Thursday! Almost the weekend, night of our work dance recital and the Pilot’s last workday before his long weekend – I’m a fan of that 
I don’t have anything to exciting to show you on the food front, besides the things I didn’t make:
(Stevia sparkling lemonade! So refreshing… I can’t wait to make a version at home)
Salmon burger atop salad with sweet potato fries and curry aioli
(both from Create Cafe)- a little lunch date with Liv and the Pilot)
so how about a workout instead?
Even though May is 1/3 of the way over, that there are still 9 max opportunities to do this workout in May if you’d like (2-3x week). I thought it would be fun to do a fast and furious strength circuit, followed by some HIIT cardio of your choice.
[print_this]
As always, check with a doc before making any fitness changes. Honor your body and injuries- if it hurts, don’t do it.
The exercises:
- 5 minute cardio warm-up. Cardio of choice, moderate intensity.
3 sets of 12-15 reps of the following:
- Squat and press. Holding a pair of dumbbells, come into a squat, pushing your booty back, keeping the weight in your heels, abs tight and chest lifted. Come up to standing and bring the dumbbells into a shoulder overhead press.
- Bent-over fly with leg lift. Grab a pair of light dumbbells (I like 5s for this one) and come into a prep: weights at your sides, bodyweight in the front foot and the back toe lifted. As you come up into your leg lift and bent-over fly, keep your hips parallel to the floor and don’t let your arms extend up higher than your shoulders. Keep a slight bend in your elbows.
- Curtsy lunge with bicep curl and lateral raise. This is a fancier version of the curtsy lunge and knee lift I posted the other night, because you get in legs, biceps, core and shoulders all at the same time. As you lunge, you’ll bring the dumbbells into a bicep curl and as you knee raise, bring the dumbbells up into a lateral raise.
- Stability ball push-up. The closer the ball is to your ankles, the harder it is. Need an extra challenge? Try lifting up one leg.
- Stability ball back extension. As you rise up, make sure to think about your low back (contract your abs and exhale as you come up). Do not hyperextend you back and keep your elbows out to the sides, in line with your ears.
- Stability ball leg lifts. Be sure that you don’t touch the floor as you lower the ball down. Keep your arms, palms down, at your sides, or under your low back for extra support. Challenge: lift your head and shoulders off the ground and keep them lifted the entire time. As you bring the ball up, rotate it to the right and left for a bonus oblique burn.
HIIT:
If you’d like, follow the strength portion with 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training. 1 minute 30 seconds easy (light jog or power walk), and 30 seconds HARD (as fast as your legs will take you). For the “hard” portion of the interval, you can increase speed, resistance or a combo of the two. You should be huffing and puffing!
Cool down and stretch.
[/print_this]
So who’s in?
No Schweaty Workouts for June and July because we’ll be started this year’s Summer Shape Up. Please let me know if you have any requests
Have a great day! <3
See ya later with some pics (maybe some video, too) from the dance show.
xoxo
Gina
#smoothieaday in May!
-1.5 C almond milk
-1 C frozen mixed berries
-1/2 frozen banana
-1/3 C oats
-2 T hempseeds
-1 scoop Sun Warrior
-Stevia, cinnamon
-handful of spinach
Something to think:
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!
Good luck tonight in your recital!
Have so much fun at your recital! I can’t wait to hear about it. And I love that last picture of the bird with the french fry, too cute!
I love that pin from pinterest! I pinned it a few months ago and it always makes me smile!
Love the pin and LOVE the strength circuit. I’m due for my strength and HIIT workout tonight! I think I’ll give this a whirl! Thanks, Gina!
let me know how it goes! xoxo
Yeah, I guess we are all dying to see a video of you and the other ladies shaking your bootay…:-)
Have fun!
wearing jingle bras. there is a fear in my heart hahah
Jingle bras? Two words that should never go together!
Random story I thought you would like. I am taking a test to become a nurses aide tomorrow and some friends took it today. One friend said “this is just like pilot school. Nerve racking and it’s life or death!” haha.
The recital should be fun!
I have a request to go along with the workouts. Do you mind doing a post on carbs? I try so hard to be healthy in general and that obviously includes what I eat. However, I get so confused about carbs. I would like to know roughly how many servings a day to eat? Does eating, say an apple or sweet potato, count as a serving or does it have to be a whole grain of sorts? I often add a piece of whole grain toast to a dinner or snack that already includes a carb because I’m not sure what to do.
