I thought I had posted some pics from my recent trip to London over the Holidays but apparently I didn't. I love shopping while in Europe because they always have different things than we have in the states and for a fashionista- its a dream!
I didn't go crazy but I found some amazing pieces. I also included some pics of items I desire as well as some "New Additions"... I hope you enjoy <3
I DESIRE
McQueen.. They had this bag in Switzerland but the leather part was a different color. Then I saw this bag on Saks.com for PRE ORDER!!!! I love the horn detail... Contemplating <3
I LOVE these!!!!
Looks JUST LIKE a McQueen but a fraction of the cost!!!
So while in Gstaad, I bought a tan Celine Phantom Luggage tote NOT KNOWING it was all the rage and sold out everywhere in the states! They had every color you could think of.. But here is one that I love.. I love the 2 tone :)
Some NEW Goodies
McQueen Leopard scarf <3
Celine Phantom Luggage tote.
I love that you can wear it multiple ways
Its amazing for traveling. It has so much space!
Celine Phantom Luggage Tote!!!
New Necklace from Miu Miu.. I love the pearl and Crystal bow!!
I needed a matte leather nude pair of heels. These fendi's were so comfy to walk in!!! From Intermix
OBSESSED with this Chloe bag from INTERMIX!!!! Mint <3
Dressing room fun. Loving these Green skinnies as well !!!
Louis Vuitton's Spring collection is looking so yummy! The colors are amazing. I snagged this Turquoise bag bc I don't have anything like it in my collection yet. I also got a matching wallet in Yellow and a waist belt in Coral/Red with gold hardware!!! Summer is on the way!
I have NEVER been a red person but lately I have been LOVING RED. I got these YSL heels at Intermix
I love the wooden sole.
Ski Bunnies
My 3rd time skiing. I was so nervous LOL
Ski Bunny attire
Peachka and I <3
Amazing View
London
I love having tea.. this one was so cute. A Fashionista's tea
SHOPPING!!!
I LOVE airport shopping.. My hubby bought me Hermes metal Cuff bracelets :)
I rocked a lot of pony tales in London... I think it was bc I had tracks sewn in and it gave my head more volume LOL
I was feeling very Gaudy LOL.. I couldn't help myself in Versace when I saw this set!
Harrods
In Selfridges with Rachel "peachka". We found amazing fend boots on sale at Fendi! We both got the same pair!! I love a good sale!
Aww my hubby surprised me with this super cute iPhone case... He is so good to me <3
Chanel = Classic, Except those flip flops turned my feet black from the bow. I may bring them back
Louboutin in Londond
Make-up forever makeup case worked like a charm. Highly recommended.
TRAVEL TIP-When traveling with you palettes I was told to put a piece of paper towel in them so that the colors don't break and make a mess.. It worked great for me.
Side Note-
Can we talk about how HOTChristian Louboutins Spring/Summer collection is!!!!! Here a few I have my eyes on!
I really like this bag. It's different and a show stopper.. My kind of purchase!
Want and NEED!!
I would get both.. Its an easy heel to walk in and would be amazing on.
Have this with the strap in nude. Easy heel to walk in and makes me Super Model Tall ;)
Im liking the combo although it rings a little fall for me not so much Spring summer?!?!?
Hoping the front toe hole is smaller than the lady peep!
Easy to walk in.. Loving the PINK! Need a pair asap. And to think I rocked bright pink pumps when I was 18. LOL
I need in my life. Been dying for a WHITE pair of heels!!!
Thats it for now. Its been taking me a bit longer to gather pics bc I bought a new computer and phone and transferring all my pics is taking a life time. I promise a *Daily Mirror Pics* post soon.. xoxoxo Jennifer
My trainer Lauren Kern has an amazing ass. Im not gonna lie LOL. What girl doesn't want to have a lil somethin somethin going on back there... I do and I have to work really hard for the little booty that I do have. When Lauren trains me I always tell her " LAUREN!!! I want a booty like yours"... I mean it!
I thought it would be fun to post her blog on how to get a "round rump". All of the exercises are ones that I do myself 3x a week with her and you really feel it and when done consistently you see a big difference !
Let me know what you think and if blogs like this are helpful for you.
I also included a video of Lauren doing some of the exercises. We plan to do some videos together this year as well.
I look forward to your comments xx Jennifer and Lauren
Baby Got Back!
Building a great butt is not easy. Regardless of how much fat you store on your fanny, cardio alone is not going to provide the definition you desire.
If you want a round rump, then lets’ get a few things straight:
1) Cardio does not give you leg muscle.
The main purpose of cardio is to train the heart, not the glutes or legs. Sure, cardio may slim down your legs and reduce the size of your bum. BUT, If there is no muscle underneath that fat, then no matter how small your backside gets....there will always be fat and nothing more.
2) You will never build muscle and tone-up without hitting the weights.
Contrary to popular belief, weight-training will not make your legs bigger….in less you eat like a cow (in which case your diet is making you bigger, not the weights). However, weight-training any part of the body will cause temporary swelling of the muscle groups worked and may lead to a short-termed illusion of increased size.
Rest assured that this swelling is only temporary and is usually caused by an increase in blood flow to the muscles utilized during exercise. Lactic acid is an end-product of lower-body exercise and can also contribute to this illusion of increased leg size. After 24 hours of weight-training your legs, all swelling should decrease and leg size return to normal.
NUTRITION
Pre-Workout
On glute-training days, I recommend cutting all starch prior to weight-lifting; this means no cereal, grains, oatmeal, protein bars, rice, potatoes, etc. For example: if you plan to hit the gym before noon, then limit consumption to protein, fats, and fiber; stick with foods like eggs, meat, fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free yogurt, nuts, and veggie omelets. Have your last meal 1.5-2 hours pre-workout.
