A$$ A$$ A$$. (Leg/glute workout)

Personally, I don't know why so many people fear "leg day"...I LIVE FOR THE BURN! Seriously, what feels better than waking up the next morning with dead legs?! (Cricket...cricket) Haha okay maybe I'm a little weird in that sense but honestly, I love working my lower body.

This workout is my general leg day arsenal of exercises. Some days I'll substitute others in depending on injuries/how my body is feeling, but I generally use these!
 

1. (Deep) Back squats

 Start by standing feet shoulder-width apart, with the bar across your upper back/shoulders.

 Start the squat motion by acting as if you are going to sit back in a chair. You should not bend over at the waist, instead keep your chest up and focus on moving only your lower body.

 The end position: knees directly over or slightly behind toes (this angle is a little weird for seeing this), chest still up and forward. When pushing back up to return to the start position, use your legs and core, NOT your back. This could (and has for me) lead to serious injuries.

2. Dumbbell Lunges

Step one foot out in front of your body at a (near) 90 degree angle, leaving the other behind and bent at a (near) 90 degree angle. Push up on front foot and pull back leg forward to alternate the motion between legs. Repeat!
 

3. RDL

 Start with your knees slightly bent (too straight may strain your back and/or hamstrings), holding the bar in front of your body.

Slowly bend down, keeping your chest elevated while lowering the bar to your shins.
This exercise can also be done as "Single leg RDL". One leg is anchored to the ground as the other stays lifted and not assisting in any way. It requires more balance, and you will have to do less weight than with both legs because of the added effort of each anchor leg. Try them both and see which you prefer!

♥MK

OOIAJ! (Recipe)

I AM IN LOVE WITH WHAT I JUST CREATED.
I have been hearing of a lot of people trying this "overnight oats in a jar" deal lately and decided to try my own recipe last night. BOY was it worth it.
Here's what I used in mine:
1/2 cup dry oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup (vanilla) greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk (I use Blue Diamond vanilla)
2 tbsp chocolate PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
a dash of chia seeds (didn't really measure)
1 Dole banana

 The visual finished product definitely doesn't do the taste justice lol...

 This is what it looked like last night before I stuck it in the fridge.

Birds eye view...

Layer all ingredients on top of the oats (the order I listed them in above was my order), put a lid on your jar and stick it in the fridge overnight. In the morning...eat. SERIOUSLY it's that easy and they will blow your mind people. I highly suggest trying this. It's great for on-the-go, and HEALTHY. I don't know if there's a better combination in the morning, especially since I'm usually running late anywhere I go haha.
Macros:
640 Calories (I split it up into two meals)
13g Fat
88g Carb
47g Protein

Half the reason I'm so excited about this revelation is because there are endless possibilities for flavors! Different flavored protein powder, all kinds of fruits, nut butter...WHATEVER YOU WANT.
Enjoy :)

♥MK

Shoulder Circuit. Grow those boulders!

One area that women especially have trouble building is their shoulders! Having perky, firm rounded shoulders looks good on EVERYONE...so here is a workout that I have found results with!
Each exercise is 10 reps per set, and I usually do 5 sets.

1. Dumbbell lateral raises ("T's" and/or "Y's")

Start by holding dumbbells in your hands straight down in front of you, palms facing each other.

Next, raise your arms to make a "T" shape...I often hyperextend this motion to make more of a "Y"...but if you're doing this unintentionally it can be an indication that you aren't doing enough weight and should up your load. Be mindful of controlling your motions to make them fluid, but
strong. You shouldn't be throwing your arms up, but instead RAISING them.

2. Dumbbell anterior raises

 Start in the same position as lateral raises, except position your hands so that your palms are facing your legs. Your core should be TIGHT!

Raise your arms up in front of you, keeping them straight. I love this exercise because it works your core SUPER well at the same time as shoulder group! You should end each rep with your arms straight out at a 90 degree angle from your chest, parallel with the ground.

3. Dumbbell shoulder press

No pictures for these I APOLOGIZE! I got way into my workout and forgot to stop myself. I do shoulder press standing to get additional core work, but sitting works your shoulders just as well, and lots of people do it that way.
To do the exercise: Stand with dumbbells in hands just above shoulders, then press the weights up until your arms are straight and the dumbbells are directly above your shoulders. Lower, and repeat!

4. Hyper extension shoulder circuit ("I's T's and Y's")

This machine is in most gyms, and is really easy to use. All you do is rest your quadriceps (front of your thighs) on the pads, and put your feet/calves under the padded rollers for support! It WILL hold all your weight when you bend down so don't worry about that.

 Start with the dumbbells straight down in front of your face, palms facing each other.

Raise your arms so that they are in-line with your back, and parallel to the ground. These are the "T's" (because of the shape you make with your body)...so the "Y's" and "I's" use the same technique, the end position is just slightly different to make the different shapes (or angles, however you'd like to look at it).
Sorry for the crazy light show in these pics...my workout fell directly in-sync with the sunset and my gym is completely GLASS haha.

Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think/if you have any questions! (Remember: I am not yet a certified personal trainer. All of the information given here is from my background in weight lifting while apart of a division 1 track and field program with professional coaches)

Find me and ask questions on Instagram as well! @mtschmitt77

♥MK