Awesome Athletic Wear on a Budget

This conversation happens multiple times a week:

Stranger: Headed to the gym?

Me: I was there this morning.  Why?

Stranger: Oh, you just have gym clothes on so I thought.....

Last May I wrote this post on wearing your sweats on the street and included my favorite athletic clothing lines and received a ton of support.  Turns out I'm not the only one who wears their gym clothes to the gym, the grocery store, school, the movies, around the house, doctors appointments.....well everywhere. 

To be honest, my workout staples haven't changed a lot.  I have many brands that I enjoy but there are two in particular that I absolutely love and would recommend to anyone - GapFit and Old Navy Active Wear.  

Full discloser, I do work part-time for a Gap Inc. brand and do receive a discount at these brands.  However, even if I wasn't an employee I would totally take advantage of numerous coupons floating out there for Gap and Old Navy and still shop there. Really, don't pay full price.  Sign up to receive emails online and/or make friends with in-store employees to get the heads up on promotions and sales. I live on a budget and have to stretch my money as far as possible.  I've found that I can get both quality and quantity when I shop these stores.  

Ok, let's talk about Gap.  I love the GapFit Breathe line.  I promise you I'm wearing at least one GapFit Breathe top at any given point in time, sometimes even two.  (First two in top row) They are breathable, moisture wicking, shape retentive, and complete with thumb holes.  They stretch with you but don't stretch out.  

Their breathe v-necks were actually a favorite when I was nursing.  I won't get into an explanation, nursing moms will understand why.  :)  

I also love the GapFit Motion tops (top right).  I think they have a lululemon vibe to them, without the lululemon price tag.  It looks great on but it's not my favorite for high intensity exercise as it rides a little on the hips.  It could also be my large hips but I'd rather blame the top, duh.   

The bottom row are two of their great hoodies or "third pieces" as we call them in the retail world.  Throw one on for coming/going to the gym or use for chilly temps.  

Finally the scarves.  These are actually from the Women's department at Gap but their bright colors and soft knit fabric was just too perfect to pair with a hoodie for gym wear.  I can't accessorize for crap with "real clothes" but I won't be outdone with athletic wear!  

You may have noticed that I didn't mention anything about GapFit Pants.  There is a reason for that.  I don't like them.  The material has that nasty shine to them when they're stretched and they don't fit my lower half well.  I did see GapFit was marketing some new improvements made to their pants which may have resolved these issues but I have not yet had a chance to try them.  

Now onto Old Navy.  Pants, sports bras,and more pants.  I love their cropped compression pants.  I have probably eight pairs of these bad boys, some of which I bought years ago, and are still going strong.   

The length is perfect.  It hits me mid-calf (I'm 5'9'' but have short legs).  I despise cropped pants that hit right below the knee.  Those always make my thighs looks bigger and I really, really don't need any help in that department.  

They wash up well, don't pill, wick sweat just as well as any other high end athletic pant, and they aren't see through- even when stretched to the max like some other brands ah-hem.  They also have some rad prints in black, which I love.  I like playing with pattern but I will not wear color on my butt for many, many reasons.  

I have only two complaints about these pants.  The first is that the colored versions of this pant do not fit the same.  The material is a little different so be sure to try them on.  Second, they aren't really compression.  I still love them nonetheless but don't buy these expecting some super tight compression capris.  They aren't.  They fit similar to any other active pant, but better.  

Old Navy's sports bras are also a favorite.  Similar to the pants they wash well, come in fun colors, have removable padding, and dry fast.  For the price I can't complain, and at less then $15 a piece I can afford to replace them as needed.  

In addition to the pants and bras, I also love their 1/4 zip jackets (top right), fun burnout hoodies (bottom middle), and just recently they started producing some awesome graphic racer back tanks (top left).  If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a racer back tank. I really, really want this one....

Okay enough about me and what I love....

Your turn:  Where is your favorite place shop for athletic clothing?

GYMBOSS Interval Timer Review and Giveaway

As much as I hate to admit this, and please don't tell my husband, I am a terrible multi-tasker.  I like to pretend I can juggle multiple tasks at once but it never works out.  Something always gets forgotten, short changed or overlooked.

Unfortunately, the same holds true to my fitness routines.  If you've taken a class of mine you know that  I can not count reps, keep track of sets, watch form, provide feedback, offer encouragement, perform the exercise myself and smile all at the same time.  It's just not possible.

And this happens outside of class as well.  I head to the gym for a HIIT session and all I can think about is how I'm going to make it through the workout without up chucking let alone keep track of the time and interval number.

Enter the GYMBOSS Interval Timer- a Godsend for people who want to quit clock watching and focus on their workout.  Which hopefully includes everyone, right?

