Pilot’s first BODYPUMP + weekend adventures

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? Hope you had a great one! 

This weekend was a bit of a teaching extravaganza. Saturday, we had a huge event at our gym (with all of the Les Mills new release launches), so I participated in some classes and taught some tracks from the newest BODYPUMP, Sunday was 3 barre classes (I coached a lot more than usual) and today, back to BODYPUMP and spin. Needless to say, I’m a little too excited for an off day and maybe a massage tomorrow. 😉

Something else exciting: the Pilot took our BODYPUMP class! 

Pilot took bodypump

(All purple because the event proceeds were to support the American Cancer Society)

I wanted him to experience the glory of it… and had to take a photo to commemorate the occasion, since I’m not quite sure he’ll be back haha.

He does traditional strength training -and is on a pretty intense muscle group split right now- but I convinced him to try a class in between his off days. If you’re more into hypertrophy or max strength training (3 sets of 10-12 reps or 3 sets of heavy 5-8 reps, etc), BODYPUMP is an awesome way to shake up your routine and challenge the muscles in a different way. It focuses on muscular endurance, so you do a LOT of reps to fully fatigue each muscle group. It’s an awesome workout, and I love the newest release. The lunge track kills, though. 

Some more adventures from the weekend:

La jolla view

Friday night we were in La Jolla for Liv’s 3-year photos! Our photographer friend, Jacquelynn Buck (who did a guest post for me with some tips) visits often, so we were excited that she was in town and offered to take some pics. She does amazing work, and Liv was SO happy while she had her photos taken. (Ok, and I had jelly beans in my purse for her.) We can’t wait to see them!

Tom and livi 7

We explored a bit, and ended up at Stella’s for Italian dinner. It was SO good, and we capped it off with some gelato next door at Bobboi since we were in the neighborhood and everything. 

Bobboi

They have a huge selection of dairy-free flavors, and the dark chocolate was decadent and delicious- sweetened with maple syrup!

Gelato

(+ tiny taste-testing finger photo bomb)

After the event on Saturday + yoga teacher training + a limited end-of-the-week fridge supply, cooking dinner wasn’t happening. The Pilot had met up with some friends, so Liv and I had a girls’ date at the mall, where the Pilot later joined us for dinner at True Food.

We shared the beautiful crudites platter with dips

Veggie plate

(the kalamata olive dip is my fave! Anyone have a recipe??)

and I ordered the inside-out quinoa burger. The burger patties were the “bread” and it was stuffed with hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and feta. Totally recreating this at home! A little tip I learned from a server, since the kale salad and sweet potato hash are my faves: you can get a 1/2 side order of each with any sandwich or entree. It was perfection.

Quinoa burger

Sunday was barre-stravaganza, chilling with the fam, and prepping for the week ahead.

Hope you had a great weekend, too! <3

Has your partner or even a BFF taken a class with you that you love? Fellow instructor friends: has your spouse taken one of your classes? How’d it go? Did they come back? 😉

See ya later today on the Family page!

xoxo

Gina

Check in with today’s workout here!

Sending best wishes to all of my friends running the Boston Marathon today! <3

HUGE congrats to the winner of the Bitsy’s Brainfood + Target gift card giveaway:

Meg G.!

Check your email to claim your goodies! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways coming up. 

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56 Comments

  1. Traci on April 20, 2015 at 7:28 am

    I live on the East Coast but I’ve been to San Diego/La Jolla, and La Jolla is just so beautiful. I’m jealous you live so close! Not only for the views, but because the food is all just so. good.

    Not sure if you’ve already been here, but another very similar gelato place in La Jolla I think you will love is Gelateria Frizzante. They also have a ton of dairy free, gluten free flavors, and the blood orange is delicious.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      ohhh it’s happening next time!

  2. Ashley gish on April 20, 2015 at 7:36 am

    http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02390/Vegetarian-Caesar-Dressing.html

    This is the recipe I use. Tastes just like their dip at True food. I only add half the amount of olive oil and it works great!!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      awesome- thank you!

