« January 2010 | Main | March 2010 »
I needed a little something to give me energy for my double workout today so had a green smoothie for breakfast. Not to heavy, nice mix of protein and fiber to get my body moving and energized.
I'm so short on time lately, especially with all the extra study time I've added to this week. Big test tomorrow - first one of this semester! All is good though... just super busy! :)
At the beginning of the PN LE program we had to list some goals we wanted to work towards during the six months it takes to complete the program. As the first month passes by I realize that I need to expand that list - or rather break it down. Instead of 'become more fit' I need to break that out into a list of significant goals that fall under the 'more fit' category.
One constant that is always on that list is to be able to do a pull up/chin up. I makes me crazy that I can't even do 1/2 of a pull up. So frustrating! I know I can use a negative pull up as a starting point, or an assistance band and that I need to increase my lat strength but I'm impatient!I did break down and get an assistance band and it's helping, so there has been some progression. Maybe I should add 'be more patient' to my list of goals?
Stacey wrote a blog post about chin up progression last summer and accompanied it with some photos of a chin up done with extremely good form:
Those pull ups were done very slowly and with full control. I know because I took those photos. She did three slow and smooth chin ups and then turned to me (while still hanging on the bar) and said, "need more?" Seriously?! Amazing.
I know that the only way to accomplish a pull up/chin up is to practice them. My husband was telling me that a year ago he could only do a couple of them because he never practiced them (and he's strong as hell). Now that he's added them to his lift days he bangs out about four sets of ten. And make it look easy. I certainly don't have any goals to be able to do forty pull ups, but I do want the full body strength to do a few.
Oh, also amazing? My bad ass PN coach:
If you have any pull up tips and advice I'd sure love to know about them! :)
My workouts are currently being dictated by the Precision Nutrition Lean Eating program. Each moth they change it up and this month has me doing a dedicated day of upper, lower, whole body, EEW (twice per week) with two days left for active rest.
The upper, lower and whole body programs are written out for you. They tell me which exercises to do, how many reps/sets and how much rest in between. I won't lie...it's nice to not have to figure it out myself and to have an expert do all the planning. We do, however, have to figure out our own EEW and Active Rest day workouts.
EEW stands for energy expenditure workout and it should include exercises that make you breathe heavy and feel "pretty uncomfortable" at the end of them. Think Tabata, HIIT, Vo2max conditioning, etc.
I miss my kb circuits so I try to work a kettlebell routine into my EEW days. This is what I am currently doing for EEW days:
Warm up with the Versus (using these videos as my guide)
I allow myself 10-15 seconds of rest between each exercise (only enough to grab some water) and then move on to the next exercise. I did this circuit three times, with a few minutes rest in between (generally enough time to control my breathing). For the kettlebell exercises I used my 12kg bell but could probably go higher or double for the 2-handed swings. I loved this workout!! Only thing missing is Krista and Angus :) ha ha.
I'm not going to lie - those Versus mountain climbers were supposed to be part of my warm-up but they were so hard that I decided to add it to my actual workout. The lunges are probably the easiest on the list but if I keep at a good pace (while still keeping form) then it keeps my heart pumping. The hardest on that list would be the snatches - again, in all honesty, the last set of 10 were pretty messy and I had to alternate 5 and 5 per side.
I'm no expert so I have no idea if this is the exact combination of exercises I should be doing for maximum effect but it works for me. In the previous month my EEW had a set of clean & press ladders in it which I always enjoy -especially since it's a great core and back workout for me. I left them out of this circuit because the current week's set work out seems to be pretty shoulder heavy and my shoulders definitely feel fatigued.
It's pretty cold down there so I wear about three layers.
I'd love some suggestions if you have any. Should I re-arrange my order of exercises? What are you doing for your high-intensity workouts?
Blend together (had to blend it twice because of the oatmeal).
Greens could easily be added to this but I chose not to since I had a wicked sweet tooth and wanted to avoid any chocolates that may or may not be in the next room by having a sweet flavored smoothie instead.
Very yummy.
we have clutter issues
Guess what I got??? I purchased my very own Myoforce Versus last week! I had been using the Versus for a while when I was going to Punch Gym but since my surgery I haven't been back there and have missed using this awesome piece of equipment.
I've already blogged about the Versus so I won't be redundant except to say that I still think it's the bombdiggity. It's really making a difference in my warm ups, workouts and even my recovery from my foot surgery! Ever try to do a lunge with toes that don't bend? Yeah, it's not easy but if I do it with the Versus I get stability as well as the added benefit of thoracic extension (do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? I learned that from Stacey, haha).
