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Espresso and Ambition

A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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Gift Guide #2: For the #Fitness Gal

November 27, 2018 by Taylor Leave a Comment

I’m back with yet another gift guide! I’m super pumped for this one, because it’s very on-brand with the rest of my blog. It’s full of fitness-y things like workout clothes, gym accessories, and a few splurge items for the gym goer in your life.

Fitness Gift Guide - Espresso and Ambition

Hip Circle | This same resistance band was on my Christmas wishlist last year, and it has gotten a ton of use in the past year. These resistance bands are a bit less stretchy than traditional ones, which means they add an extra level of challenge to leg exercises, and can also be used on their own as a warm-up for lifting heavier. I use mine basically every leg day!

AirPods | Every person I know who doesn’t have AirPods is skeptical of them. Every person I know who has them loves them to death. The charging case is amazing because you don’t have to worry about your headphones dying on you all the time, and they stay in your ears regardless of what you’re doing. I alternate between big, bulky headphones and these guys – but honestly, AirPods are the winner because they’re good for cardio as well.

Teleties | I’ve gotten super attached to Teleties, mainly because my hairstylist pointed out to me that regular hairties were ripping my hair out, which is… less than ideal. Especially for someone like me, who’s got her hair in a massive topknot 85% of the time. These are a much less aggressive alternative and make such a cute stocking stuffer!

Converse | The best shoes for leg day. The logic behind them is this: the flatter soles allow you to distribute your weight more evenly across all parts of your feet, which makes sure that you’re not over-relying on one part of your leg muscle (like your quads) in compound movements like squats, which should be targeting your quads, hamstrings, and glutes all at once.

Moto Leggings | These are adorable, and they’re on sale right now! This red color is really fun, but they’ve also got more staple colors like black, gray, and navy.

Dumbbells | For the fitness gal who loves her home workouts, a set of dumbbells is a great gift (although admittedly, a very heavy one). There are all sorts of fancy colorful ones, but I personally really like the dumbbells with a metal grip in the middle.

Dry Shampoo Set | An absolute gym bag necessity, and these cute little mini bottles are so easy to throw in your bag without taking up a ton of space. Plus, these smell so good, which is perfect for post-gym freshening up.

Ankle Strap | This is one of those things that some gyms have, but even if they do, it’s almost always impossible to find. Having your own set makes things so much simpler, and saves you that five minutes of running around the gym trying to find that one dumb ankle strap that’s been thrown into some strange place and smells super weird.

Sports Bra | The detailing on this is so fun! Victoria’s Secret sports bras are some of my favorites, because they’re way more supportive than most, and tend to go on sale pretty regularly (like right now, for example – this one’s $25!).

BlenderBottle | Because who doesn’t want to channel their inner Wonder Woman at the gym? This bottle is super cute and sleek, and this brand is by far the best when it comes to mixer bottles. (If you didn’t know, the little blender ball helps break up clumps when you mix in protein powder – it’s a lifesaver, truly.) There’s also a Harry Potter line, but I figured I wouldn’t include that one given that the last guide was exclusively HP-themed.

Peach Tee | Honestly, I just find this shirt hilarious. It’s available in both full-length and cropped, depending on what your gift recipient’s gym style is – and they’ve got a whole collection of other tees with snarky sayings, if this one isn’t your fave.

Barbell Pad | Yet another thing that constantly gets lost in the abyss of a gym. For the girl who takes leg day and hip thrusts very seriously, this is a perfect addition to her gym bag.

Yoga Mat | Okay, so first of all, the colors on this yoga mat are so pretty and so calming – I’m feeling zen just looking at them. This one’s perfect for the yogi in your life, or even just the girl who likes doing her workouts in the comfort of her own home.

 

xo, Taylor

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Meet Taylor

A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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tayy_kay

📍 dc
🔥 life + fitness
✨ nasm certified personal trainer
🎥 new vids weekly!

Instagram post 2195844312121366575_7729751 it’s not a real mirror selfie unless it comes with a free where’s waldo game of my cats 😸😸 they’re truly excellent little photobombers, lol
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shop this look by following me on @liketoknow.it or by copy-pasting this link into your browser: http://liketk.it/2I02c 🖤 #liketkit
Instagram post 2192513994027168715_7729751 ⏩ swipe ⏩ to see a magic trick! ✨ok ok, not actually magic, but @teamiblends butterfly tea DOES change color when you add a squeeze of lemon, thanks to pH-sensitive butterfly pea flower 🌸 so maybe it’s not ~magic~, but it is ~science~ 👩🏼‍🔬
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get your own (and get experimenting) with the code taykay20 for 20% off an order of $24+ or taykay30 for 30% off an order of $34+! 🤑 #teamipartner
Instagram post 2191777887535233534_7729751 full workout, one machine!! 😛 smith machines are honestly great, and they don’t get enough love - they’re excellent when you’re first starting out with lifting and need that extra bit of stabilisation that comes from keeping the weight on a fixed track, and there are a number of exercises i find i like better on a smith machine than anywhere else - especially some of these!
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ready? let’s go:
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1️⃣ 3 sets of 6 sumo squats to narrow squats (so 12 squats total) - the narrow ones are death for your inner thighs in a way that no other leg exercise can match ☠️
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2️⃣ 3 sets of 10 curtsy lunges per leg to 10 good mornings - drop your hips back and keep your spine flat as you get as close to parallel with the ground as possible, and really focus on contracting your hamstrings to bring yourself upright again
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3️⃣ 3 sets of 10 kneeling kickbacks per leg - i forgot how much i love these they are just so!! good!! - into 10 single-leg incline glute bridges per leg

