Workout for 12/11/2012

It's been a while so I figured it was time for a new workout. Hopefully you're all still staying active even with the holidays in full swing.


WORKOUT

1 mile run
THEN
5 Rounds for time of:
Barbell Deadlift (205 lbs men, 145 lbs women, or choose a weight that challenges you)
30 Bodyweight squats
7 Handstand push-ups (can sub pike press if necessary)


My Results:
I chose to do my handstand push-ups on parallel bars and ended up with a time of 17:15.

Workout for week of 10/15/12

Workout for week of 10/15/12

Complete as many rounds as you can in 30 minutes of:

10 Pull-ups

10 Dips

10 Barbell Thrusters (135lbs men, 95lbs women, or just use a challenging weight)

10 Toes-to-bar

Modifications

--If you can't do regular pull-ups then grab a stool, chair, bench, etc., and do jumping pull-ups (jump into the up position, come down slowly) instead.

--If you can't do regular dips on bars then do dips on a bench or chair with your legs out straight in front of you. If that's still too hard then bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.

--Be sure to keep your abs tight throughout the movement of the barbell thruster! Failure to do so will compromise your lower back which none of us need.

--If you can't get your toes all the way to the bar then just do knees-to-elbows. If that is still too hard switch to hanging knee raises. It's all basically the same movement, you're just adjusting how high you bring your feet/legs for your fitness level.

Have fun and enjoy!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Recipe - Green Pina Colada Smoothie

I'm always looking for more tasty smoothie recipes, and this one may be my favorite so far. If you're a coconut fan, such as myself, then I'm sure you'll agree with me. It makes a good bit so I drank some and saved the rest for the following day.


Green Pina Colada Smoothie
Makes approximately two servings.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 small banana
• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1/2 tsp stevia (aka Truvia)
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds
• 1 handful of ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Enjoy

***Changes I would make***

• I would do 1/2 of a banana and 1 cup of pineapple. The banana flavor tends to be a bit overpowering, and personally I would like more of a pineapple flavor.
• 1 tsp of stevia instead of 1/2 tsp.
• 2 handfuls of ice instead of 1 to give it more of a smoothie consistency.
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder if you're using this as a meal replacement and/or snack.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this smoothie! It was quite refreshing. I will say that if you don't want/like the feeling of swallowing the chia seeds then let the smoothie set for approximately 10 minutes before you drink it. Chia seeds can hold 9-12 times their weight in water and they absorb it very rapidly. The more water you give it a chance to absorb, the less of that seedy feeling you'll notice when drinking it.

A few facts about Chia seeds:

• They were considered the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec superfood.
• Chia is the Mayan word for strength.
• It has been called "Indian running food" for it's ability to give you a sustained surge of energy with no crash.
• Approximately 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain
• 3 times more iron than spinach.
• Fair amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids.
• More potassium than bananas.
• More antioxidants than blueberries.
• 5 times as much calcium as milk.

These facts and others can be found here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/022468_chia_seeds_food.html

If you try this recipe I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to post them in the comments section. Thanks!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for week of 10/1/12

Here's your new workout for this week. Feel free to post your times and thoughts about the workout. Enjoy!

Workout
3 Rounds for time of:
50 Walking lunges
30 Second handstand hold*
50 Kettlebell swings (30lbs)
100 Jump rope skips


*A handstand hold is just that, flip up into a handstand (against the wall) and hold that position for 30 seconds.

Have fun and watch that form!


Yours In Health,
Steven

Workout for week of 9/17/12

Here's your new weekly workout. Enjoy!

Workout
4 rounds for time of:

15 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
30 Sit-ups


If you can't do regular pull-ups feel free to substitute jumping pull-ups. Basically that's just jumping while pulling as hard as you can to get your chin above the bar. Just repeat for reps.

Also, if you can't do regular push-ups, just perform those with your knees on the ground. Just be sure to keep you kinetic chain in line (ears in line with shoulders, in line with hips, in line with knees). As a good PT instructor used to tell me, "There aren't any seals in GA! Keep those hips up!" I realize some of you may not be in GA, but the same theory still applies; keep your hips up, don't let them droop.

I do sit-ups without an anchor (nothing holds my feet down). If that's too hard for you feel free to anchor your feet under something or get a partner to hold them for you.

Have a good week, eat clean, and keep it healthy!

Yours In Health,
Steven

Workout for week of 9/10/12

Here is, what has become, the new weekly workout! Now you have all week to do the workout and let me know your thoughts. Have fun and keep it healthy!

