Heyyyyyyy! It’s FRIDAY 
Do you have any big weekend plans??
Thank you so much to those of you who left sweet comments on my Zumba videos. I absolutely love Zumba and I really hope some of you decide to check out a class!
Here’s yesterday’s re-cap:
I was so stoked to try one of the Hot n’ Healthy Pure Protein squares that Laura sent me. I heated it up for 13 seconds….
Oh. My. Goodness.
CINABON.
That’s exactly what it tasted like: Cinabon. Absolutely INCREDIBLE.
I have to find more of these bars ASAP because I have a feeling they won’t last very long!!! Thank you again, Laura for my newfound bar addiction
I met my friend Ashley on base and we did a half hour of Pilates abs and 35 minutes of upper body weights. The exercises included V-rope hammer curls, triceps extension, assisted pull-ups, lat raises, seated row and chest presses.
When I got home, it was snack time so I munched a Larabar: (I think this is my favorite flavor because it tastes like a MACAROON)
And 2 egg whites with spinach, a little goat cheese and cafe:
I spent the morning cleaning the casa, then got ready for work.
WORK GOT CANCELED AGAIN! Teach was still sick, so I didn’t have to TA. I just sat at the desk for an hour and entered grades, then went home!
For lunch I had a Morningstar veggie patty with tomato, spinach, ketchup and mustard on Ezekiel:
And a fruit plate:
Then I worked on the Zumba videos for a little while, took the puppers out and then had afternoon snack before heading to teach step.
(The only kind of “date” I’ve had in the last 5 1/2 months…come back, Pilot!)
Emergen-C:
Does anyone else feel like EVERYONE is sick and that they choose to hack their germs all over you?! At work, people will come up to me and be like “Gina *hack, hack*, will you please *cough, cough* upload the graded assignments *sputter, sputter*, for me *cough, HACK*?”
Emergen-C always helps me to keep from getting sick
Teaching step was awesome. They messed up the schedule and had put that class was canceled, but 14 people still showed up. 14 ROWDY people who kept yelling and cheering. I loved it.
When I got home, I was starving, so I reheated some brown rice, tofu and veggies I made a couple of weeks ago and froze. I added some shrimp and broccoli:
It was sooo good!
I spent the evening watching Grey’s and Private Practice instead of doing homework and they were AMAZING. Season 2 quality. Grey’s had gotten SO SLOOOOOOW lately and I’m very stoked to see it pick up again!
For b-fast this morning, I had a blueberry b-fast cookie:
I’m going to do some yoga (it’s recovery day), run to targizzle and buy random things I don’t really need, PetSmart, walk the puppies on base, meet with Jeni to make goodies to send the pilots, then going to see He’s Just Not That Into You. I love Friday
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
G
Something to do: Lower body workout!
I received a comment requesting a fast and effective lower body workout.
Here ya go:
| Warm up | Treadmill/Elliptical | 5 minutes, RPE 5 (fairly easy pace) |
| Tone | Forward and reverse lunges | Body weight, 3 sets of 15 total lunges on each side) |
| Interval | Squat Jumps | As many as you can for 1 minute |
| Tone | Sumo squat and leg raise | Body weight (or use a light body bar)3 sets of 10-12 on each side |
| Interval | Burpees | As many as you can for 1 minutes |
| Tone | Stability ball hamstring curl (one of my all-time favorites) | Body weight, 3 sets of 10-12 |
| Interval | Pulsing Plie squat | Holding in the plie position, pulse for 1 minute total |
| Tone | Bosu calf raise | Body weight, 3 sets of 12-15 |
Cool down: 5 minutes on Treadmill/Elliptical at a nice easy pace
Remember to stretch afterwards!!!
Happy training
Hi, I'm Gina. Welcome to The Fitnessista! I love blogging about my adventures as a new mom, military wife and fitness instructor, as well as sharing new workouts and recipes. Check out the About page for more info - thanks for stopping by!
Delish!!!!!!!
Great workout!!
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
greys & private practice was SOOOOOO good!!! can't believe I have to wait until next week!!!
i swear my emergen-c too!!
I’ll be your pilot while he’s being superman! Baby, I’ll take you ANYWHERE [MickieD's D0LLAH0LLA!]
loooveyouuuu bebs
Dinner looks so good! I love your healthy meals! They make me strive to make mine more clean!
