This is a diverse recipe I came up with that even my kids like. Everyone I've made it for asks me for it. I drink it most often post-workout.
The secret to making it a milkshake consistency is using frozen fruit. Any kind will work, but my favorite is the berries.
Into a blender put:
1/2 C plain non-fat yogurt
1/2 C skim milk or cold water
1 C frozen mixed berries
1 scoop whey protein powder, flavor of choice (I like chocolate the best)
1 tsp. olive oil (this can be left out- it's not imperative to the recipe)
Sweetener to taste (I use Splenda)
If I'm post workout I'll toss my powdered L-glutamine in, too.
Blend on high. If it won't move through the blender easily enough, add some cold water until it blends.
This is approximately 345 calories when made with the milk and equal amount of carbs and protein with about 7g of healthy fat. If you leave the olive oil out, it's 305 calories and no fat. If you are on Weight Watchers it is a serving of dairy, 2 fruit/veggie servings, a lean protein, and a serving of healthy fat.
Let me know what you think!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Don't Work Your Abs.... Say WHAT?
I am going to address something I have heard lately that I think is complete hogwash. And I am sure I will take some flack for this, but I'm going to say it anyhow:
I've been reading people advising others not to work their abs. The thought seems to be that if you do squats and deadlifts and other exercises that require core stabilization, that is enough ab work. I've also been hearing that you should not use weights when you work abs because it will make them look too thick, especially the obliques. To which I respond........
ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?
Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you saw someone with ab muscles that were just too big? Go on.... Rack your brain...... Now think some more....... Try even harder to recall..... You can't, can you? Yeah... so let's just forget the notion that working abs with weights will make them too big and thick. It's silly.
I work my abs with weights frequently. Have for years. My waist currently measures 26 1/2 inches. And let's entertain the notion for a minute that you could make them too big by working them with weights... Let's just let our minds go there and envision it has happened to you..... Are you there mentally? If this is the case STOP WORKING THEM WITH WEIGHTS!
Yeesh!
You can always deflate a muscle group by reducing the stress put on it. Reduce the amount of weight that a muscle group is bearing, reduce the size of the muscle group. It's that simple.
'Nuff said on that subject.....
Okay, now for this notion that you shouldn't work your abs at all:
This idea makes as much sense as saying that your triceps get hit working chest (they do) so they shouldn't be worked separately. We all want toned tri's, yes? Don't we even more-so want toned abs? Then why wouldn't we target them?
Abs are a muscle, like any other They need to be targeted. They need their own special spot in your weekly split. I often work mine twice a week. One day, the day I do them for sure, is unweighted at home with a DVD. The other day is usually heavy weighted in the gym. Ask my workout partner. I make that big muscle-bound boy cry on ab day! My abs are smaller than his, and my abs are STRONGER than his!
The only time I see an exception to this rule is if you are one of these rare individuals who has naturally defined abs. These are the people I'd imagine started the "don't specify your abs" theory. Lucky them. The rest of us have to work abs. Period.
I have naturally strong abs but I'm telling you that when I don't work them they stop showing muscle tone.
Look, there are some smaller muscle groups, like forearms and inner and outer thighs, that most people can bypass when working out because they get adequately hit when other body parts are worked. But abs? The midsection is the place people usually most want to see definition. If YOU want to see definition there, I'd advise you target them babies.
There is no place to see true fitness in the body like in the abdominal area. IMHO, you can't see the results of strong abs without working them.
I've been reading people advising others not to work their abs. The thought seems to be that if you do squats and deadlifts and other exercises that require core stabilization, that is enough ab work. I've also been hearing that you should not use weights when you work abs because it will make them look too thick, especially the obliques. To which I respond........
ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?
Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you saw someone with ab muscles that were just too big? Go on.... Rack your brain...... Now think some more....... Try even harder to recall..... You can't, can you? Yeah... so let's just forget the notion that working abs with weights will make them too big and thick. It's silly.
I work my abs with weights frequently. Have for years. My waist currently measures 26 1/2 inches. And let's entertain the notion for a minute that you could make them too big by working them with weights... Let's just let our minds go there and envision it has happened to you..... Are you there mentally? If this is the case STOP WORKING THEM WITH WEIGHTS!
Yeesh!
You can always deflate a muscle group by reducing the stress put on it. Reduce the amount of weight that a muscle group is bearing, reduce the size of the muscle group. It's that simple.
'Nuff said on that subject.....
Okay, now for this notion that you shouldn't work your abs at all:
This idea makes as much sense as saying that your triceps get hit working chest (they do) so they shouldn't be worked separately. We all want toned tri's, yes? Don't we even more-so want toned abs? Then why wouldn't we target them?
Abs are a muscle, like any other They need to be targeted. They need their own special spot in your weekly split. I often work mine twice a week. One day, the day I do them for sure, is unweighted at home with a DVD. The other day is usually heavy weighted in the gym. Ask my workout partner. I make that big muscle-bound boy cry on ab day! My abs are smaller than his, and my abs are STRONGER than his!
The only time I see an exception to this rule is if you are one of these rare individuals who has naturally defined abs. These are the people I'd imagine started the "don't specify your abs" theory. Lucky them. The rest of us have to work abs. Period.
I have naturally strong abs but I'm telling you that when I don't work them they stop showing muscle tone.
Look, there are some smaller muscle groups, like forearms and inner and outer thighs, that most people can bypass when working out because they get adequately hit when other body parts are worked. But abs? The midsection is the place people usually most want to see definition. If YOU want to see definition there, I'd advise you target them babies.
