I came across a new blog today, SweatyGirl and read a post about her top 10 Fitness Truths. I really dug the idea and decided to share some of my health/fitness-related truths.
1. I think every vegetable is amazing when roasted. Seriously. I'm not a picky eater these days to begin with, but if every serving of vegetables I eat could be roasted, that would be a doozy. A doozy of awesomeness. A doozy of awesomeness with a side of ketchup.
2. I still can't do full-fledged push-ups. I'm getting closer, but still need more training in this area, even after more than 4 years of working out regularly. Being able to rock out 10 push-ups without having to be on my knees would be a dream come true.
3. One of my fitness goals is to beat Doug at arm wrestling. I think that's all I have to say on the topic.
4. I subtly play air guitar and air drums at the gym. It's just hard to resist when a kick-ass song comes up on shuffle. And really, 99% of the music I listen to kicks ass, so there ya go.
5. The swimming part is what keeps me from doing a triathlon. It's not that I can't swim, I just don't swim well enough. I know it's just a matter of training, but swimming in a competitive event just doesn't sit well with me at the moment. Hopefully that will change in a few years.
6. I really, really, really love vodka. And tequila. My penchant for cocktails and shots keep the bro-ham in me alive and kickin'. And also keep my abs from looking better. The ultimate compromise. Sigh.
7. I wear sweatbands. But only at home. When doing fast-paced circuit or lifting routines, I rock the sweatband to keep my drippy curls out of the way. Also, I'm the sweatiest person I know.
8. I will never turn down a slice of cake, ever. No matter how much I preach about eating better and avoiding excess sugar, I WILL stop whatever I'm saying mid-sentence and eat cake if it's put in front of me. And I'll even take that extra frosting off your hands because it really is a shame to waste.
9. I prefer to exercise by myself. I've gotten offers from coworkers to meet at the gym and have participated in a few group exercise classes, but I really just prefer to bust out a sweat session on my own. There's less distraction and I can push harder or go slower without having to worry about someone else's pace. I'm sure working out with others could open me up to some different challenges though, so I'm willing to give it a try more often in the future. (Though, it's hard to find people who already wake up at 5 am most days just to exercise. Hello? *tap, tap* Is this thing on? Anyone out there?)
10. I shop for new weight equipment and fitness DVDs like they're porn. Sad, but true. On the rare occasion I have some extra money to burn, my mind doesn't go to clothes, shoes or a new phone (I've had the same sliding Samsung Blast for 5 years now, holla!); I immediately think, "Hmm, I could go for some new dumbbells right about now."
What are some of your fitness/health truths?
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Beans, Bacon, Beagles.
Quick dinner post from last night:
Pasta with Kale, Bacon & Great Northern Beans!
Serves two. You will need:
Get some water boiling for your pasta. While you wait, prep the bacon, onions, garlic and kale.
In a large pan, cook the bacon. Toss it onto a plate with paper towels and set aside. Drain *some* of the grease from the pan, not all of it. If your pasta water is ready, go ahead and drop the pasta at this point.
Add the onions to the bacon pan and if necessary, deglaze with a bit of water. Once the onions are sweating, quickly add the garlic, kale and a bit of salt & pepper. Stir continuously until the kale starts to cook down. You may need to add a more water to move this process along. Once the kale reduces significantly in size, add the beans. Feel free to add more salt, crushed red pepper and lemon juice at this point. Add the bacon bits back into the pan, stir, remove from heat and cover with a lid until the pasta is done.
Drain the pasta, divide into serving dishes and top with the kale/bacon/bean mix. Sprinkle on grated parmesan if you'd like and enjoy!
Lastly, a random Randal pic for the dog lovers:
Sleeping, as usual. I always said I would never own a cat because of the hair, but Randal sheds so much, it doesn't even matter. Ah, well. He's cuter than most babies and a total goofball when he's awake, so I can't complain too much.
Pasta with Kale, Bacon & Great Northern Beans!
Serves two. You will need:
- 4 oz pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste thin spaghetti)
- 4 slices of bacon, diced
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced or diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups kale, rinsed and chopped (could also use spinach)
- 1 can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed (could use any preferred white bean)
- salt & pepper to taste
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Get some water boiling for your pasta. While you wait, prep the bacon, onions, garlic and kale.
In a large pan, cook the bacon. Toss it onto a plate with paper towels and set aside. Drain *some* of the grease from the pan, not all of it. If your pasta water is ready, go ahead and drop the pasta at this point.
Add the onions to the bacon pan and if necessary, deglaze with a bit of water. Once the onions are sweating, quickly add the garlic, kale and a bit of salt & pepper. Stir continuously until the kale starts to cook down. You may need to add a more water to move this process along. Once the kale reduces significantly in size, add the beans. Feel free to add more salt, crushed red pepper and lemon juice at this point. Add the bacon bits back into the pan, stir, remove from heat and cover with a lid until the pasta is done.
Drain the pasta, divide into serving dishes and top with the kale/bacon/bean mix. Sprinkle on grated parmesan if you'd like and enjoy!
Lastly, a random Randal pic for the dog lovers:
Sleeping, as usual. I always said I would never own a cat because of the hair, but Randal sheds so much, it doesn't even matter. Ah, well. He's cuter than most babies and a total goofball when he's awake, so I can't complain too much.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Supreme 90 Day: Week Four
Just a quick check-in regarding my progress with Supreme 90 Day... I'm into week 4 and almost done with month one! Time does indeed fly when you're having fun... And sweating. And burning out your muscles. And cursing at a stability ball.
