Sierra Carter

Everyone loves a nice, cold margarita on a hot summer day, but do yourself (and your waistline) a favor and skip the pre-batch this year. Impress friends and family alike by making your own delicious, low-calorie marg at home!

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 4 oz tequila, silver
• 3 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz water (use lime sparkling water to make it carbonated)
• Optional: a splash of agave syrup if you like it sweet
• Ice (I liked to use crushed)
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Sprinkle sea salt on a small flat plate or cutting board. Rub the rim of the glasses with a slice of lime then press the glass into the salt on the plate until it’s coated with salt. Set glasses aside.
2. Squeeze the limes and add the juice into a measuring cup until you have 3 oz. Add the lime juice to your cocktail shaker.
3. Pop open that tequila of choice, and measure out 4 oz, then add to your cocktail shaker along with the water.
4. Add your splash of light agave.
5. Fill your shaker with ice and get to shakin’!
6. Use a strainer to pour into your prepared glasses and garnish with a lime.

Now all you need is a beach, backyard, or at least a balcony to lay out on and get a nice Miami tan going. Cheers!

With more time spent at home comes more food temptation (hello quarantine snacks). It can also be a good time to make a conscious decision to work on health and fitness. And that means cleaning up more than just the house.

That's right, I'm talking about diet!

You won't reach your fitness goals without changing your eating habits. The two just go hand in hand. Luckily, you don't have to re-invent the wheel either. Here are five simple, quick tips that you can follow to improve your diet today.

1.Eat More Plants

Not only is eating fruits and veggies a great way to ensure that you're getting essential micronutrients, but it will also likely lower your overall calorie consumption. Produce has more volume and fewer calories, so it will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Something as simple as swapping crackers for carrot sticks with your hummus or cookies for apple slices and peanut butter can go a long way in reducing your overall calorie intake and helping keep you satiated after snack time. Grocery store low on fresh produce? Or maybe you just wanna stock up? Frozen fruits and veggies stay good longer and have the same nutritional value as fresh produce.

2.There's Power in Protein

Something as simple as making sure you get enough protein with each meal will do wonders for your appetite and your metabolism. Protein is an essential, muscle-synthesizing macronutrient meaning that, without it, you wouldn't survive. As a healthy, active adult, you should be getting at least .5g of protein per pound of bodyweight. The more active you are, the more muscle you have, the more protein your body will need. In other words, if you're goal is to build muscle or lose fat while maintaining muscle, you will need more. Some great sources of protein are eggs, meats, beans, seeds and legumes, collagen or protein powders, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, dark greens, nuts and nut butters, and tofu.

3. Don't Drink Your Calories

Skip the sodas and juices, reach for waterinstead. Wanting something more exciting? Try flavored sparkling water or addsome citrus for a refreshing, hydrating swap that is much healthier.

4.Stick to the Schedule

There's something to be said forroutine. Having breakfast, a snack, lunch, and dinner during the same timeframe each day can keep you consistent and help you avoid unnecessary snacking.Finding yourself hungry more often? You might be thirsty or you might not beeating enough during your previous meal. Have some fruit or veggies to hold youover until it's time for the next meal.

5.Swap for Lighter Alternatives

When it comes to condiments and dressings, search for lower-calorie options made from wholesome ingredients or try a recipe to make it yourself. Homemade Italian dressing is usually lower-calorie and tastier than anything I've ever bought at the store anyways. You can also switch the sugar and milk in your coffee for sugar-free coffee flavor and almond milk. Little swaps like this may seem like nothing, but they add up over time.

We're all in this together and if I have anything to say about it we'll all come out of this thing quaran-toned!

With the weight of the world weighing down on us this year, more people are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety than ever before. When stress runs unchecked it can have serious negative health consequences leading to things like headaches, problems sleeping, chest pain, and even worse: a heart attack or stroke.

Luckily, there is one thing you can do that is guaranteed to relieve stress and anxiety: exercise.

Exercise and Stress

Exercise is considered by health experts to be vital for mental fitness. When your body feels better, your mind will too as exercise releases endorphins and neurotransmitters that lead to a better mood, better sleep, and improved cognitive function.

RELATED How the State of Flow Can Limit Your Stress Levels

Studies have shown that just 5 minutes of exercise stimulates stress-reducing effects and regular exercise yields less overall tension, a stable and positive mood, more restful sleep, and higher self-confidence. All things that indicate less stress in the body and on the mind.

