Classic at-home barre workout You can do this classic barre workout at home, or anywhere! All you need is a pair of light dumbbells and sturdy piece of furniture to hold onto for balance. Hey hey friends! How’s the week treating ya? I hope you’re having a great one. The girls and I are having a blast now that they’re officially out of school. We’ve been hitting up the splash pad, playing in the rain, doing arts and crafts, watching movies, and baking. It’s pretty much the best ever. I’ve just been enjoying having them home, and workout-wise, I’ve been sneaking it in when I can. Sometimes if the Pilot is home, I can escape for a Heart Rize class or to the gym for a Lean Machine workout. Sometimes, I’ll sneak into the garage for a quick strength or spin workout, or into our bedroom for a streaming dance or barre workout. Liv usually has “quiet time” while P is napping, so if she’s watching a movie or reading, I can catch a quick workout at home. After all this time, I still love barre workouts and look forward to them every week. They challenge your muscles in an entirely different way, work the often-neglected muscle groups (oh hey, adductors), and from a vanity standpoint, my legs look leaner when I add barre into the mix. My favorite barre workouts tend to be a more traditional mix of endurance work with HIIT intervals. We’re kicking it old school with this classic barre workout! Here’s an at-home barre workout I put together for ya. Here’s what the workout looks like: Barre workout form cues and tips: Curtsy lunge and pulse: Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a curtsy lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and the back foot has the heel raised off the floor. Plie squat to overhead press: Stand with a super wide stance, toes turned out, holding a pair of dumbbells. Keep your chest lifted and your weight in your heels as you sink down and endeavor to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees extend towards your toes, but not past them. As your rise, press the dumbbells overhead, then lower back down and repeat. Press back to Figure 4: Bring both hands onto the barre or sturdy furniture and come into a flat back position. Squat your hips to the floor and press your leading leg behind you. Come forward, bringing your torso upright (abs tight) and cross the leg over your standing leg into a figure 4. Make sure to bend the standing leg. Repeat. Deli slicer: Bend your leading leg into your chest, engaging your core and bringing that same elbow towards your leg. As you extend your leg behind you, come into a deep bend with the standing leg and extending your arm overhead. Low pulsing lunge to front raise: Step back into a low lunge with legs making 90 degree angles, core tight, and shoulders down and back. As you pulse your lunge, complete a front raise, lifting your lift dumbbells up to shoulder height and lowering with control. Low pulsing lunge and weighted twist: Hold your low lunge and cross your weights at your chest. As you pulse your lunge, twist towards your front knee making tiny twists and continuing to take deep breaths. Plie squat with weights criss cross: Hold your light dumbbells and come into your low plie squat. Cross the weights in front of your torso, keeping your abs engaged, shoulders down, and biceps squeezing. Lying clamshell to leg extension: Start on your side and rest on your elbow, or all the way onto the floor. Keep your knees bent, and squeeze your glutes to open your knees. Lower down with control, then exhale to open as far as you possibly can. Complete 10 full clamshells, 10 pulses at the top, then extend your leg (pointing your toes) and pulse at the top 10 times. Please let me know if you give it a try! What’s your favorite part of your weekly workout routine? xo Gina Photos: Lindsay Colson Wearing: Victoria’s Secret top (<— on sale right now) + Zella leggings More of my favorite barre workouts are here. For a personalized workout plan for your goals and preferences, check out the Fitnessista Fit Guides here. The post Classic at-home barre workout appeared first on The Fitnessista.

You can do this classic barre workout at home, or anywhere! All you need is a pair of light dumbbells and sturdy piece of furniture to hold onto for balance.

Hey hey friends! How’s the week treating ya? I hope you’re having a great one. The girls and I are having a blast now that they’re officially out of school. We’ve been hitting up the splash pad, playing in the rain, doing arts and crafts, watching movies, and baking. It’s pretty much the best ever. I’ve just been enjoying having them home, and workout-wise, I’ve been sneaking it in when I can. Sometimes if the Pilot is home, I can escape for a Heart Rize class or to the gym for a Lean Machine workout. Sometimes, I’ll sneak into the garage for a quick strength or spin workout, or into our bedroom for a streaming dance or barre workout. Liv usually has “quiet time” while P is napping, so if she’s watching a movie or reading, I can catch a quick workout at home.

After all this time, I still love barre workouts and look forward to them every week. They challenge your muscles in an entirely different way, work the often-neglected muscle groups (oh hey, adductors), and from a vanity standpoint, my legs look leaner when I add barre into the mix. My favorite barre workouts tend to be a more traditional mix of endurance work with HIIT intervals. We’re kicking it old school with this classic barre workout!

Here’s an at-home barre workout I put together for ya.

Here’s what the workout looks like:

Barre workout form cues and tips:

Curtsy lunge and pulse: Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a curtsy lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and the back foot has the heel raised off the floor.

Plie squat to overhead press: Stand with a super wide stance, toes turned out, holding a pair of dumbbells. Keep your chest lifted and your weight in your heels as you sink down and endeavor to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees extend towards your toes, but not past them. As your rise, press the dumbbells overhead, then lower back down and repeat.

Press back to Figure 4: Bring both hands onto the barre or sturdy furniture and come into a flat back position. Squat your hips to the floor and press your leading leg behind you. Come forward, bringing your torso upright (abs tight) and cross the leg over your standing leg into a figure 4. Make sure to bend the standing leg. Repeat.

Deli slicer: Bend your leading leg into your chest, engaging your core and bringing that same elbow towards your leg. As you extend your leg behind you, come into a deep bend with the standing leg and extending your arm overhead.

Low pulsing lunge to front raise: Step back into a low lunge with legs making 90 degree angles, core tight, and shoulders down and back. As you pulse your lunge, complete a front raise, lifting your lift dumbbells up to shoulder height and lowering with control.

Low pulsing lunge and weighted twist: Hold your low lunge and cross your weights at your chest. As you pulse your lunge, twist towards your front knee making tiny twists and continuing to take deep breaths.

Plie squat with weights criss cross: Hold your light dumbbells and come into your low plie squat. Cross the weights in front of your torso, keeping your abs engaged, shoulders down, and biceps squeezing.

Lying clamshell to leg extension: Start on your side and rest on your elbow, or all the way onto the floor. Keep your knees bent, and squeeze your glutes to open your knees. Lower down with control, then exhale to open as far as you possibly can. Complete 10 full clamshells, 10 pulses at the top, then extend your leg (pointing your toes) and pulse at the top 10 times.

