Hi, friends! How are you? 

I hope this blog post finds you well. Happy Friday, if that’s the day it is for you when you’re reading this. First and foremost, the fact that you clicked over to read means a lot to me, and I appreciate your presence. I try to say that often, and I want to make sure you know it. 🙂 

This week was busy over here, but I think I always say that. Our weeks just fly by, and I didn’t expect that this summer, knowing I would have Brady all day everyday with no preschool. And also knowing we wouldn’t get outside much because it’s so hot. But we still fill our days somehow, and I think the gym/kidcare is a big part of that. Brady’s school starts up just after Labor Day, and he will be going four mornings a week, which is the most he has gone to school thus far in his life, having only done two or three mornings in the past. It will be great for us both, and he’s excited.

One thing to mention before we get started: I have a giveaway going on over on Instagram for a $100 online gift card to NOW Foods, which is an amazing natural food company, and you’ll hear me talk much more about the brand soon. Head here to enter to win. Last Friday, I did an all-day virtual immersion with NOW Foods and was so impressed with everything I learned about the company …

This weekend, there’s not a whole lot on the agenda for us, except I’m going to dinner with some ladies from my neighborhood again. I’m looking forward to having a little less work this weekend than the last one, so that’ll be nice. Let’s get to the faves ….

Current faves

Fitness

Teaching my first Life Barre class at Life Time

I’ve got another new class on the schedule in Charlotte, which makes three total.

I’ve been teaching barre for about five years, but I still had a lot of work to do to get certified to teach Life Barre at Life Time, which is a signature barre program done in the middle of the studio with no barre.

I’m happy to say I passed my certification and taught my first class this week. I’ll be teaching Life Barre on Tuesday mornings moving forward, and I’m so pumped about it.

Yes, that’s real sweat in the picture above, because I definitely sweat in my classes. And no need to be ashamed about that!

So how is Life Barre different from the barre styles I’ve taught in the past?

First of all, Life Barre doesn’t use an actual barre, and second of all, it’s a continuous flowing program, so we choreograph the transition between sections into the workout, for a class that’s a full 60 minutes from start to finish with no official break. There’s a 10-minute warm-up, followed by a cardio burst, then upper body, lower body, full body, another cardio burst, work with gliding discs (so hard, but so good), then a mat challenge and stretching. While you don’t have to have dance experience to take the class, the format is a combination of ballet, dance, Pilates and conditioning, and it’s right up my alley. Although I’ve never taught with gliding discs before (which are like paper plates that you slide along the floor for extra resistance under your feet or hands), but I’m enjoying them.

Because of the continuous flow, duration and addition of two cardio blocks, light weights and gliding discs, I would say this is the most challenging barre class I’ve ever taught. And it’s really intricate too, because it should be designed to flow with the beat of the music. (And moving to the beat of the music while teaching or taking classes is always my preference.)

It’s a lot to prepare, and yes, I choose the music and moves and put it all in the recommended order and flow that Life Time suggests. So it’s a big process, especially being new to the format. But, I had so much fun preparing and teaching this class, and I look forward to having this as part of my routine. I’m all about trying new things and challenging myself these days, and Life Time is giving me an amazing chance for that. I’m so grateful for that!

Have you taken a barre class lately? If not, you should give one a go. Generally, they are low impact, but intense in all the right ways for strength, length and a little dose of cardio too. Here’s a post I wrote a while back about getting more from your barre classes: “How to make your next barre class more effective.”

Beauty

The Beautycounter summer sale is here!

Hey, hey, it’s time for a summer sale, and this one is only going to last a few days, ending on Monday, August 16. So many products are 15 percent off on the Beautycounter site right now, and I’d love for you to shop with me! Please reach out if you have any questions at all! 

What are the best items to get during the summer sale?

