Sunday, October 30, 2011

Pumpkin Risotto

1 cup pumpkin purée. 3 cups water. 2 low sodium chicken stock cubes. 1 tbs evoo. 1 small can evaporated milk. 2 cups brown rice. Bring the water to a boil, drop in the 2 cubes, evoo, and pumpkin. Stir to dissolve. Then add brown rice and evaporated milk, drop the heat to low-medium heat and stir every couple minutes. Continue to cook and stir till brown rice is cooked completely, approximately 30 minutes depending on the brown rice you use. Grate fresh cheese (Parmesan is tasty) right before serving.

Finally Crossfit

I hear so much about Crossfit. I have many friends who swear by it and are avid Crossfitters. I've looked in the much loved phenomenon of Crossfit and overall it sounded like a good option for fitness. For whatever reason being (ie money, class time, whatever) I've never attended a class. This last week the option presented itself and everything fell in line, a babysitter, money, and location, so I jumped on it and went to my first Crossfit. It also just so happened to be the Barbells For Boobs event where you donate $30 to mammograms. The prescribed workout was 30 clean and jerks with 95lbs for time. Now, if youre not familiar with Olympic lifts one must understand form is EVERYTHING. I was a little nervous as I haven't performed a clean and jerk since high school. Yep, that's 8 years ago. I practiced a couple times on Thursday and Saturday morning but nothing would completely prepare in the short time before that Saturday morning WOD. I started my WOD with the prescribed weight and OMG, I could only do four. But in my defense, there was 7 girls total at the event and only one, who happen to also be the Crossfit instructor, could perform the WOD with the prescribed weight of 95lbs. I dropped to 75lbs and kept going finishing at 8 minutes 48 seconds. Not bad, but not to my personal liking. Reflecting on my experience with crossfit I've concluded this. I will start adding more Olympic power lifts to my personal weight training program. And I will try to get a babysitter for an occasional Crossfit session if the opportunity presents itsel. While I might not become the avid Crossfitters, I think it would be fun to throw in a WOD every once in awhile to shake things up and show me my weaknesses. As I always say to my clients, friends and family, "do what works for you".

Friday, October 28, 2011

Pumpkin here, pumpkin there, pumpkin everywhere!

If you live here in Sicily and shop at the exchange AND have been upset that the canned pumpkin is out of stock I must then apologize... I am in love with pumpkin during autumn and I love everything pumpkin. Once the commissary gets in the canned pumpkin, I SNATCH that stuff up! Last time it was stocked I purchased the last 6 cans. I think the commissary has taken note though because they have been better at replenishing the supply. Anyways, today I was in need of some baked goods. This weather has been screaming for me to turn on the oven. So today I did a little experimenting and came up with these pumpkin muffins. They are a cross between pumpkin pie and muffins. So I guess I shall call them "Pumpkin Protein Puffins". Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 cup oat flour (you can put oats in a blender and make this flour if it's not available), 1/4 tsp salt, 2 scoops chocolate protein powder, and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Mix wet ingredients together. 1/2 cup egg whites (or 4 egg whites), 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pumpkin purée. If you are watching your sugar you can substitute the brown sugar for 1/2 cup of stevia, but I personally like the flavor of the brown sugar and it's not a whole lot of sugar added like traditional muffin recipes. Now mix wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and evenly distribute In a Pam sprayed muffin pan. Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Boulder Shoulders

I love me a pair of muscular shoulders. Jamie Eason, Erin Stern, Dwight Howard, you get the picture. Im obsessed with trying to get the ultimate v-taper and having wide shoulders helps with that illusion. I don't have a small waist, much to people's astonishment. When I tell them my measurements they usually are baffled and say, "you look smaller than that.". Yep, that illusion can be achieved by putting muscle on your lats, delts, glutes, and quads. So back to my shoulder day. I love lifting heavy with shoulders! Seated dumbbell shoulder press (4 sets 10 reps). Seated Arnold press (4 sets 8 reps). Upright cable row Superset with standing lateral raise (3 sets 15 reps each). Dips superset with tricep rope press down (3 sets 15 reps). Leaning single arm lateral raise (3 sets 15 reps each arm). Tricep pushups on bosu ball (3 sets till failure). Mmm, followed up my workout with a steak burrito (4 ounces marinated steak wrapped in spinach tortilla and one slice provolone). And dessert? Mmm, same thing I eat every night (yes, I eat desert!). One scoop chocolate myofusion mixed with 1 tbs water and 1 tbs peanut butter. Makes a pudding type of consistency and gives me that protein I need while my muscles repair at night.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

You're going to have to drive us home!