Please let me know if you give it a try! What’s your favorite part of your weekly workout routine?

Gina

Photos: Lindsay Colson

Wearing: Victoria’s Secret top (<— on sale right now) + Zella leggings

More of my favorite barre workouts are here.

For a personalized workout plan for your goals and preferences, check out the Fitnessista Fit Guides here.

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Faves from the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale Hey hey! Happy Wednesday! I hope your morning is going well. The girls and I are heading to the pool, and I’m looking forward to catching a lean machine workout at the gym later today. Even though I’m only wrapping up a month on the plan, I definitely feel stronger and more energized. I’ve also been focusing on more balanced eating – when the Pilot was gone, and I was super stressed with the health stuff, I skipped some meals and then for quick energy, I ate a lot of chocolate-covered pecans – and definitely notice a difference in how I feel. Today, I wanted to share some of my faves from the Nordstrom half-yearly sale! They have SO many amazing things that are marked down up to 40% off this week.. Here are my top picks from the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale Clothing: I have 4 of these shirts, and they’re only $27.90 right now. They’re the perfect shirt when you still want to look put-together but are in a rush. I just throw one on with jeans or leggings and toss my hair into a messy bun. This knit maxi dress is perfect for summer parties + you can dress it up or down. My friends Lee and Julie both LOVE this dress, and it’s only $34 right now. This Leith tank dress. The gingham in this shirt is so fresh for spring/summer. I mentioned this in last week’s Friday Faves, but this is my fave one-piece. It’s subtly sexy, and the fit is super flattering. (When I first bought it, I had read to size up for swimsuits, but I find that this one is more true to size. I bought my regular size + one size up, and my regular size is the one that fit.) Amazing price for these AG jeans. Obsessed with everything about this dress, but wish the deal was a little sweeter. Athletic wear: Zella Good Sport High Waist Midi Leggings This zip-front hoodie for to and from the studio. This cute and comfy sports bra. Handbags and accessories: The Marc Jacobs backpack is amazing. This lulu pendant necklace would make a great gift and is 50% off. This rose gold tote is 40% off! A fun tasseled necklace for $22.80. A dressy little crossbody for all seasons. Shoes: Slip-on sneakers that will match anything. Pink short Hunter boots. Love the silver for everyday sandals. I’ve been living in my Supergas with shorts and dresses. These wedges look insanely comfortable. For the kiddos: I think I found Liv’s new favorite suit. The cutest vintage-style dress. Soft balloon animal jammies. A casual cold-shoulder top. Jean shorts with heart pockets! This unicorn two-piece rash guard. Did you shop the half-yearly sale? Any awesome finds? Where do you usually shop online? xo Gina *this post isn’t sponsored in any wa, but does include affiliate links. These links have zero impact on purchase price and enable me to earn a small kickback that I use to keep this little blog running. Thank you so much for your support! <3 The post Faves from the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Hey hey! Happy Wednesday! I hope your morning is going well. The girls and I are heading to the pool, and I’m looking forward to catching a lean machine workout at the gym later today. Even though I’m only wrapping up a month on the plan, I definitely feel stronger and more energized. I’ve also been focusing on more balanced eating – when the Pilot was gone, and I was super stressed with the health stuff, I skipped some meals and then for quick energy, I ate a lot of chocolate-covered pecans – and definitely notice a difference in how I feel.

Today, I wanted to share some of my faves from the Nordstrom half-yearly sale! They have SO many amazing things that are marked down up to 40% off this week..

Here are my top picks from the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale

Clothing:

I have 4 of these shirts, and they’re only $27.90 right now. They’re the perfect shirt when you still want to look put-together but are in a rush. I just throw one on with jeans or leggings and toss my hair into a messy bun.

This knit maxi dress is perfect for summer parties + you can dress it up or down.

My friends Lee and Julie both LOVE this dress, and it’s only $34 right now.

This Leith tank dress.

The gingham in this shirt is so fresh for spring/summer.

I mentioned this in last week’s Friday Faves, but this is my fave one-piece. It’s subtly sexy, and the fit is super flattering. (When I first bought it, I had read to size up for swimsuits, but I find that this one is more true to size. I bought my regular size + one size up, and my regular size is the one that fit.)

Amazing price for these AG jeans.

Obsessed with everything about this dress, but wish the deal was a little sweeter.

Athletic wear:

Zella Good Sport High Waist Midi Leggings

This zip-front hoodie for to and from the studio.

This cute and comfy sports bra.

Handbags and accessories:

The Marc Jacobs backpack is amazing.

This lulu pendant necklace would make a great gift and is 50% off.

This rose gold tote is 40% off!

A fun tasseled necklace for $22.80.

A dressy little crossbody for all seasons.

Shoes:

Slip-on sneakers that will match anything.

Pink short Hunter boots.

Love the silver for everyday sandals.

I’ve been living in my Supergas with shorts and dresses.

These wedges look insanely comfortable.

For the kiddos:

I think I found Liv’s new favorite suit.

The cutest vintage-style dress.

Soft balloon animal jammies.

A casual cold-shoulder top.

Jean shorts with heart pockets!

This unicorn two-piece rash guard.

Did you shop the half-yearly sale? Any awesome finds? Where do you usually shop online?

Gina

*this post isn’t sponsored in any wa, but does include affiliate links. These links have zero impact on purchase price and enable me to earn a small kickback that I use to keep this little blog running. Thank you so much for your support! <3

