May 2022 FITNESS AND LIFESTYLE FAVORITES

I’m so excited to share my fitness and lifestyle favorites now that it’s almost June somehow, and that I loved especially during May. I spend most of my time outside of work and testing beauty products training for powerlifting competitions (see my last competition recap here) and am very into fitness and health. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!

HoldOn Compostable Bags (*gifted) – HoldOn bags are heavy duty, plant-based, compostable bags. We are in the process of moving to a new house where we are required to compost as much as possible (which we should’ve been doing anyway), so I was so excited to get these. I love that we can still use trash bags, sandwich bags, and gallon bags like we normally do and not worry about contributing to additional plastic waste. And they work just as well as the plastic version, which is something I would have been worried about. Honestly this wasn’t even something I was thinking about investing in, but I’m so happy we have them!

A7 Bar Grip Tank (*gifted) – This tank is so incredibly comfortable and functional, and I’m beyond excited that I have it now that it’s getting so warm. I love that the bar grip material on the back that I use for bench and low bar squats (it helps you stick to the bench or a bar stick to you) is now on a tank. I get super overheated in the gym, especially in the Spring and Summer, so this has been perfect. It is so worth it, and I can’t wait for more women’s bar grip tanks!

Buff Chick Cinnamon Swirl Buff Whey – I have been loving mixing this protein powder into oatmeal. I have never been able to mix protein powder into oatmeal and have it taste good or have a good texture, but this works! I have used the Buff Chick Birthday Cake and Strawberry Banana as well with no issues! The powder blends in so easily, and there’s no weird texture or aftertaste. It’s such an easy way to have a ton of protein for breakfast or dessert or a snack, and it’s so easy using quick oats in the microwave. And there’s a vegan version too!

Sour Strips – These really are as good as everyone says they are. And if you haven’t heard of them before, they are really high quality sour candy strips that are each about 30 calories. They’re actually sour, the flavors taste like what they say they are, they have really fun seasonal flavors, and are super portable. These are a great intraworkout snack, especially when I’m lifting super heavy, which is most of the time. They now have a permanent home in our gym bag, and I’m so happy we ended up with so many of them when I first fell in love with them last year.

What would you like to see next on LiftBakeLove? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks as always for being here! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

January 2022 Fitness & Lifestyle Favorites

Here are my fitness faves and lifestyle favorites that I wanted to share to kick off February to get everyone excited about working out, being hydrated, and flossing (really!). I spend most of my time outside of work and testing beauty products training for powerlifting competitions (see my last competition recap here) and am very into fitness and health. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new post! Some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

A7 UBag – I’m using a powerlifting specific program where I squat and bench every workout (and deadlift every other workout), so I need a lot of equipment with me in the gym every time I go. I bring my squat shoes, deadlift slippers, belt, liquid chalk, a variety of bands, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and snacks. This all fits so well in the UBag, and I love that there’s a separate pocket for shoes, for small items like chalk and wrist wraps, and for snacks. There’s also room for a water bottle on the side and a laptop sleeve (which I use as another pocket). There’s also a belt loop in the front which is really convenient for easy access to my super bulky belt. One of my favorite things is that it’s super comfy to carry even with how big and heavy it can get with everything I’m carrying. It’s expensive, but tailor made for someone who powerlifts, and I’m so glad I have it.

Glossier Water Bottle – I know this is just a water bottle, and that I’ve written about it before, but this is honestly one of my favorite “fitness” items I got in 2021. If you’re a long-time reader, you know I’m awful at staying hydrated and had once posted about how I regularly have 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of water a day. As a competitive athlete, this is not enough, and it’s been a huge issue for me. The Glossier bottle is the first bottle I’ve had that I’ve used every single day since I got it, and have still used every day since I got, and it’s meant that I’ve had a full 32oz of water without fail every single day. Because I love it, I’ve usually been able to get through 64oz of water a day, which I have never been able to do before. I’ve also still been using this for my daily mix of Gatorade Zero Powder and Buffchick Creatine, and because it’s pretty wide, it’s really easy to clean even mixing so many powders in it every day. I have the special Seattle version you can only get here that holds 32oz (the one on the website is 16oz), so if you’re near a Glossier store, I highly recommend checking it out.

BuffBunny Rosa Bra – This is hands down my favorite sports bra, not just from BuffBunny, but from any brand. They are all made out of their Nubre fabric – the softest, most buttery fabric of all time (really) except for the holo Rosa Bra V2, which is made out of performance material that I also love. They are so comfortable to wear for hours on end, which is important when we have a workout that lasts almost 2 hours and go grocery shopping right after (a very normal occurrence). Even though they are super comfortable, they still provide amazing support and coverage. Because the coverage is almost to the level of a crop top, I have no problems wearing the Rosa Bra without a shirt on top. This style comes back during most of BuffBunny’s launches in different colors, and it’s definitely the sports bra I’d most highly recommend from them.