Leg day. The day I love to hobble out of the gym. Also the day my husband apparently can't drive our standard home after the workout. Leg press (rep sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 8). Leg Extension Superset with box jumps (3 sets 15 reps each). Walking lunges with one 25lb plate in one arm (30 reps total of 3 sets). Cable squats (3 sets 15 reps). Ouch, my glutes are feeling those walking lunges today. So happy I have three levels in my home!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Sweets Are My Weakness

I did work out Friday, I promise. I was just so busy Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday eating sweets to update my blog. I'm not going to lie, I'm not perfect. I eat sweets, have lazy days on the couch, decide to put on another layer of deodorant instead of getting in the shower. I'm just like you! So in today's blog I'll put Friday workout as well as today's. Plus I'll tell you about all the yummy things I ate in between that make me totally human. Hey, just becauseim a Personal Trainer doesn't mean I don't like the pasta, cookies and chocolate I ate at the Halloween party Friday night, or the cupcakes at theLadies Fellowship on Saturday, or the pistachio sausage sandwich and coffee torts I ate at the Ottobrata festival. Recipes of all those aren't listed in this blog though... So Fridays workout was glutes and hamstrings. 10 reps x 4 sets dead lifts. 15 reps x 4 sets leg press legs close together and high on platform. Lying leg curl (12 reps) superset with hip adductor (20 reps) 4 sets total. My hams and glutes are still hurting 3 days later! Today was back and bi. 4 sets pull ups till failure. Upright row superset with seated cable row neutral wide grip (3 sets 15 reps each exercise). Hammer strength lat pull down superset with seated cable behind the neck pull down (15, 12, 10 each exercise). Hammer curl with cable rope attachment superset with supinated grip seated cable row (15 reps each exercise, 3 sets total). Bent over rear delt fly (3 sets 12 reps). Dinner was an adventure tonight too. I made my own "BBQ Meatball Pasta". Mix 2 tbs BBQ seasoning (I used BBQ 3000 from Penseys which has no sodium in it) with 1 lb extra lean ground beef. Roll into small balls and cook in 2 tbs evoo till browned. Add 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup tomato paste and some more BBQ seasoning to taste. Add 1/2 cup stock (or water if your watching sodium intake). Bring to boil and add 2 cups quinoa pasta (or regular pasta). Cover with lid and drop down to simmer. Cook untill pastas al dente.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Fun with my hubbers.

Today I made it to the gym with Mike. It was supposed to be leg day but yesterday he went on a hike up Mt. Etna so he begged me to switch to shoulders and triceps instead. I agreed and so went our training together. I don't know about you, but I enjoy working out with my husband, aka the hubbers. Besides his complaining, which I like to make fun of, it can actually be a good time. Today main complaint from him was, "I'm so tired,remember I climbed a volcano yesterday!?" To which I would reply, "stop being a wuss, if I went yesterday I would've ran to the top!". During our second to last exercise he complained, "what's your definition of muscle fatigue? Because I believe I hit it! I can't do anymore. You're crazy!". All in good fun though. We joke around and push each other to work harder all the while giggling and acting like silly kids. It does help that we each had a shot of expresso before hitting the weights. The shoulder workout is as follows. Front plate raise (15 reps) Superset with Arnold Press (12) 3 sets total. Side lateral raise (15reps) Superset with cable upright row (12 reps) 3 sets total. Seated hammer strength shoulder press (10 reps x 3 sets). Dips (3 sets 10 reps). Leaning side lateral raises (3 sets 15 reps each arm) Cable straight bar press down (10 reps) Superset with cable rope press down with flare of wrists (15 reps) 3 sets total. For dinner, I made a Rachel Ray Fall Chili with lean ground beef, apples, lots of spices, and a special ingredient... Apple Cider! It was really good.

Monday, October 17, 2011

I'm going to be an aunt!

