Spring Cardio Workout
Morning friends! How’s your day going? <3
Thank you so much for all of your feedback on the new blog design!! Cody worked extremely hard on it, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. Most of the response was extremely positive, but people said they were offended by the picture on the left. While we were designing the blog, I really looked to 3 other blogs for their design, as they’re blogs I aspire to be like in terms of community and quality posts:
(Giuliana is my style idol)
These are all HUGE blogs- but hey, if you’re going to have a goal, go big 🙂 In the first two (which are more workout and nutrition-focused, like my little blog), they have background side images of the authors, in sports bras. I’m not one to skip around on the blog in a sports bra, which is why I rolled with a tank top, but some readers said they still didn’t like it. The pic isn’t set in stone and can always change, so NBD.
So last night, I was welcomed home by the smell of burning plastic.
Apparently one of the lids from my bento lunch box slipped into the bottom part of the dishwasher, where it was burned by the hot coils. There is no smell like that of burning plastic- stinky stuff!! (and yes, I had to Google to see if it was toxic.) So I opened all of the doors, turned on the fans, lit a candle and made a beautifully aromatic dinner to replace the heinous stench.
While I cooked, I enjoyed a sliced of goat cheese, while Bella dreamed and wished in the background:
(I had to give her a little piece)
In a large pot on medium, I sautéed 1/2 onion, 1/2 container of organic mushrooms and about 8 chopped stalks of asparagus for about 7 minutes:
Seasonings:
-olive oil
-sea salt and pepper
-cayenne, garlic, thyme
After they were soft and cooked, I added in half a bag of frozen organic spinach, and cooked for an additional 5 minutes.
Next, a can of organic kidney beans (rinsed and drains) and made a sauce in the corner of the pot before stirring into the vegetables:
Sauce:
-2 T Dijon mustard
-2 T nutritional yeast
-1 T hummus
-splash of balsamic
-almond milk to thin it out
I enjoyed the stir-fry stew creation on top of some red quinoa with fresh basil:
It was DELICIOUS. Very filling and fresh- I love when random ingredients come together to make something glorious 🙂 By the time I sat down to eat, the burning plastic smell was gone 😉
After dinner, I went to walk on base for a little while with a book, and then happened to show up at my mom’s house for gluten-free night.
(My bro is in culinary school and Monday is his gluten-free class)
On the menu: double chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake, still warm…
(don’t let the pic fool ya. I started off with a tiny piece of carrot cake and then washed it down with a huge piece. These things happen sometimes haha)
I die. So good. There is nothing like fresh gluten-free goodies, still warm from the oven 😉
This morning I’m off to b-fast with my brother and nana and then getting started on my wicked to-do list.
Enjoy your day!
xoxo
Gina
Something to do: Spring Cardio Workout!
For this one, hit up your favorite piece of cardio equipment- bike, elliptical, treadmill, stairmaster, etc. You’ll be doing a series of hill and speed intervals- make sure to check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes. As always, if it hurts, don’t do it! Feel free to modify to suit your needs.
*Make sure to start off with some incline or resistance (2.5% is my fave for treadmills)
| 0:00-5:00 | Warm up | Walk/Jog – easy speed |
| 5:00-7:00 | Hill- maintain your speed (jog, faster cadence on the bike) | Add 1.0% incline/resistance every 20 seconds |
| 7:00-8:00 | Recover | Jog/run comfortably (or speed walk) |
| 8:00-10:00 | Speed | Increase your speed every 20 seconds until you are at a full out sprint |
| 10:00-11:00 | Recover | Jog/run comfortably (or speed walk) |
| 11:00-15:00 | Steady state | Pick up your pace a little and maintain a steady state for 4 minutes- you can do it! |
| 15:00-17:00 | Hill- maintain your speed (jog, faster cadence on the bike) | Add 1.0% incline/resistance every 20 seconds |
| 17:00-18:00 | Recover | Jog/run comfortably (or speed walk) |
| 18:00-20:00 | Speed | Increase your speed every 20 seconds until you are at a full out sprint |
| 20:00-21:00 | Recover | Jog/run comfortably (or speed walk) |
| 21:00-25:00 | Steady state | Pick up your pace a little and maintain a steady state for 4 minutes- you can do it! |
| 25:00-30:00 | Cool down | Jog comfortably (or walk) and every minute, bring down your pace until your heart rate comes down. Stretch. |
Let me know if you give it a try!!
Want a weights workout? Check out *Spring Arms* and *Spring Legs* (Next, spring abs!)
223 Comments
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Loving all of it!! The new design is amazing! …and for those whose mothers didn’t teach them manners, maybe they were hatched under a rock, watch your mouth, watch your actions. I was with a friend once when a “tell all” had to say how heavy my friend had gotten since they last saw each other. Nice to say to a woman that had lost her mother and 2 weeks later her sister, right after a miscarraige. A person who lost both breasts to cancer, wishes for a nipple and a person with kidney or liver illness, wishes for a flat tummy, but VALUES AND LIVES FOR health over looks!! This is a beautiful, healthy picture. Bella ia adorable, Don’t change a thing!! I suggest you naysayers look yourselves in the mirror, learn to be happy, and also practice this, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t.
i love you
Well said!