Post-Workout
Immediately following your glute workout, consume post-exercise recovery drink (Example-half of a 32 oz “Gatorade Perform” beverage (orange flavored) mixed and shaken well with one serving of vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder.) Your protein powder should contain very close to 25 grams of protein per serving. This recovery beverage is high in electrolytes and tastes like an orange cream-sickle! All of my clients love it.
Now, you may be wondering why I suggest such a drink. The answer is simple: Fast-digesting liquid carbohydrates enhance muscle recovery and decrease levels of muscle soreness. When these fast digesting liquid carbohydrates are combined with fast-absorbing liquid protein, they act synergistically to increase protein synthesis (muscle-building).
CARDIO
Stop all long-endurance cardiovascular exercise now! If you are currently running or fast-paced cycling, then you are literally working your butt-off! Prolonged endurance-based exercise is catabolic in nature; this means that muscle is used as an energy source and therefore muscle tissue will be used to fuel exercise activity. Think about it; have you ever seen a long-distance marathon-runner with great glutes? These athletes are usually lean. However, muscle fullness, especially in the glutes, is usually lacking.
My cardio prescription is to perform 30 minutes minimum to 1 hour of exercise 3-5 days per week and to use the following cardio machines at the designated intensity levels:
Stairmaster: 40-70 steps per minute without holding on or with minimal holding on_ ( My FAV)
Treadmill: Incline of 7-10% and speed of 3 miles per hour without holding on or with minimal holding on
STRENGTH-TRAINING
Barbell Rear-Loaded Squat
Set Up:
Place the bar across the bottom of the rear-shoulders
Use a hand-grip wider than shoulder –width
Lift the elbows up to create a “shelf” for the bar using the upper back and shoulder muscles
Hold the chest up and out
Position the feet shoulder width apart or wider
Point the toes slightly outward
Downward Movement:
Allow the hips and knees to slowly flex until the thighs are parallel to the floor
Maintain a position with the back flat, elbows high, and the chest up and out
Keep the heels on the floor and the knees aligned over the feet
Imagine your going to sit in a chair
Upward Movement
Extend the Hips and knees at the same time
Keep your chest out and once your standing again tuck your butt under and squeeze
Barbell Romanian Dead-Lift
Set Up:
Stand with the feet flat and placed between hip-and shoulder- width apart with toes pointed slightly outward
Squat down with the hips lower than the shoulders and grasp the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, outside of the knees, with the elbows fully extended
Position the bar 3-4 inches in front of the shins
Position the body with a flat back, relaxed traps, chest held up and out, heels on the floor, shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar, and eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward.
Upward Movement:
Lift the bar off of the rack by extending the hips and knees
Do not let the hips rise before the shoulders
Maintain a flat-back position
Keep the elbows fully extended, the head neutral in relation to the vertebral column, and the shoulders over or slightly in
front of the bar
As the bar rises just above the knees, move the hips forward to move the thighs against the knees under the bar
At full knee and hips extension, establish an erect body position
Downward Movement:
Allow the hips and knees to flex to slowly lower the bar to the floor
Maintain the flat-back body position; do not flex the torso forward
Barbell Rear-Loaded Front Lunge
Set Up:
Place the bar across the bottom of the rear-shoulders
Use a hand grip wider than shoulder –width
Lift the elbows up to create a “shelf” for the bar using the upper back and shoulder muscles
Hold the chest up and out
Position the feet together and parallel
Point the toes straight ahead
Forward Movement:
Take one exaggerated step directly forward with one leg ( as if your doing walking lunges )
Keep the torso erect as the lead leg moves forward and contacts the floor
Allow the trailing knee to flex until it is 1-2 inches from the floor
At the same time, allow the lead hip and knee to slowly flex
Keep the lead knee directly over the lead foot
Backward Movement:
Forcefully push off the floor with the front foot by extending the lead hip and knee
Bring the lead foot back into position next to the trailing foot.
Once the set is complete, switch legs and repeat.
Abduction Step Up
Set-Up
Stand on the side of a 12-18 inch box so that the left leg is closest to the box
Place the right foot flat on the front corner of the box so that the legs are crossed
Position the hips straight with both toes pointing straight ahead
Upward Movement
Using the right leg, step up onto the box
Place the left foot on the farther front corner of the box
Downward movement
Keep the hips forward and set the left leg back onto the ground
Make sure that both toes are parallel when landing and hips are still straight
Do not bounce off of the left leg to get onto the box
Repeat for reps.
Once set is complete, move to the other side of the box and repeat on using the left leg
Cable Hip Abduction
Set Up:
Position ankle straps so that the clip is on the inside of each ankle
Make sure that Velcro is secure
Face sideways from the cable tower
Clip the cable to the inside of the ankle farthest from the machine
Place all weight on the leg that is free of the cable attachment
The supporting leg should be straight or minimally bent at the knee
Outward Movement:
Stand in front of low pulley facing to one side.
Attach cable cuff to far ankle.
Step out away from stack and grasp bar or cable tower
Stand on near foot and allow far leg to cross in front.
Move leg to opposite side of low pulley by abduction hip
Inward Movement:
Return and repeat. Turn around and continue with opposite leg.
How to do a proper Squat with Lauren Kern!
SO- Try these few booty enhancing workouts and let me know what you think. I too am just getting back into my workout routine after the Holidays. Lets do this together and get ready for summer!!!!
With Lauren, Ill be posting workout and Nutrition blogs every week !!! But I want to hear your feedback first. Are the pictures easy to follow? Are the instructions clear.
