As I headed to the gym this morning, I found myself wishing that my gym offered a BodyPump class on Friday mornings. I love the fast pace and intense muscle burn I get from BodyPump and have a hard time replicating it in my own workouts.
Today I decided I would take a cue from BodyPump and up the pace of my strength-trainig workout, allowing only a 30-second rest in between sets. I also split up my 20 minutes of cardio into two 10-minute spurts which helped my workout fly by!
In the end, my workout looked like this:
| Exercise | Weights | Reps | Sets |
| Leg extensions | 35 lbs. | 15 | 3 |
| Leg press | 130 lbs. | 15 | 3 |
| Elliptical | 10 min. | ||
| Hamstring ball curls | Bodyweight | 20 | 3 |
| Push ups (girly) | Bodyweight | 15 | 3 |
| Elliptical | 10 min. | ||
| Shoulder raises | 10 lbs. | 15 | 3 |
| Bicep curls | 15 lbs. | 15 | 3 |
| Tricep dips | Bodyweight | 15 | 3 |
| Various crunches | Bodyweight | 20 | 4 |
It was a pretty decent workout, if I do say so myself!
Breakfast
I arrived home and promised Sadie I would take her on a walk after breakfast, since my tummy was grumbling! Sometimes after a big dinner, I awake the following morning feeling hungrier than usual. I don’t understand it, but I listen to the ol’ tummy and give it what it wants.
I got to work in the kitchen, toasting two waffles and slicing up a frozen banana.
I ended up eating one of the toasted waffles before plating my breakfast because I’m an animal.
I topped the remaining toasted waffle with vanilla Greek yogurt, frozen banana slices and chia seeds and dug in!
Another great morning meal!
Happy Birthday to…
The first-ever man in my life.
My dad!
My dad is the man with whom I can eat ridiculous amounts of chocolate marshmallow ice cream. The man who points up when there’s nothing to look at, just so he can tickle you under your chin. He’s the man who cried the most on my wedding day. The man who cannot, for the life of him, pronounce the word “edamame.” He’s the man I know I can always turn to. The man who will tell it to me straight. He’s the man who sat on my bed when I was 15, asking me to explain exactly what I meant when I said I had my first boyfriend. He’s the man with whom I can split an entire can of black olives. The man who cannot go grocery shopping without making a bee line for the bakery. He’s the man who has a passion for his family and loves “his girls” more than anything in the world. The man whom I feel so grateful to call my father.
Happy birthday, Daddy! I love you.
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This is so cute, Julie! A very happy birthday to your Dad, you two seem super close (:
awww happy birthday to your wonderful dad! 🙂 Sounds like an amazing man! 🙂
Great workout also, I think this might have to go on my to work list! 🙂
Have a great friday! 🙂
What a sweet post to your dad! Happy Birthday to him!
Awww, that was so heartwarming 🙂 Happy Birthday to your dad!
Happy Birthday to your dad, Julie! 🙂 This is such a sweet post. I would absolutely kill for this type of relationship with my own dad.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to u dadster!!!!!! sounds like a great workout!! wait r u meant to rest in between sets?!.. wow i never do that.. probs explains why i hate strength training… i just go back to back to back!.. yikes!
haha yes, most people advise to rest between sets, otherwise it’s MUCH harder to actually complete multiple reps. you’d burn out WAY faster. i typically do one exercise (like bicep curls) for 15 reps, wait 30 sec. to a min., and then do another, until 3 sets are complete.
ah perfect! thank u for gettin back to me!
What a sweet post about your dad!! Makes me want to go visit mine right now 🙂 Happy birthday!!
That’s such a sweet post about your dad. 🙂 Happy birthday to him!
Also, I understand COMPLETELY what you mean about eating a large dinner and waking up hungrier than normal–that happens to me too! I’m not sure why, but I just like to think my metabolism was super soaring over night or something. 😉 Haha, but I have no idea.
haha yes! i like that thought! it’s so odd to me, though. the morning after thanksgiving i’m always ravenous!
Me too! I’m going to research it!
Happy Birthday to the other man in your life!! You are incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful relationship with your dad. This post definitely made me smile 🙂
Happy Birthday to PB Dad!
Lovely ode to your dad. What a lovely relationship the 2 of you share. Your post reminds me of my own dad and then I’m instantly reminded how much it can suck to live a sizeable distance away from family. On the bright side, I’ll see him this weekend. 🙂
Oh, and your breakfast looks delicious!
I really like this work out! Thanks for sharing! I usually do my cardio in a chunk but I think a workout like this would be really god for me.
Happy Birthday to your dad! My dad commented on my blog yesterday and it was soo sweet. Fathers are the best!
Awe! Happy Birthday Dad!
BodyPump is a fantastic class but you’re right, your workout looks great! I just realized that with you blogging full time, you’re going to get to try some really awesome classes at the gym during the day. How fun! I always want to take the 9:30AM classes…. I wish they’d move those to the PM hours.
A very happy birthday to your Daddy!
I can see through your pictures what a strong relationship you both have with each other. You’re very lucky.
