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Cari Fit

Cari Fit

Fitness Advice, Workout Tips, and Inspiration

Get Fit Done

Pumpkin Workout – Seen on Houston Life TV

I got a chance to be on Houston Life (NBC) this week to demo my pumpkin workout live with Lauren Kelley. I wanted to show viewers at home that it’s easy and fun to workout with your pumpkins this fall! They make great weights (just like medicine balls!) and you can choose your size/weight based on your level of fitness.

Every year I do a pumpkin workout at my Bombshell Bootcamp and it’s so fun! This year we had it again at Whole Foods and I teamed up with my friend Megan from HoneyWereHome.com. We thought that the whole idea of a pumpkin workout fits in well with our theme and ebook “Get Fit Done” – which is all about fitting in workouts whenever you can with whatever you can…even pumpkins! Plus, when you are busy (we are both busy moms of 2) it’s so important to have your workout be fun and enjoyable! Here are some pics of our fun event. Special thanks to Whole Foods for sponsoring and for the great goodie bags and happy hour post-workout!

Here is a sample pumpkin workout you can do at home:

*You can make the pushups harder by doing one-handed pushups with one hand on the pumpkin (just do the same number of reps on each arm). Also, you can swap the squat jumps for regular squats holding the pumpkin. 

Join The Get Fit Done Fall Challenge

I just launched a special Fall Challenge with my friend Megan to help our friends and followers get Fit For Fall! What is it? It’s a free plan for the month of October that includes delicious and healthy fall recipes, tips and new at-home workouts (see the first below)! It’s not too late to join! All you have to do is join our private Facebook group! We are posting a new fall workout, fall recipe and other tips each week for the whole month!

We want to challenge everyone to try to workout 5 times every week (even if it’s just 20 minutes!) and eat healthier. Of course – we encourage you to use our Get Fit Done Guide, which includes 4 weeks of detailed workouts, meal plans, shopping lists and more, but you do not have to. You can do a mix of your own workouts and meals. Many people said they were only interested in the meals, so we just launched only the Meal Plan for only $29!

Here is the first workout we launched this week. Try it out and let me know what you think! Tag me on Instagram (@carifit).

Get Fit Done – Meal Plan

A few months ago I launched a fitness ebook with my friend Megan called Get Fit Done – A Healthy Lifestyle Guide and we are beyond grateful to all of you that have purchased it. We’ve had huge success with the guide and over 2,500 members in our free Get Fit Done VIP group  who are doing the plan! We love hearing your success stories and how easy it is for you to get your workouts in at home!

There were also some of you that didn’t need the workouts, lifestyle printables, or 7-Day Reset, but you definitely wanted help in the meal department.  So, we’re making just the Meal Plan available for purchase separately at a discounted rate. For a limited time, the Get Fit Done Meal Plan will be offered for just $19, before it goes up to the $29 full price. 

The Get Fit Done MEAL PLAN is an instant digital download that you can read on your computer or smartphone or take to a printer to bind into a book.

It includes :

*4 weeks of healthy meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks

* Easy to follow recipes

* Grocery shopping list

* Color photos

These are meals that Megan and I developed and are family and kid-friendly too!

$29 $19 – BUY NOW

Flash Sale +My Picnic Bench Workout & Healthy 4th Recipes🇺🇸

Happy 4th Week guys! I don’t know about you – but I love the 4th of July! It’s such a fun holiday to spend with family and friends and mine usually revolves around water sports, grilling and fun healthy treats! Below is a workout that I just posted to my Instagram yesterday. I’m staying with family and they have a picnic table/bench that I used to do a quick 20 min HIIT workout! My family also loves to grill – so I wanted to share a couple of my favorite healthy grilling recipes you can use for the 4th! Megan and I also thought this would be the perfect time to do a FLASH SALE with our GET FIT DONE Guide (see below!)

Picnic Bench Workout

Start by finding a picnic bench or table, or you can just use a bench that is at least 1 foot above the ground. The higher the bench/step the harder the workout! Warmup first for about 5 minutes and then do this quick and simple routine. If you want to add on, you can check out my other bench workout here. My Firecracker Workout is also one of my favorite 4th of July workouts that I do at Bombshell Bootcamp!