Exercise and Anxiety

Unfortunately, stress is a normal part of everyday life, but anxiety disorders are a little more serious and are actually the most highly diagnosed mental illness today. About 40 million adults in the US have generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Luckily, exercise can be extremely beneficial to those who experience anxiety as well.

For example, studies show that 10 minutes of walking outside can quickly elevate a depressed mood and lessen the physical effects of anxiety. One vigorous exercise session can quickly eliminate symptoms of anxiety and depression for several hours and a solid exercise routine can help reduce symptoms over time.

Exercise teaches the brain to better cope with stress, leading to active people having less risk for anxiety and depression as well as a better ability to deal with life’s stressors when they come along (because let’s face it, they always do). If you don’t know where to start, try a brisk walk a couple of times a week, find the form of exercise that you find fun and enjoyable, recruit an exercise buddy to help keep you motivated and consistent, and consider hiring a knowledgeable trainer to get you on a workout routine that is right for your body and goals.

Sources:

1. Exercise for Mood and Anxiety, Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being, by Michael W. Otto, PhD, and Jasper A.J. Smits, PhD (Oxford University Press, 2011)
2. How stress affects your health. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress. Accessed March 5, 2019.

Your metabolism is basically your body's ability to utilize and produce energy more efficiently. It's no secret that everyone wants a faster metabolism. But how can you ensure yours is running quickly?

1. Resistance Training

The more muscle mass you have, the more energy your body has to burn at rest, therefore increasing your body's metabolism. Doing strength training exercises with or without equipment is a great way to build and conserve muscle mass, keeping your metabolism strong and steady.

2. Move More

Neat stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. That's a fancy way of saying the-stuff-you-do-that-isn't-exercise-but-still-burns-calories. One of the best ways to increase NEAT is to get up more often. For example, try adding a walk into your routine every morning and/or evening. Or if you work a desk job, get up for more frequent walks around the office (or for now, around the house). Whatever you do, moving more = faster metabolism.

3. Eat Enough

Caloric restriction and crash dieting all work to slow your metabolism. Our body's goal is to maintain homeostasis at all times. In order to do that, it has to resist change. The lower your calorie intake goes, the slower your body will metabolize as it tries to conserve energy and resist change. That's why a lot of times, I have to build a client's food intake up before I can safely cut them down.

Another thing to keep in mind is that height, weight, gender, and even genetics all play a role in the speed of your metabolism. For example, males burn more calories on average than females and taller people more than short. Take control of the factors that you can change instead of worrying about the ones you can't. Movement and good quality food are always your BFFs!

Before every workout, it’s important to warm up, mobilize, and activate the muscles you intend to use.⁣ The glutes are no exception.⁣ I’d argue that the glute muscles are actually the most important to activate because of their “sleepy” nature.

When you spend most of the day sitting on them, chances are they won’t be ready to just jump up and go to work. They’ll need to be warmed up and activated in order for you to establish a good mind-muscle connection and keep them working through the whole workout.

I recommend doing at least two sets of two to three different glute activation exercises before any lower body or glute workout. These sets will be higher reps, between 15-30 reps each.

Watch the video below for a demonstration of my top 3 favorite glute activators. Once you try it, I guarantee you’ll be able to feel the difference during the workout... and by your soreness the next day!

Don’t forget to check out sweatwithsierra.com if you need any additional help!

We all know how hard it can be to feel like you got a decent workout at home. One way to ensure you get a good sweat going is with a HIIT circuit.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a way of exercising that involves timed bursts of highly cardiovascular exercise combined with shorter periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. For short workouts that accomplish a lot, HIIT is hard to beat. Not to mention it can be done with little to no equipment.

Here is a great 30 minute HIIT workout for you to try at home that will challenge your strength, endurance, and power!

Round One

3 sets of 40 seconds squats, 20 seconds jump squats

30 seconds of rest between sets

Round Two

3 sets of 30 seconds work with 20 seconds rest

Split squat jumps and lateral jump burpees

Round Three

3 sets of 20 seconds work with minimal / no rest between

Lateral bounds and mountain climbers

HIIT training is a great tool for fat loss and building stamina, but to really maximize your results I recommend combining interval training with healthy eating, your regular strength training routine, and even the occasional steady-state cardio workout.

Adding variety and mixing up your workouts will ensure that you’ll continue seeing results from your training.