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Beach, please Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful long weekend. We got to enjoy lots of time together as a fam, crush our to-do list (we’re majorly purging and spring cleaning right now), and escape to the beach! The fun started Friday morning. I had already asked a babysitter to come over for a few hours so I could get a little work done, but then I remembered that the Pilot was OFF WORK. So, we started the day with a Heart Rize class. It was total body and included a 1-mile challenge run on the Skillmills, so it crushed us in the best way possible. Some of our friends were also in the class, and it’s always fun to see everyone and get an awesome workout. It was his first time taking a class, and he loved it! He also dominated the 1-mile run. On the Skillmills, everything feels more challenging since you have to move the belt with your own strength. (AKA you don’t press “on” and the belt automatically starts moving.) For endurance type work this can be really tricky because if you move too fast, the belt will easily go above a speed you’d want to maintain for very long. You have to be strategic about pacing yourself. We were both drenched in sweat when we left, and then went over to Birdie’s for a quick snack and work blitz. The Pilot and I often have “nerd dates.” We spend most of the time working with our computers out, but it’s nice to be together at least. We came home to the girls, who were outside blowing bubbles and running around, and changed them into their swimsuits so we could hit up the splash pad. We got gas station tacos for lunch, and then came home to relax for a while. Since we had lunch so late in the day, we skipped straight to dessert and headed out for Hawaiian ice in the rain. There’s a place downtown called Snopocalypse that has AMAZING snow cones. The ice is extremely fine (the best!), and they have 100+ flavors and use only cane sugar to sweeten them. They’re also packed with food dyes, but YOLO. We’ll definitely be back. Friday night, the power went out from the storm, so we lit candles and lanterns and cuddled up on the couch to listen to “Little House in the Big Woods” on Audible until the girls fell asleep. We were all completely intrigued by the story and are excited to keep listening to it this week. The Pilot and I stayed up watching Shameless on the iPad until the power came back. Saturday morning, we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. 5 stars for their oatmeal… it’s this ridiculous apple pie oatmeal combo. So good! (I also had a side of scrambled eggs with it.) We spent the day playing outside with the girls, doing chores, purging all of the kitchen pantry items and the dishes we no longer want to keep, and it felt amazing. The Pilot grilled burgers for dinner, and we packed up for a little Jacksonville trip! This was our last trip to Jacksonville for a while, so we definitely made the most of it. Even the dogs got to join in the fun. (Our favorite boarding facility was booked for the long weekend, so since One Ocean is pet-friendly, we packed up the pups to bring them with us.) Some pics from the adventures: We <3 room service Heading out for post-swim jumping at the trampoline park and dinner Watching Star Wars for the first time ever and… I just couldn’t get into it Of course, our trip wasn’t complete without a trip to Trader Joe’s for allthecheeses for our next girl’s night party here at the house. I hope you enjoyed the weekend, too! What was your favorite part? xo Gina The post Beach, please appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful long weekend. We got to enjoy lots of time together as a fam, crush our to-do list (we’re majorly purging and spring cleaning right now), and escape to the beach!

The fun started Friday morning. I had already asked a babysitter to come over for a few hours so I could get a little work done, but then I remembered that the Pilot was OFF WORK. So, we started the day with a Heart Rize class.

It was total body and included a 1-mile challenge run on the Skillmills, so it crushed us in the best way possible. Some of our friends were also in the class, and it’s always fun to see everyone and get an awesome workout. It was his first time taking a class, and he loved it! He also dominated the 1-mile run. On the Skillmills, everything feels more challenging since you have to move the belt with your own strength. (AKA you don’t press “on” and the belt automatically starts moving.) For endurance type work this can be really tricky because if you move too fast, the belt will easily go above a speed you’d want to maintain for very long. You have to be strategic about pacing yourself.

We were both drenched in sweat when we left, and then went over to Birdie’s for a quick snack and work blitz.

The Pilot and I often have “nerd dates.” We spend most of the time working with our computers out, but it’s nice to be together at least.

We came home to the girls, who were outside blowing bubbles and running around, and changed them into their swimsuits so we could hit up the splash pad.

We got gas station tacos for lunch, and then came home to relax for a while. Since we had lunch so late in the day, we skipped straight to dessert and headed out for Hawaiian ice in the rain. There’s a place downtown called Snopocalypse that has AMAZING snow cones. The ice is extremely fine (the best!), and they have 100+ flavors and use only cane sugar to sweeten them. They’re also packed with food dyes, but YOLO. We’ll definitely be back.

Friday night, the power went out from the storm, so we lit candles and lanterns and cuddled up on the couch to listen to “Little House in the Big Woods” on Audible until the girls fell asleep. We were all completely intrigued by the story and are excited to keep listening to it this week. The Pilot and I stayed up watching Shameless on the iPad until the power came back.

Saturday morning, we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. 5 stars for their oatmeal… it’s this ridiculous apple pie oatmeal combo. So good!

(I also had a side of scrambled eggs with it.)

We spent the day playing outside with the girls, doing chores, purging all of the kitchen pantry items and the dishes we no longer want to keep, and it felt amazing. The Pilot grilled burgers for dinner, and we packed up for a little Jacksonville trip!

This was our last trip to Jacksonville for a while, so we definitely made the most of it.

Even the dogs got to join in the fun.

(Our favorite boarding facility was booked for the long weekend, so since One Ocean is pet-friendly, we packed up the pups to bring them with us.)

Some pics from the adventures:

We <3 room service

Heading out for post-swim jumping at the trampoline park and dinner

Watching Star Wars for the first time ever and… I just couldn’t get into it

Of course, our trip wasn’t complete without a trip to Trader Joe’s for allthecheeses for our next girl’s night party here at the house.

I hope you enjoyed the weekend, too! What was your favorite part?

xo
Gina

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Basil Ricotta Toast with Garlicky Charred Tomatoes and Squash + Weekly Menu