So what kind of progress have I seen, exactly? Well, I'm down almost a whole dress size! Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who doesn't take formal measurements (gasp!) so I can't post a pretty number for you all, but I'm back to fitting in clothes that haven't seen the outside world in about a year.
In terms of weight, I've only lost about two pounds. And I can tell ya right now that it's all due to my sub-par eating habits. I haven't been eating and drinking like a maniac, but I have been indulging more than I should, so on the plus side, Supreme 90 Day has at least kept me from gaining. Losing the extra inches has been great, but I know I can do better by making better choices and exercising more discipline. I still won't commit 100% to the Tosca Reno meal plan that came with the DVD, but I will definitely refer to it for new ideas. Trying new foods and recipes always boosts my efforts and gives my motivation more endurance.
Notable improvements: Upper body and core, for sure. My push-ups still need work, but I'm a lot better off than I was prior to starting the program. After noticing a difference in less than a month, I'm stoked to see my final results at day 90.
New discs since last update: Total Body and Core Dynamics. Total Body reminded me a bit of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred or Ripped in 30; a steady-paced circuit workout with compound exercises that activate all major muscle groups in a short amount of time. I'm also digging Core Dynamics as a nice change from Ultimate Ball; this disc incorporates dumbbells and bodyweight exercises to work your abs and back, which I found to be a nice break from rolling around on the floor with the ball, feeling like a hamster.
Adjustments: I've been following the program *almost* to a T... I did switch around one of my rest days and on core days (Ultimate Ball or Core Dynamics), I've been adding a cardio session at the gym. I still like to get out of the house every once in a while for some hot cardio machine action and these particular discs are short enough that I can do both.
So far, so good! I'm surprisingly not bored yet and very much looking forward to months two and three. It's been nice not having to figure out what workout to do each day! Just need to clean up my eating a bit and I should be at my ideal weight and body composition. Remember, kids: Weight-loss is 80% diet and 20% fitness; you CAN eat your way through ANY workout.
So what kind of progress have I seen, exactly? Well, I'm down almost a whole dress size! Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who doesn't take formal measurements (gasp!) so I can't post a pretty number for you all, but I'm back to fitting in clothes that haven't seen the outside world in about a year.
In terms of weight, I've only lost about two pounds. And I can tell ya right now that it's all due to my sub-par eating habits. I haven't been eating and drinking like a maniac, but I have been indulging more than I should, so on the plus side, Supreme 90 Day has at least kept me from gaining. Losing the extra inches has been great, but I know I can do better by making better choices and exercising more discipline. I still won't commit 100% to the Tosca Reno meal plan that came with the DVD, but I will definitely refer to it for new ideas. Trying new foods and recipes always boosts my efforts and gives my motivation more endurance.
Notable improvements: Upper body and core, for sure. My push-ups still need work, but I'm a lot better off than I was prior to starting the program. After noticing a difference in less than a month, I'm stoked to see my final results at day 90.
New discs since last update: Total Body and Core Dynamics. Total Body reminded me a bit of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred or Ripped in 30; a steady-paced circuit workout with compound exercises that activate all major muscle groups in a short amount of time. I'm also digging Core Dynamics as a nice change from Ultimate Ball; this disc incorporates dumbbells and bodyweight exercises to work your abs and back, which I found to be a nice break from rolling around on the floor with the ball, feeling like a hamster.
Adjustments: I've been following the program *almost* to a T... I did switch around one of my rest days and on core days (Ultimate Ball or Core Dynamics), I've been adding a cardio session at the gym. I still like to get out of the house every once in a while for some hot cardio machine action and these particular discs are short enough that I can do both.
So far, so good! I'm surprisingly not bored yet and very much looking forward to months two and three. It's been nice not having to figure out what workout to do each day! Just need to clean up my eating a bit and I should be at my ideal weight and body composition. Remember, kids: Weight-loss is 80% diet and 20% fitness; you CAN eat your way through ANY workout.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Larabros and Roasted Randomness.
Ever since I saw Chocolate-Covered Katie bust out homemade Larabars, the idea struck me as too easy to be true... But, hesitation aside, I picked up some pitted dates in bulk and decided to experiment with some mix-ins we had around the kitchen. The result?
Almond Joy LaraBros.
Yes, I'm completely aware of what these resemble. Har har.
And yes, you read the name right; I can't afford to get sued! I'm known to say "bro" (or, if I'm feeling sassy, "brah") on a regular basis and to be honest, I do have bro-like tendencies, so the name just seemed to fit. No idea what I'm talking about? Do a little more research on these types of guys:
Minus the date-rape, but maintaining the ability to lift weights and throw down some tequila shots.
ANYWHO, here's my version of the recipe, which yielded 10 mini-bros:
Throw everything in a food processor and blend until well-mixed and you can form the mixture into bars or balls. Each bar has about 135 calories.
Not much to look at of course, but hot damn, they tasted good and did indeed mimic an original Larabar almost 100%. Had I known how easy, fast and cheap these were to make at home, I would've tried it months ago. I still have plenty of dates left, so next time, I think I'll experiment with some fruit flavors.
After making mybars bros, I proceeded to make dinner. I knew I had some broccoli and asparagus that needed to be used, as well as one of 3 jumbo zucchini that my grandma brought me, so I started by roasting them all in a little bit of olive oil, salt & pepper. After a few minutes of brainstorming, I settled on Roasted Veggie Pasta:
Whole-wheat linguine topped with the aforementioned roasted veggies, fresh diced tomato and, wait for it, cottage cheese (mixed with grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper).
Definitely one of the more random dishes I've slapped together, but I found it to taste quite good. I often replace ricotta with cottage cheese, so my idea wasn't totally insane. Plenty of protein, fiber, complex carbs and vitamins, so from a healthy point of view, I think I hit all of those nails on the head. Hooray for leftovers for lunch!
