The Lukas home gym

I have had a few people comment on my Instagram stories (mainly pictures of Penny sleeping in the middle of my workout equipment) on our home gym as well as ask what I do for workouts. While I work at CorePower Yoga, I also workout a lot in our basement! We have slowly pieced together versatile equipment in our small, dingy, cob-web infested St. Paul basement, but it is easily one of the best investments we've made. We can get great, efficient workouts done in the comfort of our own home - this was incredibly valuable throughout graduate school as well as during Minnesota winters. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the equipment we have in our basement that we each use several times per week (heads up: anything in pink font below is a link to take you to the equipment).

Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike: I will be honest, this was our biggest investment to date and we just purchased it last year. I was using this bike trainer during the winter for years, but honestly, I always needed Drew's help putting my road bike on and taking it off. Also, my knee didn't love the instability of the trainer and as most of you know, my knee is the BIGGEST investment I have ever made, so we are all about protecting it. We purchased our spin bike new at 2nd Wind (they didn't have a used one available) and decided to get the monitor (an extra $100 or so). I use it several times a week and I would give up everything else in our home gym to keep this baby. For guided spin classes, I use the apps Aaptiv and Peloton. They are both great and the only difference is that with Peloton, you get a video feed, where Aaptiv is all audio. Side note: I did try a Peloton bike and have a strong opinion about it (weird, I know), so if you are interested in hearing it, reach out to me.

TRX Straps: We purchased these when we first moved in together 5+ years ago. They are great for any small space and we also (sometimes) bring them with us when we travel. If you are looking for ONE piece of equipment, this is it!!! There are SO many TRX workouts available on Pinterest, on other blogs, and you can truly get an insane full body workout (think elevated lunges, pushups, planks). We have ours anchored to a support beam in the basement, but this set also comes with a strap that works with any door. I believe if you sign up for TRX emails, they do regular sales and coupons - let's be real, I am all about coupons and good deals.

Agility Ladder: I don't know why I waited so long to buy an agility ladder (maybe rehab PTSD), but I recently bought one and am so glad that I did. The agility ladder is inexpensive, travels easily and so versatile for a full body workout - think walking planks or pushups, plyometrics, lateral lunges, etc.

Resistance Bands: I used to have a plethora of resistance bands, thanks to endless physical therapy, but I purchased these resistance bands and again, am so glad that I did. Using resistance bands can help you take basic exercises to the next level - think leg lifts, squats with a resistance band around your thighs, banded plyometrics, banded lateral walks or bridges. Again, there are endless resistance band workouts available via the internet. These are a cheap investment and also travel well. Do yourself a favor and do NOT underestimate resistance bands.

BOSU ball: I highly recommend that you spend some time searching for BOSU ball trainers as the price range is drastic depending on where you look. We bought ours off of Craigslist for $40, but I know they can get pricey. Again, think of the BOSU ball trainer as a tool to take your basic exercises to the next level - squats, planks, pushups or lunges on the BOSU are all much more difficult and the instability recruits more muscle than doing the exercise on the ground.

Dumbbells: I am not even going to put a link to where to buy dumbbells because they are EVERYWHERE from Target, Amazon, Craigslist, OfferUp, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc. I purchased a couple sets from Marshalls. Drew recently did purchase an adjustable set from Amazon or Dick's, but for at home workouts for me, a pair of 5 lbs and 8 lbs suffice.

Exercise ball: Again, I didn't link where to purchase these from because they are everywhere. I like use an exercise ball for a variety of ab workouts and elevated pushups.

Squat rack: I was hesitant when Drew ordered this rack off Amazon (FYI, we went with the no bench option because we were able to find a cheap bench elsewhere), because I thought it wouldn't fit in our low-ceiling basement and that it would take up too much room. I am a prideful woman, but I can admit when I am wrong and I am glad we got this. Not only is it great for a variety of squats, bench press (which I no longer do), but it can also be good for pull-ups (I also do not do), hanging ab series and to tie resistance bands to for leg lifts. Well done, Mr. Lukas.