Yippee, my big brother and his wife are having a little boy. Good news to end a great day. Speaking of my day, I did my back workout and made some delicious Mexican Lasagna.
Bent Over Row Superset with Straight Arm Lat Pulldown (15 reps each exercise, 3 sets total).
Behind the neck pull down Superset with Bent Over Rear Delt Fly (15 reps each, 3 sets total).
Upright Row Superset with Seated Neutral Grip Cable Rows (15 reps each, 3 sets total).
Hammer Strength Single Arm Pulldown (10 reps each arm, 3 sets total).
Back Extension (15 reps, 3 sets).
Hammer Cable Curl with Rope Superset with Barbell Bicep Curl (15 reps each, 3 sets total).
Lets see how I feel tomorrow. It's very hard to exhaust the back (and all those intricate muscles) so I'm trying a new method to see if I can hit muscle failure faster by using supersets. It's something I saw Kai Green doing in a documentary series. Not one method works for everyone, so I'm open to trying new things. Especially when my last back routine was getting stale.
As for dinner, it was a Mexican Lasagna. Very simple and fast. 1 lb ground beef browned on skillet with 1 tbs chili powder, 1 tbs cumin and salt to taste. 1 can diced no salt added tomatoes. 1 can low sodium black beans. 3 whole wheat tortillas. Shredded cheddar cheese. Place a 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan, then place a tortilla on top. Layer 1/3 of ground beef mixture, 1/3 of black beans, 1/3 of tomatoes and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese. Place another tortilla on top, layer 1/3 black beans, 1/3 beef, 1/3 tomatoes and cheese. Place another tortilla on top. Layer remaining beef and black beans. Reserve a 1/3 of cheese. Put in oven at 350F for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle remaining cheese on top and let cool for 5-8 minutes.
Also, I'm still trying to stay cute in the gym. Here was my outfit.


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Chili Meatballs

I wanted meatballs, he wanted chili. So this recipe is what I came up with... 1 lb 93% ground beef. 1 cup oats. 1 egg. 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans. 2 tbs chili pepper. 1 tbs cumin. 2 tbs worshishire sauce (lol, how the heck you spell it?!). 1 garlic clove. 1 can low sodium tomato sauce. Mix ground beef, oats, egg, kidney beans, 1 tbs chili pepper, cumin, and minced garlic. Form into meat balls and cook over medium heat. After browned, add the other tbs of chili pepper, tomato sauce and worshishire sauce to taste. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for 15 minutes, covered. I served them in bowls with shredded cheddar cheese. We were both happy.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Extra Cardio

Today I got extra cardio, and not on purpose. This morning I walked the dog which was the only cardio scheduled for the day. I went to the gym this afternoon for leg day and totally massacred them. Then this evening my car broke down, thankfully, we were home so we didn't get stuck anywhere. But while Mike was messing with the car Gunner snuck out of the gate and went on a 2 1/2 hour adventure. I walked with Kellen up and down hills and wandered all over Paterno looking for him. I of course came home empty handed (had Kellen in one hand but no Gunner in the other). I cried and told Mike "you lost my dog," about 30 minutes later after it had already been dark for an hour the little bugger finally came home hungry and thirsty and amped up on something. Life in the wild? Anyways, I tried messing around with my baked oatmeal this morning by adding pumpkin and it actually turned out good. It was 1/3 cup oats, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, dash of pumpkin pie spice, 2 egg whites, 1 egg, dash vanilla, 1/8 tsp baking powder, packet of stevia (or agave syrup if you live here in Sicily and shop at the commissary). Bake 350F for 25 min or so. Even Mike liked this version. Today's killer leg day workout was as follows. 4 sets 8 reps barbell squat. 3 sets 10 reps box squat. 4 sets 18 reps leg press (each set feet in different position, wide, wide with toes out, close, close and high for glutes). 3 sets 12 reps leg extension. 3 sets 12 reps lying leg curl. 3 sets leaning lateral raise on bench, 15 reps each arm. I'm going to feel that one tomorrow. Ciao ciao.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Chicken legs.

I believe that a figure/bodybuilding winning physique must be not only symmetrical, but will be won from the back. What I mean is a lot of people train what they see in the mirror (chest, biceps, quads, abs). If your turn them around do they also present a beautiful v-taper as well as a tight glute-ham tie in? I've seen gorgeous people come out on stage, then in their quarter turns there back half is a mess! This is why I'm so obsessed with training the two areas most neglected on the human body when training, rear delts and glutes. In most of my routines you'll see that I like to hit these spots more than once a week. I wish some of these guys in the gym would do the same. I'm so tired of seeing these guys with a overdeveloped chest but chicken legs. You can spot them a mile away, they're slumped over because their back isn't strong enough to pull their shoulders back and their chest muscles are too tight. I wonder how much back pain they have? Also, they have these scrawny looking legs, very pitiful looking. Anyway, now that I'm off my soap box, here was my workout for the day. 3 sets Reverse grip incline bench press (15 reps) superset with elevated feet on bech push ups (till failure). 3 sets barbell clean and press. 3 sets cable upright row. Drop set last set. Tabata machine shoulder press. 4 sets 20 seconds steering wheel with 10 lb plate. 3 sets single arm lat raise. 12 reps, slow and controlled, pausing at top of movement for a squeeze. 3 sets lying French press (15 reps) with dumbbell superset with bench dips (till failure). It was a good one, almost couldn't hold baby Kellen after. Also, if you haven't tried tabata, YOU SHOULD! My shoulders were so pumped with blood, it was nuts. Lol!