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Friday Faves Hi friends! The weekend is heeeeere. I’d love to hear what you’re up to! I’m excited for the long weekend with the fam and the chance to head to the beach. I’m ready to splash in the waves with the girls and drink a margarita with the Pilot. Are you staying in town or heading out for a roadtrip or vacay this weekend? In standard Friday fashion, here are some faves from the week and around the web. I always love to hear what you’re enjoying, too, so please shout out your faves in the comments below. (pic from Livi’s kindergarten graduation. I only cried a little.) Fashion + Beauty: Beautycounter is having an awesome free gift promo! Spend $125+ and get a body butter or travel-sized cleansing balm for free. The cleansing balm is one of my all-time favorite products – it removes makeup beautifully and you can leave a thin layer on overnight for a moisturizing mask – and the little travel-sized jar lasts forever. Check out all of the goodies here! (If you need help picking out products, I highly recommend the charcoal mask, the rejuvenating serum, the dew skin, and the lip glosses.) (If you sign up for Band of Beauty, you get an even sweeter deal with 15% product credit back and a free full-sized sugar body scrub. Let me know if you have any questions!) My fave one-piece is ON SALE. I lived in this suit last summer! It’s sexy without being over-the-top and is super flattering. Good reads + random: I’m currently listening to Big Magic on Audible and am enjoying it even more than I expected. I found that fiction books don’t usually translate as well for me on the audio version – for some reason, I prefer reading the pages myself – but for nonfiction, audio tends to win. This is also because I usually read real books before bed and if the subject matter depends on using my brain too much, I fall asleep. My brain power seems to dwindle as the day goes on. Anyway, I highly recommend it and like listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s voice. I feel like I need a Shameless support group. We’re only on Season 3 and just when we think there’s NO WAY something crazier can happen, it totally does. This is where I put on my sleep mask and say “goodnight.” A simple checklist for the day. Fitness: A lower body Tabata superset. Let’s all get up and dance with our favorite guy. A circuit that will leave your legs on fiiiiire. Food: Reunited with our beloved sourdough. Last year up until this winter, we were enjoying homemade sourdough (Jen’s recipe!) at least once a week. I’d slice it up, freeze whatever was left (sometimes it wasn’t much) and enjoy it with my daily egg scramble in the morning, or in the afternoon with butter. The girls are obsessed with it, and between the 3 of us, we’ll easily demolish a loaf within a day or two. Sometime this winter when we were out of town, I unintentionally killed my starter. I left it on the counter so I’d remember to feed it, and when we returned, it was a nasty mess. It was destined for the trash can, and I didn’t order another one since we’d be traveling a lot this summer. When Liv was talking about homemade bread in her Mother’s Day card (she said she loves when we bake bread together), I ordered new starter that night. And now it’s back in our lives and everything feels right in the world again. These tacos are happening ASAP. Can’t wait to try this spin on chia pudding. Blast from the past: why I love collagen so much. Memorial Day sales! So many awesome sales this weekend. Hands in the air if you’re wearing your shopping pants. (I feel like I never take them off haha.) Here are some fave finds: J. Crew 40% off with code GETAWAY. About a month ago, I ordered this swimsuit in red and love it. It’s in a bold, bright color and fits really well. Also obsessed with this tunic, this racerback dress, and this button-front dress. Express everything up to 50% off. Love this gingham off-shoulder top, this floral romper, and this striped midi. This dress is less than $50 right now: Old Navy: so many different deals off tees, tanks, dresses, and swim. gap up to 50% off everything + extra 20% online. WHAT. I’m definitely going to order some summer play clothes for the kiddos. Crate and Barrel: up to 40% off outdoor furniture. Banana Republic is 40% off + free 3-5 day shipping with orders over $100. Code: BRSHIP Kate Spade extra 30% off sale with code GREATFIND Madewell 20% off dresses with code PRETTYPLEASE. This one is my fave! Nordstrom half-yearly sale is here! I’ll be sharing some of my top picks next week, but in the meantime, here’s the link for amazing shoes, activewear, and accessories all on sale. Happy Friday, friends. I’ll be taking some off time from the blog for the long weekend, but will be back here on Tuesday. Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! xo Gina The post Friday Faves appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Hi friends! The weekend is heeeeere. I’d love to hear what you’re up to! I’m excited for the long weekend with the fam and the chance to head to the beach. I’m ready to splash in the waves with the girls and drink a margarita with the Pilot. Are you staying in town or heading out for a roadtrip or vacay this weekend?

In standard Friday fashion, here are some faves from the week and around the web. I always love to hear what you’re enjoying, too, so please shout out your faves in the comments below.

(pic from Livi’s kindergarten graduation. I only cried a little.)

Fashion + Beauty:

Beautycounter is having an awesome free gift promo! Spend $125+ and get a body butter or travel-sized cleansing balm for free. The cleansing balm is one of my all-time favorite products – it removes makeup beautifully and you can leave a thin layer on overnight for a moisturizing mask – and the little travel-sized jar lasts forever. Check out all of the goodies here! (If you need help picking out products, I highly recommend the charcoal mask, the rejuvenating serum, the dew skin, and the lip glosses.)

(If you sign up for Band of Beauty, you get an even sweeter deal with 15% product credit back and a free full-sized sugar body scrub. Let me know if you have any questions!)

My fave one-piece is ON SALE. I lived in this suit last summer! It’s sexy without being over-the-top and is super flattering.

Good reads + random:

I’m currently listening to Big Magic on Audible and am enjoying it even more than I expected. I found that fiction books don’t usually translate as well for me on the audio version – for some reason, I prefer reading the pages myself – but for nonfiction, audio tends to win. This is also because I usually read *real* books before bed and if the subject matter depends on using my brain too much, I fall asleep. My brain power seems to dwindle as the day goes on.

Anyway, I highly recommend it and like listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s voice.

I feel like I need a Shameless support group. We’re only on Season 3 and just when we think there’s NO WAY something crazier can happen, it totally does.

This is where I put on my sleep mask and say “goodnight.”

A simple checklist for the day.

Fitness:

A lower body Tabata superset.

Let’s all get up and dance with our favorite guy.

A circuit that will leave your legs on fiiiiire.

Food:

Reunited with our beloved sourdough. Last year up until this winter, we were enjoying homemade sourdough (Jen’s recipe!) at least once a week. I’d slice it up, freeze whatever was left (sometimes it wasn’t much) and enjoy it with my daily egg scramble in the morning, or in the afternoon with butter. The girls are obsessed with it, and between the 3 of us, we’ll easily demolish a loaf within a day or two.

Sometime this winter when we were out of town, I unintentionally killed my starter. I left it on the counter so I’d remember to feed it, and when we returned, it was a nasty mess. It was destined for the trash can, and I didn’t order another one since we’d be traveling a lot this summer. When Liv was talking about homemade bread in her Mother’s Day card (she said she loves when we bake bread together), I ordered new starter that night. And now it’s back in our lives and everything feels right in the world again.

These tacos are happening ASAP.

Can’t wait to try this spin on chia pudding.

Blast from the past: why I love collagen so much.

Memorial Day sales!

So many awesome sales this weekend. Hands in the air if you’re wearing your shopping pants. (I feel like I never take them off haha.)

Here are some fave finds:

J. Crew 40% off with code GETAWAY. About a month ago, I ordered this swimsuit in red and love it. It’s in a bold, bright color and fits really well. Also obsessed with this tunic, this racerback dress, and this button-front dress.

Express everything up to 50% off. Love this gingham off-shoulder top, this floral romper, and this striped midi.

This dress is less than $50 right now:

Old Navy: so many different deals off tees, tanks, dresses, and swim.

gap up to 50% off everything + extra 20% online. WHAT. I’m definitely going to order some summer play clothes for the kiddos.

