Beautycounter Favorites, strength workout, treadmill workout, and a few healthy recipes

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading and being patient with me and my blog posts.  As many of you know I lost my mom about 3 months ago after a 2 year battle with breast cancer.  I am now committed to growing my business and helping all of you become healthier.
In the last year I have been up to a few things.  After a 4 month renovation we are back home and my

new studio is open for business and I started selling Beautycounter that I am now obsessed with! Click on the link if you want to shop. Here are a list of my TOP 5 favorite products:

1. Cleansing Balm (pictured left): this is good for removing make up, or sometimes if my skin is feeling dry I will use it to clean my face before I wash my face with my Rejuvenating face wash.
2. Baby Daily Protective Balm: I use this for diaper rash, dry spots, and to help with cradle cap. 
3. Rejuvenating daily moisturizer: Not only does it have anti-aging properties, but I makes my skin feel like silk. 
4. Charcoal Bar: This has helped me get rid of any acne spots and has helped balance my skin tone. 
5. No 3 Balancing Facial Mask: This is a charcoal mask that I use whenever I feel like my skin needs to be detoxed or if I have a breakout I will use it on that specific area.  

In my blog posts you will find strength and cardio workouts, nutrition tips and recipes, and my favorite Beautycounter products.  Please, please, share this blog and my social media pages with anyone you think would be interested.  Also, if you haven't already please like my pages on FaceBook, AliHallPersonalTrainer, on Instagram as AliHallPersonalTrainer, or on YouTube, AliHallPersonalTrainerYouTube
OK first things first I hope you all liked my videos I shared on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Recording and posting a lot of my workouts is definitely making me work harder and I hope that it does the same for YOU!

Strength Workout 

Warm up -2 sets

• Foam Roll, T-Spine openers
• Lateral Band walks- straight 15 each way, bent 15 each way
• TRX Rollouts 12 reps
• TRX Single Leg Squats 8 each side
• TRX standing side dips 10 each side

Main Set-3 sets

• Deadlifts with Hexbar.  Warm up set of 10 reps with just the bar then added 25lb to each side. Then did 3 sets of 8 reps
• TRX Triceps Press
• Single Leg Deadlift- just the bar that weighs 45 lbs 10 reps each side
• TRX Row -15 reps

A whole lot of hamstrings and glute work in this workout, but I find the more glute and hamstring work I do the less I get injured with running.  Make sure you have good form when doing all of these movements OR come see me and I can help you with that ;).  

So this morning I knew I wanted to run 6 miles on the treadmill so I decided to do a ladder workout.  When you do this on your own go at a speed that is comfortable for you.  I am going to show you my speeds, but GO AT YOUR OWN PACE.  No one is judging you, or at least I am not. I am just happy you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone by trying something different.  My advice is to start off slower than you think and then build each time you do it.  Also, if you haven't run in a while try just going up the ladder

10 minute warm up jog easy 8:30 minute build to 7:30 minute throughout the 10 minutes

WORKOUT:

2-minute interval at 9.6

2-minute easy jog/walk

1 min 45 seconds-minute interval at 9.6 min/mile pace

1 min 45 seconds easy jog/walk

1 min 30 seconds interval at 9.7 min/mile pace

1 min 30 seconds easy jog/walk

1 min 15 seconds at 9.7 min/mile pace

1 min 15 seconds easy jog/walk

1-minute interval at 9.8 min/mile pace

1-minute easy jog/walk

45 second interval at 9.8 min/mile pace

45 second easy jog/walk

30 second interval at 9.9 min/mile pace

30 second easy jog/walk

15 second interval at 9.9 min/mile pace

15 second easy jog/walk

2 minute easy jog 830-9 min/mile

2-minute interval at 9.6

2-minute easy jog/walk

1 min 45 seconds-minute interval at 9.6 min/mile pace

1 min 45 seconds easy jog/walk

1 min 30 seconds interval at 9.7 min/mile pace

1 min 30 seconds easy jog/walk

1 min 15 seconds at 9.7 min/mile pace

1 min 15 seconds easy jog/walk

1-minute interval at 9.8 min/mile pace

1-minute easy jog/walk

45 second interval at 9.8 min/mile pace

45 second easy jog/walk

30 second interval at 9.9 min/mile pace

30 second easy jog/walk

15 second interval at 9.9 min/mile pace

15 second easy jog/walk

Postpartum Training

Postpartum Training

YOU can watch all of this on my YouTube Channel RIGHT HERE 

Diastasis recti is common and often persists for a long time after pregnancy.  In order to see if you have diastasis recti follow these steps:

1. Lay on your back with your knees bent.  
2. Place your finger tips 1-2 inches above your navel, fingers pointing down.
3. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground.  
4. If you feel a ridge protruding from the midline of your abdomen, this is protrusion of the diastasis recti.    

