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Current faves: Sweat app, functional fashion and weekly workouts

August 17, 2018 By Ashley 11 Comments

Greetings, friends! Hope your week has been a good one. Everything was pretty run of the mill over here, including some work (I picked up a small freelance project, which I’ll be doing each month in addition to the blog), workouts, teaching classes, walks, a lunch date with a friend and a lot of momming. 

Let’s get right into our usual selection of food, fitness and fun favorite things.

Fitness

Switching up my workouts with the Sweat app

I’ve been meaning to change up my resistance workout routine, which I’ve mentioned a few times before, because I find myself repeating my weights workouts (and you can see those workouts that I do in this post) over and over again without a real plan in place. This week, I decided to do a free trial of the Sweat app, which is where the very popular BBG (Bikini Body Guide) Kayla Itsines workouts live, among others, and there’s a lot to choose from in this one app.

You can get your first week for free, which is what I did, and I tried two PWR workouts from Kelsey Wells, as well as a BAM yoga sessions from Sjana Elise. I didn’t actually do any of the Kayla Itsines workouts, but I may try some in the future.

I won’t get too deep into my thoughts, unless you guys would like a full review (let me know if so), but I will say that I really enjoyed following someone else’s plan, instead of having to make up my own. I also liked that the PWR workouts were structured much differently than my workouts too. The weight training portion had pyramid sets, in which you do a large number of reps, rest, then do decreasing amount of reps as you move through, repeating the same move with breaks, instead of circuit training. Overall, I liked the variety, the moves and the layout. 

PWR workout by A Lady Goes West

It felt good to switch things up and it reinvigorated my workouts for sure — using machines I never use and methods I never use — which is just what I was after. Let me know if you want me to dig deeper into the app and share more. Moral of the story: It’s good to try new things in fitness. Your body likes it and so does your mind.

Fashion

Super convenient belt bag

I know what you’re thinking. It’s a fanny pack, right? Yes, you are correct. I ordered this fanny pack/belt bag during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (it wasn’t on sale), and I’m so happy I did. It wasn’t expensive and is super casual and convenient. I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of use out of it.

New Herschel fanny pack by A Lady Goes West

Yes. This bag. And these are my new bright red leggings here.

Believe it or not, these bags are back right now, and there are some pretty fancy designer ones too. I didn’t want to invest too much, so went with the casual variety. And I already used it right after getting it, which never happens — for some reason I always wait a while before using new things. Anybody else?

Anywho, we live in walking distance to Starbucks, and over the weekend I was heading over to get a matcha latte for me and an iced coffee for Dave, and because I didn’t want a drink holder and needed both hands free, I required a place to put my phone and credit card. Well don’t you know the fanny pack came in handy. Can’t wait to wear it more often, because I loved having it on my hip.

Ashley outside Starbucks by A Lady Goes West

Friends

Barre and lunch visitor 

My friend Jill, who has made an appearance on the blog before and who has a blog of her own (which she is taking a little hiatus from), came out from the City over the weekend to take my barre class and go to lunch with me. I haven’t seen Jill in months and we had a lot to catch up on. She’s the sweetest. And it’s so nice to have a friend in class. 

Ashley and Jill after barre favorite by A Lady Goes West

We popped over to Lettuce in Walnut Creek after the workout, and then I dropped her back off at the BART so she could head back into SF. Our schedules hadn’t lined up for many weeks in a row, so it was awesome that we finally both had a free day. Hanging with friends is important!

P.S. The new red leggings I’m wearing are SUPER comfortable and high waisted, and they stay up during workouts.

Brunching in Santa Cruz

On Sunday, Dave, Rudy, Brady and I went down to Santa Cruz for the middle part of the day to have brunch with some friends who live down there. Dave’s little sister, Gwena, who also lives there, came over to hang with us too. We had quiche, fruit and the most delicious home-made coffee cake. 

Brunch in Santa Cruz by A Lady Goes West

It was a nice way to spend a Sunday and get out of town a bit. Although Brady wouldn’t sleep in the car and thus missed his morning nap, turning it into a one-nap day. It all worked out though. This little boy …

Ashley and Brady in Santa Cruz by A Lady Goes West

Food

Vital Proteins spirulina supplements

As part of my ambassadorship with Vital Proteins, I get to try out a couple of products a month, so I was excited to get my hands on these spirulina supplements.

