What’s up y’all?! It’s WEDNESDAY.

Weird title for a blog post, I totally get it. I was thinking the same thing. But a majority of the time my titles come easy because they’re focused around a piece of clothing, outfit, food item, etc. but since this one is kind of all over the place it was a lot harder. Up until about 5 minutes before I hit ‘publish’ this post didn’t even have a title and I strongly considered just putting it up without one. But then one of the guys greeted me with a super casual ‘what’s up’ {oh the perks of working with all men…} and it dawned on me that that was my answer. Today you’re getting a bit of a hodge-podge for Workout Wednesday and I’m actually considering making this a regularly format rotation because it’s been so much fun to put together. Below I’m rounding up a few different fitness-related things I’m loving and telling you what is up with them and why I’m obsessed. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 🙂

Lululemon’s Cardio Squad Tank

Good workout tanks aren’t as easy to come by as one might think. At least for me. I’m super picky with material, fit, coverage, moisture-wicking capabilities and versatility. I understand some fitness tops are made for yoga while others more for the gym, but I don’t get why there aren’t more {and better} universal options for all kinds of activity. While wandering Lululemon a few weeks back THIS semi-cropped muscle tank caught my eye because it was on sale for $38. The price tag was enough to get me to try it on and the moment I got it over my head I knew it would be coming home with me. Since all of my capris/tights are high-waisted the shorter length wasn’t going to be an issue and I absolutely loved the thicker width of the tank sleeves. It’s been tested & approved for cycling, OrangeTheory and outdoor runs and I’m now the proud owner of it in 3 different colors. Get it before it sells out–I promise you’ll love it! *I wear a size 4 for reference*

BlenderBottle’s Mini Shaker

With all the shaking I do of pre-workout, BCAAs, protein powder, etc. I was in need of a new shaker bottle that wasn’t way too large. Most of the time I’m shaking 4-8 oz. of liquid + a scoop of some kind of powder so it makes no sense to carry around some huge 28+ oz. bottle everyone I went. When I found this little shaker I thought it was adorable and bought it purely based on it’s cuteness factor. Joke was on me though because it’s actually practical and the ideal size for my needs. As a fan of the wire ball inside of BlenderBottle’s I was confident this would do the trick and it’s made my mornings easier ever since it got delivered.

NB’s Fresh Foam Zante v3 Running Shoes

THESE shoes won Runner’s World’s ‘Editor Pick‘ and I can totally see why. They’re lightweight but have enough cushion for longer runs and have great ground response. I have pretty narrow feet with high arches so finding a shoe that fits them right tends to be difficult. I swear 75% of running shoes I try on are way too wide for me, especially in the toe box, so when I ordered these and they fit like a glove I was shocked. Another big positive was the fact that it took very little mileage to really break them in. Nothing is worse than having a shoe that takes 3-4 weeks to really get good and comfortable but these felt ready-to-go after about 20 miles. Lately I’ve been bouncing around with different brands and models to find my ideal shoe and I think I finally have a winner to stick with!

‘Flushing’ Away Sore Muscles

It makes you want to cry but it also honestly works. After every run over 5 miles, my calves cry. Not cry in a way that makes me need to stop but in a way that by the end of the night makes me think I won’t be able to get out of bed the next morning. It’s like my calves are in a constant state of tightness/soreness no matter how well I do {or don’t sometimes, lets be real} stretch. I’ve foam rolled, self-massaged, iced…if it comes up on a simple Google search, I’ve tried it. Nothing seems to loosen them up quickly and it’s a major annoyance for me. Enter the technique of ‘flushing’ which acts to open and close your blood vessels and help ‘flush’ the acid out that creates muscle tension. Put on your big girl pants and be ready for some pain. Alternate between 2 minutes of as hot as you can handle water and 30 seconds of ice cold water a total of 5 times. Immediately go from hot to cold back to hot back to cold and so forth. I’ve found it easier and most bearable to sit on the edge of the bathtub while doing this. As you get to your 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds you can tolerate hotter water. Within an hour I feel most of the tightness loosen up and it’s been such a blessing!