Barbell and plated weights: I believe we purchased our barbell from Dick's Sporting Goods. I HIGHLY encourage you to sign up for the coupons, wait for one to come out and load up when you get a good one. Plated weights are EXPENSIVE and while I don't need heavy ones, Mr. Lukas does. You can expect to pay around $1 per pound - like I said, get at those coupons. Another option is to look on Craigslist or OfferUp. People have abandoned weights on there all. the. time.

Alchemy365 Torpedo: Drew and I both participated in an at-home challenge through a local gym, Alchemy. We decided to purchase a Torpedo - a Torpedo is a weight proprietary to Alchemy. It can be used as a dumbbell, barbell and kettlebell. While we are not members of Alchemy, we LOVE their Torpedos. We have a 30 lb and 50 lb Torpedo and they work really well for swings, presses, RDLs, walking lunges, the list goes on! Full transparency, we have 2 kettlebells that we no longer use and are considering giving away because the Torpedos can just do it all. Also, you don't need to be a member to purchase the Torpedos off of Alchemy's website.

Jump rope: I didn't link the jump rope that we have because I couldn't find it on Amazon and also, because I don't love it. It's fine, but not life-changing and its either user error or the material of the rope, but it twists up more than it should. I did get a weighted one, but buyer beware, it will wear out your shoulders! Jump ropes are everywhere, just be sure to read the reviews because not all jump ropes are made equal.

That's it! There are also a few other items that were not approved joint household expenses, but that Mr. Lukas thought were necessary including plate racks (ironic when he doesn't rack his heavy weights ever), several variations of barbells (I still think you can get away with one), tricep dip stand and a bench. Again, I highly recommend checking out used equipment on 2nd Wind, Craigslist, OfferUp or the Facebook marketplace. There is a lot of well-intentioned, but abandoned workout equipment out there - also, reduce, reuse, recycle people! Otherwise, sign up for sporting good stores emails and keep an eye on sales and coupons. Mr. Lukas knows that my expectation is that we are not above buying used and that we rarely pay full price. While this has slowly been a substantial investment, it has saved us a lot of money on gym memberships as well as trekking to an overcrowded gym. Also, it's open 24/7 (had to throw a Dad joke in there).

1 of 3 barbells that we have (yes, I agree with you, excessive) and no, this isn't mine or Penny's weight. 

This is almost our entire gym! The ladder is best used outside and without a dog laying in the middle of it, but I made it work. Also, our spin bike and tricep dip rack are to the right of those picture. It's not a glamorous gym, but it works well for us! 

Please let me know if you have any questions on the equipment that I mentioned or if you want to chat home workouts.
XOXO,
Dee

.: almost there:.

ok, so i have 1 1/2 days left until i am finished with .:get balanced:. intended to blog a little bit more about my journey as i went, but i was spending a lot more time in the kitchen trying out new recipes than on the computer. sorry, not sorry.

after 12 1/2 days, i thought i would reflect on the pros, cons, successes and challenges throughout this workshop. my concluding post regarding .:get balanced:. will include LOTS of pictures and a couple of my favorite recipes that i will incorporate into my recipe routine going forward.

let's start with the cons, so i can finish this post on a positive note.

cons:. 

cravings: my cravings have exponentially decreased at this point, but there are still some cravings. like alcohol, i am not big drinker, but i do enjoy a beer while we are out for dinner or a glass of wine at the end of a long day. chocolate - this was a killer at the beginning, but i had the mindset that cheating wasn't an option, so i got over it pretty quickly. coffee was another tough thing for me to give up, not because i NEEDED the caffeine (which i definitely did, as well) but because i simply love the taste. drew and i really enjoy spending time together while drinking coffee whether it's out on a walk, catching up after a long day, reading or sitting around our living room just talking. drinking water or green tea has been just fine (and cheaper).

