Alright party people, it’s that time again, time for another round of Fit Friday Fun, are you ready?!

Today I’m sharing a short, sharp lower body workout that you can get in and get done in around 30 minutes , what do you say, are you in?

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck 😉

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 exercises – Glute Bridges –  Squats – Deadlifts – Step Ups & Curtsy Lunges . We will aim to do 8-10 reps of each exercise (count reps per leg for the step ups and lunges) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, resting as needed along the way.

✳️5 exercises
✳️8-10 reps each
✳️x 3 rounds
✳️Boomshakalocka, done 👊🏻

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

But FYI –

Just because it’s short doesn’t mean it’s not effective! You have been warned 😉

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 (although, this workout is still all kinds of effective with no extra weight, just using your own body weight as resistance will still deliver an intense workout) 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 –

30 Minute
“Build and Burn”
Lower Body 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 . . .

In honor of St Patrick’s Day this weekend I thought it would be fun to make ourselves something a little festive.

How does a deliciously simple, secretly healthy, fun and festive Irish Iced coffee sound?!

How does a nice tall, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, espresso infused, “rum” spiked  Irish iced coffee sound?

You guys, this smoothie . . . hello deliciousness !

Not only does it taste like an absolute dream (hello iced coffee = life!) but it also happens to be seriously good for you made with no added sugars (not even a banana in sight) and delivers a sneaky, undetectable extra serve of veg?!

Those sneaky little leprechauns 😉

This iced coffee is made with a shot (or two) of your fave espresso – regular, decaf or mushroom coffee will all work here, a drizzle of vanilla, a splash of rum extract (or you should use the real deal if you want) + a couple of my fave super-food add ins;

Coconut butter = heart healthy fats, boosts immunity and brain function.

Maca which although it’s optional I highly recommend it as not only does it add  a hint of caramelized sweetness but it’s great for balancing hormones,

Collagen – Oh how I love my collagen – 1-2 scoops of collagen (which again is optional but highly recommended) adds an extra dose of protein and gut healing goodness.

See, I told you it was seriously good for you didn’t I?

And then we have our sneaky serve of veg – goold ol’ cauliflower (pre-steamed and frozen is best) goes completely undetected and make this iced coffee extra thick, seriously creamy and all kinds of wonderful.

I promise you will never even know it’s there!

One sip and you’ll be 100% on board, trust me!

This “spiked” Irish iced coffee really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self while you refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our deliciously indulgent seriously healthy, sugar free Iced coffee taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free, sugar free, keto and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you ❤️❤️❤️

A Seriously Healthy
{Low Carb-Sugar Free}
Irish Iced Coffee

{Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Keto & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, subtly sweet, creamy, dreamy, “rum” spiked, espresso infused, seriously healthy, sugar free iced coffee

Ingredients –

1/4 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk  (or milk of choice)

1/2 cup of (pre-steamed & frozen) cauliflower – you cant taste it, promise

1 Tablespoon of coconut butter

1 teaspoon of maca

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

1/2 teaspoon of rum extract

1 teaspoon of instant coffee (regular-decaf or mushroom coffee works perfectly) or a shot or two of your fave espresso

1-2 scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides  or the collagen coconut creamer – optional

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

* for a sweeter smoothie feel free to add 1-2 medjool dates (remember to remove the pits) or a teaspoon of honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar.

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Cacao nibs

Coffee beans

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, cacao nibs and espresso beans if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla, chocolate or unflavoured would work best in this recipe) for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby 🙂

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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