A collection of my favorite workouts. I design them with optimal fat-burning, effectiveness and time in consideration- I like to keep things no-nonsense with the busy Fitnessista in mind. All workouts are free and always will be.
For help on setting up a fitness plan, check out this post.
(As always, talk with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes. Honor your body and your injuries.)
Ab Burners -add these into a weights routine, after cardio, or before bed at night for a little extra burn
- 5-minute Ab Burner (VIDEO) #2
- 5-minute Ab Burner (VIDEO)
- 10 Ways to Crunch
- Captain’s Chair Ab Burner
- Cardio/Ab Burner Combo
- Easter Ab Burner
- Halloweekend Ab Burner
- Bring On the Week Ab Burner
- Party Animal Ab Burner
- Saturday Night Ab Burner
- Sunday Night Ab Burner
Bridal Bootcamp
Bun in the Oven Workout
Workout Move of the Week:
- The Lunge and Lift
- Bicep Curl Plie Squat Combo
- Cardio Blasts with Lacey
- Burpees
- Yoga Inspired
- Short Cardio Workout
Elliptical Workouts
Schweaty Workouts - posted monthly and include a combination of strength and cardio. You can follow these workouts if you’d like on non-consecutive days for about 4 weeks before changing it up. Remember, change creates change <3
2012:
Spin Workouts
Stretching
Summer Shape Up Plan- A total-body fitness plan with nutrition recommendations and meal ideas to help you feel good and bikini-ready all year long
2012:
Everything you need, including the full workout calendar, meal ideas and grocery list is here.
2011:
2010:
2009:
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5- Repeat Week 1
- Week 6
- Week 7
- Week 8- Repeat Week 3
- Week 9
- Week 10
- Week 11- Repeat Week 2
- Week 12- Repeat Week 1
Treadmill Workouts
Weight Workouts
- 10 Ways to Lunge
- 10 Ways to Plank
- “Baby Got Back” Workout
- Compound Weights Workout
- HTP Intro to Iron Pumping Plan
- Intermediate Iron Pumping Plan
- Friday Frenzy Legs Workout
- Killer Arms Workout
- Monday Bang Workout
- Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
- Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
- Shoulder, Chest, Tricep and Abs Circuit
- At home circuit workout
- Jump Rope Strength Circuit
- Legs
- Total Body Toning Sesh
- Rainy Day Workout (all you need is a pair of dumbbells)
- Spring Abs Workout
- Spring Arms Workout
- Spring Leg Workout
- Strength Train on the Treadmill
Winter Shape Up
2012:
2011:
2010:
Workout Quickies
- ALL Tabata Thursday videos are here (4 minutes of cardio glory following the Tabata format, includes video)
- Booty Burner (VIDEO)
- Exercises on a park bench
- V-day booty blast
- No Time to Weight (Circuit)
- Black Friday Frenzy (Circuit)
- Humpday Booty Burner
- Short Cardio video
- Triple Threat Cardio Workout (30 minutes)
- Turkey Treadmill Workout






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!







i have had 3 babies in a row. i’m up to 160 lb. my hight is 5’1. how do i loss the weight at home with 3 littel one. i want to get down to 125 lb. will you please help me out.
Thanks!
[...] I was excited to try Zumba as a different way to switch up my current workout routine and happy that lots of my coworkers were participating too. I didn’t really know much about it going in, but luckily had read about it on some of my favorite blogs, including Fitnessista! [...]
Hi Gina,
I have a question for you. I got my license to teach Zumba and haven’t started teaching yet. I was wondering what is the best way to start out. I have 2 places that asked me to teach but am a little nervous about it. What would you suggest for a first timer? Also where can I find “cleaned up ” songs to use like Pitbull or LMFAO?
Thanks for your time, I know you are crazy busy with the new baby!
Tina
Hey Gina
So I have heard about a diet and wanted your opinion. Paleo… Have you heard anything about it? I’m looking to lose 60 pounds and need a diet to lose weight. Also would zumba for the wok be a good way to lose weight? Also is there any supplements that would help me? I am 19 and I weight about 190 and I live in Canada
Thanks for your help
hey girl
paleo works for many people but not something i recommend. i say go for a well-rounded plan that doesn’t eliminate entire food groups
and yes, zumba is awesome cardio!
xoxo
Thanks so much for the reply!