There is no place to see true fitness in the body like in the abdominal area. IMHO, you can't see the results of strong abs without working them.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Calf 21's (or 30's)
I've had a couple of different people who look at my workouts on Spark as me what "Calf 21's" are. I also call these "Calf 30's". I think calves are the most boring body part to work, so maybe this will give someone else a new spin on a way to work their calves.
You know how you can do a calf lift and put a variation on the move by turning your heels in or out? This has always stressed my knees. My first trainer, Ross, taught me to do this move to still work all areas of the calf but eliminate the potential knee pain. Here is how it's executed:
Start in the machine with a slightly light load selected. There are so many reps in this that you will burn out very quickly and be screaming in pain if you start out too heavy. First, put your feet about three inches apart and lift and lower your heels for 7 reps, leaning on the inside edges of the balls of your feet. Then separate them to about 12 inches apart and lift for 7 more reps with the weight evenly distributed across the ball of your foot. Then, maintaining the 12-inch spread between your feet, lean on the outside edges of the balls of your feet and lift for another 7 reps.
Next, jump off the machine and hop around the gym saying "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!", like I do, until the pain in your calves goes away.
Repeat until you've had enough torture for one day. I usually do three sets.
I change the order I do the inside/flat/outside pressure on my feet, too. Muscles adapt very quickly and I like to keep 'em guessing.
For 30's, you do the same exercise, but 10 times for each position. This is usually done with lighter weight yet.
You can do this on any type calf press (standing, seated, on a leg press machine, or on a step holding a dumbbell).
Let me know what you think!
You know how you can do a calf lift and put a variation on the move by turning your heels in or out? This has always stressed my knees. My first trainer, Ross, taught me to do this move to still work all areas of the calf but eliminate the potential knee pain. Here is how it's executed:
Start in the machine with a slightly light load selected. There are so many reps in this that you will burn out very quickly and be screaming in pain if you start out too heavy. First, put your feet about three inches apart and lift and lower your heels for 7 reps, leaning on the inside edges of the balls of your feet. Then separate them to about 12 inches apart and lift for 7 more reps with the weight evenly distributed across the ball of your foot. Then, maintaining the 12-inch spread between your feet, lean on the outside edges of the balls of your feet and lift for another 7 reps.
Next, jump off the machine and hop around the gym saying "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!", like I do, until the pain in your calves goes away.
Repeat until you've had enough torture for one day. I usually do three sets.
I change the order I do the inside/flat/outside pressure on my feet, too. Muscles adapt very quickly and I like to keep 'em guessing.
For 30's, you do the same exercise, but 10 times for each position. This is usually done with lighter weight yet.
You can do this on any type calf press (standing, seated, on a leg press machine, or on a step holding a dumbbell).
Let me know what you think!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Take the Occasional Exercise Break
Did you know that if you are a regular exerciser, taking the occasional week-long break is good for you?
I lift weights very hard, and schedule a week off of training every 10 weeks. Back in the days when I wasn't maxing out on my weights and just working out 4 days a week I took my break about once every four months. As my intensity has increased I have lessened the time in-between breaks.
Some people I know who lift weights or train extremely hard will take a week off every 8 weeks. It all depends on your intensity of training.
Taking a break accomplishes several things: First and foremost, it allows the nervous system to repair from the same routine all the time. Secondly, it can let little injuries you don't even know are in your body repair themselves. And thirdly, it can rejuvenate your enthusiasm for your workouts again. I always come back from my breaks rarin' to go!
You don't have to take a total break. You can try something gentle you don't normally do like yoga or walking. Or you can do what I do, turn into a complete sloth, and totally give up exercise altogether.
Sometimes my break is built into my life, like a vacation. Most times I have to put it on the calendar. Almost every time my body starts "asking" for a break about the time I am due one: My enthusiasm for exercise starts to wane, I start having little joint aches and getting little sore in places I hadn't been sore before, my performance and enthusiasm start to suffer, I begin to dread cardio... I just generally feel like I need a break. I have to be careful not to confuse these feelings with just general laziness, though. This is why scheduling a break helps me..... I know I can take it without guilt, knowing it is actually good for my body.
I look forward to my breaks, but I also look forward to returning to my routine after a break. It's good for my frame of mind. How long has it been since you took a week off?
I lift weights very hard, and schedule a week off of training every 10 weeks. Back in the days when I wasn't maxing out on my weights and just working out 4 days a week I took my break about once every four months. As my intensity has increased I have lessened the time in-between breaks.
Some people I know who lift weights or train extremely hard will take a week off every 8 weeks. It all depends on your intensity of training.
Taking a break accomplishes several things: First and foremost, it allows the nervous system to repair from the same routine all the time. Secondly, it can let little injuries you don't even know are in your body repair themselves. And thirdly, it can rejuvenate your enthusiasm for your workouts again. I always come back from my breaks rarin' to go!
You don't have to take a total break. You can try something gentle you don't normally do like yoga or walking. Or you can do what I do, turn into a complete sloth, and totally give up exercise altogether.
Sometimes my break is built into my life, like a vacation. Most times I have to put it on the calendar. Almost every time my body starts "asking" for a break about the time I am due one: My enthusiasm for exercise starts to wane, I start having little joint aches and getting little sore in places I hadn't been sore before, my performance and enthusiasm start to suffer, I begin to dread cardio... I just generally feel like I need a break. I have to be careful not to confuse these feelings with just general laziness, though. This is why scheduling a break helps me..... I know I can take it without guilt, knowing it is actually good for my body.
I look forward to my breaks, but I also look forward to returning to my routine after a break. It's good for my frame of mind. How long has it been since you took a week off?
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