Quick Full Body Workout

Hi Everyone!

This is a throwback workout. I filmed this one during my first trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico. I am experiencing a bit of wanderlust, so it seemed like a good workout to share today!

We are filming a new workout, but I wanted to get this one posted for those of you that can’t wait for the new one to go up! For this workout you can use a chair, bench or stability ball for the exercises I do on the chair. You can also complete the exercise while lying on your mat. There is always a way to modify if you don’t have the equipment available to you.

I still like to get in my workouts while I travel. I enjoy doing workouts that are portable and can be done anywhere. In between Undergrad and Grad school I was a Flight Attendant, and it taught me the importance of continuing to workout and staying consistent with your routine.

I hope you enjoy this workout. Check back later for today’s new workout!

Melissa

Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps

For Time: 11 Rounds of 10/50 on your Interval Timer.

1. Low Jump Squat
2. Shoulder Tap Plank
3. Double Kick Back (right)
4. Double Kick Back (left)
5. Side Plank Twist and Lift (right)
6. Side Plank Twist and Lift (left)
7. Goddess Side Crunch
8. Frogger
9. Leg Lift
10. Russian Kick (50 reps)
11. Butt Lift

Repeat 1-3X

Hotel Room Workout for Small Spaces: Quick HIIT Workout

Hi Everyone!

Jesse and I are back from our trip to Mexico. We had an amazing time. The weather was gorgeous the entire time we were there, and we stayed very active.

I will be writing more about our trip, but for today let’s focus on a new workout!

This is a Quick HIIT Workout. All you need is your body, a step (or something sturdy you can step up onto), and your Gymboss Interval Timer. You can repeat this workout to increase the intensity or pair it with a run.

We filmed this workout in our room at the Now Jade in Cancun. I love having workouts that can travel with me! Where have you done Bender Fitness workouts? I would love to see a picture of the places everyone has done a Bender Fitness workout. If you’re on instagram or twitter tag me @BenderFitness with the hashtag #BenderFitness #WorkoutEverywhere

My workout outfit is from www.affitnity.com and Bender Fitness followers always get 15% off of their purchase with the code BenderFitness at checkout.

Have fun! See you later with a new workout!

Melissa

Don’t forget to check in on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to let me know how you’re doing!

Equipment: Gymboss Interval Timer set for 10 rounds of 30/50.

-Cardio
1. Elevated Lunge (right)
-Cardio
2. Elevated Lunge (left)
-Cardio
3. Rotating Side Plank
-Cardio
4. Lateral Step Up (right)
-Cardio
5. Lateral Step Up (left)
-Cardio
6. Decline Push-Up
-Cardio
7. Bulgarian Split Squat (right)
-Cardio
8. Bulgarian Split Squat (left)
-Cardio
9. Plank
-Cardio
10. Deep Squat

Repeat 1-4X

Our Trip to Coba: Climbing Nohoch Mul

Jesse and I ready to climb Nohoch Mul. The tallest Mayan temple in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Hi Everyone,

I already wrote about the first half of our Coba Mayan Adventure tour with Alltournative Tours: Coba Maya Encounter Adventure. You can read my review here: Our Mayan Adventure and see pictures of our amazing experience rappelling, riding ziplines, hiking through the jungle, kayaking, interacting with the Mayan people, and swimming in the beautiful underground cenotes.

The second part of our tour included a trip to Coba, where we were able to explore many ruins, and climb Nohoch Mul. Nohoch Mul is the highest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula. There are 124 steps to get to the top, and the ascent is very steep. There is a thick rope going up the middle of the pyramid to assist climbers in getting to the top.

Our tour with Alltournative included a 45 minute tour at Coba, after which you had time to explore the ruins. I was anxious to explore the ruins and climb Nohoch Mul so we skipped the tour and began exploring. You have three options for getting around Coba, which is covers a large area. You can walk around and explore the ruins, rent a bicycle for 35 pesos (about $3 in American money) or take a “Mexican Limousine,” which is a bicycle with a cart in front of it where you will be carried around the site.

Jesse and I opted for the bike ride, because we thought it would be fun to ride through the jungle. The paths are made of white limestone, and it was a beautiful ride. The limestone limits the growth of the trees, so the height of the jungle has remained the same for many years.

Jesse biking at Coba.

Jesse and I were able to walk straight to the top of Nohoch Mul without taking any rest breaks, and there were people of all ages climbing the pyramid. At the top there was even a group of people meditating at the Temple of the Descending God.