Would you be able to send me an easy meal plan to follow?
If so my email is jayme.Scott@hotmail.com
Thanks xoxo
i’m sorry i can’t do that, but there are lots of meal ideas on the food page!
xoxo
also, check out the summer and winter shape ups- many of those workout plans include meal plans and ideas
Hi Gina:
I love your blog! Would you be able to e-mail/reply on here about how you lost 40 lbs? I am currently trying to lose 15 lbs for my wedding in June. I tried WW (for over a year) with no success and now am calorie counting.
I am 150 and hoping to get to 135….do you have a specific calorie limit?
hey girl,
here’s the post where i described it:
http://fitnessista.com/about/weight-loss-story/
check with an rd in your area to figure out a good calorie amount for you
xoxo
Thank you so much, your story sounds just like mine! As of today, I am on Day 2 of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet! Wish me luck!
Help I just moved to Tucson Arizona and I can’t find and yoga Studios that offer a “CorePower Yoga” expirence! I love yoga with weights and it’s no where to be found here! Please help me I’m new here and if I can’t find a good fitness center soon i’m afraid I’ll become super depressed.
our yoga here is amazing, and sad, at the same time. we have awesome anusara classes at yoga oasis, and power yoga at az power yoga (which is really FAR for a lot of people), and bikram (yoga vida or bikram yoga tucson), but no core power
Hi Gina! First time commenter here! (but long-time reader
I have a fitness-while-pregnant question: What are your thoughts on the recommended <140 heart rate? Is this something you followed? My workout of choice is running, and I'm finding it very boring to run while staying under 140 heart rate. Before I used to run 9-9:30 min/miles but to keep my heart rate <140 my splits are more like ~12 min/miles. I would truly appreciate your advice on what to do – I'm just 14 weeks pregnant, and can't imagine anther 6 months of not bringing my heart rate above 140 :-/
Thank you, and congratulations for Olivia, the wonderful blog, and your candid words. Un abrazo!
Melo
[...] routine” for some great suggestions!), going for a brisk walk, or taking inspiration from Fitnessista’s workout plans. And quite frankly? Sometimes I just dedicated to “move” that day, whether it was [...]
Hey Fitnessista!!!

I’ve been following your blog daily for a little over a year now and I LOVE it!! Congrats on the healthy and beautiful baby
I’ve currently been studying abroad in Paris for the past three months and have three more months left to go and have found it to be difficult to maintain my regular fitness routine while here. I try to get in a run at least three times a week but other than that I have not been able to do anything compared my normal workouts when I was back home. I used to exercise six times a week doing hot yoga (I’m on severe withdrawal)+cardio+strength training and I maintained a lean vegetarian diet. So while it will be another three months before I can pick up my normal workouts and eats again I was wondering if you could suggest any good arm toning exercises not involving any weights or machines?
Since, my stay here is so temporary and I am on a tight student budget I can’t really afford to spend money on lots of fit equipment or join a gym. I would really appreciate your help
Have a great one!! Keep up the posts <3
Hi Liz! This may be a little weird, but I studied abroad in Paris last fall/winter and LOVED it… but there were definitely challenges (!) ……..so when I skimmed this comment, it caught my eye!! I would love to chat / email with you…obvs Paris is close to my heart, lol.
While I was there, I found walking to be my most convenient and reliable form of exercise but I also totally see what you mean – I was also working out 6+ days per week prior and definitely felt the muscle loss when i got there….what is it about the french and their lack of gym memberships lol?! anyway.. I hope you are having a great time and enjoying yourself.. I think that (honestly) even though you may not be lifting all the etime or doing your gen workouts, walking wtih handwieghts (i bought mine on amazon for just a few bucks) really helps!
i’d love to chat with you about Paris !
email me – jaclyn.oakland @ gmail dot com
a tout a l’heure!
j
Hi there,
Just discovered your website for the first time today. What a great compilation of work you have here! I love Zumba & all types of dance fitness. I recently became certified as a Nia instructor and can’t wait to start teaching. Going to browse through you list of Ab Burner workouts now! Great posts!
-Karen
I LOVE this webpage. I got to you by searching for blogs about Step Aerobics and found your great post from last year. These work-outs look wonderful. I also really respect the balance of this blog, with your passion for living well, looking beautiful and enjoying company. You rock!