  3. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed on April 20, 2015 at 7:54 am

    I have dragged my husband to yoga a few times. He acts like it’s pure torture, but I know yoga is exactly what he needs. His biggest weakness at CrossFit is flexibility. He really struggles at the bottom of a squat. He has no problem stretching, but as soon as it’s called yoga… it must be just for women *ALL the eye rolls*

  4. Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries on April 20, 2015 at 8:05 am

    Way to go Pilot! My husband has yet to take one of my classes. We’ve tried to make it happen on a couple different occasions, but each time something came up like Hunter getting sick or something along those lines. I usually teach when he’s at work or super early when he and Hunter are asleep, so it makes it a little more challenging to plan it, but ONE day it’s happening! 😉

  5. Brynn on April 20, 2015 at 8:07 am

    My husband and I used to take a spin class together every Saturday morning and I loved it! He has since stopped his gym membership and miss our time together. We would always follow up with coffee from our favorite local shop.

    Can we talk about that inside-out burger?! YUM!

  6. Britt@MyOwnBalance on April 20, 2015 at 8:08 am

    I wish I could get my husband to try Bodypump. I know he would like it, it is just that he views group fitness classes as the woman’s domain of the gym. I think it would really help him though!

  7. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job on April 20, 2015 at 8:10 am

    Looks like a great weekend! I actually had a graduation class when I went from shadowing to teaching officially and I had to come up with the workout. My husband came and was sore for days afterwards it was great!

  8. Kaitlyn on April 20, 2015 at 8:13 am

    I make a kalamata olive tapenade that might be pretty similar!

    13/4 cups pitted kalamata olives
    3 tbls plus 1/4 cup toasted chopped pinenuts
    1/4 cup olive oil
    2 tsp course Dijon mustard
    1 clove garlic
    1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, oregano, and sage (I also use dry herbs in a pinch at 1/4 tsp)
    pinch of cayenne pepper

    add to food processor add 1/4 cup pinenuts last

    I blend mine and keep it a little chunkier (it’s great for spreads on sandwiches!) but it’s also great blended up a bit more and spread with goat cheese on pita bread 🙂 Enjoy!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      i will definitely try this! thank you- it looks amazing!!

  9. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious on April 20, 2015 at 8:15 am

    The quinoa burger is my fav at True Food and I always do the half and half too! I just can never decide. I love love love their food!

  10. Domi @ Eat, Pray, Lift on April 20, 2015 at 8:18 am

    That inside out burger looks like perfection! Pretty pretty pleeease share the recipe if/when you make a copycat version 🙂

    Hoping to start taking BP classes soon. None of the gyms I’ve belonged to have ever offered BP, but I’m looking at a new job with a gym that does and I’m stoked. (Ok, and a leeetle nervous now that you mentioned lunges haha)

  11. Julie on April 20, 2015 at 8:35 am

    I’ve been trying to get my boyfriend to try BP for yrs! He actually lost a bet & was supposed to go to BodyFlow w/ me, but I’m still waiting… :\ I think he’d actually like BP tho. We’ve been doing the new release since the beginning of Apr. The lunge track is hard, but I think the shoulders are even worse! One of the hardest shoulder tracks ever imo. When we 1st started it, the chest track left me sore for days, but my muscles have gotten used to it now. Love BP! 😉

  12. Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment on April 20, 2015 at 8:37 am

    Ooh I love the idea of the inside out burger and the dairy free gelato looks totally decadent. So fun that the pilot took one of your classes!

  13. Hayley @ Full of Life on April 20, 2015 at 9:14 am

    My boyfriend would always tease me about body pump when I would go since he imagined it to be a bunch of women hardly working out…well he took a class with me finally and was DYING. It was hilarious and awesome and he was sore for days after haha! Also, I love Stella’s!! So yummy.

  14. Emily on April 20, 2015 at 9:16 am

    I think it’s awesome that the Pilot took your class! What did he think? Understandable that he won’t be making it part of his normal routine, but just curious if he liked it. My fiance thinks all group fitness classes are only for women (it doesn’t help that I do Pure Barre and an all-girls bootcamp lol!)