Here are a few of my faves that I use almost every single day, all of which are 15 percent off …

• Sunscreen for the body (This is what I use on Brady and on myself)
• Sunscreen for the face
• Lip gloss (Amber Shimmer is my favorite shade)
• Concealer 
• Foundation (There’s a tool on the page to help you find your shade, and I wear Light 230)
• Daily moisturizer for combo or sensitive skin
• Daily moisturizer for dry or aging skin
• Foaming cleanser
• Sugar scrub (This is my new OBSESSION this summer for exfoliating the bod)
• Clean Deo (Everyone who has bought this LOVES it, and the refills are on sale too)

As a little incentive to show my appreciation, I’m offering a personal giveaway from me to you, if you shop with this special link or choose my “End of Summer Sale” pop-up at check-out, you’ll be entered to win. One lucky winner will get a free full-size product gift from me. Shop the Beautycounter End of Summer Sale with me here. Thank you!

Workouts

Weekly workouts 

This section of the post is where I share all the workouts I did the previous week. And please remember that my workout schedule works for me, and it may not work for you. Your workouts should make you feel good and leave you feeling energized. If they don’t do that, it may be time to reassess what you’re doing. Also, I work as a fitness instructor, so I tend to do a little more than the average person.

• Monday: Taught 1-hour full-body barbell workout at Life Time, 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 45-minute full-body dumbbell workout at Life Time, 8:30 a.m.
• Wednesday: Taught 45-minute full-body weights/cardio class at Life Time, 12 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute full-body weights/cardio class at Life Time, 10 a.m.
• Friday: Practiced barre at home for 45 minutes using bodyweight, 5 p.m.
• Saturday: Practiced barbell strength at home for 45 minutes, 10 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This past week of workouts had four in-person classes, because I subbed two classes and taught two of my own, and it was four days of lifting weights in a row, which isn’t ideal. I spent the rest of my movement for the week practicing for my new classes, because not only did I have to get ready for my first Life Barre class, but I also debuted new music/moves in my Barbell Strength class.

I would have liked some more yoga or light movement in this week to round it out, but at least I did have a full rest day. I also foam rolled a few times, I used my percussive gun, and I stood on the PowerPlate (vibration machine) at the gym for a dose of feel-good body soothing. Basically, I did all the recovery things except for an Epsom bath or cryotherapy. But I hope to do those soon. 

Promo codes

A Lady Goes West favorite products

There are certain brands that I swear by in my own life, and so I like to share them with you. If you choose to try them too, and if you use my links or promo codes, you will be supporting me. Thanks for that!

• Carbon38. I’m always wearing stuff from here, and it’s the coolest activewear around. Get 15 percent off your first two orders of $100 or more using the code ASHLEYPITT. 
• G2G protein bars. I love these tasty and minimal-ingredient protein bars. You can get 15 percent off your order on the G2G Bar site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Organifi supplements. This is my go-to protein powder brand. You can get 15 percent off your order on the Organifi site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Beautycounter. The best safe skincare and makeup. Send me a message, and I’ll share a 20 percent off code for your very first order.
• Les Mills On Demand workouts. My favorite fitness brand. You can do a whole month of workouts during a free 30-day trial by using my special referral link here.

I’ve been all about this Four Sigmatic Focus blend in my daily tea lattes … so good! Oh, and I bought a new mug at Publix (of all places) the other day, so that’s what you see below.

Best reads

A couple good ones from around the web 

• Mom friendships. One of the questions in the latest “A Lady Goes West Advice Corner” was about how to make friends as an adult, so I know some of you care about this topic. This is an excellent list of ways to connect with other mommas in order to build friendships. 
• Olympic athletes. I know the Olympics is over, but a couple things to share here: I love to hear about the backstories of all of the Olympics athletes, in addition to watching them compete. This is a good one about how female athletes are setting boundaries. This one is a good interview with track and field star Allyson Felix. By the way, Rhythmic Gymnastics is my favorite summer Olympic sport, and I ate it up this year, even introducing it to Brady and Dave — so entertaining and like Cirque du Soleil.

Here’s the thought of the week, which I posted to Instagram last week …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives 

• House stuff. I’ve been waiting to share a few more pictures of our house, and that’s what you get in this post … “My five favorite things I’ve bought for our new house.”

• Life talk. A good one to revisit … “How to deal with post-pandemic life.” Although honestly, we’re not past the pandemic yet, that’s for sure …

Thank you for coming by A Lady Goes West. Have an awesome weekend! 🙂

Questions of the day

How was your week?

What’s one thing making you happy right now?

Do you have any workouts planned for the weekend?