This morning felt like a Sunday morning! We slept in, bummed around the apartment, made a big pancake breakfast and curled up on the couch sipping coffee for a good hour.
Okay, so I was the only one who sipped coffee. Ryan thinks it tastes horrible and is much more of a tea guy. Thankfully he doesn’t mind the smell of it, because I can’t get enough of our new Keurig and love the smell of the butter toffee coffee pods. Mmm.
Our pancake breakfast included the same oatmeal cookie pancakes that we loved so much yesterday.
(Also, I measured the ingredients this time and updated the recipe from yesterday so it’s more accurate now. Be aware that you need to use a hand mixer to make these and cannot skip the chia seeds because they help thicken the batter that would otherwise be too runny. They’re definitely doughy pancakes!)
After breakfast, we let our food digest before hittin’ the gym for BodyPump!
Our gym debuted the latest release this morning at 9:30 a.m. and I finally talked Ryan into joining me. I’ve been asking him to try BodyPump for more than a year and today he actually caved.
I think he really enjoyed the workout, but I thought it might be more beneficial for those of you out there unsure about BodyPump to read an actual review from a first-timer, so, in Ryan’s words, here is a brief review of his first experience with BodyPump:
“BodyPump was a good workout, cardiovascularly challenging for a weights-based exercise routine and, most importantly, fun. I struggled a bit with my weight selection and the transitions between moves, being my first class, but I’m sure it would get easier if I did it more often. I was surprised (in a good way) to find that group exercise is a great motivator to push yourself above your normal limitations and get in a few extra reps. BodyPump is a strength endurance workout, which is a good change of pace from more common lifting workouts. Would I do it again? Yes. But probably not too often. I strongly believe in strength endurance training and normally split my workouts up to spend more time on a specific muscle group than BodyPump allows, but it was definitely a good workout.”
And those are his thoughts! 
As for me, I liked the new release a lot! The songs were upbeat and fast and the class absolutely flew by. I thought the squat and chest tracks were the hardest and the lunge and tricep tracks felt easier than normal to me.
Once we were done with BodyPump, we came home to a dog that needed some attention so we leashed up Sadie for a walk around the lake near our apartment.
The annual downtown Orlando fireworks show takes place at Lake Eola this evening, so they were already starting to set up for the festivities this morning.
After our walk, we came home and went to the grocery store where Ryan said we had the “best bag lady ever.” He’s convinced she must be a Tetris wizard since she bagged up our groceries so well. I’m glad he appreciates the little things in life!
Now it’s lunchtime, though I’m not that hungry since I feel like I ate half of a watermelon as I was slicing it up in the kitchen 20 minutes ago. It was perfectly sweet and so holiday-appropriate that I just couldn’t stop!
Hope you guys are enjoying a fantastic Fourth of July… or a simply wonderful Monday for the readers out there who aren’t from the U.S.!
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Haha love the tetris wizard comment! I love that game! Glad you guys had a great time at Body Pump and enjoy the rest of your 4th of July!
haha, too funny about Ryan’s comment regarding the bagger. I am ALWAYS annoyed in my head about how it seems nobody knows how to bag groceries correctly, and often just do it myself so my food is packed the way I see fit! lol (type A much?) 😛
Love the Bag Lady comment! Have a great 4th of July!
Congrats Ryan on trying Body Pump! I wish my fiance would come to the gym with me, but he’s a horticulturist and is beat by the end of the work day. I guess if my job was physically demanding for 8 hours of my day, I likely wouldn’t want to go to the gym when I got home either!
Bee – I’m in the same boat with my hubby! He is on his feet working all day and never wants to workout when he gets home!
Cool to get a guys perpective on body pump – thanks Ryan!
Haha, the tetris comment was awesome! Something my husband would have said 🙂
I LOVE the new release, and I can’t wait to launch it on Saturday!! I think the lunge track is hard, but I guess each person has to choose the right weight to make it hard….so maybe next time go a little but up in weight? You may be stronger than you think, girl! And yah, the squats are insane!
have a HAPPY 4th 🙂
yeah i heard other people saying the lunge track was hard, too. i don’t know why i wasn’t feeling it. i guess i just didn’t like that i felt like 50% of the song included squats rather than lunges. still, it is a great release!
I finally got my boyfriend Dave, to come to a BodyPump class last year as well!