ease:. eating healthy can be easy and difficult at the same time. it is easy if you prepare and have an appropriate mindset, but difficult if you make excuses. talking specifically about eating while following get balanced, all my go-to snacks were pretty much off limits. for instance, pre-workout and post-workout routines had to be changed. it became easy as i got used to it, but eating an apple with almond butter, does not feel the same after a workout as a protein shake. also, drew and i went on a LONG bike ride (44 miles long) yesterday to soak up the long-forgotten MN sun and i stressed about what i was going to pack in the small bento bag attached to my bike. i ended up bringing a Larabar and a packet of almond butter and things were OK. like i said, eating healthy is only difficult if you make excuses.

hives:. yes, i have had a case of the hives. not horrible, so don't get the picture of me walking around like a leper. at the beginning of the week, i noticed my skin especially on my forearms and legs were itchy and when i scratched, large mosquito-looking bites would appear and itch EVEN more - lotion wouldn't even touch the itchiness. after 3 days, i immediately started to rule out possible topical issues (such as new detergent, lotion, etc), well i buy everything in bulk, so that was easy to rule out. i emailed my get balanced gurus and they asked me to look at what i was eating a lot more of such as nuts or coconut. i was eating exponentially more coconut than before, from flour to butter to milk and flakes. this was something that has been really frustrating the past couple days because i had made several batch recipes with coconut in it and couldn't let it go to waste. while this was extremely irritating, i didn't call it quits - i decided to become amazed at how what you eat can truly influence your body.

pros:.

feeling:. i feel really, really good at this point! i can tell that my body knows exactly what to do with the food that i am giving it. i have endless amounts of 'natural energy' from the time that i wake up until bed time without coffee. yes, without coffee - if anyone knows drew or i, we rely on coffee whether it is straight espresso or French press and the need for coffee and caffeine was gone, literally overnight. there were even some nights when i couldn't get myself to wind down and needed to resort to Melatonin. while i didn't do this to lose weight, a few people have asked me whether i have lost any weight. no, i literally have not lost a pound which is OK  - i feel better, i feel more fit. i went shopping with my friend last weekend and it was one of those days where everything fit. i even bought 3 pairs of shorts - i HATE my legs (specifically the 3 scars on each knee) so the last time i bought shorts was a couple years ago when i was training for the Twin Cities marathon (do i dare say that these were all a size down?)

portion control:. this could be considered both a pro and a con, but i haven't been mindful of portion control since i started .:get balanced:. everything i eat is basically made from scratch, so there isn't a nutrition label to use as a guide for calories, protein, sugar, etc. i have learned to trust my body with the food that i am giving it - stop eating when i am full and wait to eat until i'm hungry. i feel like my portions are a lot bigger than before, but i am also eating more veggies and fruit, so i suppose that may take a little more to fill me up.
 
favorites:. i have relied on a few favorite foods - some new, some old.

>> cooked oatmeal or quinoa with raw honey or maple syrup, flaxseed and cinnamon. you can do so many different things with this, it's scary - add dried cranberries, bananas, bake it will apple chunks. you can eat it for breakfast or as a pre or post workout snack.
>> gluten free banana bread - stay tuned for this recipe from the .:get balanced:. gals. this was even hit with drew.
>> quinoa granola - again something that you can really mix up to fit whatever you would like. this should bake similar to regular granola, so if you have a favorite granola recipe, switch up the oats with quinoa for added protein.
>> SPICES! this isn't a recipe, but i have really loved playing around with spices such as basil, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and curry. i literally had to buy all of the spices because we didn't have ANY aside from salt and pepper. you can get some really awesome, low-cal flavoring through spices!

will i continue this lifestyle after the 15 days are over??? no.

i have learned an INCREDIBLE amount through this workshop, not only about food and the science behind it, but my relationship with food and even about me, in general! it has exposed how often i truly 'treat' myself to dessert and how often we go out to eat to make things easier. with that being said, i feel like i had well-rounded diet before. i love dairy, but enjoyed it in moderation, same with bread.  i eat plenty of fruits and veggies and 'clean' meats. however, i will be more mindful of my gluten intake and i will know where to start when (not if) i have that crash and burn effect again.


i miss Chobani yogurt. i miss chips and salsa. i miss our waffle sundays. i miss my protein powder after workouts. i miss having an Izzy's ice cream cone after a 45 mile bike ride.

one. more. day.