Hope everyone is having a great week.
Almond Joy LaraBros.
Yes, I'm completely aware of what these resemble. Har har.
And yes, you read the name right; I can't afford to get sued! I'm known to say "bro" (or, if I'm feeling sassy, "brah") on a regular basis and to be honest, I do have bro-like tendencies, so the name just seemed to fit. No idea what I'm talking about? Do a little more research on these types of guys:
Minus the date-rape, but maintaining the ability to lift weights and throw down some tequila shots.
ANYWHO, here's my version of the recipe, which yielded 10 mini-bros:
- 1 cup pitted dates, packed
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used the reduced-fat kind by Let's Do Organic)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
Throw everything in a food processor and blend until well-mixed and you can form the mixture into bars or balls. Each bar has about 135 calories.
Not much to look at of course, but hot damn, they tasted good and did indeed mimic an original Larabar almost 100%. Had I known how easy, fast and cheap these were to make at home, I would've tried it months ago. I still have plenty of dates left, so next time, I think I'll experiment with some fruit flavors.
After making my
Whole-wheat linguine topped with the aforementioned roasted veggies, fresh diced tomato and, wait for it, cottage cheese (mixed with grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper).
Definitely one of the more random dishes I've slapped together, but I found it to taste quite good. I often replace ricotta with cottage cheese, so my idea wasn't totally insane. Plenty of protein, fiber, complex carbs and vitamins, so from a healthy point of view, I think I hit all of those nails on the head. Hooray for leftovers for lunch!
Hope everyone is having a great week.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Supreme 90 Day: Week One
Well, I survived week one of the Supreme 90 Day workout system. And really, it was much less "trying to survive" and more "kicking ass and feeling strong." If you scroll through my DVDs posts, you'll quickly learn that I'm no stranger to working up a sweat at home and rely on DVDs to give me a good challenge.
Supreme 90 Day has quickly moved up my list of favorites, easily being somewhere in the top 10. Why so much praise, so soon? It meets my criteria for a good (and in this case, great) workout DVD:
I talked a little bit about the Chest and Back workout last week, but since then, I've tried a few others:
Ultimate Ball: Using a stability ball, this workout (about 40 minutes total) focuses on core muscles (think abs and back). I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I certainly wasn't expecting to sweat and curse as much as I did! Working with a stability ball quickly showed me how weak my core is, and consequently, how I have shit for balance. Lots of moves requiring you to roll the ball around with your legs or arms, but recruiting abdominal and back muscles to properly execute the move. I know my description is probably a little simplified, but believe me when I say that this disc is no joke. And of course, it hurt to laugh, cough or sneeze for a few days afterward; my abs were en fuego! There aren't a ton of alternatives for a stability ball in this workout; you might be able to get by with a chair or making up your own modifications, but my advice? Either buy a stability ball if you don't already have one OR skip this disc and opt for a moderate-to-high intensity Pilates workout.
Tabata Inferno: If memory serves, I think this is the longest workout in the whole set, BUT, thanks to tabata intervals, those 47 minutes flew by! In this workout, you do 20 seconds of a move at high intensity, usually one that's plyometric in nature (jump squats, burpees, high knees, etc.), recover for 10 seconds, then repeat. You repeat the cycle until you've completed about 4 minutes of work, then you get a full one-minute rest and move on to the next set of exercises. LOTS of different moves in this set, including a few with dumbbells to boost your afterburn even more! This workout may come across as intimidating to new exercisers, but go at your own pace and don't get discouraged; you have 90 days (or more) to improve your force and speed.
Shoulders and Arms: Pretty standard mix of moves to work the specified areas: clean & press, shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, triecp kickbacks, lateral raises, skull crushers and bent-over reverse flies. As with the other discs, the exercises are performed at a pretty quick 'n' steady speed with very little rest in between sets, so your heart rate stays elevated, thus more sweat and more calories burned. I'm loving this disc in particular because my arms have never been as defined or strong as I would like; after I did this workout, my arms were nice and warm for days, haha.
Cardio Challenge: This workout is similar to the Tabata Inferno, but *slightly* less intense and shorter in duration (about 40 minutes total). Instead of 20 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest, you work for 30 seconds and rest for 30. This disc also incorporates more weights for compound moves like squats with an upright row, dumbbell swings with squats (could also use a kettle bell), wood chops, alternating forward lunges with a shoulder press, etc. Non-weighted moves include high knees, pop-squats (could also be defined as a "squat-jack"; kind of a hybrid between a jumping jack and a squat), jumping lunges, straight leg kicks, plank-walks, plank jacks, bear crawls and much, much more!
Legs: This is another shorter workout (about 32 minutes total) and it uses several variations on two key leg exercises, squats and lunges. This disc uses a stability ball as well, for floor moves like hip/pelvic raises and ball roll-outs. There are modifications provided if you don't have a ball and want to use a chair or weight bench. Since this workout was shorter, I got cocky and did a 2 mile run later that same day... Kinda regretting that now as my glutes are pretty damn sore! All in all though, another thorough workout in a reasonable amount of time.
One thing to be aware of is that quite a few of the workouts start out with an ab routine after the warm-up... Tom explains that this helps warm up your core for the exercises that follow and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Your abs and back muscles do a lot of work in helping you balance and stabilize in a multitude of moves for other muscle groups, so it's good to ensure that those muscles are warmed up as well. I guess my only criticism is that those types of moves should've just been added to the standard warm-up that's performed on every disc. Oh well.