4th Of July Recipes:

Chopped Greek Salad

This is a great salad recipe that is from my Get Fit Done Guide with my friend Megan! We have tons of other great recipes (this one is from our low-carb week) as well as 4 weeks of amazing workouts, shopping list, meal plans and more! If you have been wanting to try out our guide – NOW IS THE TIME! We are having a FLASH SALE this week only and offering the guide for only $39 (regularly $79)!! You can purchase via Megan’s site and enter in the code FREEDOM39!

Grilled Mexican Street Corn

I follow Rach Parcel and she recently posted her 4th of July Menu. I love to have grilled corn on the 4th and I saw she made grilled Mexican Street Corn for her family. You can do a similar healthy version:

Brush corn with a little olive oil, small amount of butter or cooking spray. Grill on the grill (with husks on or off) for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the kernels are tender when you pierce them. If you want more of a grilled taste – place them closer to the fire/flame. After they are cooked, sprinkle with a little salt, feta (or queso fresco – Mexican cheese), cilantro, lime juice and optional chili powder (or other spicy seasoning mix).

Healthy Family Recipe: Veggie Rainbow Lasagna

I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes from my Get Fit Done Guide with Megan! We created this family-friendly Veggie Rainbow Lasagna as part of our Week 4 Meal Plan (vegetarian week). If you aren’t a fan of vegetarian meals – you can also add optional ground beef, turkey, or even do a veggie protein like tempeh or tofu. *Tip: I found that if I use a small food processor for the beets – it gives the top of the lasagna more of the pretty purple color than if you just grate them.

We have so many more fun recipes like this in our guide! They are all delish and can be made into family friendly or just for 1 or 2! You can purchase the full guide/ebook HERE or just try our special 7-Day Reset HERE.

“Five Questions With Cari Shoemate, Certified Personal Trainer”

I’m so flattered to be featured on my friend Veronika’s blog today as part of her “Five Questions With..” series. I’ve been a subscriber of hers for years and also love all her cute fashion, fitness and family posts on her Instagram account! Check out her blog and be sure to subscribe!

Veronika recently interviewed me and asked me questions about women’s fitness, nutrition and my new Get Fit Done Guide. For the full interview check out Veronika’s blog! 

—–

Today’s “Five Questions With” series features Cari Shoemate, a Houston-based certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, group fitness instructor and yoga instructor. My friend Megan from Honey We’re Home recently collaborated with Cari on a Get Fit Done – Healthy Lifestyle Guide and I wanted to get her insights on fitness and nutrition – especially as a busy mom!

First, a little about Cari: she has taught everything from yoga, step class, boxing and even kids fitness classes at the best gyms and studios in Houston. She has been a regular on TV demonstrating exercises and talking about health and fitness. A few years ago she caught the eye of NBC Universal and ExerciseTV and they asked her to be one of their official trainers (Jillian Michales was an ExerciseTV trainer!) and come to LA to film a DVD: “Long Lean Legs with Cari Shoemate.” She later did many other fitness projects for NBC and E! including leading workouts with President Obama’s personal trainer in NYC. She also regularly writes workouts and provides fitness advice for many major magazines such as Muscle and Fitness Hers, Weight Watchers, Cosmo, Shape and many others. Over the last few years she’s earned the title of one of Houston’s top trainers (Houston Chronicle) and her popular Bombshell Bootcamp was named “Houston’s Best Bootcamp” by Houstonia Magazine. She also trains many former and current NBA and NFL cheerleaders and was the official personal trainer for the Houston Rockets Power Dancers. She is a mom of 2 and enjoys traveling with her family and running in her spare time (she’s done 6 marathons, including 1 ultra marathon!)


What do you think is the biggest obstacle in terms of women starting and being consistent with exercise or a workout program?
Well, I think the main reason women don’t start an exercise program is that they are scared to change and scared to fail. It’s scary to start something new – especially if that means changing yourself (even for the better!) But, you have to remind yourself why you are going to do this (better health, more energy, better sleep, feeling proud of yourself, etc. But, it’s also a challenge to stay motivated once you start. I think the main reason women stop working out is that they aren’t seeing results fast enough. I think if we all saw results faster we would be more motivated to do it consistently. I also think an obstacle is just putting everyone else before you. Sometimes you just have to put yourself first because if you are healthier and in a better mindset – you will be helping those around you just by being a better you!