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:your greatness is measured by your gifts, not by what you have:.

i'm done! i'm done and have been done with this detox! SOOOO over it!

i made it to about 3 pm of Day 3. did i see significant weight loss? sure, i lost 3.5 lbs (probably a little more since this was a measurement at the beginning of Day 3) in 2 days. was it worth it? hell no! i truly do enjoy eating fresh fruits and veggies and maintaining a clean diet, with a few nights of completely sloppy food (just to keep my metabolism on its toes, of course), but i did not get enough nutrients to really function. by 3 o'clock,  i was sitting in my cube with a crazy headache feeling light-headed and dizzy. knowing that my evening included practice with my girls and squeezing in a run before, i knew i had to eat something with substance to survive.

before my run, i ate a bag of animal crackers and granola bar, the best things i could find in my work's vending machine. 20 minutes into my run, i was shaking and nauseas ready to just go home and forget about practice, but luckily, i brought my protein powder with me. if i did not have that protein to get me through practice, i may have passed out.  either way, i had a huge realization:. you absolutely CANNOT workout without fuel and your diet is just as important as your workout routine....lesson learned

let's see if i can keep that in mind at 11 pm when my stomach is growling for something unhealthy (read ice cream)


always striving for more,
dee b.

alright friends, here it is, the substantial post i promised! buckle up for a couple recipes and a secret hint into burning a lot of calories in a small amount of time....

recipes!

i have effortlessly mastered another crockpot recipe (please hold the applaus til the end). ok, not the greatest pic, i'll admit it was taken by a co-worker at lunch while we were sharing the leftovers, but seriously this stuff is good and healthy!

.:ro-tel shredded chicken:.
>chicken breasts--i have a small crock-pot, so i only used 3
>1 can corn--drained
>1 can black beans--drained and rinsed!
>1 can ro-tel tomatoes--drained--i used 2 cans and the flavored kind with cilantro and lime juice (i know there is one that has chiles, not my style)
>8 oz of cream cheese--can used reduced fat if looking to be even healthier!


place chicken breasts into bottom of crock pot (go ahead, leave them frozen). after draining the other ingredients, drop them on top of the chicken breast along with the cream cheese. leave in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low, stirring every couple hours if you can (shout out to my roommate for helping me out on this!). at the end, chicken should easily shread making it perfect for tacos, on top of rice or in a fiesta salad! if it looks a little 'soupy', turn off the crockpot for 30-45 mins, this should help take care of that.

now onto bigger and better things...dessert!

i decided to try this dessert because i was having dinner with one of my closest friends and oldest/bestest roommate and through the years, we have manifested a love for smores! although bonfire season is over, this recipe gets you close to an authentic s'more and curbs your craving.

.:s'more cookie bars:.
>1/2 cup butter, room temperature
>1/4 cup brown sugar
>1/2 cup sugar
>1 large egg
>1 tsp vanilla extract
>1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
>3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 7 full graham crackers)
>1 tsp baking powder
>1/4 tsp salt
>2 super-sized (5 oz.) dark chocolate bars (e.g. hershey’s)
>1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)


preheat oven to 350°F. grease an 8-inch square baking pan.


in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. beat in egg and vanilla. in a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. place chocolate bars over dough. i found that the 2 hershey bars fit perfectly, but feel free to break them to make them fit. spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. if you clump the dough together in your hands, flatten it and place it in pieces on top, it's efficient and creates more of the 'crumbled' effect. bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. cool completely before cutting into bars.

yum, yum, yum! i promise it's super easy (if i can whip it together in 20 mins, i promise you can) and a total indulge!

i held back from indulging too much because i had a mission to work out before the gym closed. every other time, i could easily talk myself out of something else that i 'needed' to do. well, i need to do better with a lot of things beginning with working out. after spending an hour cleaning up my room, letting my food settle, i headed to the gym with 40 mins to workout before it closed and with no game plan in mind.