Here’s the deal on spirulina: It’s considered one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, it’s an algae, it’s vegan, it has a ton of vitamins and minerals and it’s also a major antioxidant (which is important for catching all of the free radicals that can be bouncing around in your body) and it can boost your immune system too. But, the problem is that spirulina tastes gross. I like to find smoothies, juices and products that have quality spirulina in them, but only if you can’t taste the spirulina. (By the way, it’s even more important that the spirulina is high-quality for nursing moms, and Vital Proteins is.) That’s why I was excited to try it out in supplement form.

Spirulina capsules by Vital Proteins favorite by A Lady Goes West

I don’t like the smell of the pills, but I can take them quickly with a big glass of water and know I’m getting in some extra nutrition each day. Of course, taking spirulina is NOT a must-do to be healthy, it’s just an addition. I really don’t take many supplements right now outside of a daily prenatal and daily collagen peptides, and I’ll report back if I feel any new benefits from spirulina, although being that I’m already feeling in pretty good health, I don’t know if I will. But I will tell you that I’d rather take an algae pill than try to eat it! 🙂 

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

Here’s a look at my workouts from last week. And as a note, because I recap my workouts the week after they happen, you won’t see the PWR workouts from the Sweat app in this line-up, those will come next week …

Weekly Workout Recap by A Lady Goes West

  • Monday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday: 30-minute BODYATTACK, 30-minute CXWORX, 9:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 12 p.m.
  • Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
  • Friday: 1-hour BODYPUMP class, 12 p.m.
  • Saturday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 11 a.m.
  • Sunday: Rest day

This past week was a good one for resistance training. I did three full-body weights workouts with a day off (of weights) in between each, which is the best way to do it. I taught two classes and took some classes too. I haven’t been doing BODYPUMP the last few weeks (I don’t have a regular class right now and am still crossing my fingers one opens up soon), so it was super tough to return to a full hour of it this past week. But I need to get back into BODYPUMP shape, because I’m subbing it at the end of the month — BODYPUMP is one of those workouts that you have to be consistent with, or it hurts. Overall, I felt fine with my other workouts this week, but could’ve used a yoga session or something different to add in.

Suggested reading

Best links from around the web

  • Stretching and cool-downs. This is an interesting study basically saying that active (moving) cool-downs aren’t very effective, and static stretching after a workout is the best way to recover. Hmmm. I’ve been taught that you need to hold a stretch for 30 seconds, but this study says shorter is fine too. I guess the moral of the story is that you should try to aim for 30 seconds with your stretch, but something is better than nothing. And those static stretches should happen AFTER your workout.
  • Hurts-so-good release point. I learned this trick while working as a trainer at Equinox and haven’t done it in far too long. This is the ultimate calf release.
  • Quick chest workout. I like a lot of the Blogilates workouts, because they are all bodyweight only, short and effective. This chest one has some good and unique moves worth putting into your routine. And it’s only seven minutes if you do the whole thing through.
  • Kombucha. I definitely want to try out the new kombuchas launching at Starbucks. Yay.
  • Anatomy. Have you heard of the psoas? Here’s why you should know about this muscle in your body and learn to treat it right.

A Lady Goes West favorite archives

  • In case you’d like to see some of the shorts weights workouts that I mention in my weekly workout recap, I rounded them up in this post … ““Gym inspo: A selection of short resistance workouts that I’ve been doing.”
  • One of my favorite posts, which is always worth bringing back up … “What a difference a year makes and why you shouldn’t lose hope.”

Have a great day and weekend, my friends! See you back here on Monday! And over on Instagram, until we meet again. 🙂 

Questions of the day

What’s one good thing that happened during your week?

What are you up to this weekend?

Fanny packs. Yay or nay?

When you get something new, how long does it take for you to use it?

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Weekly Workouts Tagged With: FASHION, favorites, Kelsey Wells, PWR, Sweat app, weekly workouts, workouts, Yoga

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About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
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Comments

  1. Ashley says

    August 17, 2018 at 4:47 am

    You’re so right about body pump! I wasn’t able to make it to either of my usual classes this week and then my gym is closed next week for yearly renovations and cleaning – I know I’ll be hurting when I go back the following week! Luckily I’ve still been doing some weight training on my own, but I find nothing gets that burn quite like pump…

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 17, 2018 at 7:32 am

      Totally! It’s such a good burn with PUMP! You get used to it, but you can see why people struggle so much their first time. That’s cool your gym does a yearly cleaning hehhe. Hope you have a nice weekend, Ash!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lauren says