I DO feel like everyone is sick! I was so scared all week that I’d get sick and be dragging through training this weekend! I suppose there is still time so I should knock on wood
Have a great weekend and enjoy the yoga today!
OMG Greys/PP was so good last night, and im so annoyed that its a whole week until the next one!!!
I love emergen-c, zicam, and airborne
I will be trying that workout today! TYVM!
Sitting in a lecture class yesterday was like listening to a symphony of coughs and sneezes. Disgusting! I’m trying to avoid this.
Your food is always so clean and yum. Have a fabulous Friday!
p.s. Not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but I added you to my blogroll, hope you don’t mind!
I love cinabon! so good, however I have a feeling your bar version is way better for you. Also I totally agree Grey’s really stepped it up last night, I am pumped for next weeks episode!
is the Zumba video on Youtube? i cant see it on the site, but if there is a link, i can get to it!
hey mariposa-
yeah its right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04I4jDNojVM
and the other one is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5haz5YZ6hM
YAY for cancelled class (and even at a distanat 2nd, medjool dates are pretty delicious
so i have a question, i want to make a breakfast cookie a la gina, but i don’t want to use protein powder, what would you recommend as a simple starting point bfast cookie?
Hey Gina! Thanks SO much for posting the leg workout
I can’t wait to try it! Have an awesome weekend 
Julie
I’m BATHING in hand sanitizer these days. In fact, could you step back a little bit, I don’t want you to breathe on me.
Delicious cinabon!!!
winter is the time when everyone gets a flu or cold. So, we need to take care of ourselves, eating healthy, workouts and keep warm!
I LOVE that flavor Lara Bar!
Sorry about all the germies, but there is a Happy Friday message to you posted on my blog right now.
Yumm love the goat cheese omelet!!! Yes on the subway people like to couch and sneeze all over the place! Gotta love it!!
great workout – thanks for that. Its funny, I used the same “oh.my.goodness” in my blog this morning to describe the salad I made last night!
Ah, I had Grey’s and Private Practice on last night- but I was so caught up in other things I could hardly watch!!!! I am going to watch online though- don’t worry!
I love your brown rice, tofu, veggies, and shrimp bowl!!
Have a beautiful Friday- I am contemplating going to Target tomorrow!
Glad that Pure Protein is good!!
Ugh my roommate is so sick and she does NOT have personal boundaries…I better not get it!
Good call with the Emergen-C.
I hate to admit this, but I think I am one of those *cough, cough* hackers making everyone sick. Good thing I can’t spread my germs through the interwebs!
OMG GIna!!! i have to thank you for giving me the courage to try baigan bharta!! I made it yesterday (Although I missed a few spices) and I can honestly say that IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS SOOOO AMAZIIIIING im having leftovers for lunch today and i can already taste it!! thanks
oh. my. god!!!!!
LOVE THE VIDEOS! Seriously, looks like such a blast, while also getting such a workout! LOVE IT!
and…. I have that pink workout shirt! I think I got it at Target maybe??! I love that it stays long after being washed, like so many workout shirts don’t.
Grey’s and PP were so good! I can’t wait for next week…
Yay for Friday! And for work being cancelled! So start your 3-day weekend already!
Enjoy the movie! I can’t wait to be done with chemo so I can go out and do what I want without worrying about the ever-present germs you talked about. Soon!!
I can’t wait to do your lower body workout. Looks great!
I can’t believe it’s been almost 6 months!
I’m sorry. I would take you on a date if I could.
You and your macaroon fetish. haha I love that Lara too.
Have a good friday!!
I hate itwhen people feel the need to “share” their germs!! Blech!
LOOOOOVE those videos, girl!
-Erin
Ooooh I’ve got to find that pure protein bar!!
Ughh it’s one of my biggest pet peeve’s when people are sick and DON’T cover their mouth when they cough/sneeze. I feel like they are spraying their nasto germs all over me – BLAH!!
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
I am intrigued by your leg workout. I may have to give it a go (once I figure out what all the exercises are!)
So I get sick A LOT (weak immune system I guess) unless I have an Emergen-C like every other day. That and echinacea tea and lots of fruit and veggies. I kind of fell of the wagon though and I;m pretty sick right now.
It sucks, but at least I know how to make it not happen again.