Most women do not address there diastasis recti after childbirth, and it is very important to prevent any further injuries to do the following exercises once you are cleared by your doctor or midwife.  

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• Start out slowly and increase the length of your workouts gradually
• Avoid excessive fatigue
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after
• Don’t ignore discomfort or fatigue
• Support and compress your breasts and abdomen
• Aim for slow, gradual weight loss.  
• Be patient with yourself and try and focus on your baby gaining weight, not you losing weight.  
• GIVE YOURSELF AT LEAST A YEAR TO GET TO YOU PRE-PREGNANCY WEIGHT

Equipment Needed:

• Yoga Mat ← Click here
• Yoga Block ← Click here
• Yoga Strap  ← Click here
• Lateral Resistance Band ← Click here
• Resistance Band ← Click here

This is Step 1 of the training program. This should be done 3-4x/week for 2-4 months.

For people who have never fully repaired their diastasis recti.  I think everyone who ever had a baby should be doing parts of this workout as part of their warm up before a strength training or cardio routine.

WARM UP:

1. Kegels 5 sets, 10 repetitions: contract the muscles around the vagina (imagine stopping a stream of urine) and hold for 10 seconds, then slowly release.  
2. Pelvic Tilts 2 sets of 15 repetitions: Lying on the floor with knees bent and feet flat, inhale and expand the abdomen, then exhale as you gently pull the abs in, pulling the navel toward your spine.  While doing this flatten your low back towards the floor.  
3. Hip Bridges 2 sets of 10 repetitions: Begin with the pelvic tilt position from above and lift hips off the floor until you feel a stretch in the front of your hips and thighs.  Hold for 20 seconds.  Lower and repeat.  
4. Cat/Cow. 1 set, 5 repetitions. Start on your knees with a neutral spine, exhale and round the spine up toward the ceiling tucking the tailbone and relax your head and neck.  Inhale, returning to just past neutral, arching your spine slightly.  Gently move through this motion.  
5. Hamstring stretch.  2 sets, 30 seconds each side. Grab a yoga strap and lat on your back with your legs straight and both hips on the ground.  Wrap the strap around your foot and slowly, while keeping your leg straight and your toes flexed lift your leg while pulling your abdominals in towards your spine.  As you hold this position keep thinking about pulling your abdominals in, this will allow a deeper stretch in your hamstrings.  

MAIN SET:

1. Leg raises with band 3 sets, 20 repetitions total (10 each side).  Anchor a band about a foot off the ground.  Lay on your back and grab a hold of each side of the band with your arm above your head, your legs straight, and your pelvis tilted so your lower back is almost touching the ground.  Lift your right leg up off the ground, as you do this lower the band towards your hips. Think about pull your abdominals in and make sure you leg is straight, do not focus on how far back you are going.   Lower your right leg back to the ground. Repeat on the other side.
2. Hip Bridge with adduction (yoga block) 3 sets of 15
3. Hip Bridge with abduction (resistance band) 3 sets of 15
4. Tall Kneeling band or cable hold 3 sets of 20 seconds
5. Lateral band walks 3 sets of 20 steps. Keep your legs straight and a slight anterior tilt in your pelvis.  Keep resistance on your band the entire time you are walking. (Big step to the side, small step in). Engage your core so your body moves together.
6. Half Kneeling single arm row 3 sets of 15 rows each side.  Kneel on a mat and sit up tall in a half kneeling positions.  Make sure your foot drops below your knee and tuck your pelvis in.  Pull back to squeeze both shoulder blades together.  Repeat on the other side once you complete 15.
7. Hamstring Curls with stability ball 3 sets of 10 repetitions.  Lay on your back with a stability ball under your feet.  Put your hands by your side and lift your hips up.  Curl the ball in towards your hips.  As you do this bring your hips higher and as your roll the ball back out lower your hips slightly.  
8. Plank with knees on the ground 3 sets of 15-20 seconds.  Make sure your abdominals are engaged the whole time.  Don’t push it because you don’t want your abdominals to protrude.

