F-F-Friday baby!!!!

And you know what that means . . .

It’s time for another round of Fit Friday fun, and boy are we going to have some fun!

Today I’m sharing a short, sharp, lower body workout that you can do anywhere, anytime in around 20 minutes, no equipment required – what do you say, are you in?

Ive said it before and I’ll say it again, with the right combination of exercise you can have yourself an awesome workout and get the results you want in less than 20 minutes!

Everybody got time for that!

So, here’s what we are going to do (click here to see a demo of each exercise) –

♦ Squat
♦ Sumo/Plie’ squats + pulse
♦ Reverse Lunge + knee raise
♦ Heel Raise/Pulse
♦ Laying Leg Raise
♦ Cross Body Crunch

Aim to do 8-10 reps of exercise (count reps per side for uni-lateral exercises) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3-4 rounds, or as many rounds as pretty in 20 minutes, resting as needed , sound good?!

Nothing overly complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective total body workout that will have you feeling strong , energized and ready to take on the rest of your day!

Although it’s totally not necessary, simply using your body weight alone is challenging enough but,  for our fully functioning or more advanced lifters who might be wanting kick things up a notch feel free to grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, your EmPack,  resistance bands or a combination would work. Just 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 (social distancing or virtual) buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them get in on the fun, 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 –

No Equipment

Legs & Core 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 #socialdistancing 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, it’s like dessert for the body.

Now for this weeks smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice tall, subtly sweet, deliciously indulgent, secretly healthy, seriously chocolaty, matcha mudslide sound?

You guys, this smoothie . . .

I love the way the earthy tones of our magnificent matcha marries with the richness of the cacao! If you haven’t had matcha and chocolate before then I’m sorry to say that you my friend have not lived! It’s decadent, rich (but not too rich)  subtly sweet, pure perfection! A matcha made in heaven. Sorry (not sorry) it had to be done.

Made with no added sugar, rich in antioxidants , high in magnesium, packed with protein &  loaded with gut healing goodness, not that anyone would ever know!

It’s subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty and choc full of choc chips! It’s ‘s basically a healthified / grown up chocolate version of a classic style chocolate thickshake and I am here for it!

And, not only does our delicious, nutritious, smoothie like straight up dessert but, it also happens to be Dairy free (if you want),  BANANA FREE, DATE FREE, sugar free, Low Carb, Vegan, Keto 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 on this fabulous Friday – or anytime because, yummmmm.

 Sugar Free Choc Chip Matcha Mudslide

Ingredients –
Makes 1 shake

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 cup vanilla  yogurt (or extra milk of you want a hot latte)

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 scoop protein powder  – for extra protein (I think choc, vanilla or unflavored would work best here)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 Tablespoon of cashew butter – optional but makes it extra lush + healthy fats are life!

1 Tablespoon of dark choc chips (or cacao nibs)

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

Note – If you prefer a sweeter brew feel free to add a touch of monk fruit sweetener (or sweetener of choice) to taste.

Optional add ins;

1/2 cup frozen cauliflower (I prefer to pre-steam then freeze) – for a senaky serve of veg + makes it extra thick!

1/4 cup avocado (fresh or frozen) for healthy fats & also makes it super thick

1 Tablespoons of melted dark chocolate to swirl your glass  – pure happiness

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1-2 scoops of  collagen – for gut healing goodness

1 scoop protein powder  – for extra protein ( I used chocolate but vanilla would be delicious too)

Method –

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

2 – Pour into a chilled glass or mason jar then top with toppings of choice .

Enjoy xo

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 remember;

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s workouts are you loving lately?

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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