by habit, i started out on the treadmill and that did not go well which was expected after those s'more bars. i lasted 20 mins on the treadmill, decided to skip the weights, and see how many calories i could burn in the short amount using a jumprope and 1 plate weight. insert hint to burning LOTS of calories, JUMP ROPE! how simple and inexpensive. does anyone else feel that the jump rope is a highly underrated piece of equipment?

 i quickly threw together a circuit of exercises:. 30 seconds jump roping, 10 push-ups, 1 minute of abs (plank) and walking lunge with twist (using plate weight). after two rounds i was hoping the gym closing was going to my excuse to 'have' to go home. well, it had been 4 minutes. 4 minutes! i'm either out of shape or have just discovered a workout to kick my own butt...it's still up for debate. i decided to suck it up and went through 2 more rounds before going home, but i am excited to continue to use my jump rope regularly and see what happens!

with sore knees and a feeling of content, i am off to enjoy the rest of my evening!

always striving for more,
dee b.

happy tuesday!


i have survived monday (barely) and have officially been sick for a week! i am proud to say that i pushed through a yoga sculpt class (burning 454 cals in 1 hr) last night which sets me up to accomplish my goal of attending 3 yoga classes this week, yaay! i am very motivated to start getting back into the gym, i've let my new work and coaching schedule get in the way too much and it's time to start making this a priority again. does anyone else feel empowered when leaving the gym? well, i'm starting to forget what that feeling is.....


alright friends, i have a confession to make, i'm an addict. i am officially confessing my addiction to pinterest; it is the first thing i log in to at work (after the necessary login windows). i really enjoy finding out new recipes (many will be posted here after i try them), getting fun ideas for DIY projects or simply scrolling through all the pictures (and sharing them with my man friend which he is so enthused about). if you haven't checked it out, i highly suggest it!

here is a picture of my dad and i sharing our first father/daughter dance a few years ago at my cousin's wedding.  i'm sharing this picture with you to tell you how truly blessed i am to have this man as my father. although this picture may show otherwise, i was not always a daddy's girl. i have 2 older brothers who bonded more with him growing up than i thought i ever could. over the years, we have grown closer and i matured to appreciate his advice and guidance. i may have hated having to do chores and things called responsibilities when i was younger, but today, i look back and know that i would not be where i am at today without that type of push. my dad travels a lot for his job and he was in middle of nowhere WI last night when he hit a deer, the airbags deployed and his new business car may be totaled, but he was able to walk away. events like this make you reflect and be thankful for all the moments you had with that certain someone. my dad and i get each other. we make ridiculous jokes (sorry, mom), quotes movies (joe dirt) and interrupt dinner prayers (dear 6 lb 7 oz baby Jesus). my dad takes care of me, from supplying the extra car parts i have in the trunk of my car to making sure i have enough food to eat to washing my car while i sleep in on saturday mornings. i know one day i will have to face this world without him, but i know the values that he's instilled (and i'm sure i'll still have some of those extra car parts) will live on. for now, i can't wait to continue the memories and to share our father/daughter dance at my own wedding (which we already have a song pick out for :) ). Love you Dad!

i am spending this quiet evening (rare) getting caught up on laundry, cleaning, making a good meal (pot roast) and simply relaxing with my 2 guys (kitten and bf). i am in high hopes that i will feel better soon and i can get started on a new workout plan tomorrow and try out my new workout mix! i am excited to share with you a website that offers free mixes to help inspire your runs or push you through those last few reps. this wonderful website is rockmyrun.com and they offer various mixes that range in BPM to specialize to your workouts. i haven't tried out my mixes yet thanks to this cold, but i will let you know how they go!




now that it's getting cold outside, what's your favorite way to sweat?


always striving for more,
dee b.


p.s. the recipe for my pot roast is simple, healthy, yet delicious!
all you need to do is a crock pot, roast, carrots and potatoes. first, put the roast in and fill around it with carrots and cut up potatoes. pour a cup of water into the crock pot and let sit for 6-8 hours. you know it's done when the roast is falling apart :)


i promise more interesting recipes are on the way!