    August 17, 2018 at 5:49 am

    I am definitely interested in your full review of the Sweat App. Are you going to get a subscription? I have been tempted by it particularly for the Kelsey Wells portion. But it might be just because I hope that her workout will make me look like her… I am interested in your professional opinion on the matter rather than an insta fan girl’s 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 17, 2018 at 7:34 am

      Hi Lauren! Totally feel you! Her Instagram and Facebook ads have been RAMPANT lately, and it’s totally sucked me in hahaha. But of course, her body is definitely not attainable with a truly “normal” lifestyle if you ask me. Women are naturally supposed to have a little bit more bodyfat, and if you look at her past pictures, she used to. But yes — I feeeeel ya on the fan girl thing. I’m not entirely sure if I’ll do a subscription, but I’ll try more workouts — perhaps and share! Thanks, lady! Have a great weekend! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Patricia @Sweet and Strong says

    August 17, 2018 at 7:21 am

    I’ve totally started seeing a few people brining back the fanny pack! And the one you have is super cute. And a workout class and lunch date is like my perfect day! I wish we had more salad or healthier choices near by, I usually need to venture into the city for those options. We’re launching Bodypump 106 tomorrow at my gym, I honestly think it’s one of the hardest releases I’ve done so far! Have a great weekend Ashley.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 17, 2018 at 7:30 am

      Hi Patricia! Ohhhh that lunge track in BODYPUP 106 is SO hard, but I love the inclusion of side-stepping squats. Such a good change! Good luck with the launch, it’s always fun to teach what you learned and practiced for the first time! Good thing the members will likely never know if you mess up hehehe.

      Reply
  4. Alaina says

    August 17, 2018 at 11:58 am

    First, LOVE the Danny pack and may now order one of my own! Moms need BOTH hands Haha! Second, I’m looking to gain some muscle so I’d love to hear your deep feelings on the Sweat app! Lastly, I see you do the collagen and eat well balanced but do you have a recommendation on a whey protein powder? I love shakes and already have a favorite pea based product but would like more varieties. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 18, 2018 at 9:28 am

      Hi Alaina! Whey proteins — great question, I honestly mostly used plant based. I like the taste of the Quest protein powder, although it’s not the cleanest ingredients. I’ve heard great things about IdealFit too, but haven’t tried it. If you’re happy with pea though, you can stick with it! 🙂 Vega is one of my favorite plant-based protein powders.

      Reply
      • Alaina Burran says

        August 18, 2018 at 3:34 pm

        Thanks, Ashley! Thanks for responding! I understand about the plant based but agree with the delicious flavor of Quest and IdealFit whey powders. The problem is that (I agree) their ingredients are not my favorite either (ie. Sucralose, etc.) . I am currently having the Sprouts brand chocolate whey as it has none of those bad ingredients, but always looking for affordable, healthy new ones to try! Have a great weekend!

        Reply
  5. Jessie R says

    August 21, 2018 at 5:51 am

    Yay for hands free!!!! I love it 🙂 Oh the psoas, that little muscle gets me every time! We bought some new ceiling fans over the weekend for our other bedrooms, #adulting, and had a bbq with friends and our pups. Brady is just too cute!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 21, 2018 at 6:16 pm