4️⃣ 4 sets of 12 half squats to finish this off - mind muscle connection is key here, really focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement to make the most of this one! also if this hurts your knees skip it altogether - sometimes these aren’t for everyone and that’s perfectly ok!!
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🎧 woah - neffex
Instagram post 2188165587741361151_7729751 nobody likes you when you’re 23 🤷🏼‍♀️
Instagram post 2187385382881912295_7729751 got a whole lot to be thankful for this year (including but not limited to these pants) 🌟
Instagram post 2185989836220911104_7729751 that dead lil plant in the corner is a mood. i don’t know what kinda mood, but it’s a mood. ☠️
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new youtube video just went up on my channel - it’s a fun core + cardio workout that you’ll def wanna try! link is in bio ☺️
Instagram post 2184435918311263145_7729751 world’s cutest cover photo amirite?? 😅 ok but what IS actually cute is all these exercises targeting your gluteus medius, which is the muscle on the sides of your booty that play a crucial role in hip movement and also can help give the illusion of wider hips (which is super helpful if you’re built like me and have no natural curves whatsoever!! fake it til ya make it babyyyyyy)
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do all four exercises back to back with no rest, then rest for ~1 minute, and repeat 2 more times! throw this in the middle or the end of your leg day ☺️
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1️⃣ 12 lateral leg lifts - even though you’re holding the plate with your arm, it shouldn’t be lifting the weight up at all, that alllllll should come from the legs. also make sure you’re not swinging your leg and are really focused on feeling it on those side glutes (and also a little in your obliques, bonus ab work!!)
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2️⃣ 5 4-step squat walks - so two steps to the left two to the right is one rep. resistance band isn’t 100% necessary but man oh man does it make it 10x harder 🔥
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3️⃣ 10 fire hydrants with a pulse at the top - focus on keeping weight equally distributed on both hands so that you don’t sink into the opposite hip too much. also maybe don’t use an extra heavy resistance band for this one because i was DYING SO MUCH and i couldn’t even get my leg up to 90 degrees 😂
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4️⃣ 15 frog pumps - feet together, knees out, you look like a weirdo but it really is an excellent exercise i swear
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#legday #legdayworkout #workoutsforwomen #glutes #glutesworkout #gymlifestyle #exercisemotivation #exerciseroutine #gymworkout #musclebuilding #fitlifestyle #bootygains #bootybuilding
Instagram post 2182074781179766218_7729751 my very good and obviously 100% correct logic: if i wear long sleeves and long pants it’ll obviously make up for the fact that i’m literally wearing a crop top and i won’t get cold even though it’s like 40 degrees out!! 🥶
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shop this outfit (and maybe buy a jacket to go with it) by following me on the @liketoknow.it  app or by pasting this link into your browser: http://liketk.it/2HaPV ❣️ #liketkit #LTKunder50 #LTKholidaystyle #alsoidkwhyimstandingsoweird #whereismyspine
Instagram post 2179321133647360332_7729751 first of all, can someone please tell me where the HECK the first half of november went?? i’m lost 🥴 but i’ve got an ABSolutely stellar ab circuit for you on this fine sunday (will i ever not use that pun? doubtful), be sure to bookmark and save for your next gym session!
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1️⃣ 10 plank walk outs to commandos - focus on keeping your core tight throughout this entire movement to really maximise the effect!
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2️⃣ 10 3-part mountain climbers per leg - leg goes outside, across, then straight, and that’s one rep!
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3️⃣ 15 pause sit-ups - sit up approximately ¾ of the way (so that there’s still tension in your abs) and hold for 1 second before finishing the movement
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4️⃣ 10 single-leg hollow crunches per leg - these are SO MUCH HARDER than you expect them to be omggggg. if this is too tricky, use the modification at the end of this clip and put your feet on the floor.
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5️⃣ 12 1-1-2 leg lifts - drop one leg down, then the other, then lift both up at the same time! make sure to only go down as far as YOU comfortably can without your lower back lifting off the mat - going past that point will actually make the exercise LESS effective for your core. 😉
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cycle through this 2-3 times for a 10/10 burn 🔥🔥🔥 .
shop this workout outfit by following me on the @liketoknow.it app or by entering this link into your browser: http://liketk.it/2H0H3 ❤️ #liketkit
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Some of the links featured in my posts may be affiliate links. The links and the products they lead to come at no additional cost to you but help this gal continue to make Espresso and Ambition happen. Your support means the world to me! <3

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