This request isn’t about low carb, no carb, losing weight thing. I would just like to know about carbs in general to maintain a healthy eating habit.
P.S. As I was typing this, a bird just flew into the window next to me! Scared the $%@& out of me!!! Just thought you should know.
I’ve made that smoothie twice this week because I had/still sorta have strep. It is AMAZING. Really helps calm the throat when it’s at that first thing in the morning pain peak, plus it’s just delicious and keeps me full.
This workout looks awesome! Really appreciate the pictures and description – they’re so, so helpful. Can’t wait to print this out and take it to the gym with me – I’ll be trying it soon! Ooh and I’d love to see video from the dance show!
great circuit!! love it!
I would love to know exactly what a HIIT workout looks like. I’ve read about it online but not actually seen it. My brain is not comprehending it.
there’s a reader’s request post that explains the details : http://fitnessista.com/2011/06/readers-request-hiit-me-baby/
hope that helps a little!
I can’t wait to try this May workout! I have been craving some varitey lately. For part of the summer workout, maybe some inner thigh moves?
sure!
Ooh yay another Summer Shape Up! I’m excited! Also can’t wait to see the video – I loved the one of you teaching Zumba with Miss Liv in your belly!
I hope you have a great time at your recital!! Thanks for the links yesterday to explain what happens to your bod during 30 minutes of running. I finally understand why I can’t breathe and know how to work on it!! I’m so motivated to give a new approach a try
yay, i’m glad it was helpful!
I love sparkling lemonade. I’ve also mixed it with champagne and berries (thanks to a Martha Stewart recipe, if I remember correctly) with very good results.
whooooaaaaa. i need to try that
Found the recipe! It called for lemon juice and simple syrup and I modified it (out of laziness) by adding a small bottle of San Pellegrino Lemonata (sparkling lemonade) and lots of sliced fruit and berries to a bottle of champagne.
http://www.marthastewart.com/336869/champagne-punch?czone=entertaining/cocktail-hour/cocktail-recipes¢er=276959&gallery=275544&slide=282674
This sounds amazing!!
thank you- can’t wait to try this!
Have fun this weekend!
I’m home with my almost 3 week old & I’m looking ahead to recovery & gently adding more movement. I have a lot of stitches so I’m still moving slowly. Little walks & gentle stretching is enough for now but I’m wondering if you have thoughts for down the road. Thanks!
congratulations!!
just be patient and take it easy. my first workout wasn’t until 5 weeks after birth (i had 3 stitches), and i still felt very weak and noodly. you’re doing it right with lots of walks and gentle stretching if that’s what feels good- just listen to your body and ease back into it slowly
You are looking FABULOUS!
. How good is a burger on a salad? Its one of my most favorite meals.
Lov the workout I will try it tonight!! The lemonade and sweet potato fries sound delicious to me! Good luck at the dance recital, I can’t wait to see pictures!
Have a great weekend…and enjoy your first Mother’s Day with a baby in arms..or one that’s probably gonna be crawling around before you know it!
I love that print too. it’s designed by DazeyChic on Etsy. Would you mind updating the link to direct people to her shop? The link you included did not give credit to her as the designer.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64690893/our-best-selling-typography-happy-art
(I don’t know her at all, but I am a big supporter of independent artists!)
amazing, i’ll change that now. thank you for sending the link along!
I haven’t gotten my Tone It Up workout in my email yet, so I’m totally doing this instead today!
boom.
what did you think?! schweaty?
I have a quick question for you or anyone else.. Can anyone recommend a raw food cookbook that does not use a dehydrator or Vitamix. No way will this be affordable anytime soon but I would love to add more raw food recipes to my diet. Thanks so much!!!
PS This workout will for sure be done soon!
check out the ani phyo cookbooks. her recipes are very simple and don’t require fancy schmancy equipment
let me know how it goes!
Oh thanks so much! I got the Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen for the Kindle. Looks great!
I’m in!!
Good luck with the recital! And nice workout!!
Glad to hear the Pilot has a long weekend coming up! That lunch looks really good, especially the fries. I like the photos you have added of you doing the exercises. It helps me too see a person doing the exercise and I get a better idea of which ones I might be able to attempt. I got one of those fitness balls a while back as an option during weeks I don’t have time for the gym, but still haven’t taken it out of the box. This is inspiring me.