And, Dave felt the same way as Ryan. Great workout, but not exactly his thing. Dave didn’t like doing 3-5minutes of one muscle group the way that BodyPump did it and would rather do his own thing – I however, really love BodyPump class, espcially when I haven’t done it in a while. Dave has yet to join me in another class…haha
i actually asked ryan when he would be joining me again, and he said “i dunno. maybe some day when i don’t know what else i want to do.” 🙂 he said he feels like bodypump is great for toning and building muscles, but not necessarily for GROWTH that many guys want. fine by me! 😀
so cool hearing Ryan’s thought on bodypump! I have never tried it b/c I don’t have a gym membership, but my fiance does. He actually wants to try BP! 😀
haha, a Tetris wizard…that’s funny.
I’m trying to get my bf to try the Pump! I’ll have to get him to read this.
Those pancakes look amazing! I am so trying them this weekend.
The bag lady comment got me =) I’m all about enjoying the little things in life too! That’s what’s awesome about life, the little things sprinkled in! HAPPY 4th! 🙂
How’d you like that CRAZY lunge track??? Good release. Love biceps for the song! Love PINK!
I love having guys in my class! They usually tend to think it’s going to be so easy and they overload the bar. Kinda funny to watch them struggle. lol
Glad to hear Ryan finally went with you to the BodyPump class. Oh, and I will most definitely be making those pancakes tomorrow morning 😉
Thank you for the wonderful Monday wishes for all your english (or otherwise) pb fingers fans like yours truly, lol! 😉 Happy Indpenedence Day to all your guys in the USA! 😀
I’d love to go to BP with my boyfriend – he’s not a fan of the gym but has suggested he’d hit up a class with me…yay! He comes to my yoga classes when I teach them, which is wonderful too 🙂 Loved Ryan’s take on this, it was very fair an balanced and thorough. And those pancakes look lush. Have a beautiful day! xyx
Haha I used to work at a small deli as a cashier/bag girl, and I got REALLY good at bagging things. I bet I could’ve put that lady to shame ; )
I said it yesterday, but I’ll say it again: Dang those pancakes look good! I am dying to try a Body Pump class! I can’t take one at 24hr b/c I’ve had a membership there before and they won’t let me take one unless I get a membership again (WEINER-HEADS). Although I did just try Aerial Power Yoga which was the workout of my life!
happy fourth!!!!!!!
ryan def has me wanting to try a body pump class too!!!!!!
YES.. BUTTER TOFFEE COFFEE SMELLS SO GOOD! While it tastes good too, I wish that the smell matched the taste a little bit more…
Happy 4th of July 🙂
I wish my husband would join me for any workouts! I did bring him paddleboarding yesterday but he sat down after falling in the water one too many times 🙂
You have to try the Vanilla Cupcake flavor for Keurig!! Delicious 🙂
I beg my husband to go to Body Pump but I just can not convince him. Maybe I should have him read this post. 😉
i had to beg and beg for more than a year! it IS possible!
I did the same … and I kept talking about how there actually were guys in the class (even if it was like one or two haha), it worked! but only that one time..ha
Happy 4th of July! Love that you convinced Ryan to come to Body Pump. I’m always trying to get my man friends to go to kickboxing with me. One of these days, I shall succeed!
Those pancakes look awesome. I may be making those next week!
You should try the Island Coconut coffee for your Keurig! I swear, when it’s brewing, it smells just like coconut cake, and it tastes as good as it smells. If I use the So Delicious coconut creamer, it tastes even better.
Thanks for Ryan’s feedback on Body Pump! I’ve been interested in taking a class at my gym for the last several months, and it helps to get the perspective of a first-timer.
oh that sounds like heaven in a cup. i LOVE coconut.
yall are just too damn cute. happy fourth!
Do you have some kind of persuasive superpowers? What are your secrets!? 🙂
I can’t believe you got your husband to go to a body pump class. Was he the only guy there? What a cool hubby you have! I like that he’s open to trying new things. My boyfriend is one of those stubborn “I’m to manly to consider a joint exercise class” kind of guys and that really bugs me! I’d love if he was up for trying more things like that.
Happy 4th of July!
bodypump is actually pretty popular w/ guys at our gym! he was one of probably 8!
Glad Ryan liked BodyPump!!! I really need to try a class soon!!!! 😀
One year you need to come back to Atlanta for the Peachtree Roadrace on the 4th. It is such a fun race to be apart of and the 6ish miles fly by! Plus they have all kind of goodies at the end including Icecream!
That sounds so fun!
