We love getting in an at-home workout. It can be so convenient, and even if you’re at home, you can still get a good burn and sweat in. We love using Booty Bands equipment because they have a variety of weights and sizes, and come in the cutest colors!
Their barbell is so great for squats, lunges, deadlifts, curls, and more. It comes with a set of 3, 5, and 10 lb weights to attach to each side so you can use it for different exercises.
These dumbbells are SO cute, and we love that these are adjustable as well, so you can use them for a range of exercises.
The resistance bands are amazing and so easy to bring along with you if you are not working out at home. They come in level 1-4, so you can adjust based on what you’re using them for.
FULL BODY WORKOUT
we recommend doing 4-5 sets of 15 reps for each exercise
We have had some requests to share an updated workout routine. You all know we have been into staying active and working out for a long time. Our workout routine has shifted and varied in the last couple years from a lot of cardio and weight training to walks and pilates and lower impact workouts, and now into a mix of both at-home workouts and gym workouts.
We think it is good to have a balance of workouts that are higher intensity, and some that are lower intensity. We do a mix of all types of workouts, and some days yoga or a longer walk outside.
Before we get into workout specifics, we wanted to share about this AMAZING line, Freely, available at Academy. Funny story, we were at Academy a month ago, and our mom picked out this super soft long-sleeve twisted top (see further in post), and had to have it. We ended up loving the brand, too, and are so excited to share their cute pieces with you!
We love that Freely’s line is versatile, so you can wear it to yoga or a workout, and then straight to errands or lunch with friends. Also, their pieces don’t even have to be worn for a workout, they can be for errands, which we love!
Their pieces are all SUPER soft- literally like butter and will have you rubbing and petting yourself while wearing it all day, haha.
We paired it with these super comfy slip on sneakers (have laces, but no tying required!). They also come in a pink color, and are so lightweight! We have size 7 for reference, and they fit true-to-size.
We are wearing the bra with the same leggings we shared above, but it in black in size s. We love how comfy these are, and black goes with everything!
How pretty are the straps in the back?!
On top, we threw over this lightweight tie-dye pullover. We love that this could be worn with jeans or shorts, too! It is so soft and comfy. We have size s on.
Our workout schedules differ a little bit in that Alexis has the gym membership, and Samantha comes once in a while and works out mostly at home. We both love working out at home because it saves time, money, and is just convenient. At home we will ride our Peloton bike, do weight/strength workouts, yoga flows, pilates, and jump on our rebounder.
Gym workout
If we go to the gym, we will usually do cardio on the stairmaster, elliptical, or walk on the treadmill. We usually do 30-35 minutes of cardio, sometimes more, sometimes less. This usually depends if we get caught up on our phones answering a message or email. After that, we will lift weights and separate it by muscle group like legs, biceps and triceps, shoulders, or back.
We usually try to go one one walk a day (shoot for 2 miles).
Rest day
We love staying active, so we usually workout 6 days a week, and have one day where we walk or do a slower-flow yoga.
In partnership with Freely and Academy Sports + Outdoors.
We haven’t done one of these in a LONG time, so we are back sharing what we typically eat at home or when we eat out! Check out our previous posts here
Pre-Breakfast
Upon waking, we drink a ton of water with lemon to rehydrate after we have been sleeping. A lot of people go straight for coffee, but you really should be hydrating first thing before anything else. We love this water bottle because it keeps us motivated to stay on track throughout the day.
We usually take a probiotic in the mornings (away from food), so we usually wait an hour after taking it to drink our celery juice. We love these glass bottles we got to carry and store the juice in.
Sometimes, if we are going to the gym, we will take the juice in a cup and water in a smaller glass water bottle to sip on while at the gym.
After this, we will take all of our supplements before eating.
Breakfast
Now, for our first meal of the day! We usually don’t eat “breakfast” until noon or a little later since we snack kind of late into the night. We like to give our bodies a break. We are creatures of habit, and eat the same kind of foods.
We have it with a banana, or sometimes other fruit like strawberries and papaya.
After the berries, we will have our plant based protein powder with spirulina and almond milk mixed together to form a smoothie-like consistency. We usually add cinnamon and more blueberries on top!
Finally, after all of that, we have 1-2 apples (we love gala!). Thats’s a wrap for breakfast 😉
Lunch
Now, for Lunch! Usually we love a salad with some sort of beans for protein and extra fiber!