      It’s hard to pronounce, psoas, but it’ll get ya every time! I love ceiling fans! I like one in every room ehehhe. Hey, adulting is important! Glad you had a good weekend, Jessie!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer t I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer than an Instagrammer and many times I feel like what I want to share doesn't fit well into a grid. But I'm able to bring much more long-form content to my blog each week. Speaking of that, this week, I debuted a new series called "A Lady Goes West Advice Corner" which has been something I've wanted to put together for a while. In this series, I'm taking totally anonymous questions from YOU and giving you some neutral third-party advice on it all. Here are the questions I addressed in the first advice corner edition:
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-“I became a first-time mom last spring and am currently dealing with all things motherhood. How do I deal with my expectations vs. reality of being a mom?" (such a good one, and I've been there)
-“How do you deal with days when you don't love your body? I think we can all relate to looking in the mirror and being disappointed with what we see?" (this happens to us all)
-“How do you deal with comparing yourself to others on social media and not feeling like everyone is doing things better than you?" (spoiler alert: everyone has their issues that you don't see)
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The answers are long, they come from my heart, and I hope they can provide some value to you! If this is something you're interested in, head over to A Lady Goes West today to check it out, and you can submit a question for the next edition.
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Here's the direct link: https://aladygoeswest.com/ask-me-anything-a-lady-goes-west-advice-corner-first-edition/
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Have a great night, friends! And when in doubt, talk it out.
G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen g G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen giveaway? As a little thank-you for following, I wanted to do a giveaway of one of my favorite products. I've been using Vital Proteins collagen in my morning tea latte for years, and not only does the collagen creamer add a great taste, but it also supports healthy hair, skin, nails and joints too. Today, I'm giving away not only one canister of collagen creamer, but also a canister of collagen peptides to one lucky winner.
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Here's how to enter:
(1) Like this post.
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(3) Leave a comment on this post tagging a friend who wants healthy skin and joints.
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You can leave as many comments as you want, and each one serves as an entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging me. This giveaway closes on Saturday, February 27. The winner must live in the U.S. And this giveaway is not associated with Instagram. Good luck, and thanks for being here! 🙂 xoxo
HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Char HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Charlotte over the weekend, and we're so excited to get settled in our new neighborhood, city and state after many weeks of transition. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fun to look back at the places Dave and I have lived together over the last 12 years. Here's what it has looked like -- and each place has been special for different reasons:
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-2009-2012 in a high-rise condo in downtown Orlando, where we lived when we got married.
-2012-2013 in a one-bedroom apartment in South of Market in San Francisco, which was always freezing no matter the time of day or year.
-2013-2014 in a tiny studio apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was only 550-square-feet, but we could hear the cable cars out of our always-open windows, so that was cool.
-2014-2017 in a two-bedroom townhouse in Walnut Creek, where we brought home both Rudy and Brady and had many sleepless nights.
-2017-2021 in a house that we owned in Pleasant Hill outside of San Francisco, which was across the street from a Starbucks so we went there way too often.
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And now we're here in Charlotte. It's good to be home! I'd love to know: Where do you call home?
Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on other Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on others or just yourself today, my little crew is wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplify Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplifying life, I also like adding more good, if there's room for it. And the last year has given me ample opportunity to make some changes and add a lot of good. Here's my super-random list of things I've added to my life in the last year that I now love:
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-Using oat milk as my milk of choice (it's literally the creamiest, and I can’t go back to others now)
-Choosing to be outside as much as possible (can't believe I stayed indoors so much before, never exploring the beautiful Bay Area and now Charlotte until the last year)
-Teaching and taking virtual fitness classes (I was a gym rat for years, and now I actually love to work out at home with my virtual fitness friends)
-Wearing my Apple watch for notifications so I don't always need to be on my phone and tracking some beneficial metrics (I've only had my watch for about 9 months, and I love to check my heart-rate and close my rings)
-Appreciating the ability to work for myself and giving myself friendlier deadlines (I've been my own boss for several years and used to be so strict with my deadlines, until I realized it was stressing me more than it needed to, so now I say no to a lot of things and only do what works well in my life, without adding too much unnecessary stress)
-Shorter workouts (full-hour workouts are a thing of the past for me)
-Wearing more colors (no more black uniforms every day)
-And more!
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I wrote a whole post about this topic on A Lady Goes West this week if this is of interest to you, and you can head on over and check it out. I'd love to know: What's something (random or not) that you've added to your life in the last year that you now love?
Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gy Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gym for the first time in more than 11 months. How did I feel about it? Mixed ... When we left California, gyms were still closed, and once we got to North Carolina, I was so used to not going to the gym, I didn't even think about going. After being here a month, I finally decided to get a guest pass at a gym near me, and I went twice. Here are my thoughts on the experience: 
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At first, I felt so excited to drive up and go in and work out in a big space with a lot of equipment and not be at home. But then reality sank in: Even though masks were required and there were signs everywhere reminding people, about half the folks in the gym had their masks off or had them down around their chin. Ummm, not cool. I get it, working out with a mask on sucks, but rules are rules, folks. I also didn't like that it was busier than I expected, and quite a bit of the equipment I wanted to use was occupied. That never happens at home.
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Overall, I'm glad that those who need to get to the gym are getting the opportunity, but right now, I think I'll go back to sweating safely at home for a little while longer. But at least I got my first locker-room selfie in almost a year. I'd love to know. Have you been back to the gym yet?
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