Workout

Part 1:
3 Rounds for time of
15 Chest to bar pull-ups
20 Burpees
15 Sumo-deadlift high-pull (barbell)

**Chest to bar pull-ups are exactly that, pull-ups where your chest touches the bar. The weight for the sumo-deadlift high-pulls is 95lbs for men and 75lbs for women as prescribed. Or you can just use a challenging weight if that is too heavy or too light for you.**

Part 2:
5 sets of 5 reps of barbell Deadlift
100 jump rope skips after each set

So it looks like this
5 Deadlifts
100 Jump rope skips
5 Deadlifts
100 Jump rope skips
......
and so on for 5 rounds/sets.

**The deadlifts are a max effort. So shoot for a weight that you can only get 5 reps with good form and no more.**

Once you're done feel free to post your time, or any other stats you want to share, to the comments. That way we can all motivate each other.

Yours In Health,
Steven

Workout for 9/4/12

Alright, it's that time. Here's a new workout so it's time to get your sweat on! Watch that form and have fun!

Workout

7 Rounds for time of:

5 Man Makers (40lbs men / 25lbs women)

6 Chest to bar pull-ups

7 Box Jumps

8 Toes to bar

As always, if there is an exercise here that you don't recognize, check out the "EXERCISE DEMOS" tab at the top. And be sure to let me know your thoughts on the workout.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 8/4/12

It's a beautiful day for a sweaty, sweaty workout! Here we go in 3, 2, 1......

Workout
50 Box jumps
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings (30lbs)
50 Walking lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Barbell push press (45lbs)
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots (20lbs)
50 Burpees
50 Double unders (or 150 singles)


Whew! That was fun! My time for this one was 43:58 and my lovely wife posted a time of 44:58. Hope you enjoyed it as well!


Yours In Health,
Steven

Recipe - 60 second Chocolate Frosty (paleo friendly)

Who doesn't love a good chocolate frosty from Wendy's? They're so creamy and chocolatey! Well I came across this paleo friendly version of the chocolate frosty with substantially less calories and sugar. It claims to be a 60 second frosty, but it takes me a bit longer to get it all in the blender and blend it up. Maybe you get faster the more you make it? I may have to test that. Without further ado, here is the recipe:

60 second Chocolate Frosty
Makes approximately 10 ounces.

Ingredients:

• 8-9 cubes of frozen almond milk (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tbsp stevia (or to taste)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Blend for 30-60 seconds or until smooth
3. Enjoy!

***Changes I made***

• The one and only change I made is I substituted 1/4 cup of unsweetened Coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream.

My thoughts:

Love it! If you're a fan of the regular frosty, I highly recommend trying this! It's such a quick and easy treat to throw together. My four year old approves as well, that's always a plus. If you try it let me know your thoughts.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 7/19/12

As promised, here is a new workout. Enjoy!

Workout
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
8 Knees to elbows
10 Plyometric push-ups (hands leave the ground)
12 Decline weighted sit-ups (25lbs guys/15lbs gals, or whatever weight challenges you)
20 Walking lunges with 45lb plate held over head (or, again, whatever weight challenges you)


I managed 5 rounds + 8 knees to elbows + 10 plyometric push-ups in the 20 minutes allowed, but I went ahead and finished out my 6th round after the timer went off. Hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did!


Yours In Health,
Steven

Recipe - Almond Butter Cookies (Paleo friendly)

My little girl loves cookies so I searched around for a paleo friendly cookie recipe. I came across this one and gave it a try.

Almond Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 cup of coconut crystals

Cooking Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl and stir until integrated. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into balls. Flatten and place on a greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).
3. You can place the cookies pretty close together as they don’t spread much. I fit all of them onto one standard sized cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should still feel a little soft if you press gently on the center. They will lighten in color and flatten when they are done.

***Changes I made***

• I didn't have coconut crystals so I substituted
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp of raw honey
• I baked them for 8 minutes, pulled them out, and topped them all with one dark chocolate chip in the middle. Then I put them back in for another 4 minutes.

Here is the picture of them from the website and this is exactly what mine looked like, except with a chocolate chip in the center.

My thoughts:

The good news is these are good, healthy cookies. The bad news is these taste like good, healthy cookies. My four year old approved of the chocolate chip and that's about all. She ate her way to the chocolate chip and then said, "I don't think I really like almond butter daddy. But I love chocolate!" Personally, I like them alright. They're not very sweet, but that's ok with me. I may just add a little more honey next time. I actually think they taste a bit like samoas (girl scout cookies). If you try them I'd love to know your thoughts and opinions!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 7/12/12

Let's get it done!