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:20 pm

      he thought it was really challenging, especially since he isn’t used to high reps. he liked it, though! it was easier to convince him because in bodypump it’s usually 1/3 dudes

  15. joelle (on a pink typewriter) on April 20, 2015 at 9:20 am

    Mmmm, love True Food! I want my boyfriend to take a barre class with me, but I don’t foresee that happening ever haha. We went to yoga together once and it was a smidge dramatic (he said it was too hot – and it was an unheated class……………). 😉

  16. Elizabeth on April 20, 2015 at 10:13 am

    I begged my boyfriend to go to Zumba for the longest time. He would always say maybe and then bail at the last minute. Then, one he attempted to surprise me by attending a class I always go to, but it was one of the few days where i didn’t! He showed up at my house all sweaty asking, “where were you?” I didn’t believe him that he went until he started doing some of the dance moves to prove it! I was so mad.

    Several months later I dragged him to another class but a different instructor. He lasted about 10 minutes and then decided to go life weights. oh well. we won’t be a zumba-ing couple.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:18 pm

      NO WAY! i would have been so bummed to miss it! the pilot has taken one of my zumba classes… and it was amazing

  17. Moira on April 20, 2015 at 10:29 am

    My husband took his first spin class with me yesterday. I feel he has way more respect now when I say I’m going to spin class.

  18. Jen@jpabstfitness on April 20, 2015 at 10:53 am

    mmmmmmmm-that quinoa burger!!!!

  19. Tracy on April 20, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Way to go Pilot!

    I love that they let you order half sides…I can never decide on one! The burger looks delish!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:18 pm

      right?! my world was changed when they told me that 😉

  20. Nicole on April 20, 2015 at 11:04 am

    My boyfriend and I took BodyPUMP classes together for a while and both really enjoyed it. He prefers the intense muscle group split overall though. He goes to a gym at work now so we don’t do classes together anymore. Womp 🙁

  21. Samantha B on April 20, 2015 at 11:06 am

    Ive been very lucky in that my husband came to my 3rd spin class and has been to almost every spin and bootcamp class Ive taught since. Its a special treat to be in the middle of climbing a hill and to see him in the back of the class. He does like to tell people I enjoy bossing him around in class! 🙂

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      haha i love it!

  22. Amy S on April 20, 2015 at 11:08 am

    When my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii, I really wanted to take an outdoor yoga class together at our resort because I knew it would be SO beautiful. He was such a great sport and agreed to go – and he totally did better than I would have expected! I was proud of him and I appreciated that he did the class with me!

    Liv’s little dress for her pictures is just adorable, btw! 🙂

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      that is so awesome!!!
      thank you! baby gap for the win 🙂

  23. Ashley on April 20, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Sounds like such a great and busy weekend! I teach yoga and my boyfriend has been to a few of my classes. It’s always fun when he pops in, but since yoga isn’t something he does often I prefer to take a class with him rather than him come to a class that I’m teaching. That way it feels like we are spending time together. It’s always fun either way though!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      oh i love that! one of my friends’ husbands used to take her yoga class every week. i thought it was really sweet <3

  24. Emma @ Life's A Runner on April 20, 2015 at 11:39 am

    If there was somewhere I could take BodyPump, I definitely would! It would be an awesome addition to running. One day Alberta/BC will get on board, hah!

  25. masala girl on April 20, 2015 at 11:57 am

    oh my gosh, i ate lunch and a snack and that true foods dinner has me saivating so badly! haha. they need to come to ohioooo!! 🙁

    but that weekend sounds intense, but good!! lots of fun teaching, enjoy your day off! <3

  26. Crystal on April 20, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    Love the first photo! My hubby is definitely more of an independent exerciser but I have managed to get him to go to spin with me a few times.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      that’s awesome. i would love to spin with the pilot sometime 🙂

  27. Alex @ True Femme on April 20, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    I LOVE True Food so much! I just recently went to the one in Denver and I’m itching to go back. There are like a dozen things I want to try! I bet La Jolla is the perfect place for pictures! That was my favorite spot when I visited San Diego last year. Loved the picture of you and the Pilot! Purple is such a good color on you!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      la jolla is one of my favorite spots, too! so beautiful <3
      thank you, lovely friend! hope your week is off to a great start

  28. Erica on April 20, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    That lunge track is the devil.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      my legs are still shaky from this morning. it’s so weird because the song is SO NICE and CUTE and the exercises are so mean

  29. Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona on April 20, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Looks like you guys found a beautiful spot for Liv’s photos.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      thank you! i can’t wait to see them!