This salad we picked up from Eatzi’s in Dallas. It has romaine, mushrooms, onion, carrots, black beans, tomatoes, chickpeas, and broccoli. For dressing, we used this plant based queso dip you can find at Target.
This was a raw zucchini noodle pasta we had in Florida a couple weeks ago that was SO good! Definitely want to recreate!
This salad was from the same spot. It had squash, zucchini noodles, nuts and seeds, and chickpeas.
We love cutting up a grapefruit and putting cinnamon on top. Also love snacking on any kind of fruit like apples, peaches, kiwi, mango, berries, pineapple, and grapes.
For dinner, we always have roasted or steamed vegetables with beans, lentil pasta, or quinoa. Sometimes, we have a salad with it, too. We are talking a HUGE serving bowl amount of vegetables, too!
We like to top our vegetables with marinara sauce or hot sauce!
We made these sweet potato “flatbreads” with one of our friends that were really good! Here is the recipe.
We had them with a salad and some carrots and hummus.
Another vegetable + marinara combo! So easy and good. We always have beans with it or some sort of carb.
This is another salad and veggie combo with black beans. Can you tell we like to eat the same things when we are in a hurry?
This was from a Mediterranean spot in Dallas we love, Sachet. This is roasted beets, roasted carrots, and roasted okra.
This chickpea salad is SO good. Definitely need to recreate at home!
Our favorite plate, easily! This is a mushroom kabob over hummus and tahini with a stuffed pepper with quinoa.
We love our Mediterranean food. This at a buffet in Dallas. Love all the salads and vegetable options!
Here are our roasted vegetables. We roast them with avocado oil at 475 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
This was a plate we got in Florida at a restaurant. It had a mix of vegetables, quinoa, and potatoes.
After Dinner Snack
We always love to have a snack before bed! Usually we make this chocolate microwave cake and have some fruit and a hot tea with it. This is not the best tasting “cake”, so here is a similar recipe you can try!
We love apples, can you tell? Especially with cinnamon on top!
We have been getting so many requests to share some updated workouts with you all, so today, we are sharing an at-home full body workout! All you need is a set of dumbbells, and a workout/yoga mat, and yourself!
We love at-home workouts because you can get them in anytime, and you can get someone to join in with you, like your roommate or partner, or even your pet! We love full body workouts because you can target all parts of your body, and feel that burn. Best part is, you don’t have to spend a ton of time working out, either. Just a quick 15-20 minute workout is all you need!
PS- scroll to the end of the post to shop some cute activewear to get your sweat on!
Lunge with Curl
For this exercise, stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart. Next, take a large step forward and bend both knees at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge.
Bring arms up into a curl, and then bring legs back to starting position, and lower arms. Repeat with the other leg.
This exercise targets your full body (arms and legs), and also helps improve balance!
We recommend doing 4 sets of 12 reps per leg.
Squats
This is the best exercise you can do! It targets so many leg muscles, and you can do these so many ways. You can use weights, no weights, add a resistance band, add a jump, etc.
For this one, stand with feet hip-distance apart, and hold dumbbells at your sides. Gently lower your body down into a seated position, sticking your butt out. Hold for one second, and slowly return to the starting position.
We recommend doing 4 sets of 15 reps.
Shoulder Press
If you want sculpted shoulders, make sure you’re adding these into your workout routine!
To perform these, stand with dumbbell in each hand, and gently bend each elbow at 90 degrees with palms facing forward. To finish, straighten arms and press dumbbells to starting position.
We recommend doing 4 sets of 15-20 reps.
Side Lunges
Here’s another lower body exercise! This one is like a regular lunge, but turned to the side, so it works different parts of your glutes and legs.
To do this one, start with feet shoulder-width apart and take a wide step to the left. Bend the left knee as you push your hips back, keeping the right leg straight.
Push off the left leg to return to starting position. Perform the same on the right side.
We recommend doing 4 sets of 12-15 repsper leg.
*You can do these weighted or unweighted.
You could add in some cardio with this workout like a walk, a run, or a bike ride, if you wanted!
Now, about this look all from Academy:these glitter tights are SO fun and surprisingly comfortable. We have size xs on for reference.