Workout:
6 - 1/4 mile sprints

Rest 90 seconds - 2 minutes between each sprint.


5 minute rest after the last sprint and then:

5x5 Bench press

Now go give'em hell!


Yours In Health,
Steven

Recipe - Zucchini Brownies (Paleo friendly)

I wasn't sure about this recipe at first, but oh.....my was it good! I was concerned about how they would rise since there is no flour, but they turned out great. Not only is this a yummy brownie recipe, but it's full of zucchini. So if you're looking for a yummy way to sneak in some more veggies with your family, look no further!

Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks

Cooking Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
(We ended up having to bake them for around 45 minutes to get them completely done.)

Makes approximately 16 nice sized brownies.

Here is a picture of the finished product from the website:

And here is a picture of our finished product:

These were a hit with my family, including our four year old! If you try them, which you totally should, let me know your thoughts.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 7/9/12 - Challenge

     This particular workout was a personal challenge for me. I came across this workout on another fitness professional's, who will remain unnamed, site. They did this workout in a time of 17:30. After seeing their time I looked back at the workout and thought, "I can beat that." So the challenge was set, unbeknownst to them.

     Not only did I think I could beat their time, but I also thought that anyone that has trained with me, or that follows my workouts could also beat it. So I'm going to post the workout along with the originator's time and my time, then I want to hear from you what your time was. It doesn't matter if it's better or worse, just share. What really matters is that you just do the workout and be active! So without further ado: 

Workout:

3 Rounds of
30 jumping jacks

5 push ups

25 high knees

7 burpees

10 crunches (I did full, unsupported sit-ups instead)

7 squats

5 push ups

10 crunches (again, sit-ups)

5 push ups

7 squats

30 jumping jacks

1 min wall sit (I used a stability ball, but that wasn't included in the original workout)

5 push ups

25 high knees

Other fitness professional's time: 17:30

My time: 15:21

Your time: ??:??

Have fun, push yourself, and get it done!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 7/5/2012

Alright, 4th of July is over. No more cookies, cakes, alcohol, or other junk food today! Instead let's work off what we ate yesterday with a great workout.

Here we go in 3, 2, 1........


For time:
70 Burpees
60 Sit-ups (without feet anchored)
50 Kettlebell swings (60lbs men, 40 lbs women)
40 Pull-ups
30 Handstand push-ups


My time for this workout was 26:27. I opted to do my handstand push-ups on parallel bars, actually push-up bars like this, to make them a bit harder. Feel free to do the same!


Yours In Health,
Steven

Workout for 6/25/12

Grab a timer, a GymBoss timer is a great investment if you don't have one,

set it for 20 minutes and perform as many rounds as you can of the following sequence:

5 Handstand push-ups

10 One-legged squats, alternating

15 Pull-ups

A Beginner version could be:

5 Pike presses

10 Body-weight squats

15 Jumping pull-ups

An ADVANCED version could be:

5 Handstand push-ups on horizontal bars or push-up bars

10 One-legged squats, alternating (go low enough so you can reach across and touch the floor with the opposite hand when squatting)

15 Mountain climber pull-ups

Keep your form in check, sweat, and have fun! Don't forget to follow up the workout with a protein packed meal or a protein shake if you're in a hurry.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Workout for 6/11/2012

Ok, it's been a while so you should be ready for a new workout now. So here we go...

Workout
3 Rounds for time of
1/2 mile Run
50 Back extensions
50 Sit-ups
35 Push-ups

Alright, get out there and get it done!

Yours In Health,
Steven

Workout for 4/26/2012

It's time for a new workout, yay! Here we go:

1 mile warm-up walk/jog (approx 10-15 minutes)
then
21 reps Barbell Thruster
21 Pull-ups
1/4 mile Run
15 Barbell Thruster
15 Pull-ups
1/4 mile Run
9 Barbell Thruster
9 Pull-ups
1/4 mile Run
5 Barbell Thruster
5 Pull-ups

This will be a total of 50 reps of both the barbell thrusters and pull-ups. Choose a weight that is challenging for the barbell thrusters (I suggest 95lbs for men, 45lbs for women). Do your 1/4 mile runs at a challenging pace. That meaning at the end of that 1/4 mile you should not have been able to maintain that pace for more than a few more seconds. Do some stretching for a cool-down afterwards and reward yourself with a protein shake!

Yours In Health,
                     Steven

Workout for 4/2/12

I realize it's been WAAYY too long since I posted a new workout and I apologize. Here you go!