Treadmill Intervals

It is officially treadmill season.  The temperature was 11 degrees outside when I did this run. I am usually not motivated in the afternoon, but my son woke up after and 1.5 from his nap and was very cranky, I couldn’t wait to get to the gym and have some time to myself.  Before and after each run it is very important to foam roll and stretch.  I usually spend about 10 minutes before and 20 minutes after on foam rolling and stretching.  I had a new playlist that was VERY motivating for me:

1. Believe: Mumford and Sons
2. Pompeii: Bastille
3. Lay it all on me: Rudimental
4. Wild Ones: Flo Rida
5. Here: Alessia Cara
6. Roses: The Chainsmokers
7. Confident: Demi Lovato
8. Ex’s and Oh’s: Elle King
9. Fight Song: Rachel Platten
10. Stitches: Shawn Mendes

If you don’t do much speed I would start with doing one set and over a few weeks add another set each week.  Each set is 3 minutes, 2.5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1.5 minutes, 1 minute.   Go at your own pace.  I was really trying to push myself for this run.  When I went up in incline by 1% I went down by 0.3 mph in speed.  Each time the time decreased I increase my speed by 0.1mph.  Happy Running!

Warm up 10 minutes 6.5mph-7.5mph 1% incline

3 minutes:

1 minute at 1% @ 9.7mph

1 minute at 2% @ 9.4mph

1 minute at 3% @ 9.1mph

1.5 minute recovery- 30 seconds walking 1 minute jogging (6.5mph for me)

2.5 minutes:

30 seconds at 1% @ 9.8mph,

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.5mph

30 seconds at 3% @ 9.2mph

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.5mph

30 seconds at  3% at 9.2 mph

1.5 minute recovery same as above

2 minutes:

1 minute 2% @ 9.6 mph

1 minute at 3% @ 9.3 mph

1 minute recovery

1.5 minutes:

30 seconds at 3% @ 9.4mph

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.7mph

30 seconds at 1% @ 10.0mph

1 minute recovery

1 minute 2% @ 9.8 mph

2 minute recovery

3 minutes:

1 minute at 3% @ 9.1mph

1 minute at 2% @ 9.4mph

1 minute at 1% @ 9.7mph

1.5 minute recovery- 30 seconds walking 1 minute jogging

2.5 minutes:

30 seconds at 3% @ 9.2mph

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.5mph

30 seconds at 1% @ 9.8mph

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.5mph

30 seconds at  3% at 9.2 mph

1.5 minute recovery

2 minutes:

1 minute 3% @ 9.3 mph

1 minute at 2% @ 9.6 mph

1 minute recovery

1.5 minutes:

30 seconds at 1% @ 10.0

30 seconds at 2% @ 9.7mph

30 seconds at  3% at 9.4 mph

1 minute recovery

1 minute at 3% @ 9.5mph

2 minute  recovery

3 minutes:

1% incline 9.7mph. Increase by 0.1mph every minute

1.5 minute recovery jog

2.5 minutes:

1% incline 9.8mph. Increase by 0.1mph every 30 seconds

1.5 minute recovery

2 minutes:

1% incline 9.8 mph. Increase by 0.1mph every minute

1 minute recovery

1.5 minutes:

1% incline 10.0 mph. Increase by 0.1mph every 30 seconds

1 minute recovery

1 minute @ 1% incline 10.1 mph. Increase by 0.1mph every 15 seconds

30 second recovery

Cool down walk for at least 2 minutes

Phytic Acid and Meal Plan for the week

I loved this quote! It's a good reminder if you slip up
 one meal, just get back on trackthe next time you eat.  

Nuts, Seeds, Grains and Legumes and Phytic Acid

We are on day 11 out of 21 of the Reset in our house.  Right now we are on Step 3 which means we are not eating nuts, seeds, or grains. (Most grains and legumes are cut out completely during the Reset). The point of cutting these out on the Reset is to because sometimes they can be hard on the digestive system, especially if they are not properly prepared.  Nuts, seeds, and grains contain phytic acid; when humans digest this it prevents us from absorbing important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron.  In addition to stealing minerals, phytic acid also inhibits pepsin and amylase, which are digestive enzymes.  To read more about it, you can click here.  Another reason we cut out nuts it because a lot of mindless eating occurs with nuts; they are the type of snack that if you eating them while multitasking before you know it you have eaten the entire bag.  We do bring them back in Step 4 because in moderation and when they are properly prepared they have other nutritional benefits.  

Meal Plan for the week

Here is our meal plan for the week.  Most of these recipes are from the Reset book that Marnie and I wrote (over 100 recipes):  

Sunday Dinner: Pork chops with apples and onions with a side of broccoli

Monday Breakfast: eggs over easy over sweet potato hash

Monday lunch: leftover pork chops

Monday Dinner: Salmon with tomato and fennel

Tuesday breakfast: sausage pepper onion mushroom  frittata

Tuesday lunch: leftover salmon

Tuesday dinner: Grilled steak with asparagus and steamed carrots

Wednesday breakfast: frittata

Wednesday lunch: leftover steak and veggies

Wednesday dinner: Shrimp scampi over zucchini noodles

Thursday breakfast: frittata

Thursday lunch: leftover shrimp scampi

Thursday dinner: Thai chicken soup

Friday breakfast: smoothies

Friday lunch: Thai chicken soup

Friday dinner: Bolognese over spaghetti squash- add spinach to bolognese

Saturday breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes

Saturday lunch: leftover Thai chicken soup

Saturday dinner: leftover bolognese

Sunday breakfast: 2-3 hard boiled eggs and raspberries and blueberries

Sunday lunch: curry chicken salad over a green with tomato and avocado

Thanks for reading!