Overall, I'm really pleased with this system so far. Since I'll be rotating the same discs mentioned in this post for the remainder of month 1, I don't know that I'll post too many more updates. Once I move into month 2, some of the other discs will be incorporated.
Have a great weekend!
Supreme 90 Day has quickly moved up my list of favorites, easily being somewhere in the top 10. Why so much praise, so soon? It meets my criteria for a good (and in this case, great) workout DVD:
- Affordable price.
- Reasonable completion time (33-47 minutes each, *including* warm-up and cool-down).
- Lots of variety to prevent boredom (10 discs, different disc each day).
- Strong base of exercises that can be adapted to increase or decrease intensity, therefore acceptable for various fitness levels.
- Challenges all major muscle groups.
- Well-balanced mix of cardio, strength and core training.
- Requires little space and few pieces of equipment.
I talked a little bit about the Chest and Back workout last week, but since then, I've tried a few others:
Ultimate Ball: Using a stability ball, this workout (about 40 minutes total) focuses on core muscles (think abs and back). I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I certainly wasn't expecting to sweat and curse as much as I did! Working with a stability ball quickly showed me how weak my core is, and consequently, how I have shit for balance. Lots of moves requiring you to roll the ball around with your legs or arms, but recruiting abdominal and back muscles to properly execute the move. I know my description is probably a little simplified, but believe me when I say that this disc is no joke. And of course, it hurt to laugh, cough or sneeze for a few days afterward; my abs were en fuego! There aren't a ton of alternatives for a stability ball in this workout; you might be able to get by with a chair or making up your own modifications, but my advice? Either buy a stability ball if you don't already have one OR skip this disc and opt for a moderate-to-high intensity Pilates workout.
Tabata Inferno: If memory serves, I think this is the longest workout in the whole set, BUT, thanks to tabata intervals, those 47 minutes flew by! In this workout, you do 20 seconds of a move at high intensity, usually one that's plyometric in nature (jump squats, burpees, high knees, etc.), recover for 10 seconds, then repeat. You repeat the cycle until you've completed about 4 minutes of work, then you get a full one-minute rest and move on to the next set of exercises. LOTS of different moves in this set, including a few with dumbbells to boost your afterburn even more! This workout may come across as intimidating to new exercisers, but go at your own pace and don't get discouraged; you have 90 days (or more) to improve your force and speed.
Shoulders and Arms: Pretty standard mix of moves to work the specified areas: clean & press, shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, triecp kickbacks, lateral raises, skull crushers and bent-over reverse flies. As with the other discs, the exercises are performed at a pretty quick 'n' steady speed with very little rest in between sets, so your heart rate stays elevated, thus more sweat and more calories burned. I'm loving this disc in particular because my arms have never been as defined or strong as I would like; after I did this workout, my arms were nice and warm for days, haha.
Cardio Challenge: This workout is similar to the Tabata Inferno, but *slightly* less intense and shorter in duration (about 40 minutes total). Instead of 20 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest, you work for 30 seconds and rest for 30. This disc also incorporates more weights for compound moves like squats with an upright row, dumbbell swings with squats (could also use a kettle bell), wood chops, alternating forward lunges with a shoulder press, etc. Non-weighted moves include high knees, pop-squats (could also be defined as a "squat-jack"; kind of a hybrid between a jumping jack and a squat), jumping lunges, straight leg kicks, plank-walks, plank jacks, bear crawls and much, much more!
Legs: This is another shorter workout (about 32 minutes total) and it uses several variations on two key leg exercises, squats and lunges. This disc uses a stability ball as well, for floor moves like hip/pelvic raises and ball roll-outs. There are modifications provided if you don't have a ball and want to use a chair or weight bench. Since this workout was shorter, I got cocky and did a 2 mile run later that same day... Kinda regretting that now as my glutes are pretty damn sore! All in all though, another thorough workout in a reasonable amount of time.
One thing to be aware of is that quite a few of the workouts start out with an ab routine after the warm-up... Tom explains that this helps warm up your core for the exercises that follow and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Your abs and back muscles do a lot of work in helping you balance and stabilize in a multitude of moves for other muscle groups, so it's good to ensure that those muscles are warmed up as well. I guess my only criticism is that those types of moves should've just been added to the standard warm-up that's performed on every disc. Oh well.
Overall, I'm really pleased with this system so far. Since I'll be rotating the same discs mentioned in this post for the remainder of month 1, I don't know that I'll post too many more updates. Once I move into month 2, some of the other discs will be incorporated.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Cool as a Cucumber [Sandwich].
If you're still suffering in the heat and running out of no-oven-needed meal ideas, help is on the way!
When Doug and I first started dating, he told me about these cucumber-black olive-cream cheese sandwiches that his mom made for him, growing up. The combination struck me as a bit odd, but once I tried it for myself, it quickly became a favorite that I like to recreate every once in a while.
Anyway, last week, I picked up a discounted French bread-like loaf from the bakery and some Neufchatel cheese. We had a cucumber and a can of sliced olives on hand, so a fantastically simple (and frugal) dinner was on the way:
Served open-faced, with a black eye pea/tomato/red onion salad on the side. You could use any type of crusty bread, really. It works well with sourdough, French, whole wheat... You choose.
I lightly toasted the bread, spread on the Neufchatel, topped with cucumber slices (peeled off the skin and scooped out the seeds as a personal preference), sprinkled with salt & pepper and then crushed the olive slices on top. The textures of this sandwich are pretty amazing. Light, crisp, delicate and refreshing, and simultaneously filling and savory.
If I ever get around to opening my own restaurant or sandwich shop, I'll be sure to put this one on the menu. My first inclination was to name it "The Doug," but that seems like a better name for something that may or may not include bacon and peanut butter. Since it is, in my opinion, a more sophisticated sandwich, I think I'll go with "The Douglas." Enjoy!