“I ended up eating one of the toasted waffles before plating my breakfast because I’m an animal.” –> LOL!!!! I did the same thing this morning, except with a few handfuls of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal… it’s just too good to wait!
Happy Birthday to Daddy PBF!
Great workout! I am going to try this next time I am at the gym 🙂
And happy birthday to your Daddy! I love that you have a great and loving relationship!
I must be a sap today because I actually started tearing up when I read your post about your dad. That is so sweet!
Aw I love that birthday post! Happy Birthday to your dad!
And that waffle looks delicious 🙂
Happy Birthday to Your Dad!! The picture of the two of your on your wedding day is priceless! The look on his face says it all!
It is one of my favorites due to his expression alone. 🙂
Happy Birthday to your Dad!
& Happy Friday to you! 🙂
Awww…what sweet words about your Dad! Happy Birthday to him!!! 🙂
I totally just teared up reading your birthday message to your daddy! I’m such a sap! Girls and their dad’s…. such a special thing! I can only pray I give Ryan that gift someday!
Sometimes whenever I eat a big meal at night, my stomach is extra hungry in the morning, too! So strange. Happy bday to your dad!
Happy Bday PB Daddy! You made one awesome lady and friend for me. 🙂
And Julie – love splitting up cardio into my weights like that. It makes everything seem harder too. I love how it keeps the momentum going.
Happy Birthday PB Dad!!
Thanks for sharing your workout! I love seeing what other bloggers do .. maybe helping to switch my routine up a bit!
Ugh. I got misty at that paragraph about your Dad. So sweet. It makes me miss my daddy. (RIP)
Great post about your dad 🙂 I wish I saw mine more often but we live sooo far!
Thanks for the great workout ideas! I need to get some more strenght training in as I am training for my first marathon 🙂
Ah! First marathon! Good luck!!!
Congratulations on your career move!! You will be happy you did followed your heart!!
Weird question~ with getting up early and going to the gym and eating breakfast do you eat a mid morning snack too? I have been doing early mornings 5AM as well. If you do snack what do you have?
Thx! Heather
Oh yes!! I ALWAYS have a morning snack… sometimes two! My favorites are a microwavable quesadilla, Greek yought with mixed nuts stirred in, an apple with peanut butter… or just a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter. 😉
Such a sweet post! Reading over how your dad asked you “to explain exactly what you meant when you said you had your first boyfriend” made me smile. You’re fortunate to have such a lovely relationship!
I started reading your blog recently and wanted to say good luck with all the new changes that are going on in your life. Look forward to reading your posts about them!
Thank you, Sam. It’s definitely a transitional time, but one I’m excited about!
Such a cute post! I’m a total daddy’s girl too.
aw so sweet julie! Happy birthday to your daddy!!
Maybe one day I should take a body pump class. I’m a big fan of supersets, I feel like I burn more calories when I don’t rest. Plus, I mix in some circuit training style cardio into my sets.
Awe! Happy Birthday to your sweet dad! You suck for making me cry reading that post! Beautiful sentiments!
Great workout! I like the idea of splitting the cardio in between strength moves! I just might have to try that soon! I did a 6-mi interval run this AM and was SUPER sweaty & happy afterwards…runner’s high?! 🙂
It sounds like you have a very close relationship with your dad…how special for you two!! Happy Birthday to your dad!:)
Happy Friday to you! Hope it is a lovely day!
Happy birthday to your dad! He sounds like an awesome guy!!!
What a nice tribute to your dad. Happy birthday to him!
Ooooow you got me all teared up now.. Such a sweet message for your dad.. Wish him a happy birthday!! 🙂
Julie that was such a beautiful tribute to your dad. Only a father and a daughter know this special bond and how no matter how old, you will always be daddy’s little girl. I absolutely love the photo of you and your father on your wedding day, it truly captures the love between a daughter and father.
Happy Birthday Julie’s Dad!
Your Dad sounds like one of the rare specimens of classy, old-school gents that are a dying breed as of late!
Your description of your Daddy brought tears to my eyes! I just love relationships with Dads, mine is also one that I cherish more than I’ll ever know how to explain.
Happy Birthday Julie’s papa!
Happy Birthday Daddy PBF!! What kind of cake is he getting today???
Awh this is precious! The pictures of you and your dad are adorable!
Oh Julie!! This post brought joyful hears and a huge smile!! Happy birthday to your lovely father!! I hope he has the best birthday, with the people who love him by his side. I am totally crying now, thinking of my daddy!! lol xoxo =]
The same thing happens to me after a big meal, I wake up hungrier! I wonder why that is?
Your dad is dreamy! Happy Birthday to him!
Aww–you can really tell that you LOVE your dad!! I bet he’s glad to have you as a daughter 🙂
Aw, what a sweet tribute to your pops 🙂 He sounds like a pretty darn awesome daddy.
That was such a cute bday msg for your dad! Unfortunately my dad passed away a few years ago but the love+bond will always stay strong.
Happy Birthday to your dad!
Your words about your dad made me tear up! I’m so mushy. Glad you’ve got such a great dad!