Crate and Barrel: up to 40% off outdoor furniture.

Banana Republic is 40% off + free 3-5 day shipping with orders over $100. Code: BRSHIP

Kate Spade extra 30% off sale with code GREATFIND

Madewell 20% off dresses with code PRETTYPLEASE. This one is my fave!

Nordstrom half-yearly sale is here! I’ll be sharing some of my top picks next week, but in the meantime, here’s the link for amazing shoes, activewear, and accessories all on sale.

Happy Friday, friends. I’ll be taking some off time from the blog for the long weekend, but will be back here on Tuesday.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

Gina

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What if we did 100 squats everyday for a month?

What would happen if we did 100 squats everyday for 30 days? Well, let’s find out! On June 1st, I am going to begin doing 100 squats EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. And I’m gonna do it live on Instagram @blogilates at 9AM PST DAILY until June 30th! Wanna do it with me? Let’s take the #100SquatChallenge!!!

Everyday we will be doing a new variation of a squat. Here they all are!

1. Basic squat
2. Narrow squat
3. Plie squat
4. Releve squat pulse
5. Figure 4 squat
6. Single legged squat
7. Split Squat
8. Single releve plie squat
9. Goblet squat
10. Double releve plie squat
11. Lateral squat
12. Bulgarian Squat
13. Chair squats
14. Jump squats
15. Pretzel squat
16. In n Out Squats
17. Curtsy Squat
18. Basic squat pulses
19. Narrow squat pulses
20. Plie squat pulses
21. Squat Step Backs
22. Split Squat Pulses
23. Single Legged Chair Squats
24. Push Peddler Squat
25. Galloping Wall Squat
26. Side Tap Squat
27. Staggered Squat
28. Squat Lunges
29. Kick back squat
30. Knee Get Up Squat

Also! If you join in, you’ll be entered to win one of FIVE $100 gift cards to POPFLEX! All you have to do is post a photo on June 30 on IG and talk about what gains you got from the #100squatchallenge experience! You can be from any country, any age. Just make sure your profile is public and you are hashtagging your pic, or else I can’t see it! The winners will be picked randomly!

Watch this video for all the deets!

Good luck! Let’s see what these 100 daily squats do to our booty gains and our strength gains! Comment below if you’re in!

The post What if we did 100 squats everyday for a month? appeared first on Blogilates.

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Total body workout with 1 dumbbell This is a workout you can do with a single dumbbell! It’s perfect for those times when you can only find one dumbbell, but still want to get a great sweat. Hi friends! How are ya? Liv graduates from kindergarten today, so I’ll probably be a weepy emotional mess. They say it happens fast. They don’t lie. After her ceremony, I’m excited to spend the morning celebrating with her. I’m also enjoying a much-needed off day after crushing this week’s Lean Machine workouts in addition to 2 Heart Rize fitness classes. I’d love to hear what you have going on! For today, I have an all-new workout for ya! This is for a problem that I commonly have…so I’m interested to hear if this ever happens to you, too. We have quite a few pairs of dumbbells around the house, but I feel like very often, I can only find one in a set. This is also probably because I have rogue dumbbells rolling around the trunk of my car from shooting workout pics with Lindsay. Sometimes when I can only find one dumbbell, it inspires me to think out of the box. It also encourages me to do more unilateral strength training work! Why is unilateral training important? When we do both sides of an exercise at once, either using a machine, dumbbells, TRX, or barbell, it’s much easier for us to cheat and let the dominant side take over. For this reason, it can encourage muscle imbalances and altered movement patterns from depending on the stronger muscle. By training each side, one at a time, it enables us to really focus on that side, using proper form, and encourage balance on both sides. Here’s a workout I put together using only 1 dumbbell! It’s a total body workout you can do anywhere. (Tank // leggings // sneakers) Here’s what it looks like: Exercises and form cues: -Weighted lunge: Take one huge step forward, and keep your feet in line with your hips. Try to keep your torso perpendicular to the floor as you sink down into your lunge. As you lunge, watch the front knee to make sure it stays stacked above the front ankle. As you rise, actively think about trying to squeeze your legs together. -Low lunge pass: Take one huge step forward, and keep your feet in line with your hips. Try to keep your torso perpendicular to the floor as you sink down into your lunge. As you lunge, watch the front knee to make sure it stays stacked above the front ankle. Hold this low lunge as you pass the weight around your front leg (either at the thigh or down towards the shin, but watch your chest and core). Pass the weight under 10 times. As you rise, actively think about trying to squeeze your legs together. -Curtsy lunge to plie squat: Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a curtsy lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and the back foot has the heel raised off the floor. Then step the back foot forward and out wide for a plié squat. As you sink down, keep your chest lifted and endeavor to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees extend towards your toes but not past your toes. -Double plie squat jump: Get into a plie squat position (feet wide and booty LOW), and pulse twice. Touch the floor. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. Powering through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Repeat. For even more intensity: hold a dumbbell at your chest. -1-leg dumbbell reach: Hold one dumbbell in both hands, and stand with one leg behind the opposite leg. Tilt forward and lift the back leg off the floor, reaching the dumbbell overhead (slight bend in the elbows). Try to keep your hips parallel to the floor. Return to standing. -Squat with knee twist: Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower, exhale to rise. Make sure that your knees go towards your toes, but not far past your toes. Push into your heels as you rise, then bend one knee to lift the leg and twist towards it. Lower leg and repeat. -Hamstring curls: Lie on your stomach and place one dumbbell in between your feet. Place your head on your hands, and keep your spine straight. Exhale to squeeze your glutes and bend your knees, lifting the dumbbell. Lower down with control to repeat. -Woodchop: Start with you legs hip width apart, knees bent. Hold the dumbbell to the outside of your left leg. Lift the dumbbell diagonally across your body, pivoting on your left foot and twisting your torso, ending with arms raised to the right. Control the movement as you go back to start and repeat 10x on each side. -Overhead side bend: Hold one dumbbell in both hands, and stand with your feet a little farther than hip-distance apart. Keep your chest lifted and core tight as you tilt your torso to one side. Exhale to use your obliques and return to upright position. Repeat on the opposite side. Please let me know if you give it a try! See ya soon. xo Gina In the photos above, I’m wearing my fave new leggings + this super lightweight tank from Zella. They’re both amazing for strength training, cardio, barre, running, and yoga. (with these sneakers) Photos: Lindsay Colson The post Total body workout with 1 dumbbell appeared first on The Fitnessista.