On this day my workout consisted of 12, 20 second sprints with 40 seconds rest in between

This little gem has so many benefits including...(taken from www.gymboss.com)

• 1 or 2 intervals - 2 seconds to 99 minutes
• Repeat up to 99 times
• Beep and/or Vibrate alarm
• Alarm duration 1, 5, or 10 seconds
• Stopwatch function
• Secure Belt clip
• Compact Size (1 ¾ x 2 ¼ x ½ inches)
• Water and shock resistant
• AAA battery required

I use The GYMBOSS Interval Timer for every single cardio session and group exercise class I teach.  It's so easy to customize for your workouts including circuit training, high intensity interval training, sprints, and tabatas.  The list could go on forever.

It's easy to use.  Set your active time, rest time, select how many intervals and get moving!

One of my favorite features has to be the belt clip.  I clip it right onto my sports bra or collar and it stays put.  With that said,  this compact device has slipped out of my clumsy hands a time or two and it's extremely durable. I also love the vibrate alarm feature.  I can still listen to my tunes and stay on time with my intervals.

It also has a wonderful stopwatch option for all you Crossfitters who love keeping track of time and records!

So, you get it right?  I love the GYMBOSS Interval Timer.  Like LOOOOVE this thing.  And I know you will too.  With that said, I have some very exciting news for you today.  Are you ready?  Are you sure?  Here it comes...

Woooo Hooo!  I am so pumped to have partnered with GYMBOSS to give one of my lucky readers a GYMBOSS Interval Timer of their own!  Any color you want! Check out their amazing color selection here!

Here are all the details you need to know to enter via the Rafflecopter below:

• Leave a comment below sharing how you plan to use the GYMBOSS Interval Timer in your workout (mandatory- you must do this to be considered eligible for the contest)
• Tweet about it! Be sure to tag me (@Strong_Brees) and GYMBOSS (@GYMBOSS) in the message. (1 additional entry)
• Like Strong Brees on Facebook (1 additional entry)
• Like GYMBOSS on Facebook  (1 additional entry)
• One winner will be announced Wednesday the 29th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*While GYMBOSS did provide me with the giveaway all opinions are my own.  

John's Top 5 necessities for IronMan Training

1.  The Internet.  I know it sounds generic but I can’t imagine taking on an IronMan or progressing in the sport of Triathlon without it.  I don’t like bugging folks and I like to do things on my own so it has provided me with countless Triathlon tips and benefits.  The basic things you would expect like bike and run route information is easily accessible, along with anything else you might want to know about your race or any training needs.  The recent benefit for me is that I won’t have the luxury of riding the bike course in Louisville but I can go to several IM Louisville forums and learn about the route and the challenges it possesses.  Forums also allow you to find quick information about questions you may have.  I am currently considering swapping my tires out for Gatorskin tires due to the rough county roads that IM Louisville talks about and for generally training purposes.  I will be doing most of my long rides by myself so I really don’t want to get a flat in Martensdale or Dexter so I’m considering sacrificing a little speed for some peace of mind.  My question was how much speed do you lose (because the tires are heavier and thicker) with them, the quick answer was it varies but it sounds like .5 MPH which I can live with!  Some of my new and long time favorite sites are below, they are great for finding some quick information and getting an opinion or two.

http://iamtri.com/group/ironman-louisville-2013

http://ironmanlouisville.com

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com

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   2.  Tyr.  Before Triathlons I’d never heard of this brand.  It’s more of a sport specific brand like Franklin is to Baseball or Spalding is to Basketball, those might not be great 

examples but hopefully you get the picture.  They are best known for their swim wear, but also do running and biking training clothes very well.  I’ve had awesome luck with their goggles and jammers.  Their compression shirts are on par with Under Armour and the shirt I bought three years ago has taken a pounding but still looks new.  I will certainly be buying my tri suit for the race through them.  They don’t have as broad of a selection as Pearl iZumi or maybe even Zoot but what they have seems to be consistent and fit really well.

3.  Amazon.  I like a good bargain, a wide selection, and convenience so Amazon is a real friend of mine when it comes to training needs.  Shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, you name it I’ve probably ordered it.  You can find the top brands and with Amazon Prime’s free two day shipping (and free returns) its tough not to go through them.  Obviously I go local for the bike and major items that require multiple trips and a proper bike fitting but Amazon works for pretty much everything else.  It’s also great for your nutritional needs as they have several gels, protein bars, and salt tablet options.  

4.  Triathlete Magazine.  I like this magazine for the same reason I like Money Magazine, it breaks things down in easy to understand terms for the average person so if you are not quite an expert in a field you can begin to learn from their articles.  They also have several editorials each month from the Pro’s about their training plans and/or challenges.  My favorite part is the middle section each month where devote about 8-10 pages to swimming, then biking, and finally running.  These articles focus individually on each discipline and gives great training ideas and also displays some of the new products/accessories available (with reviews) for each discipline.  