If you have any questions about training, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at sweatwithsierra.com.

When I was a kid, my dad would always have us do an ab workout during the commercial breaks while we were watching TV. He called it "couch abs" and although we didn't appreciate it much as kids, I sure do now!

Related: 4 Bodyweight Leg Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Here is one of my favorite "couch abs" circuits of all time. Make sure to activate your abs before each exercise by squeezing your belly button in toward your spine, and flattening out your back to the floor. Do this every commercial break or if you're watching Netflix, every 15 minutes.

1. 30 second plank
2. 30 mountain climbers
3. 30 Russian twists
4. 20 reverse crunches
5. 20 leg lifts
6. 10 situps

Repeat as often as you'd like and switch up the exercises each day to keep those abs strong and happy!

Whether you’re stuck at home because you’re quarantined, your beloved gym is closed, there’s a natural disaster coming (Hurricane who now?) or little Johnny is home sick with the sniffles, there will always be times that you can’t make it to the gym. 

The one thing you shouldn’t do is skip your workout. In a time like this, exercise is as important as ever to boost the immune system, reduce stress, and help you keep a positive mindset. 

On the plus side, you probably have a lot more time on your hands right now to start exercising. And what better place to start than at home? 

So take a break from boredom eating your stockpiled snacks and follow along for an amazing home leg workout that is sure to have those happy endorphins flowing. 

1. Split Squat Switch Jumps (3:1) 

2. Curtsy Lunge to Single-Leg Hop 

3. Lateral Bounds 

4. Narrow to Wide Squats 

No gym, no problem. It’s as easy as that to get a good workout at home. 

If you think you’d like to give this working-out-at-home thing a shot but you’re not too sure where to start, consider joining my monthly online coaching program. It’s cheaper than your monthly Starbucks budget and more effective than any fit tea or sweat wrap guaranteed.

For most, getting to the gym every day is just not a reality. With things like work and kids, it’s no surprise that the most common exercise cop-out is not having time to go to the gym. The good news is that even on your busiest days, you can still burn calories, build strength, and shred fat from the comfort of your own home.

Don’t let the long drive or the busy gym floor deter you from a good sweat. You’re gonna want to go ahead and bookmark this one. Here are my top ten trainer-approved bodyweight moves that will have you dripping on the living room floor.

1. Squats

Stand tall and place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Extend your hands straight out in front of you to help keep your balance. Sit back and down like you're sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward and chest high. Press your weight back into your heels and lower down as far as you can comfortably go. Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.

2. Lunges

Stand upright, with your hands at your hips. Take a full step backward with one foot. Lower your hips so that your front leg becomes parallel to the floor with the knee positioned directly over the ankle. Your back knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor with the heel lifted. Return to standing by pressing your front heel into the floor and bringing your back leg forward to complete one rep.

*RELATED Working Out at Home is Easier Than Ever Thanks to a Variety of Free Workouts on YouTube

3. Mountain climbers

Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight on your toes. With your abs fully engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your plank. Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward. Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.

4. Push-ups

Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight on your toes. With your abs fully engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your plank. Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward. Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.

5. Burpees

Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body into a squat, placing your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. Shift your weight onto your hands and jump your feet back into a plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels. Jump your feet back in behind your hands and then jump straight up into the air. Land and immediately lower back down for your next rep.

6. Tricep dips

Sit on the floor and position your hands behind you with your elbows pointing back and fingers forward. Raise your hips up, squeezing the glutes and abs. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body straight down to the floor. Press back up and repeat.

*RELATED Mel G Shares 5 Booty Building Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

7. Glute bridges

Lie faceup on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your arms at your side with your palms down. Lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line. Hold it for a couple of seconds before lowering back down.

8. Plank

Place your hands directly under shoulders, ground your toes into the floor and squeeze glutes to stabilize your body. Your legs should be working too! Neutralize your neck and spine, looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands to keep your head in line with your back. Hold the position for the indicated amount of time.

9. Walkouts

Stand tall with your legs extended as straight as possible as you bend over from the hips and touch the floor with your palms flat on the floor. Keep your legs as straight as you can while walking your hands out into a plank position. Walk your hands back in towards your feet and stand up.

10. In & Out Abs

Start in a v-sit position balancing on your tailbone. Keep your abs contracted to support your lower back and tuck your chin in as you lean back into the “out” position. Just before your back touches the floor, reverse directions lifting your upper body back up away from the floor and draw your knees in towards your chest to return to the “in” position.