This is a workout you can do with a single dumbbell! It’s perfect for those times when you can only find one dumbbell, but still want to get a great sweat.

Hi friends! How are ya? Liv graduates from kindergarten today, so I’ll probably be a weepy emotional mess. They say it happens fast. They don’t lie. After her ceremony, I’m excited to spend the morning celebrating with her. I’m also enjoying a much-needed off day after crushing this week’s Lean Machine workouts in addition to 2 Heart Rize fitness classes. I’d love to hear what you have going on!

For today, I have an all-new workout for ya! This is for a problem that I commonly have…so I’m interested to hear if this ever happens to you, too. We have quite a few pairs of dumbbells around the house, but I feel like very often, I can only find one in a set. This is also probably because I have rogue dumbbells rolling around the trunk of my car from shooting workout pics with Lindsay. Sometimes when I can only find one dumbbell, it inspires me to think out of the box. It also encourages me to do more unilateral strength training work!

Why is unilateral training important? When we do both sides of an exercise at once, either using a machine, dumbbells, TRX, or barbell, it’s much easier for us to *cheat* and let the dominant side take over. For this reason, it can encourage muscle imbalances and altered movement patterns from depending on the stronger muscle. By training each side, one at a time, it enables us to really focus on that side, using proper form, and encourage balance on both sides.

Here’s a workout I put together using only 1 dumbbell!

It’s a total body workout you can do anywhere.

(Tank // leggings // sneakers)

Here’s what it looks like:

Exercises and form cues:

-Weighted lunge: Take one huge step forward, and keep your feet in line with your hips. Try to keep your torso perpendicular to the floor as you sink down into your lunge. As you lunge, watch the front knee to make sure it stays stacked above the front ankle. As you rise, actively think about trying to squeeze your legs together.

-Low lunge pass: Take one huge step forward, and keep your feet in line with your hips. Try to keep your torso perpendicular to the floor as you sink down into your lunge. As you lunge, watch the front knee to make sure it stays stacked above the front ankle. Hold this low lunge as you pass the weight around your front leg (either at the thigh or down towards the shin, but watch your chest and core). Pass the weight under 10 times. As you rise, actively think about trying to squeeze your legs together.

-Curtsy lunge to plie squat: Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a curtsy lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and the back foot has the heel raised off the floor. Then step the back foot forward and out wide for a plié squat. As you sink down, keep your chest lifted and endeavor to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees extend towards your toes but not past your toes.

-Double plie squat jump: Get into a plie squat position (feet wide and booty LOW), and pulse twice. Touch the floor. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. Powering through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Repeat. For even more intensity: hold a dumbbell at your chest.

-1-leg dumbbell reach: Hold one dumbbell in both hands, and stand with one leg behind the opposite leg. Tilt forward and lift the back leg off the floor, reaching the dumbbell overhead (slight bend in the elbows). Try to keep your hips parallel to the floor. Return to standing.

-Squat with knee twist: Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower, exhale to rise. Make sure that your knees go towards your toes, but not far past your toes. Push into your heels as you rise, then bend one knee to lift the leg and twist towards it. Lower leg and repeat.

-Hamstring curls: Lie on your stomach and place one dumbbell in between your feet. Place your head on your hands, and keep your spine straight. Exhale to squeeze your glutes and bend your knees, lifting the dumbbell. Lower down with control to repeat.

-Woodchop: Start with you legs hip width apart, knees bent. Hold the dumbbell to the outside of your left leg. Lift the dumbbell diagonally across your body, pivoting on your left foot and twisting your torso, ending with arms raised to the right. Control the movement as you go back to start and repeat 10x on each side.

-Overhead side bend: Hold one dumbbell in both hands, and stand with your feet a little farther than hip-distance apart. Keep your chest lifted and core tight as you tilt your torso to one side. Exhale to use your obliques and return to upright position. Repeat on the opposite side.

Please let me know if you give it a try!

See ya soon.

Gina

In the photos above, I’m wearing my fave new leggings + this super lightweight tank from Zella. They’re both amazing for strength training, cardio, barre, running, and yoga.

(with these sneakers)

Photos: Lindsay Colson

The post Total body workout with 1 dumbbell appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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Chocolate protein bars (with sweet potato) These chocolate protein bars are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and make an awesome balanced macro snack. You can make these as part of meal prep, or enjoy them as a healthy treat that tastes like dessert. Hi friends! How’s the morning treating ya? Thank you for all the well wishes for the doc yesterday. I had a great appointment, and feel a thousand times better about things. I really appreciate those of you who sent a little note. This week, we’ve been back in the swing of life and back to the usual crazy routine. It’s Liv’s LAST week of kindergarten (hold meeeee), and then we’re catapulting right towards summer mode. I can’t wait! With everything we have going on, I like to think my snack game has been pretty strong this week! The past few weeks I found myself skipping meals because I was either stressed with the doctor stuff or I hadn’t planned ahead, and then made it up with chocolate-covered pecans later. (Probably the #3 thing I’ll miss the most about Valdosta when we leave. Good thing they ship, ha.) This week, I’ve loaded up the fridge with chopped veggies, homemade hummus, turkey meatballs (I’ll share the recipe soon!) and old blog favorites, like these ridiculous chocolate protein bars. These are super easy to put together, and I love that they have a natural sweetness + awesome texture from baked sweet potato. They’re a great component for meal prep, plus are gluten-free, vegan, and balanced in macros. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give them a try! Chocolate Protein Bars with Sweet Potato 2018-05-21 18:53:55 Serves 3 A delicious and healthy treat that tastes like dessert. I like to have 2 squares for a sweet, protein-dense snack. This one is vegan, gluten-free, and has an awesome texture with no added fat. Write a review Save Recipe Print Prep Time 15 min Prep Time 15 min Ingredients 1/3 C sweet potato flesh (from a large baked sweet potato. The canned stuff doesn't taste as good) 2 eggs 1 egg white 1/2 chocolate bar, melted (can use a double-boiler if you're feeling fancy, or a glass bowl in the microwave. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stopping to stir in between) 2 scoops protein powder of choice (I used vanilla Garden of Life; chocolate would be awesome, too) 1/3 C brown rice flour (or any gluten-free flour) 1 t vanilla 1/4 t baking powder pinch salt pinch cinnamon Sweetener of choice if needed (maple syrup, honey, Stevia, coconut sugar) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 and spray a small baking dish (I used an 8x8 dish) with nonstick spray or coconut oil. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour mixture into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the "cake" comes out clean. The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/2gJS44w Nutrition stats can be found here. (6 servings // 88 cal per serving // 10g carb // 5g protein // 3g fat // WW smart points: 3) Please let me know what you think. Have a happy Tuesday and I’ll see ya in the morning with a new workout! xo Gina Photos: Ari at Well Seasoned The post Chocolate protein bars (with sweet potato) appeared first on The Fitnessista.