I have heard alot about those hot and healthy oatmeal squares I am going to have to keep an eye out for them. So does drinking the emergen c even when you dont feel sick prevent it you think? Also loved the video, I wanted to try a class like that
I cannot find those Pure Protein squares anywhere. Surely, they are somewhere in Nashville.
Yes, I feel like everyone is getting sick. Keep downing the Emergen-C. That is good stuff, and I need to pick some up for myself.
I want to see that movie so bad, but I know Chris will not go. Definitely need to get the girls together for that one. Have a wonderful Friday night Gina.
Ugh, Burpees – those things kick my booty!
ohhhh…jealous of the “healthy” cinnabon! totally wish i could find those somewhere!!!
SO glad you loved the bar! Yay!!! I had a banana one today.
I don’t know if this will help you or not, but in my store they are with the diet bars in the vitamin aisle, not in the aisle with the normal protein bars. In the event they never turn up in the boonies, I’d be glad to do another trade. 
I hope you’re able to fight off the sickness! I can’t stand when people hack all over the place either!
Ooooh great foods today, esp. the bars. Mmm! Have a great night and glad your day has gone so well
<3 jess
xxx
P.S Thanks for commenting
i’ve been hacking all day today. and yes, i also feel like i’m spewing out germs whenever i cough. so needless to say, i’ve pulled away from all human interaction today
omg, regarding grey’s- RIGHT?!! they are finally getting back in the groove of things I think
so glad i stuck with them through the last few seasons. and being a Private Practice fan, i love it when they do episodes together 
yayyyy.
i really hate when sick people cough all over you, it grosses me out so bad. i drink airborne religiously during flu season
have a fab night girly.
oooh, i’m going to see he’s just not that into you tomorow … i hope it’s good!
and omg, now that you said the pure protein bar tastes like cinabon, i have SO developed an insta-craving!
Great eats! Thanks for the workout!
Hi Gina!
Long time reader, first time poster. I really appreciate you posting workouts, and this one looks great. I have a question though. When you are going through the circuit, do you do one set of the toning exercise then go onto the interval(and go through the entire thing three times), or do you do the three sets of each toning exercise, then move on to the interval? If that’s the case, how much rest do you recommend between sets? I hope that makes sense. Thanks for your help!
hey meg! thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to comment
i would do all 3 sets of each toning exercise before going onto the interval. you want to rest 15-30 seconds between sets– i recommend not timing yourself for the rest periods. just stop, wait until you’re ready to start again, and then begin.
hope this helps! let me know if you try it!
amazing eats, as always. and now i need to find that pure protein bar…
The protein square looks so yummy!
Great workout!
Hey g g g g g G-unit (groan, sorry, ahem anyway)
I’m going to be traveling for the next two weeks for work. I’m actually staying at a colleague’s house, so I won’t have access to a hotel gym. I’ve thought about what no equipment exercises I can do….various types of pushups, pilates, squats, calf raises on her stairs, etc. but the thing that kills me is that I’m used to doing all the above with weights. I’m particularly concerned about how to work my core. I usually do abs/lower back with weights/ props (dumbells, med.ball, discs, weighted bars, stability ball, etc.) and I’m at a complete loss as to what to do. Planks are good, but they seem kinda inefficient because you have to hold them FOREVER to get a decent burn. Any ideas? Muchas gracias
LOVED the zumba videos
hey suzanne- do you think resistance bands would work for you? i’m not sure how heavy you lift, but you could get the resistance bands with heavy resistance (that are much harder to stretch) and are easy to travel with. they also sell travel dumbbells –i saw them in the skymall mag– that you can fill with water and increase the dumbbell weight to up to 15 lbs. they’re not cheap but might be worth the investment if you travel a lot. also, you could just go “rocky” style with it and take your workout outside. grab a jump rope and do some calisthenics– jump rope for 1 minutes, squat for a minute, jump rope, push-ups, jump rope, tricep dips, etc.
hope this helps a little!!!!
Hi! Love you blog and I just did this workout today (excellent!). I have a question about joint pain while working out. Whenever I work my legs out, I feel a slight strain on my knees. Do you or does anyone have any suggestions as to how to take care of the pain and what I could possibly wear or use to prevent this from getting any worse? I LOVE working out but I don’t want to creat any long-term damage to my joints.
Thanks for any suggestions,