Blackberry Cucumber Cocktail

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Sharing a recipe for a delicious and refreshing blackberry cucumber cocktail!

Hi hi! How’s the day going so far? I hope you’re having a great morning. I’m catching a yoga class and spending the rest of the day working on some stuff for Fit Team and the podcast.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a super delicious and EASY cocktail recipe. This one is courtesy of my brother Kyle, and we learned how to make this while we did his Cocktails in the Kitchen class at Miraval.

TBH, I haven’t experimented with cocktails too much. I feel like they can be intimidating, and while I can follow a recipe, I don’t tend to be very creative with cocktails. (Worth mentioning here that I do make a very lovely margarita, but that’s about where it ends.) He had our stations set up with fresh herbs, berries, tools, and gin, and before we knew it, we were cheers-ing each other with the freshest libation I’d had in a long time. I’m so pumped to share the recipe with you!

Blackberry Cucumber Cocktail

Ingredients

Cucumber

Mint

Basil

Blackberries

Simple syrup (equal parts honey and water)

Lemon

Lime

Gin

Ice

Instructions

Muddle all of the ingredients (minus the gin).

Next, add in the gin. Shake, strain, and garnish!

Kyle gave

Should I do strength or cardio first?

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Sharing some tips on whether you should do strength or cardio first in your workout routine. 

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a great morning and hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I’m already counting down the days until the next school break. Waking up early is not my cup of tea lol.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about strength vs.cardio and which one you should do first in your routine. There are so many different types of exercise routines, and they offer different benefits for the body (and mind!). Doing an combination of strength and cardio can help you acheive your body composition and fitness goals, and knowing how to structure these in your routine can help you maximize the benefits. Deciding which one to do first depends on your fitness goals and other factors.

In today’s post, I’m sharing tips on how to decide which one to do first!

Should I do strength or cardio first?

A balanced fitness plan includes strength and cardio components, as well as mobility and rest. You also want to make sure that you’re alternating workout intensities throughout the week. For example, if you have a really hard cardio day, follow this with an easier day or rest. How much cardio and strength training you do in your weekly routine depends on your current fitness level, goals, unique factors (like age, health issues, injuries, medications, etc.). While I am a certified personal trainer and women’s fitness specialist, please remember that I’m not a doctor. Talk to your doctor before making any fitness changes and honor your body.

Also, remember that whenever you start something new in your routine, you will likely be sore, so DON’T push it too hard. This is why I usually have beginning training clients start with bodyweight-only or super light weights; they’re going to be sore no matter what.

Benefits Of Cardio After Weights

For body recomposition:

I typically recommend cardio after strength training if building muscle is the priority.  Typically women don’t understand that if you’re looking for a more “toned” look, you need to put on muscle. For this reason, we’ll emphasize strength training (progressive training and phased programming for optimal results), and sprinkle cardio in, but not too much.

For hormonal considerations:

Also, many of the women I work with are dealing with hormone imbalances, often from years of stress, under-eating, and overexercising. Workouts can be an extra stressor on the body, especially intense cardio. So, we’ll focus more on strength training and stick to daily walks until their energy levels return and inflammation is down.

Weights first helps to prepare the body for cardio

Doing strength first can help the body prepare for more explosive cardio movements, as you’re often working the joints through full range of motion and warming up the muscles. It can be helpful to mimic some of the upcoming cardio movements during your strength training routine.

Increased metabolism through higher muscle density:

Muscle tissue is “hungrier” than fat, which means it burns more calories at rest. When you’re focused on muscle-building, you may not s

Friday Faves

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Hi hi! Happy Friday! How was the week? Ours was a bit of a blur (the Pilot was flying nights), but I’m so pumped the weekend is here. I’m going to the Sebastian Yatra concert with some friends, we’re having friends over for dinner on Saturday, and then celebrating my dad’s bday on Sunday. I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead!

We’re into Self-Care September with Fit Team, and it’s been inspiring to to dive into some self-care and nurturing habits, especially since we’re about to head into the busy fall and holiday season. If you’d like to join us, enrollment is technically closed, but email me (gina@fitnessista.com) and I’ll get you a link!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves

Read, watch, listen:

Adding so many books to my to-read list. 

Don’t forget to check out this week’s podcast episode with Laura Varney here.

Mindset shifts to stop worrying about what other people think.

Another study demonstrating the value of consistency.

Fitness + good eats:

30-minute bodyweight-only barre workout.

Lots of meal inspo in this post.

Pumpkin season is HERE and I’m making these asap.

Tips for running with a baby.

