Ball for the burn
Hi friends! How was your day?
Mine was pretty bueno- lots of errands
ditching spin (there was a sub and I gave her a chance for 10 minutes before leaving. I felt horrible being “the person who leaves” but I wasn’t going to enjoy it)
walking on base instead and
lunch
made possible by grilled veggie leftovers and a hefty amount of goat cheese 🙂
All I did was heat up two slices of brown rice bread, top with marinara, grilled veggies, goat cheese and lots of red chili flakes.
I thought I’d share with you my weird pizza-eating, bread-related quirk:
Whenever I eat something that is served on bread (wrap, pizza, sandwich), I eat everything else first, and then the bread. It’s my favorite part, so I save it for last 😉
I also eat with small forks since I’m pretty sure our *normal* set of forks were made for giants.
Snacks were nothing too cray cray:
but I did get in a beastly weights workout.
1) Warm-up 10 minutes
2) Assisted dips
3) Back extensions
4) Cable chest fly
5) Cable tricep pressdown
6) Single leg squat
7) Incline bench concentration curls
8) Lateral raises
9) Leg burner using the playground ball:
[It looks so innocent and whimsical. Totally not]
Place the ball in between your knees: (TWSS?)
Lightly holding onto a ballet bar, or back of a chair, come up onto your toes (heels off the ground) and sit back into a squat
Make sure your chest stays lifted, and don’t let your knees extend past your toes (so that means booty BACK)
Come back up (stay on your toes) and back down into a squat 15 times
Next, hold the squat and pulse 15 times
Then, using your inner thighs, squeeze the ball like you want to pop it 15 times
After 3 sets of this Physique 57-style move, it was a lovely burn 😉 [Don’t have a playground ball? A small pillow works well, or a balloon which I’ve actually tried.. and popped. It hurt.]
Time to make some dinner!
See ya in the morning <3
xoxo
Gina
Heads up: Facebook giveaway this week! It’s a good one 😀
51 Comments
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I love that workout move its been forever since ive done it though!!
I am IMPRESSED that you’re still all over the workouts and going strong. You go girl! It will make your labor, delivery, and post partum recovery so much better I think b/c you are so fit and in shape going into it all. Props to you!
And also about leaving a class after 10 mins that wasn’t going to float your boat…thank you for being honest about that one. When I used to belong to a gym I so wanted to do that so many times but never have. I wish I would have…ha!
It’s so funny that you eat with smaller silverware. When I was little (like 3 years old) I refused to eat unless it was with a “lovely spoon” and I still am picky about using smaller silverware and certain mugs and cups. I am such a weirdo hahaha.
girl, i’m the same way 🙂
🙂
I ALWAYS eat with the smaller fork and the teaspoon. Who the heck can eat properly off the big spoon? I’ve been told I have a big mouth sometimes but even I’m not giant enough to eat off the big spoons!
oh good, now I dont feel crazy! haha, i am the same way too!
I have been working a lot of legs lately but as soon as the soreness goes away i definitely want to try some of those moves! They look great!!!
This reminds me of Pure Barre (similar to Physique 57) and you’re right! It’s a total burner!! Lurveee
i’ve been wanting to take a pure barre class- we don’t have them in tucson, though
You’re too cute! And goat cheese sounds really good right now. We preggos are so impressionable 😀
we’re super impressionable! everything i see on blogs i’m like “ooh! i want that!” haha
I am going to definitely try that move in the gym tomorrow! So happy when I get new ideas…it’s tough finding things I’ve never seen!!!
I love your belly workouts…great job!
I’m the same way with bread when I eat it…there’s no other way!
This is going to sound crazy because it’s totally irrelevant to the post but a long time ago you posted a video of two guys on youtube singing and I loved hearing it but I totally forgot the groups name and can’t find it on youtube. I believe it was a mashup but I can’t be too sure.
Amen to the small fork 🙂 when my hubby sets the table he always gets me the “baby fork” as he calls it lol.
That looks so good! I also try to eat Gluten Free as much as possible. I definitely miss making tortilla/pita/naan pizzas so i’ll give brown rice bread “pizza” a try! Hopefully it doesn’t get soggy 🙂
By the way, your blog inspired me to start my own. I love following all of your eats and posts (especially the family ones! even though I don’t plan on having a baby anytime soon. They’re super sweet!)
Hey Gina! I finally had a minute to stop by and leave a note — seriously, THANK YOU for your little shoutout to my blog last night <3 I read your blog every.single.day and I thought it was so cool you were even reading what I had to say on my little corner of the crazy blog world 🙂
I found out about the link from my friend Marie, and I had to share the story. Marie, by the way, is hugely inspired by you, too! She was the first friend I told about starting a blog back in April/May because I wasn't sure if people would think I was weird, or food-obsessed, or *what*, and she has been supportive 100% of the way. Eventually she found your site through my posts and she is now a daily reader as well, and is even starting her own blog because she has been inspired to embrace a whole-life approach to health and happiness 🙂
Anyway, Marie called me last night just to tell me I had a link up on your page and can I just admit (most embarrassing thing ever) – I was kind of screaming like a Twi-hard who just met Robert Pattinson. Marie and I – two friends who literally tried "the diet coke and cigarette" diet together in high school, the South Beach diet together multiple times.. name the diet, we've talked about it – freaking out over your blog and what a difference it's made to us. Sorry for the long (and creepy?) story – I just had to share yet another example of how you spread healthy living and love! You inspire me every day – thank you again!