When Doug and I first started dating, he told me about these cucumber-black olive-cream cheese sandwiches that his mom made for him, growing up. The combination struck me as a bit odd, but once I tried it for myself, it quickly became a favorite that I like to recreate every once in a while.
Anyway, last week, I picked up a discounted French bread-like loaf from the bakery and some Neufchatel cheese. We had a cucumber and a can of sliced olives on hand, so a fantastically simple (and frugal) dinner was on the way:
Served open-faced, with a black eye pea/tomato/red onion salad on the side. You could use any type of crusty bread, really. It works well with sourdough, French, whole wheat... You choose.
I lightly toasted the bread, spread on the Neufchatel, topped with cucumber slices (peeled off the skin and scooped out the seeds as a personal preference), sprinkled with salt & pepper and then crushed the olive slices on top. The textures of this sandwich are pretty amazing. Light, crisp, delicate and refreshing, and simultaneously filling and savory.
If I ever get around to opening my own restaurant or sandwich shop, I'll be sure to put this one on the menu. My first inclination was to name it "The Doug," but that seems like a better name for something that may or may not include bacon and peanut butter. Since it is, in my opinion, a more sophisticated sandwich, I think I'll go with "The Douglas." Enjoy!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Can I have a Taco Supreme 90 Day instead?
Why hello there, dear readers! It's finally Friday and the week has slowed down enough for a nice lil' blog update. I have another food post coming up soon, but before I work on that, I wanted to throw some fitness schtuff in between.
I've been hearing about this program for a while, but didn't jump on the bandwagon right away since I'm a bit wary of "As Seen On TV!" labels. I didn't let it fall completely off my radar though, since it's basically a MUCH more affordable option to P90X.
I kept reading good reviews though and for the price, I decided the risk was pretty low; surely out of 10 different discs, there would be something I would enjoy...
Now, before I go into the basics of Supreme 90, I felt I should share my experience with P90X...
First of all, I love Tony Horton. I really do. He's motivational, funny and uh, let's just say that even though he's old enough to be my father, I wouldn't kick the man out of bed for eating crackers. I actually still have, in a box somewhere, his original Power 90 workout system on VHS. So I respect the man and his work. But...
I just wasn't feelin' P90X. Definitely a great variety of workouts that will no doubt deliver results when done consistently, but all in all, I just felt each workout was too long. Sixty minutes or more, nearly everyday, wasn't doing it for me. I have no qualms (most of the time) about getting in a good workout most days of the week, but I also get bored easily and do best with faster-paced workouts in the 30-45 minute range.
Enter Supreme 90.
It could be (and probably has been) labeled as the "poor man's P90X," but I am indeed a semi-poor [wo]man who is still intrigued by the idea of muscle confusion and seeing improvement in all major muscle groups in just a few months. Sign me up!
The program is hosted by Tom Holland (who doesn't sound or look unlike Tony). There's also a 28-Day meal plan included, which was put together by Tosca Reno (author of the Eat Clean Diet books and regular contributor to my favorite, Oxygen Magazine). So all in all, it seems pretty legit.
Anywho, the next biggest selling point to me, after the number of workouts and the price, was the duration of the workouts. Turns out, instead of one grueling hour after another, the Supreme 90 routines fall between 30 and 47 minutes, including the warm-up and cool down stretch.
Next pro that caught my attention? A short list of equipment: Dumbbells and a stability ball. That's it. No extra pull-up bar or anything like that. Simple, simple, simple.
Now, that said, a good variety of dumbbells is what I would recommend. After doing the Chest & Back DVD this morning (which I really dug, by the way), a good mix to have would be light (3-5 lbs) medium (8-10 lbs) and heavy (15-25 lbs). The disc I did this morning included a few moves using a stability ball, but Tom provided alternatives to complete the routine without it. I won't say (yet) that you can do the whole program without a stability ball (there's one disc called "Ultimate Ball," for example), but so far it seems like modifications will be prominent throughout.
SO, how was the Chest & Back workout? Pretty darn good. And fast, too (finished in about 32 minutes, including warm up and cool down). It was a basic circuit routine where you would perform 2-3 different exercises, 8-12 reps each, repeat the set 1-2 times and then move on to the next round. Tom has 3 different people working with him (two guys, one girl) and they all go at different paces so you're encouraged to go at your own pace as well. This was an adjustment for me because I'm used to being in sync with everyone in the video, but it is nice not to feel rushed. Tom encourages you to avoid rushing through the moves because it affects your form.
Today, I did lots of push-ups, deadlifts, chest presses, supermans, bent-over rows, push-ups to plank rows (kill me) and a few other moves that were completely new to me. Definitely felt like my chest and back got a thorough workout in a short amount of time. The pace was steady enough to work up a nice sweat, but there was also just enough time in between sets for Tom to explain each of the moves and show how to perform them.
It's a bit early for me to judge, but I'd say this would probably be better suited for intermediate to advanced fitness levels. Although, with the people in the videos going at their own paces and with the modifications, a beginner looking for a challenge might benefit from this system too. Either way, I'll follow up on that after trying the majority of the discs.
I'm really excited to keep going with this plan. I can't guarantee that I will stick to it 100% for the full 90 days, but I'm sure gonna try. I probably won't do daily blog updates either, but I'll definitely check in every week or so to recap which workouts I tried and how I felt afterward.
Have you tried P90X or Supreme 90 Day? What are your thoughts?
Enjoy the weekend!
Today, I started Day 1 of the Supreme 90 Day Workout System:
(got a better price on Amazon, of course).