I have never been able to get my husband to try it! Good job!
That’s so cool he went with you! Love it – great review of the class. I’m still sad that we don’t have that at my gym. 🙁
Happy Fourth of July, Julie! That’s awesome that Ryan liked bodypump, even if it won’t be part of his regular routine. 😉 I got my husband to start going with me, and he loves it!
p.s. Those pancakes look amaze!
I’m actually going for my 1st body pump class tomo morning after like a year! I’m super excited although nervous about the lunge track as I’m not a lunge fan at all.
Never tried body pump before but I must admit I’m dying to give it a try! Glad to hear a gentleman’s perspective too, as I can be a bit of a dude when it comes to workouts…not a big fan of the girly fitness cardio classes if ya know what i mean. Great review 🙂
Glad Ryan liked the class! I wish I could try body pump but nowhere around here has it :(. Hope you have an awesome holiday!!
Thats awesome Ryan tried a class with you.
I am always trying to get my boyfriend to try spinning but he protests …mostly blaming the seats!
I love BodyPump! Weirdly enough, I got my boyfriend to try a pilates class with me, but he never made it to BodyPump… I think he was scared I’d kick his butt 😉
I wish more university gyms would implement something like BodyPump- when I was at home between summers I could hit my local gym for it, but U classes tend to be more cardio focused and a lot less difficult.
One day I’ll drag Sean’s but to body pump too!
I believe that I am a Tetris wizard ahah. I never worked at a grocery store, but I when I pack my bags I am pretty fast!! haha 🙂 Happy 4th!
I’ve been trying to get the husband to join me at Pump for ages.. he refuses!! Oh, and the new chest track KILLS me!!
I can’t wait to try the new release tomorrow!! I’ve been trying to get my boyfriend to try pump with me but he’s hesitant. Tons of girls in my classes.
Hey Julie! I was just wondering if you or Ryan had any suggestions for upper body workout dvd’s. I have the upper body of an 8 year old girl (and i’m 24!) and would really love an at home workout dvd just for upper body building. I know I could just do pushups and things but I really like someone telling me what to do! Thanks!
i don’t personally work out to DVDs but i’ve heard AMAZING things about jillian michaels’ workout dvds for strength training! i’d definitely check ’em out.
great thanks!
Happy Fourth to you and Ryan!! 🙂
Tetris wizard bag ladies are the best!!! I go to a certain cashier at Trader Joe’s and she can fit stuff the best!
ya, i don’t blame u for wanting a second go at those pancakes, those things look crazy awesome! 🙂
thanks for including ryan’s first time experience about BodyPump because i can’t seem to find any place that offers it and i keep reading about this class that everyone loves. so it’s nice to hear another perspective on it. glad that u were loving the updated music too. 🙂
have a blast tonight!
I have been begging and pleading the BF to go to body pump since I started up a few months ago. If not for the good workout or fun class, at least to watch my form and give me some pointers. He will not step foot in that stinkin class. Props to Ryan for going!
I used to be a Bodypump die-hard, and now I work out at home (sometimes I youtube different BP tracks though because I miss it 🙂 ). Once I made my hubby come with me to BP, and it was a riot. Just like Ryan and any first-timer, he didn’t know how to gauge how much weight to use, and unfortunately, he used too much for triceps. For days after, he was too sore to raise his arm to his mouth! I guess it’s a dieting strategy?
My first job was at a grocery store and I took pride in my bagging abilities. Every time I get groceries now I judge the quality of the bagging and share my comments with Jason when out of ear shot!
Interesting… I was surprised he liked it. I always feel like jello afterward (totally weak and tired), but I am never that sore afterwards. It makes me wonder how good a workout it is for regular heavy lifters.
I don’t think my husband would ever accompany me to a group exercise class. I can see guys liking body pump though!
I love that you two workout together! My boyfriend and I have been doing P90x together and its a great time…much more motivating to have a workout buddy.
Also, those pancakes look amazing and I will definitely be making some (gluten-free though) ASAP!
I love it when my groceries are perfectly bagged! 🙂 Who wants smashed produce? Not this girl! lol.
I’ve always wanted to try body pump!
I can’t get chia seeds here in Ireland – do you think ground flax would thicken the pancake batter in a similiar way?
That is so cute that Ryan went to class with you! Are there typically men in the class, or is it generally all women?
My husband is always up for trying new things, which I love about him! Although I do feel bad that there have been many times where we have tried new things and it’s literally all women and then him. lol