[...] was looking looking for some alternate workouts on a few different blogs I follow and I came across Fitnessista’s Summer Shape Up Plan. Its from 2011 and 4 weeks long – which will end perfect for STUDY ABROAD!!! (a little [...]
I love all the workout that you post. Such great ideas. I am a group exercise instructor and I workout all the time. I can’t wait to try out some of these!
I have a two year old and I am constantly trying to figure out when to workout. I notice that you seem to do a lot of evening workouts. What time do you workout and does it interrupt your sleep?
Wow! I am very impressed that you log all of your routines on your website. I don’t know if you knew, but you were just mentioned on a webstite called greatist.com for the top 60 health and fitness blogs. That’s how I found you.
I might be a little slow, but how do I subscribe to your blog? I can’t find it on your page. The blog seems awesome and I’d love to follow all your workouts and recipes. Keep blogging! Thanks!
there’s a subscribe button on the right (next to the Facebook and pinterest icons)
thank you for checking out my blog
Hi,
I enjoy reading your inspiring blog. Food and fitness are a joy for me too.
I had a queston regarding sore elows after using light dumbells…do you have any tips to prevent this. I do upright seated flies mainly to help my back.
cheers
Anne.
Can you add the link to week 4 of Summer Shape-Up/July Calendar to the Fitness Page or to the page with the June and week 1-3 workouts for easy access?? Or am I just missing it somewhere? Pahleasssse
Thanks!!!
yes i def will! http://fitnessista.com/summer-shape-up-2012-week-4-workout/
These workouts are amazing! So many options! You should check out moteevate.com. They have actionplans to help you track your exercises and progress. They’re simple and easy to use. I use their “Track my running” actionplan to log my miles every day. Check them out!
I’ve just come across your blog right now and I am LOVING it. I am in desperate need of a lifestyle change in fitness. I am only 18 years old, 5’3 and weighing more than 170pounds. I dropped to 160 for spring break but since moving in with boyfriend Im finding i hard to get workouts in. I noticed that I am moping about being homr all day and bot taking it as an advantage.
Do you have any recommendations for me to lose weight? I have a goal of getting to 140. I am NOT happy at all with my body right now, cellulite has increased amd I’ve become very insecure.
HELP. oh I will be doing a workout before heading to bed
a lot of it will have to do with your eating. healthy clean eats and make sure to get in enough fuel to support your activities!
thank you so much for reading
[...] a workout schedule, workout videos, meal ideas and shopping lists. Plus a whole collection of her favorite workouts. (I have a shortcut on my browser to this page and have for at least a year [...]
[...] Methinks I’m going to start up the New Rules of Lifting for Women again, or perhaps one of Gina’s fitness plans. I need guidance and structure in the weight room. I have no idea what I’m doing all by [...]
Hi Gina! I thought I remembered you writing posts about exercising during each trimester of your pregnancy, but I can’t seem to find them. Am I imagining that? If not, can you tell me where they are? Thanks!
I just have to say that I love your AB BURNER videos. I use them every morning after my cardio workout
Thanks!!
so happy to hear you like them!
Hi Gina!
I’ve been following your website for quite a while. You are quite an inspiration and have a beautiful family!! I just had a question. I’m looking to lose some weight( no specific number, I just want to look/feel good and be healthy!). My husbandand I are starting crossfit classes today and I am nervous!!!! I have little to no athletic background and have been heavy my entire life. Got married, popped out three kids one after another ( they are 4,5,6 now!). Im finally ready to get my butt in gear after many ups and downs, diet wins and then fail. I’ve tried it all! My question is do you think crossfit is sufficient enough for weight loss? With my background do you think it is something ishpuld/could do?! I might add too, I’ve had 2 c sections so my core strength is poor. Any input would be great!
Hi Gina,
I’ve loved reading your blog for the past few months and had a quick question for you– I just found out that I’m 6 weeks pregnant, and am on my second round of Insanity. I know that you completed it a while ago and was wondering what you thought about doing it while preggers.
I will be talking with my doctor in a few weeks, but wanted to see if you had done any of the workouts while pregnant.
[...] re-starting The New Rules of Lifting for Women to have a bit more structure to follow. Gina has a bunch of really great plans on her website, so I’m going to check those out as another [...]
Hey girl! You are awesome! I just stumbled across your website while looking up Carlean’s videos! I am excited to try some of your workouts! Thank you!