I've been hearing about this program for a while, but didn't jump on the bandwagon right away since I'm a bit wary of "As Seen On TV!" labels. I didn't let it fall completely off my radar though, since it's basically a MUCH more affordable option to P90X.
I kept reading good reviews though and for the price, I decided the risk was pretty low; surely out of 10 different discs, there would be something I would enjoy...
Now, before I go into the basics of Supreme 90, I felt I should share my experience with P90X...
First of all, I love Tony Horton. I really do. He's motivational, funny and uh, let's just say that even though he's old enough to be my father, I wouldn't kick the man out of bed for eating crackers. I actually still have, in a box somewhere, his original Power 90 workout system on VHS. So I respect the man and his work. But...
I just wasn't feelin' P90X. Definitely a great variety of workouts that will no doubt deliver results when done consistently, but all in all, I just felt each workout was too long. Sixty minutes or more, nearly everyday, wasn't doing it for me. I have no qualms (most of the time) about getting in a good workout most days of the week, but I also get bored easily and do best with faster-paced workouts in the 30-45 minute range.
Enter Supreme 90.
It could be (and probably has been) labeled as the "poor man's P90X," but I am indeed a semi-poor [wo]man who is still intrigued by the idea of muscle confusion and seeing improvement in all major muscle groups in just a few months. Sign me up!
The program is hosted by Tom Holland (who doesn't sound or look unlike Tony). There's also a 28-Day meal plan included, which was put together by Tosca Reno (author of the Eat Clean Diet books and regular contributor to my favorite, Oxygen Magazine). So all in all, it seems pretty legit.
Anywho, the next biggest selling point to me, after the number of workouts and the price, was the duration of the workouts. Turns out, instead of one grueling hour after another, the Supreme 90 routines fall between 30 and 47 minutes, including the warm-up and cool down stretch.
Next pro that caught my attention? A short list of equipment: Dumbbells and a stability ball. That's it. No extra pull-up bar or anything like that. Simple, simple, simple.
Now, that said, a good variety of dumbbells is what I would recommend. After doing the Chest & Back DVD this morning (which I really dug, by the way), a good mix to have would be light (3-5 lbs) medium (8-10 lbs) and heavy (15-25 lbs). The disc I did this morning included a few moves using a stability ball, but Tom provided alternatives to complete the routine without it. I won't say (yet) that you can do the whole program without a stability ball (there's one disc called "Ultimate Ball," for example), but so far it seems like modifications will be prominent throughout.
SO, how was the Chest & Back workout? Pretty darn good. And fast, too (finished in about 32 minutes, including warm up and cool down). It was a basic circuit routine where you would perform 2-3 different exercises, 8-12 reps each, repeat the set 1-2 times and then move on to the next round. Tom has 3 different people working with him (two guys, one girl) and they all go at different paces so you're encouraged to go at your own pace as well. This was an adjustment for me because I'm used to being in sync with everyone in the video, but it is nice not to feel rushed. Tom encourages you to avoid rushing through the moves because it affects your form.
Today, I did lots of push-ups, deadlifts, chest presses, supermans, bent-over rows, push-ups to plank rows (kill me) and a few other moves that were completely new to me. Definitely felt like my chest and back got a thorough workout in a short amount of time. The pace was steady enough to work up a nice sweat, but there was also just enough time in between sets for Tom to explain each of the moves and show how to perform them.
It's a bit early for me to judge, but I'd say this would probably be better suited for intermediate to advanced fitness levels. Although, with the people in the videos going at their own paces and with the modifications, a beginner looking for a challenge might benefit from this system too. Either way, I'll follow up on that after trying the majority of the discs.
I'm really excited to keep going with this plan. I can't guarantee that I will stick to it 100% for the full 90 days, but I'm sure gonna try. I probably won't do daily blog updates either, but I'll definitely check in every week or so to recap which workouts I tried and how I felt afterward.
Have you tried P90X or Supreme 90 Day? What are your thoughts?
Enjoy the weekend!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Almond Butter Whey Cookies, Part 2.
So, those Almond Butter Whey Cookies from my last post? Well, I decided to follow up on those and experiment with making them more moist. I think I found the trick... Add a ripe banana!
My revised recipe:
-Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.
-Whisk dry ingredients together.
-Mash the banana and mix well with wet ingredients; add to dry ingredients.
-Use a teaspoon to scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper & sprayed with non-stick spray. The mixture will be a bit runny. Aim for 12 cookies.
-Bake for 10 minutes.
I ended up with 12 this time (2 are missing from the picture after Doug and I did a little quality control).
MUCH better! The mashed banana made a big difference. Plus, it added a nice banana flavor to complement the chocolate and nut butter. What more could I ask for? Moist, fresh chocolate chip cookies ready in well under 20 minutes.
The nutrition changed a bit though; instead of the original 30 cals per cookie, my revised recipe makes these 58 calories per cookie. Still not bad at all, considering how much more satisfying they were than the first batch. Glad I decided to give this recipe another shot!
My revised recipe:
- 2/3 cup oats
- 1 tbsp creamy almond butter (could also use peanut butter)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein powder (I used Designer Whey's vanilla variety)
- 1 egg white (or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites)
- 2 packets Stevia (or sweetener of choice; I used 2 tbsp of granulated Splenda)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 cup carob chips (optional; I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1 small ripe banana
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of salt
-Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.
-Whisk dry ingredients together.
-Mash the banana and mix well with wet ingredients; add to dry ingredients.
-Use a teaspoon to scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper & sprayed with non-stick spray. The mixture will be a bit runny. Aim for 12 cookies.