These chocolate protein bars are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and make an awesome balanced macro snack. You can make these as part of meal prep, or enjoy them as a healthy treat that tastes like dessert.

Hi friends! How’s the morning treating ya? Thank you for all the well wishes for the doc yesterday. I had a great appointment, and feel a thousand times better about things. I really appreciate those of you who sent a little note.

This week, we’ve been back in the swing of life and back to the usual crazy routine. It’s Liv’s LAST week of kindergarten (hold meeeee), and then we’re catapulting right towards summer mode. I can’t wait! With everything we have going on, I like to think my snack game has been pretty strong this week! The past few weeks I found myself skipping meals because I was either stressed with the doctor stuff or I hadn’t planned ahead, and then made it up with chocolate-covered pecans later. (Probably the #3 thing I’ll miss the most about Valdosta when we leave. Good thing they ship, ha.) This week, I’ve loaded up the fridge with chopped veggies, homemade hummus, turkey meatballs (I’ll share the recipe soon!) and old blog favorites, like these ridiculous chocolate protein bars.

These are super easy to put together, and I love that they have a natural sweetness + awesome texture from baked sweet potato. They’re a great component for meal prep, plus are gluten-free, vegan, and balanced in macros.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give them a try!

Chocolate Protein Bars with Sweet Potato

2018-05-21 18:53:55

Serves 3

A delicious and healthy treat that tastes like dessert. I like to have 2 squares for a sweet, protein-dense snack. This one is vegan, gluten-free, and has an awesome texture with no added fat.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Prep Time

15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Ingredients

1/3 C sweet potato flesh (from a large baked sweet potato. The canned stuff doesn't taste as good)
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/2 chocolate bar, melted (can use a double-boiler if you're feeling fancy, or a glass bowl in the microwave. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stopping to stir in between)
2 scoops protein powder of choice (I used vanilla Garden of Life; chocolate would be awesome, too)
1/3 C brown rice flour (or any gluten-free flour)
1 t vanilla
1/4 t baking powder
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
Sweetener of choice if needed (maple syrup, honey, Stevia, coconut sugar)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a small baking dish (I used an 8x8 dish) with nonstick spray or coconut oil.
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour mixture into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula.
Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the "cake" comes out clean.

The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/2gJS44w

Nutrition stats can be found here. (6 servings // 88 cal per serving // 10g carb // 5g protein // 3g fat // WW smart points: 3)

Please let me know what you think.

Have a happy Tuesday and I’ll see ya in the morning with a new workout!

Gina

Photos: Ari at Well Seasoned

The post Chocolate protein bars (with sweet potato) appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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recitals, royals, and roll bowls Hey hey! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? Hope you had a great one! Ours was a whirlwind of tutus and hair changes because it was Livi’s dance recital! She’s been dancing since she was 3, but it was the first time that she’s been old enough and we’ve lived in the same place for long enough for her actually to do a recital. She was so excited, and her little classes did such an amazing job. She did a hip-hop dance, a ballet one, and a tap. P was a little recital trouper, too. I had to take P with me for Liv’s dress rehearsals after school on Thursday and Friday, and she chilled in the dressing room with us while I helped Liv change and did her hair. Then she walked around the auditorium with me back to the front so we could enter and watch the dances. She was in such good spirits that it made up for the fact that she’s been a liiiiittle cranky the rest of the weekend. Friday night after dress rehearsal, we headed to a friends’ house for a BBQ. During the day, P helped me make two dishes to take with us: the best pasta salad ever and the most ridiculous cookie Oreo brownies. (Just layer in a 9×13 inch dish lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.) We left in such a frenzy that I ended up forgetting my phone (and the girls’ swimsuits. FAIL) at home, so I couldn’t snap any pics of the fun, but it was an awesome party. There was so much delicious food, they had a bounce house for the kiddos, and the bigger kids jumped on the trampoline with a sprinkler spraying them the entire time. It definitely feels like summer is here! Saturday morning was Liv’s recital, and later that afternoon, I met up with some friends to try out a new fitness studio in town: Heart Rize Fitness. I was instantly curious when the studio opened but wanted to wait until I’d heard feedback from people who had tried it before giving it a whirl. (My time to take fitness classes is so limited right now that I didn’t want to waste it if it turned out the classes weren’t good.) Some of my friends gave it a try, LOVED it, and when I heard more about what it was, I knew I’d be a fan. Heart Rize is like Orangetheory meets Barry’s with battle ropes. (<— I’ve missed training with ropes since we’ve been here!) It’s interval training, your heart rate and stats are projected onto a screen, and the treadmill blocks are on Technogym’s Skill Mills… which are pretty much the most evil thing ever to exist. You can use the skill mills for a variety of different exercises, including low squat walks, squat jumps and push backs, squat slides (that’s what I’m calling them: essentially you squat low and use your core and upper body strength to pull yourself forwards and backwards), sprints, and I’m sure there’s a myriad of exercises I haven’t seen or tried yet. The treadmill is curved, and you use your own strength to move the beast; it doesn’t move on its own. This makes these Skill Mills much more functional than a traditional treadmill. You’re actually using your glute muscles to PUSH, instead of flexing at your hip and falling forward. Another thing I really liked about class: they have different muscle splits. Monday: Arms and Abs Tuesday: Legs and Butt Wednesday: Chest/Back and Abs Thursday: Leg Day Friday and Saturday: Total body One of my biggest pet peeves about Orangetheory was that I never really knew what we were going to do (besides power, strength, endurance), and the workouts were a little all over the place as far as splits go. (For example, I feel like we did triceps every.single.time I went.) It made it hard to plan my personal workouts if I knew I was taking an Orangetheory class or two, and I’d find that even if the workouts were “full body,” they’d miss some spots. I know that Barry’s splits up their muscle groups, and like that idea so participants know what to expect. (And can avoid certain days if they’re recovering from an injury, etc.) For our workout, we had 4 different zones. Each zone was completely different, and we did each zone a total of 3 times through before moving onto the next one. Each zone contained 4 different exercises that you did in a circuit, working for 45 seconds, and resting for 15 seconds. We moved from the battle ropes and floor to the mats, to the Skill Mills, to the rowers, and it.was.intense. I haven’t worked that hard since before my surgery, and it felt amazing to have someone pushing me to WORK. (And calling me out if I was slacking haha.) I’ll definitely be back and can’t wait to take more classes this week! Saturday, you KNOW we also watched the Royal Wedding. It was on in the background all day, and we ended up watching it twice. The girls were enthralled, too. Dinner was at Woodstack BBQ, and Sunday was the usual sleep in and chores day. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes craziness happening over here, and while I know the next month will be worth the hard work, it’s a little bananas right now. Dinner was this spring roll bowl from Pinch of Yum. If you haven’t tried it, doooooo it. It was incredibly flavorful and quick to put together. The whole family went crazy for it, and I added 2 chopped chicken breasts for a little protein boost. Today, I’m off to meet with the doctor who’s doing my biopsy. The biopsy itself isn’t this morning – I’m just supposed to talk with him about all of my test results – but I still feel pretty nervous. I’ll definitely be keeping all of your kind and wonderful comments in my heart. Hope you have a happy Monday and I’ll see ya soon. xoxo Gina PS. Looking for a workout? Try this one! The post recitals, royals, and roll bowls appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Hey hey! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? Hope you had a great one!

