do you even know the squat track, bro?
The family that Menchie’s together, stays together.
Yesssss.
How’s the day going? We’re going to clean up around the house -I have suitcase/laundry explosion to deal with- and then head to see a movie. I love morning movie dates with my favorite little lady. 🙂
At spin last night, I ended up playing a more traditional playlist instead of the POSH podcast, and and used this song for a climb:
We stayed in the saddle during the main parts, and during the “Get Low,” we cranked the resistance, and took it out to position 3. For the funky interludes (you’ll know what I’m talking about), we picked up our speed. Class was a lot of fun, and I was thinking about how some classes are so much easier than others for me to teach. Since I’ve been teaching spin on and off for quite a while -it was one of the first classes I ever taught in Valdosta- it’s easy for me to kick it into (lame pun) cruise control and just do what the music tells us. I have a general plan of what I want to do, but for the most part, it’s live musical cardio. BODYPUMP is still challenging for me to teach. You have to learn their specific verbiage for the form cues, and for me, I had to create new habits. As a benefit, it taught me a new way of instructing and coaching. The choreography is getting easier for me to learn.. but I say that, and kind of screwed up the squat track yesterday. Derp. We did about 16 more singles than we were supposed to. Extra cardio?
Speaking of derps, the truffles I made yesterday look beautiful and taste like death. I don’t even know how that’s possible with chocolate, but somehow it happened. I’ll be remaking them today so I can post the recipe on the blog tomorrow. I’m excited to share them when they taste as pretty as they look. 😉
Dinner was this slow cooker butter chicken:
and I made a batch of Paleo granola (from the book) to enjoy with breakfast today. Just need to add the dried fruit and chocolate chips.
Hope you’re having a lovely morning!
See ya later on the Family page with some Livi-isms. <3
xoxo
Gina
Any kitchen fails lately? As far as fitness goals, is there something that has taken, or is taking you, longer to learn? What’s your current favorite cardio song?
Something to do: this ab burner! It includes some of my favorite moves, and is only 10 minutes long.
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Oh man, adding more single squats would have been a killer!
That track (and the lunges) make me want to fall over at the end 😉
But like you said, good to keep the heart pumping, I am sure your students would thank you after the fact.
I hear ya on the LMI cues. I’m not teaching as much any more, but making the transition from freestyle spin to RPM was definitely an adjustment- having to deliver the cues for what resistance should feel like, riding position, and what was coming up next, PLUS making all that fitness magic stuff happen in the process is quite the feat! But I really liked the structure some days because my freestyle classes would often take a really long time to put together. I taught some freestyle and some RPM classes, so it was nice to have that ready-to-go workout AND still maintain flexibility to create my own. Have fun at the movie with your little lady today!
it is nice to go into it knowing someone else already created the workout for you. i just fear sounding like a robot, so i’m always trying to switch up my cues as much as possible!
I haven’t had froyo in such a long time! It looks great! I hope truffle making goes better round 2!
I’m too poor for a gym membership, Could i come over to your place and just have you teach me a home session bodypump? 😛
hope your treat turns out as good as it looks next time; looks can be deceiving.
they have classes on youtube!!
xo
Haha I made some quinoa cookies last week that looked gorgeous but they tasted awful. Such a bummer! haha but I guess bad recipes happen sometimes!
I SO badly want to do a pull-up and it just feels like it’s taking me forever! I’m trying to remember patience but I want to do a pull-up! ha!
CrossFit has been so humbling for me. There are certain things that just take time. I cannot seem to get my double unders (jump rope passes twice under you in one jump) to click! I’m also trying to connect my pull ups. I know I’m making progress, but I have to be patient!
kitchen fail: making paleo banana bread but forgetting to put the coconut oil in… it was edible but SO dry!
ooooops!
I cannot seem to get steak right. I’ve made it twice in the past few months – always on the cast iron – and have grossly undercooked it both times. When I put it back on the pan to cook more, I end up overcooking the outside. I told my boyfriend he’s in charge of red meat moving forward. Ugh!
My fail recently was buying dates and forgetting that I’m actually not the biggest fan of dates. lol. I’m more of a dried plum girl but I must have gotten confused by the chatty check out lady. 😉 Those babies are destined for banana date smoothies, aka the only way they won’t be wasted.
or stuff them with almond butter 🙂
Almond butter on a dorito would be amazing. 😉
Salmon is a tough one for me to get right – I like mine a little on the drier side, but not overcooked. I am working towards getting it just perfect. 🙂 Those extra squats must have been killer!
do you pan sear it? that was my salmon game-changer
One of my body pump instructors is definitely having a tougher time with this release. I just roll with it but had to laugh when the lunge track she had us do entirely too many squats in between legs and we just kept going after the music ended to compensate. A little extra workout never hurt nobody 🙂
For me yoga will always and forever be the most difficult journey. I get frustrated and walk away to only hinder any progress.
haha! totally been there. i do burpees as an apology 😉
that’s the tough thing about yoga. you really have to accept where you are, instead of where you think you should be. that’s when you can let room for improvement to happen!
I’ve been doing BodyPump since release 70 (sadly I can remember certain times in my life based on the BP release at that time, haha) and as long as you own those extra singles, no one even notices it isn’t quite the right choreography. I mean hey, they just got a better workout, right??
exaaaaaactly. i was like “KEEP GOING!” haha
The title of this post is so good!!!!!! My recent kitchen fail was bringing grain free sugar free cookies to a party…. They were sad cookies left alone for only the brave to try. One of those times I really wished I had tested the recipe first!
ahhh! i’ve learned that the hard way, too.