Academy has tons of cute activewear from all of our favorite brands, and lots of equipment to stock up on for some workouts. They also offer 2-hour in-store pickup, so you can pick up your favorites soon after you order!
After getting SO many requests to share an updated grocery list. As you all know, we eat plant-based, so we are sharing all our must haves in fruits and vegetables, pantry items, spices, dips and sauces, drinks, protein, and snacks.
Plant Based Protein
We don’t eat a lot of protein, or track it, but we do have some staples that we include daily in our diet. We use spirulina in our smoothie bowls every morning with this plant-based protein powder.
We love adding beans and quinoa in our bowls and salads.
You need some good flavor to add to your dishes! We always have this ketchup on hand, as well as some salsa.
We get our hummus and guacamole at Costco.
Pantry Essentials
For cooking, we love adding in liquid aminos (kind of like a soy sauce) and tomato sauce can be used for so many things!
For baking, we use coconut flour and rolled oats for tons of things, and maple syrup is a great staple to have!
Spices and Seasonings
We use these so much. Our go-to’s are cinnamon, himalayan salt and pepper.
What is a plant-based diet?
You all know that we have been plant-based for over two years now, and have seen such differences.
Eating plant-based involves eating whole foods (minimally processed), with limited or avoidance of animal products.We focus on eating plants like vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds and nuts, and some grains.
The main difference between eating plant-based and vegan, is that vegans do not eat dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or honey. Vegetarians do not eat meat or poultry, but some eat eggs, seafood, or dairy.
What are the benefits of eating a plant-based diet?
There are so many benefits to eating plant based, specifically ones we have seen on our own. We can’t speak for everyone, but for us, these are some of the benefits we have seen:
lower inflammation/swelling
better digestion
clearer and brighter skin
better sleep
clearer thinking
We have also read that it can help with reducing heart disease risk, calms inflammation, lowers diabetes risk, reduces cancer risk, lowers cholesterol, and helps maintain weight.
What foods do we typically avoid?
We don’t think there are any foods that are “bad”, but we have been avoiding certain foods while eating this way like:
seafood
poultry
eggs
dairy
gluten
canola oil
most added sugars
faux meats
Where do we shop for our groceries?
We honestly shop all over. Our favorite spots are Sprouts, Costco, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Amazon, and Thrive Market.
How often do you grocery shop?
We typically grocery shop once a week, sometimes twice a week, if needed.
Since the quarantine started, we started going on at least one walk a day. Before that, we would go on a quick walk maybe once or twice a week. Now, it has become a huge part of our daily routine, and something that we both look forward to. It does so much for us mentally, and of course, gets us out of the house, breaking away from work.
It has even been something we have started a tradition doing with our dad when we are at their house hanging out. We like to go during the day or in the evenings, and it is a great time for us to catch up with him and really connect. We really enjoy those moments and treasure them.
Clears your head
We can’t say enough about walks and how much it clears our heads. The best way to do it is to actually not wear headphones or anything else. You get to hear the birds chirping, feel the warmth of the sun on your body, and decompress and reset. We LOVE It.
Allows you to be in nature
We are honestly not in nature enough. We don’t really hike, or go camping, or any of that often, so this is our time to be in nature. Even if it is just going on a walk, you are getting to see nature, and you can always switch up your scenery and experience new spots.
Connect with others or yourself
We take this as a time to connect with each other, our dogs, our family members. We love going on walks with our friends to catch up, or in Sam’s case, Taylor, her boyfriend. We also sometimes will make an exception and bring our phones to call our mom or catch up with someone else.
It is really a great time because there are no other distractions, and you’re getting steps in. Killing two birds with one stone!
Escape technology and be present
Since we are in work-mode 24/7, it is one of the only moments we really are present, and don’t focus on what we need to be doing for work. We really need to make a point to do other things in this manner.
Get in lower intensity exercise
We have talked about the benefits of lower intensity workouts here, but walking is truly SO beneficial. We like to go on 2-3 mile walks most days, when we have more time. Walks are so good for your heart health, just ask our dad, a cardiologist ;).
Now about the outfits, we always like to layer up, especially when it gets cooler out. This Patagonia vest is a perfect piece to wear with leggings, or with jeans. It is so comfy and warm and easy to throw on. We have size xs for reference.