Jesse captured the Mayan Spirit and channeled Sin Cara. 🙂

Jesse at the top. You can see how steep the climb is.

At the top of the pyramid you get to see a view quite similar to what the ancient Mayan priests would have seen. Our tour guide called the view the Green Sea, because as you look out the gorgeous green of the jungle below stretches out in all directions.

At the top of Nohoch Mul.

The view was beautiful.

At the top of the pyramid is the Temple of the Descending God. There were several people sitting around the temple meditating.

Jesse in the doorway of the Temple of the Descending God at the top of Nohoch Mul.

The “Green Sea” stretched out in all directions as you gaze outward from the top of Nohoch Mul. Due to the limestone limiting the height of the trees the view is likely very similar to what the ancient Mayan priests saw over 1500 years ago.

At the top of Nohoch Mul you can see why the view is called the Green Sea.

Jesse contemplating the view.

Descending was more difficult than going up. We spent a long time at the top enjoying the experience and the view, and the site became more crowded. Many people took rest breaks on the way up and down, sitting on the steps. Some people came with their families, and it was wonderful to see three generations experiencing this climb together.

As we descended the pyramid of Nohoch Mul Jesse felt adventurous.

I wanted to do yoga at the top of Nohoch Mul, but it became crowded. I went into Dancer’s Pose as we descended.

You can see how steep and high the steps were. It was a lovely climb to the top.

Tarantula at Nohoch Mul

Keep an eye out for the natural wonders around you. We spotted several lizards, and this tarantula. The spider was about the size of my entire hand.

Jesse taking in Nohoch Mul from the base.

After climbing down Jesse and I took some time to process the experience, and marvel at the opportunity we had to visit a structure that has stood for so long. The sites at Coba are still being excavated and the majority of the structures remain untouched. Modern archaeologists are still discovering much about the Mayan culture that existed at Coba.

If you have a chance to visit and climb Nohoch Mul, I encourage you to seize the moment. It was a beautiful trip, and a wonderful experience. Jesse and I loved remaining active on our trip and learning some of the history of the Mayan people.

Visiting the Mayan ruins was on my Bucket List. I still have more to visit, and I would like to visit Coba again and spend some more time there.

Exploring some of the other ruins at Coba.

Tiki Hut Workout: Riviera Maya, Mexico

Leg/Hip Lift

Dive Bomber

Hi Everyone,

This is another workout that I did while I was in Mexico. I was originally planning on filming on the beach, but it was super bright, and the video was washed out, so we filmed in the archery area at the resort.

We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar, and they had a ton of activities available to keep you active. We competed in the Archery competition. Jesse took first place, and I took fourth place. We got video of that too. I was pretty happy, for my first time shooting!

This is a fun, full body workout. You don’t need any equipment, but you will definitely work up a sweat! This workout will help you tone your abs, butt, legs, and arms.

I hope you enjoy the workout, and you do get to see the view down to the ocean in this video. 🙂
Melissa

Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps

Or complete this as a HIIT workout, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds of rest, and go for max reps. Be sure to keep track!

Repeat 1-3X

1. Burpee
2. Leg/Hip Lift
3. Side Plank Frogger
4. Lunge Kick (right)
5. Lunge Kick (left)
6. Dive Bomber
7. Round Kick (right)
8. Round Kick (left)
9. Hip Press (right)
10. Hip Press (left)

Beach Yoga: Riviera Maya, Mexico

Hi Everyone,

This is a really short yoga flow that I did on the beach. I was walking on the board walk with Jesse, and I just felt the urge to do some yoga. 🙂 I have hours of footage from our trip. I forgot to bring the battery charger for our camera, but I did remember the charger for the video camera.

I actually love that I get to re-live so much of our trip through video.

I hope you guys enjoy this yoga flow. It’s very short, but the location just called to me. I also took a yoga class that was offered by the resort on the beach while I was there. I didn’t film it because I didn’t want to make any of the other class members uncomfortable. That would definitely impact their experience negatively.

Enjoy,
Melissa

Our Mayan Adventure with AllTourNative Tours

Jesse and I in the under ground cave, ready to swim in the Cenote.

Hi Everyone!

Jesse and I returned from Mexico yesterday. We had such an amazing experience I can’t wait to take another trip down there. One of the best parts of our trip was the excursion we took with Alltournative Tours. Click on their name to visit the website. If you are going to Cancun or the Riviera Maya you should do one of their tours.

We booked the Coba Mayan Encounter Adventure. Our tour guide was Danique, and our driver was Paco. They were both fabulous. They were knowledgeable and fun. Danique was able to seamlessly explain each activity in several different languages as our group consisted of individuals from the USA, Montreal, Belgium, and Germany.