As for fitness goals, I have to be honest. I am just getting back into the swing of a workout routine after having my first baby (he’s 6 months! How has it flown by so quickly??!), and I’m finding myself dumbfounded about WHAT TO DO at the gym. I get to the gym, I do a few machines that I remember, but I find myself going blank on what I used to do. How many reps? How much weight? Definitely feels a little deflating after finally making my way to the gym! Any thoughts??
winter shape up with us! got it all planned out for ya 🙂
(and for reps, i generally suggest 10-15 and use a moderate weight that feels challenging, but you can complete each set)
Sometimes when chocolate is melted it separates from the sugars and tastes like dirt. It’s crazy how the ugliest things taste amazing and the prettiest not so good. Good luck with the redeux!
Aaaahhhh, a Menchies just opened up down the road from me. I LOVE how kid friendly they are–Baylie loved the sticker and how friendly the staff were (and she is creepy-obsessed with the marshmallow fluff).
And your butter chicken…. just reminded me it’s been a few months since that’s been in our dinner rotation (totally used to be since hubby–the eclectic food hater–loved it!!!!). ‘scuse me while I wipe the drool from my keyboard….
Those truffles really do look gorgeous! Can’t wait for the updated recipe. 😉
Always, Anita
My recent kitchen fail was turning the oven to 475* instead 375* during a baking session. My son was peacefully sleeping and I was going to bake some goodies for us to enjoy when he woke up. I put the pan in the oven and went to enjoy a nice relaxing shower. Needless to say, my shower was cut short and my son had a very rude awakening when the smoke alarms started blaring! I opened some windows and we went out for a treat instead. 😉
ohhhh no! we forgot some chicken on the grill the other night… and it turned into black charcoal haha 🙂
Hi Gina! I’ve added a few extra singles into a BODYPUMP class here and there over the years. And I also made a protein pancake that tasted like cardboard on Sunday. Major fail!
Haha, can I be a part of your Menchie’s family? YUM! Oh, I have fails all the time. Why do you think I go days and weeks without posting recipes or meals on the blog? Ha! 🙂
*Dangit, I forgot. I’m Heather @ Life In Leggings now! Hehe. Happy Tuesday!
heheh 🙂 love the new branding so much! xoxo
you can menchie with us anytime! miss you friend!
hahaha ohhhhhhh the squat track! I switched to LMI from BTS (now called MOSSA) and I have to say, LMI’s squat tracks are all soooooo similar. It’s so easy to be like, “wait, is this release 91 or 92?” But it does get easier with time, and hey, OWN DOS EXTRA SINGLES 😉 I once made a class to an extra 16 pushups after having already done 32 lol! It happens, and I just laugh at myself 🙂
I love letting the music guide my teaching during all of my classes…I think it is the dancer in me. I give myself a general guide (like Climb during track 2) and use the song and lyrics to cue me to cue the class. When I am too specific with my notes, the class never turns out as good as when I ‘wing it’. My FAVORITE workout song (I love it for spin too) is Turbulence by Lil’ John. The beat is so strong and I get so fired up when it comes on…I love ending the class with it because it pushes you for a good 4 minutes.
i totally agree. i like to have a general idea, and just go with the song, and the vibe of the class. i LOVE THAT SONG too. thanks for reminding me!
I’m a new instructor and bodypump is my first format. Last night I definitely messed up the timing for the end of a few songs (a few extra lunges and two less push presses!) In the past I would have been upset but now I just laugh it off and keep practicing. Its just group fitness!! And I’ll keep improving:)
you will! when you’re first getting started, it takes a while to find your groove. it will get easier and easier! (for those push presses, i always think 5 to myself before starting. i was so afraid i’d accidentally do 8 and lose the music!)
How is that possible with chocolate? Did you forget an ingredient? Looking forward to the recipe revival!
i tried to add all of these things to it and in the end, it did not work at all. keep the chia away from chocolate 😉
I can only imagine how hard it is to teach BodyPump.
I struggle with all CrossFit Skills at the bar – Toes to Bar, Kipping Pull Ups etc cause my Shoulder mobility is so bad. Gotta do a lot of work still!
Dang, I hate when something I cook looks great, but tastes like crapcakes.
Yummm- frozen yogurt.
Oh…I’ve been obsessed w/Butter Chicken since trying the TJ’s frozen variety and have been looking for a really good recipe to try at home.
My fave cardio songs are NOT appropriate for the general public. I like anything by DJ Don Mecca (Country Girl Twerk & Thigh Master my fave rt now) and it’s perfect for twerking (or running). My other faves are Like Ah Boss by Machel Montano , Freak by Steve Aoki & anything by Diplo.
YES i will put them on for my next dance party 🙂 i love that it’s perfect for “twerking or running” hahaha
YUM…the Menchie’s looks SO GOOD! I have to make a mental note to go there…I live in the Chicago suburbs and there is one about 20 minutes from me, but I never think to hit it up. I think this time I really need to make it happen 🙂
I have had so many kitchen fails lately! My boyfriend doesn’t like chocolate, and in an attempt to make a few different chocolate-free treats for V-day, I had some epic fails. I think I was trying to get a little too creative 😉 And I totally know what you mean as far as Bodypump goes. I was recently certified in PiYo, and it has been tricky to pick up on the choreography. All in due time!
Even though he is a total douche, I still find myself cueing up Stronger from Kanye West a lot.
Thanks for the song recommendation!! Best cardio song right now = “Honey I’m Good” by Andy Grammer. Amazing. Makes me want to dance…and hug EVERYONE. 🙂
I made a stuffed cabbage casserole that came out awful. Right down the disposal it went! I don’t understand why either because I make stuffed cabbage all the time and was trying to save time by making a casserole instead of rolling them. Same ingredients but it tasted terrible. Lately I’m loving Uptown Funk in Zumba!