get fit with britt // chest

Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!

Today's workout focuses on the chest. While it's easy to focus most of your arm work in the triceps and biceps, it's important to work the chest muscles as well! It is the area that gets shown off when you wear a tank top, after all. Try to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed throughout this exercise- holding tension here doesn't help you! Instead, keep your arms lifted to shoulder height and your elbows wide so that you can effectively tone that tank top line! Do ten reps of each move, and repeat the sequence three times to get the chest muscles pumping!

*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.

get fit with britt // outer thighs

Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!

Today's exercise focuses on outer thighs, which can be a frustrating area that many women find hard to tone. By standing with your feet wider than hip width, rising onto your tip-toes, and bending your seat down to knee level, this move really allows you to get to the core of your thigh work. Make sure you keep a straight back, long neck & relaxed shoulders as you move up/down. For an added challenge, you can raise your right arm straight up to the ceiling as you pulse. Once you get deep into this thigh sequence, your thighs will start to tremble & shake- but try not to come out of form! This just means your body is working hard & starting to change for the better!

*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.

get fit with britt // lower abs

Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!

Today's exercise focuses on the abs. People are always curious how I get such toned abdominal muscles, and it's definitely a body part I work hard at and am proud of. Pure Barre has a nice focus on core work, and this exercise is one in particular that is key to getting a flat & toned tummy. In addition, a strong midsection can help stabilize and protect your lower back, while giving you the bikini confidence you crave. Leg drops and leg raises create a challenging yet effective exercise, and holding the legs at your lowest point of control will have you really feeling the burn. Be sure to keep your lower back pressed into the ground the entire time for best results, and do 3 sets of 8-12 reps each.

*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.

fave products // avène mineral ultra-light sunscreen

avene sunscreen.JPG

By now everyone knows the importance of wearing sunscreen. It helps protect your skin from the sun's damaging UV rays, which cause sunburns and can lead to wrinkles, and can even help prevent skin cancer down the line. Knowing that, you'd think everyone would be wearing it 24/7, however, that's not always the case. I'll admit that I could be more disciplined in this regard, but I'm trying to improve for the sake of my skin, both now and in the future! Eau Thermale Avène is a popular French pharmacy brand that I've come to rely on and enjoy thanks to its expert dermatological care for sensitive skin. Many sunscreens out there are made with harsh chemicals that my skin simply cannot handle, so I prefer to use those that are purely mineral-based (made from zinc oxide & titanium dioxide). Avène Mineral Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ (Face) is a 100% mineral facial sunscreen with broad spectrum SPF 50 and UVA/UVB filters, is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, goes on sheer without any white residue, and is totally free of fragrance, parabens, and other harsh irritants. As an added bonus, a photostable form of vitamin E provides powerful and effective antioxidant protection! Talk about the full package! I love how it feels, or rather how it doesn't feel, on my skin. It's so lightweight that you'd hardly even know it's there, which makes it great for layering over your other skincare products and under any makeup you may be using. I think it's safe to say this baby has earned a deserved and welcome spot in my daily skincare regimen. 

get fit with britt // upper back & shoulders

Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!

Today's exercise tones your upper back and shoulders. Holding a light set of weights (I chose 2 lb), bring your arms to 90 degree angles at your sides. Extend them all the way straight (out and up), and then bring them back to your sides (out and down). Make sure you keep a steady pace with your arms and keep the momentum out of your movement. It should feel like you're moving the weights through thick muddy water. If you have to use momentum, your weights are likely too heavy. In the next position, when you're drawing your elbows towards one another, imagine having a sheet of paper between your shoulder blades that you're trying not to drop! Squeeze those shoulder blades together! Make sure to keep a soft bend in your knees and your hips tucked under the entire time. Repeat this sequence with 10 reps of each, 3 times total.

*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.

get fit with britt // pure barre ledge

Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!

Today's exercise focuses on the area where your seat meets the back of your leg. At Pure Barre, we call this area your "pure barre ledge", because you're essentially working to create a ledge where your booty pops out from the back of your legs. I love this position because, yet again, you get to relax most of your body on the ground (do you see a trend here?), all while really focusing the work on your seat. Adding a resistance band around your ankle adds an extra challenge here, but feel free to do this exercise without it as well. Rest your head on your arms, flex your foot, and keep your hips tucked under. Make sure to initiate each movement with a squeeze in the back of your seat as opposed to just moving your leg. This will ensure you maintain a smaller range of movement, and are able to tone the target area effectively. Repeat three sets of ten reps for a killer seat workout!

*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.