The tour included rappelling into a cenote, riding zip lines through the jungle, swimming in a cenote, participating in a Mayan purification ceremony, and eating a lunch prepared by some of the Mayan people. We ended with a trip to Coba, and climbed Nohoch Mul, the tallest ruin in the Yucutan Penninsula, and one of the few that remain open to the public.

Zip Line over the Jungle.

If you love staying active, and exploring on your vacation this would be the perfect trip for you. I am going to share the different aspects of our tour experience.

Entering the Cave to swim in the Cenote.

Cave to the Cenote

Jesse and I both agreed that the best part of our trip was entering and swimming in a Cenote. This was an amazing experience, and on a future trip we would like to explore more cenotes. The photo above was the cave entrance into the cenote. The entrance was very narrow, but as you can see in the photo it opened up to a staircase.

Jesse heading into the cave

The water of the cenote was gorgeous and clear. We kayaked and hiked through the jungle to get to the cenote, and the water was refreshingly cool. We showered before entering the cave, to prevent contamination of the water with sunscreen and insect repellent.

Jesse did a flip into the crystal waters of the Cenote.

I danced into the Cenote.

In the Cenote. The water was amazing and clear.

Jesse underwater swimming in the Cenote.

I definitely recommend bringing an underwater camera on your trip. You can see how amazing the water was. The water was deep, but you could clearly see down to the very bottom.

Prior to entering the cenote we participated in a Mayan Purification Ritual. The ceremony was beautiful, and hearing the Mayan language was an experience in it’s self. Danique was able to explain the ritual, and some of the beliefs of the Mayan culture. After swimming in the cave we returned to the Mayan Village and ate a delicious feast prepared by the Mayan people. The food included: vegetable soup, black beans, rice, spaghetti, empanadas, chicken, tortillas, hibiscus tea, and a yummy juice. I was so busy eating the delicious food that I forgot to take pictures!

Kayaking through the jungle to get to the Cenote. Later we ziplined over this area.

Another highlight of our tour was rappelling down into the Cenote of Life. Some of the members of our tour group were very nervous, but everyone conquered their fears, and lowered themselves down into the cenote.

Rappelling down into the Cenote of Life.

Jesse Rappelled like a Pro.

We also zip lined over the jungle. Flying through the air, in such a beautiful location was a lot of fun. Plus, it was a stepping stone to convincing Jesse to go sky diving with me. 😉

Ready to ride the Zip Line.

After lunch we took a short drive from the Mayan Village to the ruins of Coba. Coba is an experience in it’s self and I could have easily spent an entire day there exploring the ruins. I am going to make a separate post about the Coba portion of our trip.

Overall, this was an amazing experience of a lifetime. If you go to Mexico please take the time to visit some of the Cenotes. You will not regret it! Alltournative was great, and I loved that they have partnered with the Mayan people. This partnership helps preserve the Mayan culture, and allows people an opportunity to work while remaining a part of the culture they grew up in. The Mayan people clearly take pride in their culture, and seemed happy to share it with us. Together they are embracing a sustainable approach to eco-tourism. Too often as expansion occurs native people, and cultures are lost to “progress and development.”
It was wonderful to be able to experience parts of the Mayan culture, while supporting it’s people. Jesse and I both agree that this was a 5 Star experience. I would love to take another of their tours in the future.

Don’t forget, creating a healthy lifestyle means staying active, and pursing things that make you happy. So go out and try something new and exciting. It can be something in your own area, but try to expand your experience of the world around you. We live in an amazing world. 🙂

Melissa

Hotel Room Workout in the Riviera Maya

Hi Everyone!

I am back from Mexico. It feels weird to be wearing jeans instead of a bikini! I miss Mexico already, and I haven’t even been back for 24 hours.

I will be posting more about our trip, but here is one of the workouts I did while we were there. I did this one in our room at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar. I am a firm believer that you should be able to workout anywhere, whether you have a lot of equipment or not. I am sure you guys knew that already, but it was fun to workout in some new locations.

There are more videos to come!

Enjoy the workout,

Melissa

Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps

Repeat 1-3X

1. Low Jump Squat
2. Shoulder Tap Plank
3. Double Kick Back (right)
4. Double Kick Back (left)
5. Side Plank Twist and Lift (right)
6. Side Plank Twist and Lift (left)
7. Goddess Side Crunch
8. Frogger
9. Leg Lift
10. Russian Kick (50 reps)
11. Butt Lift