-Bake for 10 minutes.
I ended up with 12 this time (2 are missing from the picture after Doug and I did a little quality control).
MUCH better! The mashed banana made a big difference. Plus, it added a nice banana flavor to complement the chocolate and nut butter. What more could I ask for? Moist, fresh chocolate chip cookies ready in well under 20 minutes.
The nutrition changed a bit though; instead of the original 30 cals per cookie, my revised recipe makes these 58 calories per cookie. Still not bad at all, considering how much more satisfying they were than the first batch. Glad I decided to give this recipe another shot!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Treats in the heat.
Last night's dinner was another specialty a lá Doug. There was brief talk about taking advantage of a special at Domino's Pizza, but remembering how much cake I ate over the weekend and into Monday, I quickly shut that idea down. So back to healthy meal planning we went.
We ended up with a Quinoa salad, topped with grilled chicken and homemade vinaigrette dressing:
For the salad mix, Doug tossed together diced tomatoes, sliced radishes, green onion and cooked quinoa. For the dressing, he whisked together:
The chicken was cooked on the grill and brushed with Famous Dave's Texas Pit BBQ sauce. If you want to go meatless, this salad would go great with black beans and corn.
Fresh, clean flavors and a great summer dish that required minimal use of the stove. Works for me! And apparently it also worked for Randal, who did a great job of cleaning up some quinoa that spilled on the floor:
Before dinner, I already had dessert on the brain, so I decided to try a couple of recipes I had seen in the latest issue of Oxygen Magazine, both of which featured whey protein powder.
The first recipe was a batch of Almond Butter Whey Cookies:
Bite-sized, of course:
For this recipe, you'll need:
(I also added about a tablespoon of cocoa powder for extra flavor, along with a dash of salt.)
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the wet ingredients with a spoon. The dough will be really sticky and kinda difficult to work with, but mix as well as you can.
Use a teaspoon to make the dough into golfball-sized portions. Bake in a 350˚F oven for 10 minutes. I ended up with 10 cookies instead of 12, but whatevs. Each cookie is about 30 calories!
Things to do differently next time: While the chocolate flavor in these cookies was spot-on, Doug and I both agreed that they were DRY. Like really, really, I-need-copious-amounts-of-milk-stat! dry. I'm already planning to make another batch, but I will definitely play around with adding milk and/or unsweetened applesauce to give them some much-needed moisture. A little softer, and these could be a pretty satisfying, guilt-free treat when the chocolate craving hits.
The second recipe I tried was for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups:
In a blender, add:
Blend until well mixed, pour into a muffin tray and freeze for 1-2 hours. (I used a mini muffin pan and ended up with 10 cups total.)
Things to do differently next time: As far as the recipe goes, I don't think I'd change much because they tasted pretty darn good. But they're also super-messy to eat because it's basically like eating pieces of a frozen fudge bar without the stick. That said, I think this recipe would work as a really great base for a low-cal ice cream. I'm going to try mixing it with a few cups of almond milk, freezing it and seeing what I end up with. Given the creaminess of the cups, I think the ice cream would turn out pretty good.
We ended up with a Quinoa salad, topped with grilled chicken and homemade vinaigrette dressing:
For the salad mix, Doug tossed together diced tomatoes, sliced radishes, green onion and cooked quinoa. For the dressing, he whisked together:
- Minced garlic
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cayenne pepper
- Ancho chile powder
- Dried cilantro flakes
- Salt & pepper
The chicken was cooked on the grill and brushed with Famous Dave's Texas Pit BBQ sauce. If you want to go meatless, this salad would go great with black beans and corn.
Fresh, clean flavors and a great summer dish that required minimal use of the stove. Works for me! And apparently it also worked for Randal, who did a great job of cleaning up some quinoa that spilled on the floor:
Before dinner, I already had dessert on the brain, so I decided to try a couple of recipes I had seen in the latest issue of Oxygen Magazine, both of which featured whey protein powder.
The first recipe was a batch of Almond Butter Whey Cookies:
Bite-sized, of course:
For this recipe, you'll need:
- 1/2 cup Oats
- 1 tbsp creamy almond butter (I used Barney Butter; it's so smooth!)
- 1 scoop whey protein powder (I used Designer Whey's chocolate variety)
- 1 egg white (or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites)
- 2 packets Stevia (or sweetener of choice; I used a generous tablespoon of granulated Splenda)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 cup carob chips (optional; I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
(I also added about a tablespoon of cocoa powder for extra flavor, along with a dash of salt.)
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the wet ingredients with a spoon. The dough will be really sticky and kinda difficult to work with, but mix as well as you can.
Use a teaspoon to make the dough into golfball-sized portions. Bake in a 350˚F oven for 10 minutes. I ended up with 10 cookies instead of 12, but whatevs. Each cookie is about 30 calories!
Things to do differently next time: While the chocolate flavor in these cookies was spot-on, Doug and I both agreed that they were DRY. Like really, really, I-need-copious-amounts-of-milk-stat! dry. I'm already planning to make another batch, but I will definitely play around with adding milk and/or unsweetened applesauce to give them some much-needed moisture. A little softer, and these could be a pretty satisfying, guilt-free treat when the chocolate craving hits.
The second recipe I tried was for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups:
In a blender, add:
- 4 oz water
- 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (I used Designer Whey)
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co's Dark Chocolate Dreams)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1-2 packets of preferred sweetener (I used a generous tablespoon of granulated Splenda)
Blend until well mixed, pour into a muffin tray and freeze for 1-2 hours. (I used a mini muffin pan and ended up with 10 cups total.)