(P.S. I like using the bigger spoons for cereal only, and only eat off of small plates. Totally normal!)
that is so awesome! and thank YOU for posting that link- i loved it 🙂
I totally eat weird too! I always save the best for last, and I eat with baby spoons only. I did legs and back with Tony Horton from the p90x program today! It was awesome and burny too.
Yum! I totally leave the bread/carb part of my meal for last too haha. I’m not alone!
Also, have you gotten any weird looks yet for being visibly pregnant and yet kicking butt in the weights room?
all the time. people at the base gym kind of stare. i’m thinking “have you never seen a pregnant girl working out before? really?”
Hoolie doolie, I can’t believe you did all of that AND manged to get a photo of it! Super impressed, especially with the extra tum tum there.
My husband has always insisted on a teaspoon for dessert and so that’s all I use these days too – although that is more about making the bowl last longer than anything else … 🙂
I love that move! It’s a Pure Barre move as well, and if you do ten or fifteen reps of tucking your hips (still with a flat back), it hurts even more 🙂 The other really good one is to loop a tight resistance band around your legs and do the same type squat but press your knees out. Killer!
Gah! That workout move looks so hard! It kind of reminds me of Awkward pose in Bikram yoga – you know, at the beginning-ish of class. I love that sequence of poses – all three variations – so I’m sure I’d love this, it looks pretty intense! 😀 Your gym looks so nice! <3 xyx
yes, it’s a lot like awkward pose + a ball 🙂 i miss bikram!!
That workout looks awesome!!
Don’t worry– I ditch exercise classes all the time. If you’re not going to enjoy it, why bother!?
i love small silverware. I eat with the same, not sure why really. Great Physique move. I must give it a whirl!
I don’t like super small utensils but I don’t like the super big forks/spoons either — it seems like lots of restaurants have them — I feel like I’m stabbing myself in the mouth with them because they’re so big (TWSS?)
I have a quick question…I just became a certified spinning instructor a couple months ago and just landed my OWN class. My question for you: how do you know after 10 minutes that you aren’t going to enjoy a class? I think one of my fears as an instructor is that I’d have people walk out on me in 5-10 minutes. I’d like to prevent that if possible. 😉
bring some energy, pick an awesome warm-up song and within 10 minutes, let the actual *work* begin 🙂
I do the same exact thing with pizza, lol 🙂
awesome 🙂
i hate ditching out on classes too, but if you aren’t going to enjoy it, you might as well do something else.
i eat with small spoons and small forks, ALWAYS
Haha I always eat with little forks and spoons too.. the large “adult” ones in the set are always comically ginormous and seem hilarious next to my 5 ft tall body.
Anyways question- do you have any advice for working a regular yoga practice into your life?? I haven’t been back to yoga in ages because I find it’s easier to get to the gym then make set classes with my work schedule, but I’d really like to start doing more yoga, and don’t like practicing at home/not in a class setting yet.
try the yogadownload.com podcasts and videos- the 20 min ones are free and a great, short option to add into everyday life
I eat my pizza the same way!!! Too funny.
Thank you for inadvertently giving me permission to leave a class. Because you teach classes yourself, it makes me feel like I’ve been given the OK if class is, for one reason or another, terrible (like a terrible sub, or a teacher who decides to teach African Dance in a scheduled Zumba class – true story). It makes sense to enjoy what you’re doing if you’re spending a part of your day working out. So thanks for the green light!
100% green light.
i also can’t believe that about that african dance. not zumba!
I know what you mean…leaving after 10 mins if the sub just does not bring it, I feel bad but at the same time a good sub is a good sub, period the end. 🙂
this is one of my favorite Bar Method moves…it hurts so good! I also do the same thing with my pizza, I always eat the toppings off first then I enjoy the crust 🙂
so i’m not weird?! hooray 🙂
I also hate being “that person” that leaves, but sometimes it just really isn’t worth it. I find this to be especially true in spin class. Might as well go do your own thing and get a good workout vs. just being nice for 50 minutes.
amen
If there is ONE thing I miss most about being at home, it is having access to delish food like goat cheese. I love how you are swingin’ your own beat even though you are majorly preggo.
haha i do my own thang 😉
I love that you use little forks too. My brother and I only use dessert forks. And I still use my sippy cup ( minus the lid) whenever I visit my parents.
I totally eat with the little forks, too! (I guess they’re salad forks?) The big ones are too big for my little mouth =(
I eat with little forks too! I think it’s because I have small hands though. Whenever I pick up the “normal” ones I feel like I’m holding a pitchfork! haha
I get so disappointed when one of my favorite spin teachers has a sub. That happened to me last Friday, and I almost didn’t even start, but I did. I felt bad, because none of us were following any of her instructions. We were all doing our own thing, and looking at the clock every five seconds. Afterwards, we all said (amongst ourselves, not to the sub) that we contemplated leaving half-way through, even though none of us did. I don’t know if it’s worse to leave after 10 minutes, or do what we did and so obviously not listen to the teacher!
I just came back to this post after seeing the reference in the November 17, 2011 post.
One thing to remember if you’re going to do any of these barre-type moves, with a playground ball or not: It’s REALLY important to keep your tailbone curled underneath you the whole time such that your lower back is flat, not curved. You can think about tucking your pelvis toward the barre or whatever you’re holding on to. It’s really easy to put too much pressure into your lower back during these exercises, and I’ve seen people get injured before (I’m a barre instructor).
Thank you and hope I’m not stepping on your toes! 🙂