How is nutrition a component of overall health and wellness? Do you recommend following any specific nutritional plan?
Nutrition is a huge component of health and fitness. It’s true that you “can’t out-train a bad diet.” But, I honestly feel that regardless if you start with your diet or exercise – making changes in either of those will start you off in the right direction and you will see results. But, if you really want to make big changes, you have to combine both – healthy eating and exercise. Changing your diet (or reducing calories, playing with macros, etc.) will just make you a smaller version of your current self. That’s great if you have weight to lose and it’s a good place to start. However, if you really want to change the shape of your body….you have to add strength training (body weight only counts!) On the flip side of that – if you work out really hard, but eat like crap…you aren’t going to see those lean muscles you are sculpting! As far as a diet plans go- I just recommend you eat “clean,” meaning minimal processed foods and focus on fruits, veggies, lean meat, plant protein, etc. There will always be a new diet trend that works great for some people. But it’s just that…a trend. Most of them aren’t great to follow long-term (and can even be detrimental to your health). So, just stick with common sense – less sugar, moderate fat, moderate protein and fill your plate with colors from nature.

How is exercise different after having children? What challenges might women face (or not)?
OMG…it’s totally different. You are no longer a priority (sigh) and are longing for the days when you could workout WHENEVER you freakin’ wanted! Why wasn’t I at the gym all the time?! Haha! So, now you have kids and it’s even harder to think about yourself. But, girl – it has to happen! Not only does working out help you look better, but it makes you FEEL better. I know for me – if I don’t sweat at least once a day I get a little bit on edge! So, I just have to fit it in when I can and sometimes that means a quick 20 minute weight training session in the morning while my husband makes the kids breakfast and then another 20 minutes of jump squats, burpees, etc. while I have dinner in the oven! Get your kids involved if that helps! Sometimes mine “workout” while I do my exercises. For me, it’s all about setting a good example. I want my kids to grow up healthy and strong and know that exercise is great for their body and mind.

How can women starting a new fitness program set realistic goals? What does that look like?
Women are super strong and goal-oriented and I think that when we set our minds to something we are like “ok it’s GO TIME” and go all in. That energy and motivation is great, but it needs to be spread out a little each week! Take things slower than you think they should be and set realistic goals. Sure, it’s more motivating to think if you eat a certain way and exercise a crazy amount you can be your goal weight in just a few weeks! But, that’s not sustainable. Instead, think of yourself as a sculpture you are trying to make smaller, chisel muscles, etc. Each day that you eat healthy and sweat some…you are chiseling off a small amount and getting one step closer to your goal body. You may not notice, but if you do a little each day – you are making progress.

You worked on a fitness guide with Megan of Honey We’re Home – what inspired you all to launch the guide? What has the response been?
Yes! We just launched our Get Fit Done guide! It’s a 128-page detailed ebook/guide that you can download on your phone, computer, etc. or have it printed. We were inspired to create the guide after we got some great feedback from our fitness challenges.

I had been following Megan for a few years and was inspired by her fitness journey and how after having kids she competed in bikini competitions! So, when she started challenging some of her followers to work out more – she asked me to help her with the workouts and meal plans since that is my expertise!

Then, we realized we were really helping women change their lives and we just wanted to take it one step further and create something bigger with more detailed workouts and meal plans. We both worked on it together and Megan tested out all of the workouts and then we both have included some of our favorite recipes and snacks!

It’s great for everyone too because the workouts can be scaled back for beginners and then I also give tips on how to kick it up a notch! We have 4 weeks of workouts and specific meal plans (with grocery shopping lists!) But, each week is a little different – because I know as a trainer people get bored easily and also the best way to get your body to respond is to keep things fresh and mix it up! So, one week is high-protein, one is low-carb and we even have a vegetarian week!

The best part is that it’s also more of a lifestyle guide. It’s not just about working out and eating right – but taking care of yourself. Megan shares a lot of her great tips and also some great printables that can help everyone stay on track and organized! We just launched the plan a few weeks ago and have already gotten great feedback! 

Thank you so much Cari for sharing your insights and expertise with us! If you’d like to try Megan and Cari’s Get Fit Done guide, click here!

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