Workout
Barbell Thruster 7 sets of 3 reps
100 Burpees

This workout is not timed and you can split up the burpees however you want. I chose to break them down into 7 sets and use them as an active rest during my thrusters.

As far as the thrusters go, go as heavy as you can, but keep your form in check! Tight abs and glutes and a straight back are a necessity. If you need help remembering what thrusters are please refer to my newly added "EXERCISE DEMOS" tab above. Thanks and have fun!


Yours In Health,
                       Steven

Recipe - No-bake Energy Bites

I happened upon this recipe and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad that I did because these are really yummy and great for a grab-and-go kind of snack after workouts. Don't blame me for getting addicted to them though so try at your own risk.

No-Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used Organic old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup coconut flakes (I recommend the organic unsweetened kind, but they're hard to find)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground Wheat Germ
• 1/3 cups honey (local honey would be best, but organic will suffice)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed (can be done with a spoon). Once mixed, let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After being chilled roll into balls of whatever size you would like. I used a melon baller to scoop it out and approximate the size and this made approximately 25 balls. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Helpful info from the website:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some flaxseed in place of some or all of the wheat germ.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

Approximate Nutritional Values

Servings: 25

Serving Size: 1 ball

Calories: 109, Protein: 3, Carbs: 13 (11 net carbs), Fiber: 2, Fat: 6

Workout for 2/20/12

It's been a while so I figured it was time for a new workout. So here we go!




Workout
7 Rounds for time of:
7 Handstand push-ups
7 Barbell thrusters (115lbs men, 85lbs women)
7 Knees to Elbows
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell swings (60lbs men, 40lbs women)




Click on the name of each exercise if you need a demonstration. Also, the demo for the Knees to Elbows gives several variations if you're more of a beginner or more advanced. Once you've completed the workout post your time in the comments. Enjoy!




Yours In Health,
                      Steven

Workout for 1/31/12

It's been a long time coming, but finally here it is... a new workout! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


Yours In Health,
                        Steven


Workout
On the minute for 6 minutes:

• 10 Barbell push press (75% of 1 rep max)

5 minute break

On the minute for 6 minutes:

• 5 reps of Barbell dead lift (80% of 1 rep max)

5 minute break

On the minute for 10 minutes:

• Turkish Get-up, 1 right/1 left (35lbs men / 20lbs women)
• 5 Plyometric push-ups (hands leave the floor)
• 3 Burpees

Examples/Explanations:

Barbell Push Press - This is just like a standing barbell shoulder press, but you use a slight squat at the beginning of the press to help "pop" the weight up. Just make sure to lock out at the top and keep your abs tight!

Barbell Dead lift example can be found here.

Turkish Get-up:

Burpees:

Recipe - Zucchini Lasagne

This is a paleo recipe so it avoids the usual wheat-based noodles, using instead some thinly sliced zucchini. We all loved it, even my three year old! Try it for yourself and your family and let me know your thoughts.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 6 oz tomato paste, no salt
• 15 oz tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 zucchini, sliced thinly

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 2 (approx)

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Add in garlic, onion, green pepper, and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato paste and tomato sauce.
4. Add in parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, continue to stir.
5. Bring sauce to a boil, then remove from heat.
6. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with coconut oil
7. Place a thin layer (1/2 inch) of sauce in the baking dish.
8. Layer zucchini over sauce, and repeat, alternating layering of sauce, then zucchini.
9. Bake lasagne at 325˚ F for 15 minutes, covered with foil.
10. After 15 minutes, remove foil, increase temperature to 350˚ F, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Notes:
The zucchini will release water while cooking so the sauce for this recipe is thicker than would be expected. If you prefer a sauce that is not as thick add a second can of tomato sauce to the recipe.

The Workout from Hell

 If you're reading this blog then you were either curious, a glutton for punishment like myself, or maybe both. Well regardless, you're here, so you might as well workout right? The following workout will consist of 1,000, yes 1,000, grueling reps. If you're not dripping with sweat and breathing hard at the end of this one then you didn't do something right! Without further delay, the 1,000 rep workout:

10 Rounds for time of

10 Burpees
10 Squat Jumps
10 Push-ups
10 Toe touch sit-ups
10 Bodyweight dips
10 Tuck jumps
10 Plank jacks
10 Plyometric Lunges
10 Lying leg raises
10 Squat thrusts

This workout was courtesy of BodyRock.TV. I've posted the video of the workout below in case you have any questions about any of the exercises. Have fun!


Yours In Health,
                        Steven