Several months ago, I was introduced to the "Bring Sally Up Squat Challenge" at belly dance class one evening. In the "Bring Sally Up Squat Challenge," you slowly squat up and down in time with the song, and when the bridge of the song comes on, you start pulsing your squats. Of course, the squats can be wide, narrow, or a combination of both. We used it in addition to our regular belly dance warm up, and Oh... Em... Gee...

By the time you are finished with this challenge, your legs will feel like j-e-l-l-o. You may even feel like you are about to collapse. You might even collapse! It's a great workout to do anywhere, you can use it as a warm-up or in addition to your already established fitness routine. The song is super fun and catchy too. It's also fun to pull out with your friends and say... "Hey, have you heard of the Bring Sally Up Squat Challenge?" You can even up the ante by doing kettle bell squats instead of just squats.

I challenge you to do one round of the "Bring Sally Up Squat Challenge." Here is the video so you can follow along. When (and if) you finish, write "I survived!" in the comments! Bonus points if you can do more! Good luck!

Due to various plans made throughout the day yesterday, it was 9:45 pm before I could leave to go to the gym. It closes at 10:00 so that was no-go. Instead of skipping my workout, I looked up various resistance band alternatives. Let me tell you, I'm convinced you can do ANYTHING with a resistance band. They are relatively inexpensive, take up NO space, and I only needed one to do my workouts. No collecting various weights that sit around the house, no needing to go to the gym, AND I am definitely feeling last night's workout! When you get the resistance juuuuust right, it works! Here are a few workouts from last night's session:

 Wide Grip Lat Pull-down





1. Hold the resistance band handles with your palms facing down.
2. Get down on one knee, hands over your head.
3. Make sure there is enough resistance in the band for you to get a good workout (you may have to play around with it a few times before you get it just right).
4. Bring your hands down, shoulder height, and then bring them back up.
5. Repeat.


Shoulder Press





1. Stand with feet on the center of the band, hip width apart.
2. Bring the band's handles above the shoulder so the elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle
3. Press arms straight up while keeping the shoulders down.
4. Lower back to starting position.
5. Repeat.


Chest Press





1. Attach a resistance band to a door frame, or other sturdy surface. I have a pull-up bar that I attach to the door frame and weave the bands through.
2. Walk forward with handles in your hand.
3. Bring left foot forward. Make sure the band is nice and taught.
4. Slowly push the handles in front of you making sure not to look the elbows.
5. Slowly return to starting position.
6. Repeat.


Squat





1. Stand up straight up with your feet shoulder width apart keeping your chest up, back straight, and head straight. Hands should be holding the handles next to your shoulders, palms facing out.
2. Squat down until your body stops and slowly raise yourself back to starting position.
3. Repeat.


Seated Preacher Curl





1. Thread your resistance band around a sturdy dresser leg or piece of furniture with handles out.
2. Get far enough away from where the band is threaded to create good resistance.
3. Sit on the floor, knees up, and feet flat on the floor.
4. Place elbows slightly above the knees with your palms facing up holding the handles.
5. Make sure your arms are lengthening fully with a slight bend at the starting position.
6. Curl arms up at the elbows and return to starting position.


Tricep Extension





1. Begin holding part of the resistance band behind your lower back. Your other hand will hold part of the resistance band behind your head.
2. Pull arm up as straight as you can while keeping your other hand placed firmly on your lower back.
3. Repeat and switch arm and positions to get the opposite side.


Seated Cable Row





1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out.
2. Place resistance band around the soles of your feet. If you have a long resistance band, you can grab the tubing instead of the handles. Make sure there is a fair amount of resistance in the band.
3. Pull the band toward your waist squeezing the shoulder blades.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Repeat.


Reverse Grip Lat Pull-Down





1. In this workout, I have my band secured on a pull-up bar at the top of my door frame. Reverse grip the handles and kneel down on one knee while facing the door.
2. Keeping your head and back straight, pull the handles down until hands are below your chin.
3. Slowly return to starting position.
4. Repeat.


Bicep Curls





1. Begin with feet shoulder width apart stepping in the center of the band.
2. Holding your handles using a hammer fist grip, pull the handles towards your shoulders.
3. Return to starting position.
4. Repeat.


Triceps Pushdown





1. Loop your bands around a pull-up bar at the top of the door. You can use a hook as well.
2. Grab the resistance band with's handles just below your chest. Your elbows should be at a 90 degree angle or making an L shape.
3. Keeping your elbows tight against your sides, slowly bring your hands down towards your waist.
4. Return to your L shape.
5. Repeat.

