-Ups
→ Walking Lunges &
→ Squat Jumps

Aim to do 10 reps of each exercise (count reps per leg for leg raises & lunges) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 4 rounds  or as many rounds as pretty in 12 minutes resting as needed, sound good?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective total body workout.

Remember, just because I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout but I want you to listen to that beautiful body of yours and rest as needed.

Anytime you feel like you need to take a break to catch your breath and grab a little drink then by all means please do so, and take all the time you need. However, if possible try to wait until you get to the bottom of each round to do so but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

Now, for those wanting to make things a little more challenging, grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, your EmPack, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

– 12 Minute –
Total Body Tune Up

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now onto our smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, deliciously nourishing, chocolate almond joy smoothie sound?

You guys, this smoothie . . .

Rich chocolate, creamy coconut, a splash of vanilla and a drizzle of almond butter.

So, SO delicious!

And, not only does it taste all kinds of magical but, it also happens to be  rich in antioxidants, high in calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and fiber.

It’s a natural anti-inflammatory.

Great for stabilizing blood sugar, balancing hormones, enhancing mood, aid concentration and restoring energy levels (both mental and physical).

And it’s also great for post work out recovery, gut health as well as the health of your hair, skin and nails!

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our delicious, nutritious, dessert inspired smoothie taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free, sugar free, banana free (!!!) keto and paleo friendly  !

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self on this fabulous Friday.

Chocolate Almond Joy Super Smoothie

{Sugar Free – Dairy Free –  Gluten Free BANANA FREE – Low Carb – Vegan – Keto & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, secretly healthy,  super smoothie

Ingredients –

1/2 cup of vanilla coconut or Greek style yogurt

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice )

1/2 cup of frozen coconut chunks

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of almond  butter- sub 2 Tablespoons of raw almonds (or almond meal) – soak nuts in boiling water for 10 mins before blending if you don’t have a high powered blender.

1 teaspoon of vanilla

A pinch of pink salt

1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to desired consistency

For a sweeter smoothie add in 1 teaspoon of monk fruit sweetener , a drizzle of maple syrup  or 1-2 (pitted) dates

Optional add ins;

1/2-1 cup cauliflower or zucchini (pre-steamed & frozen works best) Keto friends sub 1/3-1/2 an avocado – a great way to get an extra (undetectable) serve of veg & make your smoothie extra thick

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1 teaspoon of chia seeds – for fibre & omega 3’s

1-2 Tbsp Hemp seeds – Plant based protein, omega 3’s, vitamins, minerals & essential amino acids – I love My Hemple –  EMSWAN10 = 10% off

1-2 scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – for an extra boost of protein and gut healing goodness

1 scp protein powder – for extra protein (chocolate, vanilla or unflavored would work best in this recipe) – I use Proganics Vanilla whey – you can use EMS10 to get 10% off

Method –

1 – Place all smoothie ingredients into your and process until smooth, creamy and well combined.

2 – Pour into a chilled glass or mason jar then top with toppings of choice – I love to use coconut shreds & cacao nibs, always.

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go ;

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s your favorite/go to quickie workout when you really want to get a good sweat on but your pressed for time??

Feel free to share tips, tricks and/or links to your fave workouts in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to 🙂

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