  30. Maria on April 20, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    I want to bring my husband to a Bring your Boy to the Barre event that my local barre studio has from time to time. I would love to see him do it 🙂 I know he’d come with me any other time, but I think he’d be more into it if there were a bunch of other dudes forced to be there.

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      i love when barre studios do events for the guys! then they can see that it’s not flowy ballerina moves… it burns so much 😉

  31. Nichole on April 20, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    That is my FAV menu item at True Food! Please recreate at home and post the recipe so I can kindly borrow it from you 🙂 PS – trying the new BodyPump launch tonight – excited!

    • Fitnessista on April 20, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      it’s on the plan for this week! hopefully it turns out.. i may have to go “test” it again 😉
      ahhh! enjoy! the triceps track is my fave

  32. Katalina @ Peas and Peonies on April 20, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    All that Gelato looks amazing, finally it starts to warm up in NYC so I can have it as my

  33. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul on April 20, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    I love Livi’s dress! She’s getting so big!

  34. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West on April 20, 2015 at 6:18 pm

    Hi Gina! The food all looks amazing! And yes, my Mom, brother and hubby have all taken my BODYPUMP classes. And I also drug my husband to my BODYATTACK and a boot camp class. He does fine, but definitely prefers to do his own workout. The muscle endurance and amount of reps in BODYPUMP is killer for people not conditioned for it – even if they lift heavy in the gym. So glad your man got to experience it! 🙂

  35. Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me on April 20, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    I love that your husband was willing to take your class. I love the support! Hopefully you get a nice relaxing rest day. Sounds like you deserve it!

  36. Annette @ FitnessPerks on April 20, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    That inside out burger sounds/looks amazing!! umm.

    My husband came to one of my BODYPUMP classes and he’s never been back because he said it hurt too much, haha. He’s much more of an outdoor/sports guy & not a gym goer, but it was kind of funny how sore it made him 😉 My brothers & dad have come to my BP class as well & they too were so sore & talked about how great of a workout it was. My sisters have come to my zumba classes & CXWORX classes and they loved the workout & fun! 🙂 I love when family comes to my classes!

    Can’t wait to see Liv’s photos-I bet they’re fab!

  37. Ali on April 20, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    You two should model. Such a beautiful couple! <3 Happy to hear you finally got him to come with you! <3

  38. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen on April 22, 2015 at 8:55 am

    I’ve had that burger from True Food and it’s definitely a fav 🙂 Also, that dark chocolate gelato sweetened with maple syrup sounds RIGHT up my alley!

  39. Char on April 22, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    I was so happy when I made the husband take hot yoga for the first time with me 4 years ago (I had it for free because I worked at lulu!). Other than that, we worked at a fitness facility, so CrossFit was a measly 5 steps from his office, and I would come by and do that with him – or often, without him, haha. I can only imagine how cute Liv’s pictures turned out. Now that I’m in a new area (Orlando for anyone reading comments with recommendations!!), I need to find a good photographer to use!!

    • Fitnessista on April 22, 2015 at 3:20 pm

      that is awesome! i would love it if tom took hot yoga with me one of these days 🙂
      i will ask around!! maybe katy (katywidrick.com) would know?? she lived in o-town until recently

  40. Shaina Anderson on May 6, 2015 at 5:54 am

    I miss the days of taking yoga classes with Patrick! And True Food is my FAVORITE!! We go for dates all the time. Half and half is totally the way to go. If you’re in the mood for meat when you go one time, their Bison burger is OUTRAGEOUS….and I usually don’t eat meat.

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