I had a great evening teaching my talented group of intermediate belly dancers this evening! We are officially halfway through our song so today was review week! They are dancing to Doris Day's "Dream a Little Dream of Me." We are very excited for our benefit showcase scheduled in August! Every 16 weeks, the studio has a showcase featuring the dances we have learned over the past several months. It is such a great experience and bonding opportunity for us ladies!

It’s progress pic time! I’m wishing I had taken pictures at the very beginning of my fitness journey in January. I was afraid I would get too discouraged before I even started. So don’t be like me! Be PROUD of your journey! I was only confident enough to take my pictures when I had seen a lot of progress. I have lost nearly 20 pounds! Without further ado, here they are!









I’m finally pleased with this progress I’m making. I still have further to go to get where I want to be, but it’s enough to where I am back to pre-pregnancy weight! It is exciting!

My biggest issue, as you can see is my tummy area. I am most definitely pear-shaped so my bottom half trims up slower than the rest of my body. But it’s okay! I will love my body in this progress and keep motivated with the progress I’ve made so far! After all, I did have a baby 17 months ago!


My husband took his progress pics as well. He makes me sick.







But I guess when you have a job with built-in cardio included you don’t have to work as hard!

Tell me about YOUR journey! What are your goals?

Do you know the health benefits of drinking lemon water?


I usually like to take my lemons (I prefer the larger sized ones), cut them into fourths, squeeze 1/4 of the lemon's juice into the water, then stick the squeezed lemon into the water. This will give your water a strong, lemony taste. It's certainly not as pretty as those glass bottles showing beautiful, thin, delicately sliced lemons floating around in the water, but I can guarantee it tastes just as good!




Have you had your lemon water today?

I just finished working on a product I wanted for myself, so I figured I would share the love! Now introducing my FREE printable fitness and nutrition planner!

I am finishing up my first week of Jamie Eason's program, From Flat to All That! So far, I love the workouts. I just really love weights. Going to the gym this past week made me wonder why I stopped lifting so many years ago. I hit the gym for one more day to lift weights, and then I have two days of HIIT workouts at home! HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts alternate between bursts of activity where you give it all you've got and then periods of rest. It's a great way to burn fat, and it's good for your heart too!

Enjoy!

So today is our last day of vacation at Orange Beach, Alabama! I am so thankful I was able to have this opportunity to unwind and reset as well as spend time with loved ones. We spent the majority of our time bouncing back and forth between the beach, indoor pools, lazy river, and hot tub. Last night we ate supper at Lambert’s Cafe, and it was delicious. If you ever have the chance to go, I highly recommend it! I ordered the hamburger steak with mushrooms, onions, and pepper with boiled carrots and cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers and onions tasted like bread and butter pickles which are my favorite!

We’ve all been there. Have you ever craved something you know you shouldn’t have?  I am currently on vacation, and it’s really hard to eat clean when you’re surrounded by so much incredible food! Here is a handy chart I found on Pinterest that can hopefully help you identify the source of your cravings and direct you to a healthier alternative!



We arrived at Orange Beach, Alabama for our summer vacation with family, and thankfully they have a gym. I’ll be beginning Jamie Eason’s From Flat to All That program tomorrow! I’m so excited since I had such great results with her LiveFit Trainer program.

What is your favorite workout program?

Do you drink enough water a day? It is often recommended that we drink 8-8oz glass of water per day. Do we drink that much? The answer is no. Most of us walk around partially dehydrated throughout the day and don't realize it. There are many health benefits of drinking water.

1. Water can maximize our physical performance - Staying hydrated can help us perform out best!
2. Being hydrated can improve our brain function - Dehydration can cause fatigue and reduce our ability to concentrate.
3. Drinking water can aid in weight loss  - Drinking water helps us feel full and can increase your metabolism.
4. Drinking water can help relieve constipation - Water can help lubricate our interiors to get the juices flowing again.
5. Water flushes out the toxins in our body - This will reduce your chance of getting UTI's and kidney stones.
6. Water can improve your skin's complexion - Want glowing skin? Drink water! And it is said that water can even reduce wrinkles!
7. Drinking water can boost your immune system - People who drink water are less likely to get sick compared to their non-water guzzling counterparts.

Hi everyone! Thank you SO much for taking the time to visit me! :)




Kristin Marie Jordan is a lifestyle blog focusing on my journeys through life, photography, fitness and belly dance (and everything else along the way). I have spent the majority of this year focusing on my health and wellness, so the next obvious step was to document this journey to hold myself accountable. I am looking forward to sharing it with you!

I will be posting recipes, fitness tips and videos, favorite beauty tips and products, all about my life as a wife and mom, my adventures as an amateur photographer, my belly dance improvisations and performances, and more!  Please subscribe and follow me all social media platforms if you wish to keep updated!