Ours was a whirlwind of tutus and hair changes because it was Livi’s dance recital!

She’s been dancing since she was 3, but it was the first time that she’s been old enough and we’ve lived in the same place for long enough for her actually to do a recital. She was so excited, and her little classes did such an amazing job. She did a hip-hop dance, a ballet one, and a tap.

P was a little recital trouper, too. I had to take P with me for Liv’s dress rehearsals after school on Thursday and Friday, and she chilled in the dressing room with us while I helped Liv change and did her hair. Then she walked around the auditorium with me back to the front so we could enter and watch the dances. She was in such good spirits that it made up for the fact that she’s been a liiiiittle cranky the rest of the weekend.
Friday night after dress rehearsal, we headed to a friends’ house for a BBQ.

During the day, P helped me make two dishes to take with us:
the best pasta salad ever

and the most ridiculous cookie Oreo brownies.

(Just layer in a 9×13 inch dish lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.)

We left in such a frenzy that I ended up forgetting my phone (and the girls’ swimsuits. FAIL) at home, so I couldn’t snap any pics of the fun, but it was an awesome party. There was so much delicious food, they had a bounce house for the kiddos, and the bigger kids jumped on the trampoline with a sprinkler spraying them the entire time. It definitely feels like summer is here!

Saturday morning was Liv’s recital, and later that afternoon, I met up with some friends to try out a new fitness studio in town: Heart Rize Fitness.

I was instantly curious when the studio opened but wanted to wait until I’d heard feedback from people who had tried it before giving it a whirl. (My time to take fitness classes is so limited right now that I didn’t want to *waste it* if it turned out the classes weren’t good.) Some of my friends gave it a try, LOVED it, and when I heard more about what it was, I knew I’d be a fan.

Heart Rize is like Orangetheory meets Barry’s with battle ropes. (<— I’ve missed training with ropes since we’ve been here!) It’s interval training, your heart rate and stats are projected onto a screen, and the treadmill blocks are on Technogym’s Skill Mills… which are pretty much the most evil thing ever to exist.

You can use the skill mills for a variety of different exercises, including low squat walks, squat jumps and push backs, squat slides (that’s what I’m calling them: essentially you squat low and use your core and upper body strength to pull yourself forwards and backwards), sprints, and I’m sure there’s a myriad of exercises I haven’t seen or tried yet. The treadmill is curved, and you use your own strength to move the beast; it doesn’t move on its own. This makes these Skill Mills much more functional than a traditional treadmill. You’re actually using your glute muscles to PUSH, instead of flexing at your hip and falling forward.

Another thing I really liked about class: they have different muscle splits.

Monday: Arms and Abs

Tuesday: Legs and Butt

Wednesday: Chest/Back and Abs

Thursday: Leg Day

Friday and Saturday: Total body

One of my biggest pet peeves about Orangetheory was that I never really knew what we were going to do (besides power, strength, endurance), and the workouts were a little all over the place as far as splits go. (For example, I feel like we did triceps every.single.time I went.) It made it hard to plan my personal workouts if I knew I was taking an Orangetheory class or two, and I’d find that even if the workouts were “full body,” they’d miss some spots. I know that Barry’s splits up their muscle groups, and like that idea so participants know what to expect. (And can avoid certain days if they’re recovering from an injury, etc.)

For our workout, we had 4 different zones. Each zone was completely different, and we did each zone a total of 3 times through before moving onto the next one. Each zone contained 4 different exercises that you did in a circuit, working for 45 seconds, and resting for 15 seconds. We moved from the battle ropes and floor to the mats, to the Skill Mills, to the rowers, and it.was.intense. I haven’t worked that hard since before my surgery, and it felt amazing to have someone pushing me to WORK. (And calling me out if I was slacking haha.) I’ll definitely be back and can’t wait to take more classes this week!

Saturday, you KNOW we also watched the Royal Wedding. It was on in the background all day, and we ended up watching it twice. The girls were enthralled, too. Dinner was at Woodstack BBQ, and Sunday was the usual sleep in and chores day. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes craziness happening over here, and while I know the next month will be worth the hard work, it’s a little bananas right now. Dinner was this spring roll bowl from Pinch of Yum.

If you haven’t tried it, doooooo it. It was incredibly flavorful and quick to put together. The whole family went crazy for it, and I added 2 chopped chicken breasts for a little protein boost.

Today, I’m off to meet with the doctor who’s doing my biopsy. The biopsy itself isn’t this morning – I’m just supposed to talk with him about all of my test results – but I still feel pretty nervous. I’ll definitely be keeping all of your kind and wonderful comments in my heart.

Hope you have a happy Monday and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

Gina

PS. Looking for a workout? Try this one!

The post recitals, royals, and roll bowls appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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