F-F-Fri-Yay baby!!!!!

And you know what that means, time for another round of Fit Friday Fun!!!!

Because it’s been a minute since we had a good solid. upper body workout, I figured it was time!

Today I’m sharing ,  short and sharp, upper body workout  that you get in and get done in just 15 minutes!

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

Get in, get it done, and get on with living!

Just because you’re workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective!  Hear me when I say this workout is no joke, trust me . . . when you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing and your arms may feel a little like jelly,

But, this short, sharp shoulder sculpting workout will also  leave you feeling strong and energized ready to take on the rest of your day!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 execises;

♦ Bent over row 
♦ Bicep curl
♦ Over head press
♦ Tricep dips
♦ Push ups

We will aim to do 10 reps of each exercise  then repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3-4 rounds (or as many rounds as pretty in 15 minutes) , resting as needed,  sound good?

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 but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

And remember, 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!

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.

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 –

Head up, shoulders back, core activated  . . . let’s do it . . .

 
– 15 Minute –

“Standing tall”

Upper 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 smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice tall, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, deliciously indulgent, raspberry dream shake sound?

Heaven, right?!

You can’t beat a classic like raspberries and cream then when you add in a cheeky swirl of dark chocolate . . . soooooooo good!

A decadent twist on a much loved classic!

Subtly sweet, seriously creamy, deliciously nourishing and swirled with chocolate because life’s just better when it’s swirled with chocolate!

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our delicious, nutritious, pretty little smoothie taste like straight up heaven in a cup but, it also happens to be Dairy free (if you want),  BANANA FREE, DATE FREE, refined 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.

Raspberry Dream Shake
{Dairy Free – BANANA FREE – DATE FREE – Refined Sugar Free – Low Carb – Vegan – Keto – Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, deliciously indulgent, secretly healthy super smoothie

Ingredients –

1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt (or  Greek style yogurt)

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

1 cup of frozen raspberries

1 Tablespoon of cashew butter – sub 2 Tablespoons of raw cashews, soak in boiling water for 10 minutes before blending if you don’t have a high powered blender – optional but highly recommended

1 teaspoon of vanilla

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

1 Tablespoon (1-2 squares) of dark chocolate, melted – optional to swirl your glass with happiness

Optional add ins;

1/2-1 cup cauliflower or zucchini (pre-steamed & frozen works best)  – 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 flaxmeal (ground flaxseed) – extra fiber

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 scoop protein powder  – for extra protein ( vanilla, chocolate or unflavored would work in this recipe)

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 – I use coconut shreds, cacao nibs (or a shaving or dark chocolate) 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 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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