Fashion + beauty:

I keep thinking about canceling RTR Unlimited, but then we have a vacation or event, and I’m so glad I have it. I realized I haven’t shopped much for myself lately (besides a couple trips to lulu!) because I’ve been enjoying rotating through these 8 pieces each month.

Wore this skirt the other day:

(tank is here, shoes are here)

and this dress yesterday 🙂

(shoes are here)

Labor Day Sales!!

Labor Day weekend is here and there are so many great sales!

Here are some of my top picks:

The BEST Labor Day sale is t

108: Prenatal fitness + shifting fitness perspectives with Laura Varney

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Hi friends! So excited that the podcast is BACK 🙂 I anticipate summers being more low-key on the podcast front, but now that we’re back in a routine, I have interviews stacked up and so much content to share with you guys. Please subscribe to the show if you’d like to be notified of new episodes as they go live!

For today’s episode, I’m chatting with Laura Varney about prenatal fitness, birth experiences, and how fitness perspectives can shift over time.

108: Prenatal fitness + shifting fitness perspectives with Laura Varney

We talk about:

– Her background and how she started working in the fitness industry

– Prenatal fitness tips

– Her experience in the bikini competition world

– How fitness perspectives and messaging have changed over time

– Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life

and so much more.

Here’s a bit more about Laura and her background:

Laura’s mission is to create a more empathetic approach to wellness – especially for those entering motherhood. Laura is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and registered yoga teacher in Los Angeles. Her vigorous resume includes the specialization of strength and functional training, pre/postnatal training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and power vinyasa yoga.

She is the founder of The Baby Body: a 35-week prenatal exercise designed to keep women strong throughout all stages of pregnancy, during labor, and while being a parent. Laura’s passion for seeking an “unrestricted” life has catapulted her into the pursuit of empowering, supporting, and inspiring the women around her.

You can check out her website here and her Instagram accounts here and here.

Resources from this episode:

If you’re listening to this episode when it first launches, it’s Labor Day Sale sitewide at HigherDOSE, the makers of my favorite portable sauna blanket. Use this link and the code LDW22 for 20% sitewide! If you’re catching up on this episode later, you can use FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! I LOVE the sauna blanket, PEMF Go Mat and red light face mask.

I love love love the meals from Sakara LifeUse this link and the code XOG

How to recover from mom burnout

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Talking about mom burnout on the blog today.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning so far. I’m meeting with a friend for coffee and then working on a Fit Team document for Self-care September to send out tomorrow. It’s not too late to join us here!

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about mom burnout. While I’m in a positive space with motherhood, there have absolutely been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed and burned out. I wanted to share a bit about it in this post, along with some of the things I’ve learned, and always love hearing about your thoughts and perspectives, too. I also recognize that as a mom, I know I’m fortunate and privileged in many aspects of life and am grateful for all of them. There will always be those who have it better or worse than yourself; the best you can do is have gratitude for the blessings in your life, and compassion for those who are having a difficult time.

What is mom burnout exactly?

I think of it as a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that most moms are likely to experience at one point in their lives. I’ve learned over time that various factors can contribute to mom burnout. It can happen when you have maxed out your capacity to care for others, and it can also come from the invisible emotional and mental load mothers need to carry. Peer pressure, unrealistic expectations, and social media can play a part in causing mom burnout, and I think it’s SO important for moms to fill their own cups first.

Mom burnout should not be taken lightly, and if you feel like you are suffering, please reach out and get the help you deserve. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional on this matter, just a mom sharing my story and things I’ve learned. You can absolutely love your kids like crazy and still experience mom burnout. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good mom; you just need a little extra TLC.

How to recover from mom burnout

Taking breaks and taking time to recharge

This can be so hard to do, especially if you have a tiny newborn. Take any opportunity you need to take a break and recharge, even if it’s for a short nap, a hot shower, or 10 minutes to blankly stare at the wall.

Talk it out

When you feel overwhelmed, whether you’re dealing with parenting exhaustion or life stuff, it can be so helpful to talk it out. It can be with a trusted friend, partner, or a professional, but often it can feel like a load has been lifted when you can speak your frustrations. Also, when you say things out loud, it’s easier to develop an action plan or objectively see the situation without so many emotions attached to it.

Prioritizing self care

This can be a tricky one, especially when you’re so devoted to caring for others, but I’m a big believer that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take some time to do the self-care practices that you love in your routine, like your favorite weekly yoga class, a phone call with a friend, a hike or walk outside, time to read a book, whatever self care looks like for you. It also doesn’t have to be *all the things*; it could be one thing that you look forward to each week or each day.

Focus on the bare essentials

When you

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