Tell me . . .

It’s time to work those shoulders and arms, because who doesn’t love some curvy, strong, sculpted shoulders?!

Plus gotta get strong so we can help Santa deliver all those presents, right?!

What do you say, are you in?!

Ok good, because today I’m sharing a short, sharp, upper body workout that you can get in and get done in around 20 minutes!

Here’s what we’re going to do;

✳️6 exercises
✳️10 reps each
♻️x 3 rounds
❤️ Add/remove weight & resting as needed
✳️Boomshakalocka, done 👊🏻

The aim is to do 10 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, resting as needed, sound good?

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

I should warn you though, just because you’re workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, believe me when I say by the final round you will be feeling a nice little fire burning in those beautiful biceps (hence the name – “inferno” ) and um . . . FYI –

The struggle is so real!

That being said, I guarantee after this workout you will be feeling strong and energized ready to take on the rest of your day!

Remember, just because I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout does not mean I want you to push through and no take any breaks. 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, do what you gotta do, OK?!

Catch your breath, grab a drink then get straight back into it, deal?

Grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, your EmPack, kettlebells, 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.

I want you to really push yourself, the final rep of each exercise should be a challenge!

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 –

20 Minute Shoulder Sculpting Workout

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 bonus smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice tall, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, antioxidant rich, blissfully delicious, blueberry balsamic smoothie sound?

That splash of sightly tart balsamic vinegar marries so perfectly with the sweetness of those beautiful blueberries . . . trust me on this . . . you will LOVE IT!

It’s a little bit tart, a little bit sweet and a whole lot of delicious!

It’s an absolute game changer, a total taste sensation!

Oh and I should probably mention that not only is our pretty little,  blissfully delicious smoothie taste like an absolute dream but, it’s packed with protein, high in fiber, rich in antioxidants, heart healthy fats and those all important omega 3’s and, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free, refined sugar free, BANANA FREE and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you and love it you will ❤️❤️❤️

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self and refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Blueberry Balsamic Super Smoothie

{Vegan – BANANA FREE – Dairy Free – Refined Sugar Free – Keto – Paleo Friendly}

Makes 1 nice tall, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, antioxidant rich, blissfully delicious, blueberry super smoothie

Ingredients –

2 Tablespoons of coconut yogurt (or 1/4 cup Greek style yogurt)

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

1  cup of frozen blueberries

1 Tablespoon of cashew (or coconut butter) – sub 2 Tbsp raw cashews, soak in boiling water for 5-10 mins, then drain, if you don’t have a high powered blender.

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

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

Optional add in’s;

1 Tablespoon of hemp seeds – for (plant based) protein, fiber & all important essential amino acids

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

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 (vanilla or unflavored would work best in this recipe) – I use Proganics Vanilla whey – you can use EMS10 to get 10% off

Up to 1 Tablespoon of MCT oil – brain boosting energy

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Chia Seeds

Blueberries

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 coconut flakes, blueberries and chia seeds if desired.

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 way to refuel after a workout?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes 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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