Kombucha update + NEW Ab burner
I’m not going to say I wasn’t a little freaked out to taste the kombucha.
The scoby looked totally healthy with no signs of mold, but there were definitely more strands of bacteria floating around in there. It’s pretty amazing how much the liquid changes in a course of 10 days, and the new baby scoby was growing on top- just as anticipated.
It actually worked! The mixture tasted fantastic and had a great amount of tang, similar to store-bought ‘buch. I figured it was time to bottle it for the second round of fermentation so it can carbonate over the next week or so.
I picked up some glass bottles at Home Goods, which seal well -you don’t want air to escape in the bottling process- for $6.99 each.
It’s hard to tell from the picture, but they’re fairly large bottles; I could have poured almost the entire 8 cup batch into one.
I washed the bottles, then added grated ginger and orange juice to one, while leaving the other plain.
To each bottle, I also added a handful of dried cranberries. I read online that adding a little bit of dried fruit feeds the bacteria and helps it to carbonate more quickly. We’ll see what happens! I already have my second batch fermenting away. I also have the baby scoby in the fridge with some starter liquid, if any of my work or Tucson friends want to start some kombucha of their own. 😉
Last night, I also went to the gym to get in my training run. I would have loved to do it outside, but it’s been in the 90s and I didn’t want to take Liv out in the heat for that long, especially since we’d already been playing outside and went for an afternoon swim. Instead, I blasted some music on the treadmill and got in 5 miles. I’m training for my November half, which seems pretty far away, but I’m not going to bump up my mileage until August. For now, I’ll keep it in a 4-6 mile range with some speedwork in there.
Before my run, I did a 5-minute ab burner (sans crunches), and filmed it to share with ya:
Use this as an exclamation point to finish your next workout, or before bed tonight. Modify as needed and always check with a doc before making any fitness changes. Complete it up to 3 times today! Please leave a comment to let me know what you think, or tweet/Instagram me @fitnessista
Enjoy the burrrrnnnnnn 🙂
xoxo
Gina
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Just finished today’s workout but will be trying the ab routine after tomorrows run!
Been looking forward to a new ab burner! 🙂 I always enjoy your videos.
Going to try the ab burner tonight! Always love ab workouts that go beyond the standard crunches!
My family loves kombucha and my mother has also recently been working on making her own too. I’ll admit though, I can’t get past all the “floaty thingies” in it to drink it. I’m squeamish. 🙂 BUT they’ve made some blueberry kombucha that they claim tastes exactly like grape soda and all love it. Maybe some day I’ll get brave enough to try it… Maybe if I strain it first or something, but I’m not sure if that defeats the bacteria purpose if you’re removing every bit of it.
Loved the ab burner!! I did it right away and can hopefully squeeze in a couple more today!
I got my dad a Kombucha kit for Christmas as he really wanted to try it. Looks so scary to me but I have heard it’s great for you
I am overjoyed by the sprouting process; I can’t imagine how excited I would be about the magic of kombucha fermenting! 🙂
Can’t wait to try.
Great ab burner!
I definitely think I’d be a little scared to try my own kombucha at first too, especially with all the funkiness going on in kombucha. That’s great it tasted good!
Fun! My hubby bought a case of Grolsch beer because it comes in green seal-able bottle, but you can buy them empty at a beer brewing supply place for pretty cheap! They are more of a single serving, too. We just drank the beer and then used them for Kombucha brewing. Just a tip in case anyone is interested 🙂
Can’t wait to try this Ab burner!
The ab burner looks great! Would it be possible to put it into printable form? I like to take your workouts with me to the gym 🙂
can you watch video on your phone? this was on the fly, so i do a few different things without a set amount of reps. that’s why i didn’t make a printable for this one
i can tweet you the names of the exercises if you like!
Yes please! @saddleton 😀
just tweeted 🙂
Just copy/paste to Word and print. That’s what I do!
When she has it typed out of course 🙂
Always looking for new ways to fire up my abs! Sometimes I get bored with the same old crunches. It’s nice to incorporate some new moves and feel the burn.
I totally want to try Kombucha now…….so interesting! Also, what tank are you wearing? Pretty sure it’s lulu……looks really nice!
thank you! it’s lulu- got it at work but can’t remember the name of the style
I have the same one- I love it (and I’m 26 weeks preggo) so it’s comfy whether you’re fit like Gina or growing a baby or just carrying some in the middle.
It’s flow and go tank 2 from lulu.
http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-tanks/Flow-And-Go-Tank-II?cc=7208&sli=1
Awesome – I can’t wait to try this!! Thanks girl 🙂
Brave!! I’m too chicken to try that!
Can’t wait to hear about the finished result!
can you post your half marathon training schedule? running my first in October, and right now I can comfortably run 3. (but I’ve never run more than 6 in my life, so need some tips :))
So excited for the ‘booch! I’m almost convinced to make it myself, but I’m a little intimidated, too. But paying $4+ at the store is starting to get ridiculous!
i promise it’s super easy!
Yay, a new Ab Burner!! I was waiting for it! I know the Six Pack in a Sweater Ab Burner by heart 🙂 So going to do this tomorrow morning after my run!
let me know what you think! 🙂 xo
I am in need of a little extra core work so I’ll be checking this one out for sure, thanks for sharing! I’ve only tried kombucha once and I gagged so I am hesitant to try making my own. I might try it eventually though so thanks for sharing your tips and experience with it!