.:working for the weekend:.

well, i have survived yet another week helping the senior citizens of MN and in 22 counties of WI. this whole working 8:30-5, M-F thing is new for me....which means, the weekends are alllll mine to hang out and relax (after getting caught up on laundry, sleep, cleaning, grocery shopping and working out). besides our 'minor' system crash monday and tuesday, this work week was rather smooth. i dealt with many sweet, yet ridiculously cynical senior citizens. i am grateful to have made it through the week without being told i'm trying to kill a member's wife (no sir, i promise that by me reading off your pharmacy benefits does not mean i am trying to kill your wife) or by having to discuss the craziest grocery trip for 34 minutes ( i cannot believe you had to pay $2.49 for an apple either, prices these days....). either way, monday will come too soon and i will have to return to my job (not career) of assisting these "cute" old people.


highlights of my weekend include:. my mom is here! she is running in the monster dash tomorrow morning, so i have the pleasure of playing hostess while she stays with me to prepare for this feat. while she is running tomorrow, i will be busy tending to the local Corepower yoga as a 'grime fighter'! being a participant of the work for trade program at Corepower is a fantastic opportunity, while waking up early on a saturday morning, not so much. sunday afternoon will bring corralling of 5th grade girls around a basketball court and possibly a second round of pumpkin carving with the boyfriend and his fam. 


not only was today a great day because it was friday (payday, as well), but i had the opportunity to reconnect with my oldest and bestest friends! the story of the three musketeers (or donkeys, thanks to the roles in a church play we participated in before we had minds of our own) started on our first day of kindergarten. i was 5, innocent and reserved, quite polar opposite of my personality today, with my mom on one side and my soon to be 'bestie' on the other. the conversation was sparked when we found out both of names were andrea, but she went by annie and i went by dee and it seemed that as soon as we knew our identities (or names) would never conflict, we would get along just fine. my mom and annie's mom hit it off as well, discussing how they couldn't believe their babies were going to kindergarten already. if i remember correctly, annie and i were trying to play it cool like we had been waiting YEARS to start this semi-important thing called school. annie would quickly introduce me to lizzy, now called liz, (apparently), sorry LIZZY, but old habits die hard and the love triangle would now be complete. as we spent more and more time together, our hips began to become more and more attached. we did EVERYTHING together. we played on the same soccer and basketball teams, went to the same schools (although it was devastating if we got split up into different classes), played the same roles in church plays (this is where the donkeys came in) and our houses were even in the same neighborhood, within walking distance from each, and in the shape of an isosceles triangle. we shared clothes, hair accessories, makeup, food, memories, secrets (with the help of a little black notebook and stickers as IDs), tears and happiness. even our moms got comfortable scolding all of us. we were meant to be. they were the sisters i never had.

can you guess which one is me?

although fate brought my family and i to move to alexandria in the 8th grade, these three muskateers would live on! excited, anxious and absolutely devastated to leave my girls behind, i forged a new path in a small town (where you see tractors almost daily and smell manure even more often). throughout the years, we've snail mailed, facebooked, tweeted, and drove back and forth to keep this love alive. we've grown up, made bad decisions, made good decisions, said and done things we said would never happened (sounding like our mothers is a big one), yet we will always have and accept one another with unconditional love. 

here we are today, 3 beautiful, smart and grounded women, drinking alcoholic beverages and carrying on as though we get to see each other everyday. i can say that i wish life would allow us to spend more time together, but i can also say that i know we will continue to grow up, possibly move and/or get married, simply continuing to experience life, yet we will always be able to come together and pick up where we left off. unconditional love. 

maybe tomorrow i will post some more goals, but for tonight, i'm practicing living in the moment and cherishing yet another memory i've made with these 'besties' of mine.

always striving for more,

dee b.