Hello and happy Friday! If you read any of my posts this summer you know that I had a blast trying new workouts and restaurants in New York City. Because I have a few weeks of freedom in Tampa before I head back to school I decided to continue this little adventure here. I might try to do the same thing in Miami this semester, we’ll see once I get back into the school groove. My non-plan game-plan: explore my “backyard” and try new-to-me fitness studios and restaurants. First up, Tasty Roots and South Tampa Fit.
Tasty Roots
“Organic Grab N’ Go Cafe. All meals are made with ingredients you can trust and sourced from local organic farms whenever possible!”
Tasty Roots opened on July 22 so this is not only a new-to-me restaurants but a brand new restaurant in Tampa. I saw advertisements for it while I was in New York and made my mom wait to go with me when I got home. I gravitate toward quick, grab and go food options (that are obviously gluten-free) and this fit the bill. It’s not necessarily in my daily vicinity but I happily took the drive to try it out.
Because it just opened there weren’t as many options in the fridge as I hoped form but what they did have was delicious. There were vegan, vegetarian, paleo and “regular” options. All of the food was gluten-free and organic.
I’ll warn you, the food didn’t photograph too well, but that could fully be because I took a bad picture. I ordered blueberry chicken skewers with coconut rice and my mom had a chickpea salad. We tried each other’s and enjoyed both. The blueberry chicken was a good idea, something I might try to make (or have my mom make).
We also got cold brew coffee, which has been on my to-try list for a while! I’m NOT a coffee person (love the smell, hate the taste) but had heard good things about cold brew. Well, I didn’t like it at all but my mom, an avid coffee drinker, thought it was good. She said she’d try it again but in the morning when she normally drinks her coffee.
The inside decor was bright, welcoming and fresh. I look forward to seeing how the store develops over the next few months!
South Tampa Fit
“We are not your average gym. There are no machines, no boring routines, and best of all, there’s something for everyone. Our programs include full body workouts that are fun, challenging and unique.”
I’ve been wanting to try South Tampa Fit for a while, especially since it was rated so highly by my friend Christina. I used some of my remaining PeerFit credits and went to a morning class. The best way to describe it is “metabolic conditioning.” The entire class was structured around 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. There was every piece of equipment imaginable, including the new-to-me battle ropes, which are deceivingly hard.
Here’s what we did…
Treadmill intervals
I didn’t push my pace too much on this part because a) I wasn’t wearing my running sneakers and b) it was a rest day from running.
One round (45 on/15 off) @ 15% incline, 12% 9%, 6%, 3%, flat road. Every time we decreased the incline we increased the speed.
2 rounds (45 on/15 off) walk, run, sprint
Strength training
*All moves were 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest for 3 rounds*
Alternating rope swings & double wave rope swing + burpee (one double wave rope swing, drop the ropes, do a burpee, pick up ropes, repeat)
Ab rotations with a resistance band & double leg lift with a resistance band (a variation of this move)
Dumbbell power clean and press & overhead ball slam (with a wall ball)
Squat + row with resistance band & side shuffles
Double wave rope swing & push-ups
It was undoubtedly a great workout and reminded me a lot of Orange Theory. That seems to be the trend these days, understandably so…HIIT is very effective.
Love cold brew!! My favorite. Have a great weekend!
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood recently posted…Friday Favorite #15
Blueberry chicken?! Sounds awesome. I am not a fan of cold coffee at all, but love it hot. I am jealous you get to try so many cool restaurants/workout classes! The perks of living in a city :)
Hayley @ Full of Life recently posted…Day In The Life #4
That place looks awesome! Did you know all those places like Sweetgreen/tasty roots/ etc. are called “fast casual” now? Not fast food, but fast casual? Haha! I learned that one yesterday :P
And how did I not know you didn’t like coffee?!?!
I like the taste better than the smell :P
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 8/7/15
Tasty Roots looks awesome! Wish we had a store like that near me…
Liz recently posted…Plenti Greek Yogurt – The Perfect Snack
I would love to do a fitness class/ healthy restaurant exploration project but there aren’t any close to my parents home although I have recently been trying some of the classes at my gym to mix things up… I am hoping to be relocating to the London area soon though so its something I will definitely try there!
I’ve never tried cold brew but it looks good!
I’ve never heard of Tasty Roots, it reminds me of a Fit Life food sort of concept. I think Chipotle is my go to quick meal spot! South Tampa Fit looks crazy, and so much fun!
sarah recently posted…Real Recovery
I’m not really a fan of cold brew either. totally agree with you on the smell though, I am obsessed with the smell of coffee! xx, kenz
http://sincerelykenz.com
kenzie negron recently posted…College Dorm Room Grocery List
I am so intrigued by that blueberry chicken! I wish we had a safe gluten free grab-n-go place near us, I am always packing my own food whenever we go out as there are never any coeliac safe options!
Kristy @ Southern In Law recently posted…Recipe: Healthy Vegan Banana Blondies