I’m excited for this ab burner! And I’m glad to hear your homebrew is turning out to be a success!
I am so impressed with your Kombucha making- I definitely want to start making my own ASAP!
And yay for ab burn!
I will be trying the ab burner after spin tonight! What kind of sneakers are you wearing in the video? I love the color 🙂
thank you! they’re from reebok: http://shop.reebok.com/us/product/women-sublite-tr—wide-shoes/EI129?cid=V45715&breadcrumb=svZu3Z1z13070
Thank you for setting fire to my abs! You’re like Adele but without the rain… 😉
*like* hahaha
I love your ab burners! I made my sister do one with me the other day and she wanted to punch me because she thought it was so hard. Then she thanked me later 🙂
Oh also question – my left hip joint pops when I do the part where I have my legs up and then lower them to a hover (same with alternating the legs). It doesn’t hurt bad but it feels weird…is there an alternate way to do this or is this a sign of something wrong?
mine used to do that, and stopped. it’s so weird! i’m not sure what causes it -my hips were out and i saw a chiropractor which i think helped- but try it with bent legs to seem if it minimizes it, or decrease the range of motion
it’s good that it doesn’t hurt, but if it feels weird, i’d do another options for that part
Thanks! If I decrease the range of motion it doesn’t happen. It’s only when I bring my legs all the way up then all the way down. So weird! But I think you’re right to just replace another exercise for that.
Daaamn, girl! That was one TOUGH video! My abs are hating you now, but I’m sure they’ll be thanking you later 😉 By the way, what does kombucha taste like? I’m tempted to try, but the concept is still a bit…much for me at the moment.
i hope they’re thinking of me today 😉
it tastes like a tangy, vinegar tea with bubbles. it’s definitely an acquired taste!
Did you find the scoby somewhere local or order it? (I live in Tucson as well) Thanks 🙂
I ordered it on amazon
Loved it! I used it as an “exclamation point” after my workout and it was amazing … My post baby abs NEED this! Thank you!
What do you think about drinking kombucha during pregnancy, Gina?
I personally didn’t feel comfortable drinking it while preg
Whoa. Quite the exclamation point on the end of my hilly run today. My thought was, “5 minutes. No biggie.” My abs are on fire! Great one Gina – Thank you!
whoo hoo!!
Gina – I always love your new workouts, especially the quick little add-ons!!
Can’t wait to try this one soon!
I’m too scared to try making my own kombucha – knowing my luck, I’d probably mess it up and end up making myself sick haha.
I just made my very first batch of Kombucha based on your other post! It was super easy, and it’s now fermenting or marinating or something in the pantry. Definitely feels more like a science experiment than a recipe, but I can’t wait to try it!
Love the Ab Burner! Definitely trying it in the morning. Also the word Scoby for a drink making process is a little creepy, just saying. 😉 I had no idea this was the process for Kombucha!
Love the ab burner! I did it earlier and my abs were on fire! Thanks for posting 🙂
Yay! That is so exciting! Think of all the money you will save! I love the fruit tip, thank you for sharing.
This is why I am afraid to try Kombucha because i am the person who does it wrong and gets everyone sick lol but I really want to test it out! Love the ab burner I am for sure adding it to my routine in the am! Thank you Gina :-). Love + Shine Courtstar
Hurray for success! I have been making water Kefir for a couple of months now- and it is so simple. I’ve wanted to make kombucha too because I love it so much, but it just seems like so many steps and I feel like I need to just stick to the simple stuff- hah!
Hi Gina!
I have a question about mats: I love doing floor exercises and mat work, but find that I often have point-of-contact pain on whatever bone/muscle is taking the brunt of my weight on the mat (for example: my hip when doing side-crunches or my tailbone during V-ups) to the point of distraction, and my form/ability to sustain through reps is suffering. Any tips on how I can avoid this, or tips on a different mat to use (brands, types, etc)?
I would really appreciate any insight you (or experienced others!) might have!
hey stephanie,
can you shift your weight while you’re doing the exercises? or maybe decrease your range of motion and see if that helps?
I ordered my scoby last week and am anxiously awaiting it’s arrival! 🙂 You’ve got me curious about bottling it now. Do you have to do that or can you just drink it as is from the pitcher? Will it stay fresh if you just put the glass pitcher in the fridge? I’m not sure I’m on the right track here. Advice would be appreciated!
I just found your blog through Bloglovin! I love kombucha and have been tempted to make my own, how does it compare cost wise?
Just did the ab burner, and I definitely felt the burn! Hoping to do it again before bed. Thanks for the video!
Hi Gina! Where are the leggings from they you are wearing in the ab burner? I have been looking for some just like those. (Haha I just saw others asked about the tank and shoes – this was a popular outfit!)
they’re the wunder under crops from lulu. they’re about 3 years old, and still one of my favorite pairs!
I JUST bought a Kombucha kit at Home Goods today!! I have to order the culture online and then I can start. I love kombucha so much but it’s just so expensive! I’m hoping I can get this going and enjoy it all the time. I didn’t think about buying extra bottles that are air tight so I might have to order those too. I’ve been looking through all your kombucha posts for help!
I still have to try the dried fruit thing!! Plus, I’ve only done fruit and ginger in second round fermentation but was thinking about adding juice next time (although I am bottling up my kombucha today so I should have been more proactive). I also want to play around more with my flavour combos, but luckily have been “spicing up” my kombucha by using different teas. You know you’re a totally health nerd when…. Glad other bloggers can relate 😉 haha