I currently have my Versus attached to the pull up bar but can easily and quickly remove it to another part of the dungeon (basement) if needed. Because I'm working out at home and not a full gym I sometimes have to improvise so that I'm in compliance with the workout PN has chosen for me. For example, cable push-pulls are done on a cable machine - which I don't and probably will never have. Instead, I'm using the Versus and providing myself with resistance (you can it see this at 2:02 of this video). Also, I don't have a bar that I can do the pronated-grip reverse push-ups so instead I do it using the Versus as my "bar."
I now have an (ancient) weight bench, pull up bar, kettlebells and my Versus. The only thing I see myself purchasing now would be another 12kg so I can do some double kettlebell work and maybe a heavier bell for when I build my strength back up.
I love my basement gym - even if there is a super-creepy Santa watching over me the whole time.
Almond butter seems to be all the rage lately. As with most products which are part of a trend the cost of an almond butter has become outrageous. Especially if you prefer "raw" almond butter. The last time I checked a jar of organic raw almond butter was around $15.00 at whole foods. Um, yeah. Not going to happen. So I started making my own fresh nut butter.
I'm a fan of almond, brazil, cashew and macadamia nut butters but I do try to focus on which provides me with the best nutritional profile. The good thing about making your own is you can make a large or small batch, mix the variety of nuts you use and tweak the ingredients to your specific taste. My typical choice nuts are raw Brazil nuts.
Brazil nuts are a fantastic source of Selenium which act as an powerful antioxidant working against free radicals and it helps protect your heart by increasing your HDL/LDL ratio (good cholesterol to bad cholesterol). They are also a decent source of Omega-6, Zinc and have a high protein content. Recently, some studies have even shown that it could possibly be optimal in combating cancer. It is also used as nutritional anti-inflammatory which can help lessen the symptoms of inflammation and arthritis.
The downside of eating nuts? They have a high fat content. Brazil nuts have one of the highest amounts of saturated fats - even beating out macadamia nuts - so it's important to limit the amount of nut butter you have in one sitting. I choose raw nuts because most roasted nuts have added oils to them - the exception being dry-roasted nuts. Still, when it comes to nuts I usually choose raw (raw macadamia, raw cashew, raw brazil, etc.).
I measure out 1T of nut butter per serving and typically keep that serving to only once a day. Lets not kid ourselves, it's super easy to spread tablespoon after tablespoon of this stuff over our toast or pb&j's but that fat content adds up quick! I'd rather limit my nut butter consumption so that I can also indulge in some avocado in my salad or some coconut milk in my smoothie. For me, it's all about moderation, with a little bit of compromise added in.
Homemade Nut Butter
1 9oz tub of Raw Brazil nuts (or your choice nut)
1 pinch of salt (don't use table salt)
1 quick squeeze of agave nectarPour the nuts into your food processor and give it whir until they start to grind up. I usually scrap down the sides of the food processor at this point before I continue grinding them. Cover, and continue to grind/pulse. Once the butter is almost at the desired consistency I add a pinch of salt and a quick squeeze of agave nectar (depending on which nuts I used - Brazil can be a bit bitter while cashews are more mild).
Put into a container (I usually use the one the nuts came in) and store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
You can add any flavor profile you want to your batch (chocolate + hazelnut, macadamia + cashew + tiny bit of coconut oil, etc.)
One of my favorite quick snacks is a majool date split in half and stuffed with some Brazil nut butter -so good!
To quote the incredibly sexy Gail Simmons, this was "super-mega delicious." Well, as far as simple lean proteins go, that is. I wouldn't list it up there with anything gourmet but as far as an addition to a daily meal it was pretty tasty.
I've recently reduced my fruit intake down to two pieces per day - usually an apple/pear with brazil nut butter and blueberries with my oatmeal. Some days its three, depending on what else I've eaten that day. Fruit should be a part of everyone's diet but when you're say, trying to slim down...ahem, then it's not a bad idea to limit it a bit. Especially when I can easily go overboard and have five servings at once (it's the smoothies that do it). Anyhow - because of this I've removed the apple from my turkey apple burgers and wanted to come up with a new flavor profile. This is what I came up with:
ground white meat turkey
portobella mushrooms
shallot
garlic
allspice - a couple large shakes
tarragon
cayenne
tamari
salt & pepper (optional)saute mushrooms, shallots - add the meat and spices and stir/break the meat up. When close to fully cooked add a couple shakes of Tamari to further flavor (salt) and color the meat.
Taste - adjust seasonings as necessary.
In all honesty, I had meant to grab the Chinese 5-Spice powder and grabbed the Allspice instead. I love the bitterness of cloves and how they can be used in both sweet and savory dishes so it was a happy mistake. I was a bit heavy handed with the spices in my dish and the smell in my kitchen was pretty incredible.
I had some of this as a snack (pictured above) but it would be good over rice, salad or just tossed with broccoli or wilted spinach.