xx Ali

4 Tips to stay on track

It can be hard to stay on track when the weekends come around.  Most people are taken out of their routines and therefore do not plan meals the way they do during the week.  When the weekends roll around there are more social gatherings, driving your kids around to different activities, or going to different family outings.  Here are a 4 tips I use for staying on track on the weekends:

1. 
   Meal Plan: Meal plan for the weekends.  A lot of people  meal planning for the week, but forget about the weekend.  If you know you have a busy day Saturday and will not have time to make lunch or dinner for that night, make a slow cooker meal on Friday (or any day you have 10 minutes to chop some vegetables and meat up and throw some other ingredients in).  For example, yesterday while Griff was napping I chopped and assembled all of the ingredients for chili in under 10 minutes and 6 hours later not only did my house smell really good, I knew we had lunch and dinner for Saturday.
2. Pack Snacks: Here are some snack ideas:

• avocados (and a spoon and knife)
• almonds with sea salt
• dry roasted cashews
• chopped up vegetables (my favorite is cucumber with sea salt)
• hard boiled eggs
• Lara bars (my favorite is lemon).  There are only 3 ingredients in these bars. Avoid all other bars!  If there is an ingredient in there you cannot pronounce, don’t eat it!
• Always have 1 or 2 water bottles with you (sometimes you may not be hungry, you may be thirsty)

3. Eat 3 meals:  Life gets busy! Whether it is sleeping in too late to eat breakfast or pack a lunch or your kids are running around and you never found 1 minute for yourself.  Try and prepare breakfast and your lunch the night before; put it in a container in the fridge so you can just grab it.   When the morning comes all you have to do it grab it. You can even set an alarm or reminder on your phone to grab it before you leave the house.   The point of eating ALL three meals is that you won’t get over hungry by the time 4PM rolls around where you then attack everything in the fridge, your local Starbucks, or wherever it is that you go.  Dinner goes back to meal planning.  If you didn’t make dinner and  you have stuff in your fridge, but you have zero motivation to cook anything, just get up and cook yourself some eggs.  Who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner??
4. Don't drink too much alcohol: Some people (myself included) eat more when they drink.  I find that whenever I start to feel tipsy I start worrying that I am going to be too drunk and feel like crap the next morning.  When that happens I convince myself that it would be best if I ate more. Another challenge is when dessert comes out at the end of a party or a dinner I tell myself it is ok to have some cookies, why not?  When I go back and self reflect I realize the nights where I feel like I had full control and didn’t cheat or feel like crap the next morning were when I did the following: started the night off with hot water with lemon, once my salad or raw bar came I then ordered my drink of choice.  After that making sure to alternate between water and alcohol.  Another important tip is not to mix alcohol, even if you start off drinking red, stick to red throughout the whole night.  

Intervals on the treadmill

I decided to do speed on the treadmill on Monday because I had done booty bar at Precision Pilates on Sunday and I knew I was going to take Yoga at Mantra Yoga.  I put Griffin in the daycare at the Manchester Athletic Club Monday most days and he loves it!  He goes for about 2 hours and plays with the other kids the entire time.  I love all of the staff there, he has been going since he was 7 weeks old.  Here is the workout I did (it took me about 40 minutes):

10 min warm up 
5 min 8.5 mph, each minute 1%,2%,3%,4%,5% 
1 min recovery jog 7.5mph 
4 min 8.6 mph, each minute 1%,2%,3%,4% 
1 min recovery jog 
3 min 8.7 mph, each minute 1%,2%,3% 
1 min recovery jog 
2 min 8.8 mph, each minute 1%,2% 
1 min recovery jog 
1 min 9.0 mph, each minute 1% 
1 min recovery jog 

The following were all done at 1% incline
1 min 9.2mph 
1 min 7.5 

45 seconds 9.4 
45 seconds 7.5 
30 seconds 9.6 
30 seconds 7.5 
15 seconds 9.8 
15 seconds 7.5 
Walk 2 minute cool down

You don't have to go at the same speed as me, go at your own pace.  My goal was to start at half marathon pace and finish around 5k race pace.  

If you REALLY hate doing intervals on your own and want motivation I would highly recommend doing RunFit at The Manchester Athletic club.  It is such a great workout and the instructors are very knowledgable and motivating.  

Good luck!