Breakfast, my favorite meal of the day.

I love breakfast, don't understand how people go without it. I'd eat it for every meal if I could, but I know my husband would put up a fit. Lately I've been baking my oatmeal (thank you Momma Gal). This morning I felt like chocolate, so I made myself a personal baby chocolate cake. Yummy AND nutritious! How you ask, here's the recipe and you'll see. 1/2 cup oats. 2 egg whites. 1 whole egg. 1 T dark cocoa powder. 1/8 tsp baking powder. 1 packet stevia. 1 T Greek yogurt. Mix all ingredients together and put in oven safe bowl. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Resolution: Look cuter in the gym.

After I had Kellen I had some weight to lose like most mothers after a pregnancy. My body didn't look the same as before the pregnancy and let's face it, I didnt like how I looked in my gym clothes. So what did I do? I covered it all up with big t-shirts and gym pants. Now that I've got my body back I want to show off all my hard work and look cute doing it. Today my resolution began with a pink North Face tank top, fitted Nike Capri running leggings, and purple Nike lunars. I must say I felt very much more the part of a fit woman and there was a much prettier chick looking back at me in the mirror while I did my barbell bicep curls. And speaking of barbell bicep curls, today was Back and Biceps. Workout was as follows. 4 sets pull ups till failure 3 sets lat pull down, 12, 10, 8, 6 (last set was performed with two drop sets) 3 sets upright rows Superset w/ cable rows with wide neutral grip (15 reps each exercise) 3 sets barbell bent over row Superset w/ straight arm pull down (15 reps reps each) 3 sets 12 reps barbel bicep curls 3 sets 12 reps lying hammer curls with rope

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Cold weather brings warm apple pie.

For the last five years I've been making protein pancakes for breakfast regularly. I rarely stray from them, as they provide my perfect ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. This morning was the first day that felt like fall, and I started the morning feeling like something nice and hot to warm me up. Momma Gal is known for her baked oatmeal recipes, so I thought I'd give her famous breakfast dish a try. I was not disappointed! You should try one of hers yourself. This morning I made the Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal. Super easy, the hardest part was waiting for it to bake. 1/2 c oats, 1/2 cup natural applesauce, 3 T egg whites, 1 tsp apple pie spice, 1/8 tsp baking powder, 1 packet stevia. Mix all ingredients and place in oven safe bowl. Bake for 350 f for 25-30 minutes.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Praise the Lord, I have a husband who understands!

I couldn't get the babysitter today and I was grumpy because I thought was going to miss out on leg day this week. Regardless if I would make it to the gym, I was going to workout. But there is something so nice about having my one hour free all to myself in the gym kicking my own butt. I could be a sadist, I really love hitting the weights hard and stumbling out of the gym on leg day. Anyways, my husband saw I didn't have a sitter so when he came home he offered to take baby Kellen on his errands while I get my much needed gym time. Wahoo. So today I really brought the pain. Workout was as follows; 4 sets 15 reps cable squats. 3 sets 10 reps each leg standing single leg press on the pull up assisted machine. No resting at all between sets, if you're not familiar with this exercise, it's totally dope! 3 sets 10 reps leg press. 3 sets 12 reps leg extension. 3 sets 12 reps lying leg curl. 3 sets 30 reps walking lunges superset with lateral shoulder raise. I put all this in the training calculator and it said I only burned 124 calories.... Ya right! I need a new calorie counter. Anyways, I followed all that with a lower body stretch and stumbled out of the gym, just like I hoped. As for diet, I was really good, except for the four small bites of white cake I ate after dinner. I shared it with Mike so I didn't feel too naughty. Nutrition calculator estimates 1984 calories consumed, which is really close to my goal for the day. I'm still breastfeeding and it was a leg day so I try to go on the higher end. If I'm hungry again later, I'll eat again. I listen to my hunger levels more now that'll a bf mom. Does anyone out there bf and train? How are your hunger levels?

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Let the fun begin.

I have many people, friends, family, acquaintances, strangers in the gym, who constantly ask me questions regarding my fit and healthy lifestyle. I love answering questions and helping everyone out, but sometimes, especially now that I'm a new mother, I find it hard to help everyone each time the situation presents itself. Then it dawned on me yesterday, after the third person this week asked to come work out with me at the gym... I should start a blog! So, here it is. I'll be placing just about everything people ask me in terms of fitness, nutrition, and even competition prep stuff here. Feel free to ask me questions as well. I'll try to post my daily workouts, diet, and struggles as well. And who knows, maybe someday I'll get back on stage and you all can follow that scary journey. And believe me, carb depletion is scary, for everyone around me!