Love the workouts with pictures! It’s so helpful
This workout looks fantastic. I’m doing it Saturday. Also, for sparkly drinks – I mix club soda, white wine, low cal/sugar cranberry juice and top with frozen cranberries. It’s delicious
Looks like a great workout! I can’t wait to give it a try in the next few days.
Also this post just gave me a giant craving for sweet potato fries.
mmmm. those pictures of the salmon burgers and sweet potato fries are making my mouth water! Healthy can be tastey
I love the workout tooo! thanks
Thanks for another great workout! I love it when you do the circuit planning work for me
. Can’t wait to see the dance recital as well – please do include video!
Ooo, I can tell it was a lot of work to post that workout. But it really is going to be so useful for me! Love the compound exercises, love that it’s printable, and love that you have some photo guides. You’re the best! I really appreciate this!
i’m so glad!
xoxo
It’s not sparkling but I make Stevia “lemonade” every week! Cup of Stevia and a cup of lemonade add water to fill up a gallon pitcher.
Mmmmm! So good!
I meant a cup of lemon juice not lemonade.
Oooo… I have a fitness request
What are some exercises I can do to work on the upper arm flab next to the pits… hahaha. I live abroad… so don’t have access to my usual gym/equipment… so a ‘tool-free’ workout would be lovely!
i call that the poob! the armpit boob. haha
a lot of that is going to be cardio and healthy eating, combined with back and arm exercises
are you and the Bebe going to HLS this summer??
i don’t think so
awesome… thanks for this! i love the pictures, they help visual people like me.
i cant wait to do it!
yeah the visuals are great! sometimes i have NO idea what they’re talking about! lol
i’m so glad they were helpful! let me know what you think of the workout
xoxo
Good luck with the dance recital! I hope it’s loads of fun
it was so fun! writing the recap post now
xoxo
haha love that quote!
a post idea… i just got a sodastream and was trying to think of healthy drink “recipes” or what i could do with the sparkling water besides drink it plain. you seem to always have good ideas!
whoaaaa that’s awesome! i don’t have one, so i’m not quite sure how it works. you just add liquid and it adds the carbonation for you?
Um, good timing on this post! I was just looking for a new ST routine this morning and came here first. I loved it, but totally missed that it was supposed to be a circuit. Next time, I’ll do it right
. Loved the curtsy lunge move! I felt graceful and strong. My husband walked in on me doing this and he was like, “woah, how’d you do that?!”
whoo hoo! impressing the hub.. i love it
It looks like a fun full body workout. I will either do it today or tomorrow. Thanks!!
let me know how it goes!
What brand blender/mixer do you use? Your workouts are fantastic. As a single mom I appreicate being able to take your workouts and do them on my own time without the added expense of a trianer. Thank You!!
i’m so glad you like them!
i use the vitamix 5200 and love it
xoxo
Have fun at the recital!
Love the workout with pics–great idea
Thank you for the visuals on “how to do it.”
For the summer workouts, I would love to be able to do them at home since I don’t have a gym membership (I do have a treadmill, weights, etc).
Thanks for a great workout, Gina! Did just the strength part tonight and loved it!
I’ve never tried the workout before but it was so easy to print out and take with! I ended up loving it and I didn’t have to think about what I was doing! Now I’m really excited for the summer shape up, hope you’ll be able to use pictures/print version for that also! Thank you!
Just rocked this workout at the gym! It was really challenging and left me superrrr schweaty…definitely going to be repeating this during the week!!
yay, i’m glad you liked it!
for the reverse fly and leg lift, do you recommend we do 3 sets on each side? that’s a lot of flys!:)
no, i’d alternate legs right and left- that’s what i did today
[...] workout I will tell you about is The Fitnessista’s Schweaty May Workout. I also did this one yesterday and I love love love [...]
For compound moves, how do you choose a weight? I can curl more than I could useon a lateral raise. Do I use the weight to challenge the weakest muscle?
exactly
[...] This is the workout that I’ve been using recently from Gina at the Fitnessista. I’m rocking my little yellow 2 pound weights for now. Also, I love posts with her dog Bella, she’s one saucy poodle when chicken is around. [...]