Mine grows in an Aerogarden.
recycled photo from previous posts
If you don't know me then you may see my 'protein' posts and automatically assume I'm eating all protien and very little veggies. And you would be very wrong. Over the past few years I've tried so many different ways of eating to see how my body responds and what makes my body function on a higher level. I am a typically low-energy person so increasing my energy is a high priority for me.
I tried eating raw foods at 80-90% of my daily intake for a couple of months and while I greatly enjoyed the meals I had to eat a LOT to get enough calories to fulfill me. Which ended up with bloating and always feeling too full. I hated the way my body felt then but loved the energy and all those veggies. Since then I've tried the protein overload (in my opinion) as well. I certainly don't think my body needs as much protein was recommended to me at that time and have since greatly reduced it.
recycled photo from previous posts
I now find that protein does give me more energy and when I increased my protein intake there was a noticeable difference in my strength gains. Also, having a high protein breakfast satisfies me and keeps me full. So the semi-high protein will stay. Raw veggies and greens are essential for a highly alkalized body - so they stay too, although not at such a large ratio. Fruit (poor fruit gets such a bad rap!) will stay - but only 1-2 pieces per day. Dense starchy carbs? GONE. I have no self-control when it comes to these. I could eat a 1/2 box of Prince Ziti in one sitting. Easy. Whole grains are optimal though so I try to find some way to add them in limited quantities to my diet. For example, I cook a huge batch of brown rice and then freeze it in serving sizes to that I don't overdue it.
This is a typical day for me (although more on the 'hungry' side)
That is a lot of food. Look at those two photos - the first representing my supper and the bottom representing my breakfast (although I don't eat the toast with my breakfast anymore -dense carbs are consumed after dinner; which is after my workout). Add a lunch (usually more salad too) and a few snacks of fruit and you've got my daily intake.
Here is a thread of more meals similar to what I'm eating now. My formula now is dens carbs after a workout and fat before the workout. If it seems complicated then you'll understand why I decided to join PN's Lean Eating program. My coach says, "do this" and I do. And it's working.
With my new work out and eating plan I'm trying to get a bit more protein in my diet so I'm back to having Bionic Edge added to my day. Like before, I still have dairy sensitivities so I'm not having it every day. More like four or five time per week. I've been mixing this up and packing it to take with me to class on Saturday mornings for a snack. I have this and a banana during my 10-min break.
Bionic Edge Whey is great shaken with water (and easy!) but I like it the most when I blend it with ice, mellow greens (like baby bok choi or romaine) and a banana. Unfortunately, I don't have a blender in my office and was looking for new ways to have my Bionic Edge and came up with Bionic Edge Taffy.
Bionic Edge Taffy
Put a scoop of Bionic Edge Whey powder in a cup and add 1 heaping T of your choice of nut butter*
This is a mix of vanilla and chocolate whey and a Brazil/macadamia nut butter:
Mix these two together with a spoon until you have a cup of grainy powder, like this:
Then add teaspoon of hot water and mix it all together. It won't come together easy but it will come together. Add a touch more water if necessary. If you add too much then you end up with a slurry - which is fine, but not taffy. Mix, mix, mix and it will start to come together and look like a ball of taffy, especially as it cools.
Eat with a spoon and then have a glass of water :)) [see below]
This recipe can be doubled easily.
I didn't add a picture of the finished product because as yummy as the taffy is, it's not the most appealing looking thing. :))
*to make your own nut butter: add 1 container of nuts (or a mix of your favorite nuts) into a food processor and give it a whir. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Feel free to add a touch of agave nectar or honey and a pinch of salt if so desired. Refrigerate and enjoy!
IMPORTANT NOTE: There have been questions regarding if too much of a certain kind of protein is taxing on your liver and/or kidneys so it's important that you consume at least 12oz of water with/after the protein intake to help your body digest it.
I'm lacking on blog posts and food photos but it's been super busy lately!! I also have to tell you how I've been doing with my Lean Eating program (so far so good!) but I've been too busy to sit and write a proper post. What have I been doing? Lets see - I started the PN Lean Eating program, my winter/spring session class started (yay), my physical therapy sessions have been reduced down to once per week and I've been really busy at work with interesting projects.
Oh, and I had a knitting parteh!! ;) See that pile of yarn in the middle there? That was yarn that we were
trading each other but it really turned into a de-stash pile and most
of it was left behind to be donated to a charity (probably the Knitting
Connection).
It was fun and a great group of ladies showed up! There were old friends -some who haven't seen each other in 15 years! - and some who were just meeting each other for the first time. Expert knitters and beginning knitters too. I even got to meet a friend who I've only communicated with for the last five years over the internet. It was a nice reminder that I need to get together with my friends more often.
It's funny how times have changed because at this party there were two babies and one friend who was 5 months pregnant! And NO tequila! Oh, and there was a lot of food. I'm still full and the party was three days ago, ha ha. It really was great to get this lovely mix of personalities together in one space.
