My day began on a sweaty note when I headed to the gym to teach a 6 a.m. indoor cycling class that was nice and full. Thank you, New Year’s Resolutions!
Today’s class was extra fun because I created a new playlist over our mini Christmas break inspired by a spinning class I took with my dad and sister in Jacksonville. The instructor took our class through a song especially created for tabata workouts (20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 total rounds) and I thought it was amazing. I spoke with her after class and she said there are a ton of upbeat songs out there created specifically for tabata workouts and after doing a quick iTunes search, I found a bunch!
Today I introduced Speedogang’s Firework Tabata into our workout and it was a big hit. I think the tabata workout songs would be great for a variety of tabata workouts, so I just had to share! Looking for a sweaty tabata workout you can do at home? Here is one of my favorites:
After today’s indoor cycling class, I stuck around for a little while to complete a 20 minute upper body workout. I ended up following two different Fitness Blender YouTube videos because I wasn’t feeling particularly creative and just wanted to follow a quality workout without thinking too much.
I did the following short videos:
- Fitness Blender Tank Top Arms Workout
- Fitness Blender Lean Arms Workout (I only did one 10-minute round of this one)
After my workout, I hung out and filmed a short video for our gym about PiYo and then headed home to eat a much-needed breakfast.
Breakfast
On the menu for today was a double-cheese egg white breakfast sandwich on whole wheat toast with a hot slice of Canadian bacon.
Breakfast sandwiches are making a serious comeback in my life right now. I can’t get enough!
Now it’s time to shower and head back out to work. Hope you guys are having a wonderful Tuesday!
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I’d be interested to hear you discuss the balance between your health and how much you are working out now between the gym classes you teach and your personal works outs. It seems like there is a theme in the blog world and with fitness instructors that have a bit of a hard time finding the healthy balance and your blog lately is all about your workouts. I miss some of the more educational or enlightening posts or a house tour, etc.
i actually never do workouts of my own when i am teaching — the classes i teach definitely are enough of a work out for me! on days i don’t teach, i am typically taking barre classes, resting or just walking with sadie unless otherwise specified on the blog. i’ll definitely keep your feedback in mind for upcoming posts. i’ve had a kitchen tour on the list for a while now, so that’s coming up soon (prob next week)!
Oh! I must have misunderstood. I thought your post just said after you did the cycling you stuck around for the 20 minute upper body workout. Just seems like your blog has shifted so so much with the workout stuff, I guess I just miss some of the diversity of your previous posts.
oh yes, well, i did do 20 minutes of arms immediately after — i guess i meant i don’t do another 60-minute workout on top of teaching! i will try to squeeze in a little strength training after a spin class but that usually is 25 min. or less (and i try to mention it on the blog, too, to give people workout ideas for fast strength workouts). and i definitely try to keep up a variety of posts but will absolutely try to put more of an emphasis on variety moving forward. thanks for the feedback!
Oooh that breakfast sammie looks yummie! Sometimes leaving for work so early, its hard to get in a hot meal before, and today since it’s -1 here in Chicago I’m def wishing I had one!
brr!!! hope you stay warm!!
I need to start making breakfast sandwiches again. I got away during the holiday, but they’ve always been the perfect way for me to start a day. Thanks for that visual reminder!
Happy Tuesday!
Awesome workout! Thanks for sharing. I will be pinning that to try at some point.
Breakfast sandwiches have been my go-to for a while. They’re just the perfect breakfast! I have been hearing a lot about Fitness Blender – I should check out their videos.
they are great!! they’re both totally professional and their videos are well done — very basic workouts that explain everything thoroughly but still give you a good workout, too!
I have done many of the Fitness Blender workouts as well and I really like them. And I love that you can choose how long you want to work out for and what body part you would like to train – they have done a great job on their website.
So much fun reading your blog Julie.
Vera
I am loving breakfast sandwiches right now too! By the way, totally forgot to say – congrats on your PiYo class!!!! 🙂 🙂
I;m actually surprised my gym isn’t busier after the New Year Resolutions…. I do go super early like you, at like 5 AM.. but I thought I would for sure see more people. My barre crowd is pretty much the same.. but that requires a real dedication to the NY Resolution … cost factor! 🙂
thank you!!
I’ve been rockin’ the breakfast sandwich lately too! The cold just makes me crave those warm cheesy comfort foods.
definitely!! chilly weather = warm breakfasts!
I’ve been trying to stick to smoothies, but it is just too cold in the mornings! I probably need to switch to sandwiches. I’m a sucker for drippy egg open-faced sandwiches with strawberry jelly and cheese after reading about them on your blog a long time ago.
Ooooh that breakfast sandwich looks amazing! My bf and I made some a few weekends ago on biscuits and omg it was the most delicious thing EVER. I need to make them during the week, too!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! I’ve been looking for something new and different to do when I travel for work, since the elliptical in the hotel gym is so depressing and the equipment sucks. This is perfect – trying it tomorrow morning!
xx Jill
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woohoo! enjoy!
I haven’t heard of music specifically designed for tabata workouts either but it sounds like I would like it, especially for spinning!
Congrats on your first PiYo class! I was wondering if you were planning to do a recap post of how it went and your thoughts about it etc??