Haha…oops! I meant “Chalean”….
[...] and offer a lot of helpful information. Here’s some highlights – Fitnessista’s free workouts : http://fitnessista.com/fitness/ Gina’s awesome recipes : http://www.skinnytaste.com/ Pretty & healthy food! : [...]
Do you have any place for tips for running? That seems to be the only little piece of fitness missing from this list.
i can add that in!
There is a reason you are listed as a top fitness blog. Great workouts and they apply to all levels. I have to do moderate workouts due to an old injury. I use the natural pain patches from Imbue and all is well. Thanks for the great tips. I look forward to more posts.
[...] always have great workouts (and they’re always sharing new ones with you! Gina’s a group fitness instructor. And Courtney’s a personal trainer. Print out their workouts and take them to they gym with [...]
[...] Fitnessista – Ton’s of awesome quick workouts plus more! [...]
Just a quick question, how much cardio do you normally do a week?
I love your blog and have been following it for about a year now. Just curious, do you have any pregnancy workouts? Just found out we are expecting again and I want to stay in the best shape I can this time. Right now I am lifting weights 2-3/week and running HIIT 3/week. I didn’t see anything pregnancy related on your workout page. If you don’t have anything, could you point me in the direction of a good system? I will really appreciate your help! Thank you
p.s. I can’t find a way to email you questions, do you get these comments here…?
Hi Gina– I was hoping you could shed some light on correcting muscle imbalances–particularly for the back and shoulders. I am a victim of my desk job tightening my pecs and lats and weakening my rhomboids, back and shoulder muscles. I have had pain in my neck and shoulders and also popping from simple shoulder rolls. I have been to doctors and they don’t seem to be concerned with this, but from my diagnosis, it makes all sorts of sense that I have a muscle imbalance and needs to be corrected. Any advice on workouts, stretches–how often and when to do it would be so helpful. Thanks!
does it hurt you to strength train? it might be worthwhile to see a neuromuscular therapist. my rhomboids and pecs get extremely tight and painful, and the cnmt helps SO much
wow! What an amazing list! I’m so excited to try these out!
Hi Gina,
I bumped into your website and I think it has a great fit with ActivewearUSA!
ActivewearUSA.com carries 130 Yoga and fitness brands such as prAna, Lole, Alo, Zobha and more.
At ActivewearUSA.com you can shop by activity and our job is to advice our customers with the right brand for every activity such as yoga, cycle, run, swim etc.
We would love to send you an item for your review.
Please feel free to call me to discuss further: 704 497 5917
Hi Gina,
I love your blog! I followed the Winter Shape Up this year and now I’m on to the March Workout Plan. Just a question…I noticed that you have some ab burners and tabata workouts in the form of videos. Are there any plans to format them into printables so they can be taken to the gym?
Keep up the great work. I always look forward to your new posts!
[...] also shifted to include more ab work–planks, crunches, V-Ups, and the like. Check out the Fitnessista Ab Burners for quickie ab workouts when you don’t have enough time for a full sweat [...]
[...] You know where to look for a good gym [...]
Hi Gina. Do you have any post partum workout routines?
[...] and her adorable and optimistic spin on life, I have to admit that I am a total sucker for her fitness posts. This girl can dance, yoga, spin, aerobicize and pump iron with the best of them! Not only [...]
I am just starting to incorporate strength training int my normal fitness routine (which is cardio and yoga only…). I know how beneficial strength training is and really want a plan that I can stick to and do at home or in the gym with simple equipment. Would you recommend I do 3 days a week of strength (upper body, lower, and total) with short cardio/HIIT on those days? Then longer steady cardio or active rest on other day (plus full rest one day). I plan on using workouts from your page as well as a few other blogs to do on my own (so no classes or personal training sessions). Any advice?! Thank you!!
Wow! You are a rock star. I started a fitness blog a few months ago evolvewithmary.blogspot.com, but I have been reading your blog on a regular bases for the last 6 months. You are such an inspiration. Thank you for keeping me in such good shape mentally and physical , and for sharing all of your tips. You really are a rock star. I hope you know that
LOVE the ab burner videos and would love more! The videos make it so much easier to follow along and really stick to finishing!
Glad I found your site. I work out daily even when I have little time and change my workout almost daily as it keeps me from getting bored. This is a great resource for me. Thanks!