I hope these 10 exercises provide you with enough ammunition to create your own killer home workouts and make some serious progress on your fitness goals, even on those days that you can’t make it to the gym. Need some more workout inspo? Be sure to check out @sweatwithsierra on Instagram.

Are you doing plain-old squats every day hoping to grow your glutes with very little results to show for it? Studies have shown that while squats do activate the glutes, there are much better exercises for building the booty.

To really understand glute training, let’s dive a little deeper. There are three main muscles that make up the glutes: gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius. These muscles' primary action is to extend, abduct, and externally rotate the hip. In order to grow the muscle, you’ll need to apply tension and stress. For most of us, this means resistance training.

Compound exercises like a squat or lunge do apply tension to the glutes, but they also activate the quadriceps, hamstrings, and back muscles. This makes the glutes activate to a lesser degree.

So instead of spending every session squatting it like it’s hot, try these other exercise variations to really target those glutes from all angles and grow that booty!

Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is probably the #1 glute exercise for most people. It keeps the glutes under constant tension, moves the hips through a wide range of motion, is well suited for all body types, and can be done easily with a wide range of equipment. It is very safe and easy on the lower back when done properly.

To do a hip thrust, you’ll need a bench and weight. Hook your shoulder blades onto the edge of the bench and position the weight at your hips. Use a pad to protect your hip bones if necessary. Keep your head forward, tuck your chin, and maintain a neutral spine. Squeeze the glutes, pushing through your heels to raise your hips up to full extension. To lower back down, think about keeping your abs tight and back flat.

Stiff-Leg Deadlift

The deadlift is tricky to master and takes a lot of practice, but the results are worth all the hard work. Although it also works the hamstrings, this exercise is a gluteus maximus killer. The stretch and contraction during a stiff-leg deadlift are hard to beat when it comes to glute growth.

Start with your hips shoulder-width apart, hinging forward at the hips with a soft bend in the knees and your hands on the weight. Get tight by bracing your spine and abs, pushing the chest through, and pretending to stick the tailbone out. Keep your arms relaxed and the weight right next to your body as you drive through the hips until reaching full extension with a slight glute squeeze at the top. Lower the weight by sitting your hips back staying tight as you slowly reverse the position.

Lateral Band Walk

This exercise targets the gluteus medius and minimus, also commonly referred to as the abductors. These muscles fill in your outer hip and give the glutes a perky, round shape. To perform a Lateral Band Walk, place a resistance loop above or below your knees. I often prefer to do above with a cloth band and below with a rubber band. Walk along one side, driving laterally into the ground with the first leg while following back in with the opposite leg. Keep a hips distance between your legs at all times while you walk down, then return the same way to work the other side.

Reference: Bret C PhD and Glen C. Glute Lab . Victory Belt Publishing Inc; 2019.

We’ve all heard the importance of getting those eight hours of sleep, but how many of us actually take it seriously? The average American today gets roughly 6.8 hours of sleep a night. Compare that to the 1900's when most people were averaging 9 hours and you get an overworked, under-rested population with more sleep-related health issues than ever before. That old, “you can sleep when you’re dead,” mantra might actually kill you.

Sleep for the Brain Gains

Most of us probably remember staying up into the early hours of the morning studying for exams just to wake up and barely pass the test. This is largely because a lack of sleep actually decreases the potential for learning and memory in the brain. Not to mention the extreme irritability and moodiness as well as impairing decision-making that we experience when we don’t get enough sleep. When it comes to sleep and aging, it’s shown that getting consistent deep sleep in younger years is preventative or at least proactive in slowing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep is easily the most effective and affordable strategy out there for mental performance enhancement.

Sleep for Your Sex Life

The sexiest benefit of getting a full night’s sleep? A healthy libido! Less than 6 hours of sleep is proven to decrease reproductive health in both men and women. Men who get only 4-5 hours of sleep each night see a 10-15% reduction in resting testosterone levels. Women also experience a drop in testosterone as well as rising cortisol levels. These hormonal shifts lead to low energy and an even lower sex drive. On the other hand, when a couple gets just one extra hour of sleep each night the chances of sex dramatically increase.