That workout looks great, and thanks for sharing the music tip!! As a fellow gfit instructor I feel I am always searching for new music resources 🙂
I love breakfast sandwiches! My favorite 🙂
How awesome that songs are actually created with tabata in mind. Great piece of info to discover! And this workout looks like a good one! Also love some Fitness Blender for, like you said, when you just don’t want to think! Sounds like it was a good morning. I ran 5 miles and now I’m enjoying my iced latte while reading blogs. Have a great day!
This is a great looking workout!
🙂
In Belize we had ham (or bacon) egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and they put mustard on them! I thought it sounded gross but it totally works – give it a try!
I had a very Julie inspired breakfast this morning: Peanut butter cup latte and egg, jam, and hot cheese sandwich. It was great! I have the sandwich a lot, but today is my first time trying the peanut butter cup latte. I’m in love. I made it at home and wow!! Also, I put Cabots Hot Habanero cheddar on my sandwich and man it’s super spicy. I downed an entire bottle of water trying to eat my breakfast lol. Thanks for the yummy recommendations. And thank you for the Christmas coupon for Blue Apron. I used it to order my husband three meals as a Christmas gift and we had two this week. We are a family of 4 and surprisingly one meal fed us all. We will definitely try Blue Apron out again.
so happy to hear this! thanks so much for commenting, sabrina!
Mmm I’ve been loving eggs and egg sandwiches too. So yummy and filling!
I taught an early morning BODYATTACK class and it was super fun!
I am so happy to hear about premade tabata songs… in my spin classes I was either making it longer tabata rounds (40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest) or having to pretty much get off the bike to count off for the class. This is awesome! 🙂
hope you love it! i was SUCH a fan when the instructor played a tabata song in her spin class and just HAD to use them for my classes, too. it makes timing everything SO easy and there are a TON of tabata songs out there!
LOVE! Thanks for the music inspirations Julie. I run early in the mornings and rarely see anyone else ( thanks Texas winter) so music is very much needed. 🙂
At my current gym, there’s an instructor who is obsessed with Tabatas. I take her spinning class weekly and even her HIIT class. She has special music she uses as well so she doesn’t have to worry about timing the intervals herself. One of the songs even has Mr. T’s voice on it and is pretty hilarious.
My husband and I recently bought some bread to make egg and cheese sandwiches. Those are one of my favorites, but I don’t make them that much. I am always usually disappointed too when I order them from somewhere and it’s some kind of weird egg patty.
Love the tabata workout! I take a class at the gym that’s all tabata workouts and we do similar sets similar to what you posted. It’s tough, but it’s also fun and makes the time go by quickly since we are constantly doing something new.
Sounds like so much fun! Tabata already keeps things interesting, but I can imagine that adding special tabata music is even more engaging. I’ve seen videos on Youtube for Tabata Songs, and they’re pretty cool!
Glad you like our Tabata Songs Alison! -Jay from Tabata Songs
I wish I could take a class with you!! looks like a fun and sweaty workout 🙂
I love Tabata workouts!!! They are awesome!
Such a cool post! Love this post!
Love from http://www.trangscorner.com – a lifestyle, cooking, fashion blog
Hi Julie! I’m teaching my first class of the year tonight and excited to see what the new year rush will bring to the gym. 🙂
have fun!
Can’t wait to try this asap! Thanks!
I love your blog and have been reading it for a while now. Thanks for being so positive, upbeat, and sunny, I really look forward to your posts 🙂 I just did a tabata workout this morning! So fun!
this is so sweet. thank you! i needed it today!! 🙂
Breakfast sandwiches are huge at our house! In fact just got my husband a breakfast sandwich maker for Christmas. 🙂 http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/breakfast-sandwich-maker.html Works great and is no hassle!
I will be visiting Charlotte for the first time the end of January! I keep scouring your blog for the best places to go!
Thanks for being an inspiration!
That workout sounds intense!! I am going to have to try it out! Oh and your breakfast looks amazing per usual 🙂
I love that it’s set to music – that would make the workout WAY more entertaining!
Hi! Just wanted to say I’ve been reading your blog for about 2 months now and really enjoy it! I love the personal touch to it and the workout ideas! Keep it up, you got a new fan!
Great workout! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have never seen a blog mention Fitness Blender before! I LOVE them and I have been following them for years. There is so much variety to choose from and it makes it so much more fun to work out at home 🙂
That tabata workout looks like it’ll be sweaty! I’ll be trying it this week.
Hi Julie,
I’ve been reading your blog for almost two years now and absolutely love it! This comes up a lot in your blog and I’ve been meaning to ask — but then forget: when you say you watch a strength training video on YouTube and follow it at the gym, how exactly do you do that?
I struggle with doing this at the gym because I don’t know whether to keep my arm band on with my phone and listen, hold my phone and watch (then do), or lay it beside me?! Either way, I wasn’t sure the best way to do this, because I feel so awkward!
Hearing what you do would be super helpful. Thanks!
i put my phone on a high-raised surface (either a box or a weight bench if no one is in the area/using it) and just following along on my phone! 🙂
I recently found a CD at my gym that had a playlist made for Tabata. It was a nice way to do the workout instead of just listening for a beep all the time!
My husband used to be a Crossfit coach and he has be do tabatas frequently. This is a great guide when I want to switch up my workouts! I will have to look into the music as lately I’ve been working out with none and it sucks!