BuffBunny Rosa Bra V2 in Holographic Black and Rosa Pocket Leggings in Secret Garden Dark Teal
BuffBunny Rosa Sports Bra and Jewel Joggers in Secret Garden Dark Teal

Built Bar Strawberry Puffs – Important context for this one is that I know it’s not everyone’s thing, but I’m a big fan of strawberry marshmallows. We make strawberry marshmallows for the holiday season every year, and they’re one of the only holiday foods I can’t stay away from. So, when I discovered strawberry protein marshmallows, I was beyond excited. And honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would swear these are regular chocolate-covered marshmallows. They’re 17 grams of protein for 130 calories (as a comparison, that’s about 5 marshmallows worth of calories but 17g more protein). I have a bunch of different Built Bar products and flavors now, so let me know if in the comments if you’d like a full run down, especially because it looks like Puffs are currently out of stock.

Cocofloss (affiliate link)- Anyone who’s known me for a long time knows how obsessed I am with Cocofloss, but I wanted to share how much I’ve been loving the Cara Cara Orange and Strawberry flavors. The only reason I floss every day is because of Cocofloss, and these flavors make it even more fun. It reminds me that spring is coming eventually and just makes me happy. If you’re not familiar with Cocofloss, it’s a floss made from recycled water bottles and infused with coconut oil which makes it both sustainable and very effective. I’ve honestly tried to go back to regular floss after using this, and I can tell the difference in how much better it works. I can’t wait to see what flavors they come out with for spring and summer this year!

What would you like to see next on LiftBakeLove? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks as always for being here! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

Buff Chick Supplements Review

6/23/2023 Update – Strawberry Kiwi is the most amazing flavor, and I highly highly recommend it (but I still love Icy Blue Razz too!).

I spend most of my time outside of work and testing beauty products training for powerlifting competitions (see my last competition recap here) and am very into fitness and health. I’ve been using supplements from Buff Chick since they launched and wanted to share my thoughts on everything I’ve tried so far in one post. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!

Only one of each supplement pictured but this is a small subset of my collection!

Buff Pump – This is the product that got me hooked on Buff Chuck, and it’s really amazing. It’s caffeine free, which is great for me since we workout in the evenings. It’s made such a huge difference in my workouts to help me have enough energy to get through them and give them my all. It also has helped me with motivation to go to the gym when I really don’t feel like it, because I will take the pre-workout exactly 30 minutes before we want to go and then then I feel like I need to workout to “not waste it.” Unlike other pre-workouts, this doesn’t make me feel weird, jittery, or shaky. My favorite flavors are the Watermelon and Icy Blue Razz. The Sour Lemon is fine but I don’t think I’ll get it again once I get through my current bottles. I am not a fan of the Cherry Limeade at all – it tastes like sour medicine to me and I’d much rather have the other flavors.

Buff Chick Supplements Creatine – According to the website, studies have demonstrated Creatine supplementation supports strength and power output during intense resistance training. I add this to my Gatorade Zero every day (I use the powder which is much cheaper and no plastic bottles!), and I can confirm that it has absolutely helped my ability to push through heavy lifts and high volume sets way better than I ever have been. It’s $25 for about 3 months worth, which ends up being $100 per year (or less depending on if you can grab it with a 10% off code or other sale). The Icy Blue Razz flavor is also great if you want to drink it by itself and don’t mind paying extra for the flavored version. I actually prefer mixing the unflavored into other things so I’m going to stick with that one for the cost savings, but I’m definitely not sad I have the Icy Blue Razz.

Buff Reds and Buff Greens – I feel so much better after I drink either of these (or both together), and I wish I remembered to drink them more often. They help with my soreness after hard workouts and give me more energy without any caffeine. I’m a big fan of strawberry lemonade and love how the reds taste. I don’t like the taste of the greens as much but it’s still good and totally masks any vegetable flavor. Both mix into water super easily without any grittiness and mix well with each other or with the creatine.

Buff Whey – I am very picky when it comes to protein powder and have generally hated every one I’ve tried for being too powdery, too sweet, not great macros, or some other reasons. But I love Buff Whey – I have the Strawberry Banana and Birthday Cake flavors and am super happy with both of them. I actually make the same smoothie with them – a cup of protein milk, half of a frozen banana, and one scoop of protein powder. The powder blends in so easily, and there’s no weird texture or aftertaste. The smoothie is almost 40 grams of protein for less than 250 calories which are incredible macros, especially given I try to hit around 125g of protein a day. I’m likely going to pick up the Fudge Brownie in their next sale and already have Iced Cappuccino on deck to try once I get through more of the ones I have already.

Do you have any favorite supplements or protein powders? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks as always for being here! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.