Sleep Because You Need To

Sleep affects every single system in the body. The extra hour of sleep provided by daylight savings time reduces heart attacks by 21%, showing the incredible effect of sleep on the cardiovascular system. When it comes to the immune system, one study showed that participants restricted to 4 hours of sleep for just one night saw a 70% reduction in natural killer cells, the immune system agents responsible for protecting the body by destroying unnatural cell masses. This study led to the discovery of a link between short sleep duration and various forms of cancer. In other studies, lack of sleep showed an upregulation in genes associated with chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, stress, and tumor growth.

How to Improve Your Sleep

By now you may be a little worried and wondering how you can improve your sleep to ultimately improve your overall health.

• Start by regulating the hours that you sleep. Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Setting this routine for your body will improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep.

• Next, keep it cool. Your body needs to reduce its core temperature for deep sleep, so drop the thermostat and watch your sleep improve!

• Another tip is to skip the devices. Turn off the TV and computer, put your phone on night-mode or even stash it away at least an hour before bed. Use only orange light in the house after dark or try blue-light blockers if you need to work late.

• Finally, get some movement in. A workout is sure to help you get a more deep and meaningful night of sleep.

These are just a few ways to improve your nights and prevent the negative outcomes of missing sleep. Studies have shown that less sleep is linked to a shorter lifespan. Averaging less than eight hours a night is linked to increased all-cause mortality across the board. For example, when we gain an hour of sleep during daylight saving time, there is a 20% reduction in suicides, heart attacks, and even car accidents. Getting enough sleep doesn’t make you weak or lazy. Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a nonnegotiable, biological necessity. So turn off the lights, turn down the temperature, and get those Zzz’s!

Sources: Matt Walker TED Talk and CDC Sleep Statistics

With every New Year comes a fresh start, an unblemished calendar, and an opportunity to finally set those goals that have been on our minds for months. Yet all too often, these resolutions never come to fruition. Statistics tell us that 75% of people give up in the first month. Don’t be the majority, follow these six tips to ensure that this year you surpass your goals!

RELATED Goal Getters: How to Set Goals You Are Sure to Smash

Find Your Why

Your why is the deep-down,personal motivation behind everything you do. Discovering the reason behindyour goals is crucial if you want to be successful in achieving them. For eachof your goals, ask yourself what’s at stake. Why do you want to reach thisgoal? How will it affect your life if you are successful? Why is it importantto you? Revisit these answers whenever you need to. Your why will keepyou moving forward even when it gets hard or motivation is dwindling.

Write it Down

It’s not realuntil it’s written, and I don’t mean in a text to your friend. There’s nothingthat makes a goal more concrete than seeing it stare back at you in your ownhandwriting. So, write out your goals and keep the list in a place where you willsee them regularly like the bathroom mirror or on your nightstand. That way youcan review your progress and stay on track.

Be Real

Make sure that the goals you are setting can actuallybe accomplished. For example, saying “I will work out every single day” is probablynot achievable for most and could be more discouraging than motivating. Instead,it would be better to say, “I will work out at least three days a week for 30minutes or more each time”. The second is much more realistic, allowing you toreach and even surpass your goal while still seeing the results you want.

Accountabili-Buddies

It’s mucheasier to give up on a goal that no one knows about. Choose a few trustedfriends and share your ambitions. If they’re willing, have them keep youaccountable by regularly checking in on your progress. You can also encourage anyonewith similar goals to workout with you and make it even more fun. Finally, ifyou feel like you need to take the next step when it comes to accountability,look for a personal trainer or group fitness studio. Having a trainedprofessional in your corner can be an amazing resource and will give youexactly what you need to succeed.

Celebrate Victories

Savor the progress you’re making by rewarding yourselffor small victories. For example, stay consistent with a week of workouts and treatyourself to a nice relaxing massage for those sore muscles. There’s somethingto be said about a well-deserved reward that will help keep you motivated andremind you that your goals are important.

Setbacks Happen

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a city isn’t nearly as complicated as thehuman body. It will take time and determination to reach the results that youwant. Setbacks might happen, but they shouldn’t keep you from pursuing yourgoal. The key is to avoid the all-or-nothing, “I already screwed up, I mightas well just stop trying” attitude. If you get off track, first try to findout why. For example, if you skip a workout because you came home after workand put on Netflix, next time workout first and then come home and enjoy yourshow in peace. Most importantly, if a mistake is made, recognize it and getback on track. One little obstacle can’t keep you from your end goal unless youlet it.

Now you’re ready to succeed. Follow these sixtips to ensure that you follow through with your resolutions and continue toreach your goals year after year.