You look hot, girlfriend, and so does the new blog design. Sorry to hear you’ve gotten some nasty comments. Constructive criticism is one thing, but personal attacks/namecalling is something else entirely. No need to be a “whore” when you have a Pilot like yours, right? 😉 Keep doing your thing, Gina! 🙂
amen to that 🙂
I love the new blog design – so purdy! Also, the pic of the carrot cake may or may not have made me drool – normally I’m not a carrot cake person at all (especially if there’s chocolate around), but the image of carrot cake with oozy gooey frosting won me over. I want!
If people are so offended by your picture, then they dont have to read it. I see the same picture as everyone else, and am not offended…..it’s a nipple for goodness sake. All of us ladies have them.I dont understand what the big deal is, it’s not like it’s pornographic… I think some people complain just to complain. It is your blog, I think you should be able to pick the things you want to pick to represent YOUR blog. If certain people dont like it, again, they dont have to choose to tune in. 🙂
You are an inspiration to me. I have been on a “healthy” new lifestyle since Jan. 1st of this year. I have lost 53 pounds so far and have another 80- pounds to lose. I have a LONG way to go, but I finally get that it’s a lifestlyle and not just a diet…no quick fix. I am eating healthy, counting my calories but still need help with the exercise part. 🙂 I love your blog and get excited when you make a new post. I think you are a great support and help to many others out there like me. THANK YOU!!!!!!
thank you so much for reading and for your sweet comment 🙂
xoxo
Yes, can we coax the carrot cake recipe out of your brother?? 🙂
i’ll have to ask him. SO good 🙂
I like the new layout and I don’t love the pic but it certainly isn’t offensive, how weird!!!
Oh my gosh, some comments seem so silly to me. I think some people are staring at this photo a little too intensely! LOL
I think you and the blog look GREAT! Case closed! haha
Hi Gina! I’ve read all the comments and I really cannot understand why anyone would find that picture offensive! Totally perplexed by that! I like it a lot, and love the blog makeover overall! I wouldn’t change a thing 🙂
As jay z would say, you gotta get that dirt off ya shoulder 🙂
ps, madre says it best <3
Okay just gotta say this but Zuzana on bodyrock shows WAY more body parts than needed so if people are getting offended over your picture they must be dying when they see hers lol. I think you look beautiful in it and it makes you look strong 🙂
no, your picture isn’t offensive. not at all. but it is distracting. As you scroll down, the picture doesn’t move so it’s always there in your face, or in the corner of your eye, which makes it hard to focus on the text.
I wish someone in my family was a chef! How awesome must that be 😉
I can’t believe anyone would find that photo offensive. I genuinely can’t understand what there is to be offended by! Are these same people offended when they walk around in the summer and people are wearing tops like that? I say it’s your blog, you can never please everyone, you look awesome in that photo and the new design is amazing, so just do what feels right to you!!
I honestly love that picture. It really makes me want to listen to you when you give healthy eating/fitness advice. You look great! 🙂
I like the picture, it makes me want to get down and bust out some push-ups! I have arm-envy!
The picture is great one time but is distracting to look at as the text scrolls down. And my text is off the screen on the right. But the rest of the layout is great, love the pink! Good job! Love your blog!
Can’t wait for the spring abs workout!! I love your fitness tips 🙂
I tried this workout today! I liked it – the hills didn’t seem so bad since they were “only” 20 seconds (even though I was increasing them every 20 seconds!) and I pushed myself to some pretty quick (for me) speeds on the sprints and steady state sections. I did add 90 seconds of walking before the second steady state section.
Also, my only comment about the new layout is that on my computer, I see your picture on the left and the blog text, but I have to scroll to the right to see the right-hand navigation. I do have a really tiny monitor, but I looked at work too and had the same problem. Otherwise I do like it. 🙂
Seriously someone was offended by that pic? Are you kidding me?? I come here mostly because you (and mama pea) are the best and warmest (most welcoming) writer but also for your training and eating tips… And that photo just shows how well what you’re doing works!
Ps – get the book deal, I’d buy it
Wow I am loving your blog! This is just the kind i need to read 🙂 I am a new follower:)
so awesome! thanks so much for saying hi- i’m so glad you’re enjoying it so far 🙂
Your picture isn’t offensive at all! At least to me, and I spend lots of time in the gym seeing people that look like that all the time. I don’t really know how people could read a blog about fitness (“FITNESSista”) and be offended by a picture of the author in her fitness gear doing some fitness/dumbell raises. Haters gonna hate! Lol
Anyway, I like the new blog, but I’m having the same scrolling issue (having to scroll to the right to see the content on that side) and I have a HUGE monitor. Just FYI, in case it’s something your webmaster can fix!