5.  iTunes. I of course was the person that didn’t need an iPod or iTunes because todays music is mainly bad (last 15+ years for that matter) and iTunes seems like it would just suck money out of you.  I held strong to  for about a decade but doing long runs for training can get pretty boring so I finally broke down.  I probably only download a song per month but I can’t run without it now especially during the winter when I am cranking out 5-6 miles on the oh so exciting treadmill.  My list is mainly country music and ’80’s rock.  There’s a lot of Montgomery Gentry and Eric Church on the country side, but I certainly saved room for some Poison, Journey, and Mike & the Mechanics to balance my listening out.  If I ever move over to the smart phone world I am sure my running music will change over to podcast listening of yesterday’s Dave Ramsey show or something I can get some family or financial benefit from listening to but for now it helps pass the time.  Runs will peak at 3+ hours this summer so I am sure my list will grow.  The bad news is USAT restricts the use of music during triathlons and its an automatic DQ!  I’d be remised if I didn’t call out one final thing, if you are just starting to ride or are an experienced rider never wear head phones while on a bike!  I think its dangerous and stupid, but that’s just my opinion, and it gives all the bike haters more reason to have an issue with us.

Can't live without...

Valentine's Day may have come and gone but love is still in the air.  I know I said I'd post about my favorite push-up variations but I'm nursing a sore shoulder.  As soon as it's better I promise to post about push-ups, which I really do love.

Until then, I thought I'd give you a list of the top 5 training items/resources I can't live without.  These are things we use (close to) everyday, they've enhanced our workouts and we want to share them with you!

Annie's top 5: (John will post his tomorrow!)

1. Yurbuds: John and I both have the Performance Fit Yurbuds.  I can't say enough about them.  If you aren't familiar with them, they are high quality head phones that fit in your ear.  They have small, rubbery pieces that fit on them so they fit snugly inside your ear which results in excellent quality of sound, they won't fall out and they don't hurt.  I'll be honest, sadly I lost my little rubber ends to them and even without them they are still my favorite head phones. I love my music loud and with the great sound these provide, I find that I don't have to turn up the volume as much to get the same effect.

2.   Polar FT40:  This little baby right here keeps track of your heart rate, total calories burned (even calculates fat calories burned), total activity time, maximum heart rate, average heart rate, it stores your workouts for up to a month...I could go on and on why I love this watch/heart rate monitor.  I primarily use heart rate to gage how hard I'm working especially during cardio sessions.  This is so much easier and convenient to use then hanging on to the sensors on the machine and/or checking my pulse when needed.

3.  Bodybuilding.com:  I quickly learned that the breakdown of my macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fats) that Ryan from Nutrisport recommends was a little lower in the carbohydrate category then I was used to.  Bodybuilding.com has a great nutrition site full of recipes that are actually really good.  I love that their articles are quick and easy to read and apply to your diet.  Check out this article about beef.  I had to refer to this when I brought home a few round eye cuts of meat from the deli.  They looked lean but I had no idea the best way to prepare them.  The article recommend I marinate them overnight.  They turned out delicious.  I also have to put a plug in for Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer also on 

bodybuilding.com.  Jamie's LiveFit program was the my first strength program I did post baby number two.  It was exactly what I was looking for- I needed someone/something to spell out exactly what exercises to do, how many reps, sets, order, etc.  Her LiveFit program, in my opinion is a great resource if you are looking to incorporate or ramp up your strength routine.  She has many workouts you can do from home or gym, and has detailed videos or instructions for each exercise...not to mention it's TOTALLY FREE! And please, don't be turned off by the words "bodybuilding" you aren't going to end up looking like the hulk without some serious work.  :)

4.  Pandora: I would be dead broke and probably with out a husband if I bought a song on iTunes every time I wanted so in an effort to keep my hubby and save some money I use the pandora app to create stations that suit my mood.  I use the preset stations as well as plenty of my own customized play lists.  My only complaint is of course the ads but considering they're usually 30 seconds or less I'll get over it.  And on a side "mommy note" they have great children's stations like Disney movie soundtracks.  Check it out!  

5.   Oxygen Magazine: Some gush over Vougue or Glamour magazines, I gush over  Oxygen (although Muscle and Fitness Hers is a close second).  The training articles are useful and totally applicable to most women with or without a gym membership.  They have great recipes and the "models" in there are so inspirational.  My favorite section is "Are You Next?"- found close to the back.  They usually share tips, training advice and favorites from eight real life women, not models.  I love reading what these women do for a living.  The majority of them are in their thirties, moms and have a career outside the house.  I find it very motivational and is a good reminder each month that my goals are totally attainable if I'm willing to put in the work.  

Now it's your turn, tell me what your "favorites" are?