Things to do differently next time: As far as the recipe goes, I don't think I'd change much because they tasted pretty darn good. But they're also super-messy to eat because it's basically like eating pieces of a frozen fudge bar without the stick. That said, I think this recipe would work as a really great base for a low-cal ice cream. I'm going to try mixing it with a few cups of almond milk, freezing it and seeing what I end up with. Given the creaminess of the cups, I think the ice cream would turn out pretty good.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Perspective; I has it.
The summer has been pretty insane and non-stop so far, thanks to various appointments, social gatherings, adopting Randal, making time for family visits, traveling to Vegas, weddings, graduations and of course, making time for the usual workouts and healthy eats.
On top of all that, I also applied for a new position in my department. I've completed the two interviews, but I'm starting to think I won't get an offer. As with any position, I recognized and accepted the possibility that I wouldn't get it, and that's totally ok. No hard feelings. Playing the waiting game has still been a bit stressful though, so when I found myself lying awake at 4 am this morning, wondering if today would be the day I finally get some news, I rolled out of bed and changed into my workout clothes. I made my way to the gym and did something I haven't done in a loooooong time; I ran 4 miles.
I wasn't particularly fast and I took my share of walking breaks, but I felt so damn good, I just kept going. And although my running can be sporadic at times, one thing's for sure; I almost always clear my head in the process and feel pretty damn optimistic about, well, everything.
When life gets busy (see last two months and counting), I tend to lose sight of how good I have it right now.
So, how about a quick recap of the things I'm thankful for, eh?
-Doug
-Randal
-My awesome, smart, hilarious friends
-My family
-My current job (money's tight, I'm a little bored, but bills are still getting paid; others haven't been as lucky in this economy and I need to remind myself of that.)
-Shelter
-Wholesome food
-My strong body
-My confidence and sense of self-worth (didn't have either of these for a good chunk of my life; changing my lifestyle these past few years has made all the difference.)
-My intelligence
-My sense of humor (Doug tends to roll his eyes at most of my jokes, but if I can still make myself laugh every day, that's good enough for me.)
-Peanut butter
-Studying for my PT certification
-Music
-Netflix
I guess I'll stop there, but the point is, I've got a lot going for me already. That's not to say everyday has been smooth sailing; there's been ongoing financial struggles, arguments, tears, crappy eating and terrible workouts. But that's life. You can't control most of the things that happen to you, but you can control how you respond. Choosing a positive attitude is easier on some days than others, but it's always an option with little-to-no risk involved. What have you got to lose by recognizing the good things in life?
This morning's run helped me come to such a conclusion. Since I don't know what the rest of the day will bring, I at least know that for 50 minutes this morning, I was centered and at peace with myself and my body. I'm thankful that my legs carried me though and that those endorphins lifted me up to a new level of optimism.
Alright, enough of the hippie stuff. In short, no matter how the day (or month or year) ends up, life, as it is, is pretty bitchin'. And really, how can I ever be upset when I know I've got this face to come home to?
So, with that said, I suppose I'll close this post with a gentle reminder to pause and reflect on the good in your life. Sure, things could be better, but they could also be much worse. Make the most of what you have. And run! (Or walk.) And eat your veggies. Heh.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
On top of all that, I also applied for a new position in my department. I've completed the two interviews, but I'm starting to think I won't get an offer. As with any position, I recognized and accepted the possibility that I wouldn't get it, and that's totally ok. No hard feelings. Playing the waiting game has still been a bit stressful though, so when I found myself lying awake at 4 am this morning, wondering if today would be the day I finally get some news, I rolled out of bed and changed into my workout clothes. I made my way to the gym and did something I haven't done in a loooooong time; I ran 4 miles.
I wasn't particularly fast and I took my share of walking breaks, but I felt so damn good, I just kept going. And although my running can be sporadic at times, one thing's for sure; I almost always clear my head in the process and feel pretty damn optimistic about, well, everything.
When life gets busy (see last two months and counting), I tend to lose sight of how good I have it right now.
So, how about a quick recap of the things I'm thankful for, eh?
-Doug
-Randal
-My awesome, smart, hilarious friends
-My family
-My current job (money's tight, I'm a little bored, but bills are still getting paid; others haven't been as lucky in this economy and I need to remind myself of that.)
-Shelter
-Wholesome food
-My strong body
-My confidence and sense of self-worth (didn't have either of these for a good chunk of my life; changing my lifestyle these past few years has made all the difference.)
-My intelligence
-My sense of humor (Doug tends to roll his eyes at most of my jokes, but if I can still make myself laugh every day, that's good enough for me.)
-Peanut butter
-Studying for my PT certification
-Music
-Netflix
I guess I'll stop there, but the point is, I've got a lot going for me already. That's not to say everyday has been smooth sailing; there's been ongoing financial struggles, arguments, tears, crappy eating and terrible workouts. But that's life. You can't control most of the things that happen to you, but you can control how you respond. Choosing a positive attitude is easier on some days than others, but it's always an option with little-to-no risk involved. What have you got to lose by recognizing the good things in life?
This morning's run helped me come to such a conclusion. Since I don't know what the rest of the day will bring, I at least know that for 50 minutes this morning, I was centered and at peace with myself and my body. I'm thankful that my legs carried me though and that those endorphins lifted me up to a new level of optimism.
Alright, enough of the hippie stuff. In short, no matter how the day (or month or year) ends up, life, as it is, is pretty bitchin'. And really, how can I ever be upset when I know I've got this face to come home to?
So, with that said, I suppose I'll close this post with a gentle reminder to pause and reflect on the good in your life. Sure, things could be better, but they could also be much worse. Make the most of what you have. And run! (Or walk.) And eat your veggies. Heh.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
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