July Sweat Fest!

Whoever is trying to bring you down, is already below you.

 Surround yourself with those who only bring out the best in you. When you have positive relationships, your thoughts will be more positive, and this will lead to more positive action in your life as well.

My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on.
 Forrest Gump

What a lovely quote to begin BootCamp with today! I hope that my friends and readers have had a hot and wonderful summer and are enjoying their friends and family. I am personally working hard to get my fitness back together and find my 'mojo'! I think I lost it in the last 10 months. Dealing with Breast Cancer, multiple surgeries, reconstruction nightmares and all that has come with that has just about broken my heart. I am forcing myself to look at what has taken place and not run from it. I have been incredibly emotional and have found true strength in my family. We have chosen to take time away and have had a wonderful vacation last week with friends...which has done much to heal. 

I look forward to each workout in the gym as an opportunity to catch what I have lost and hope to regain my mojo!

In Health, Lisl

Big Daddy and I in Hilton Head last week! 

TUESDAY NIGHT..“Nobody ever drowned in sweat.”

- USMC saying come get sweaty today!!!

Ice Breaker!

Max reps pushups in 10 minutes. Every time you leave plank position perform 10 wall ball shots 

Wall Ball Sprints

Sprint 
20 x Wall Ball (20 lb, 10 lb)
Sprint 
30 x Wall Ball
Sprint 
30 x Wall Ball
Sprint 
20 x Wall Ball

then...

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Front squat HEAVY
Sit-ups
Box Jumps
biceps

one minute
-Plank Holds-Flutter Kicks-side plank

Suicides if time....

Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake

Ingredients & Instructions:
•1 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 

•6 to 8 ounces of water 

•4 to 6 ice cubes 

•1 peeled orange or substitute a pack of orange crystal light  or 4 - 6 oz of Orange Juice

•Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!

Rainy Day Sweat~

“Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come.”
-Og Mandino

Today's workout!
30 minutes of cycle intervals and hills

20 minutes 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, +10
Front Squat (go heavy today!)
Burpee Hurdle Jump...burpee jump over box
Pistol Squats (alternate legs each set)
chest press....heavy dumbells!!
Toes to Bar

core if time~

Treadmills and Hot Legs Workout!

The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.

 

Today's workout!
Meet at the treadmills, it's interval time!!
then outside

Every 45 seconds, do 10 walking lunges, one clean, one strict press, one front squat, all with either 2 dumbells or a barbell. Continue until you've traveled to the fence and back. I love this! (for those of you who are not at our club, plan on finding space to hit this for 25 minutes, this is how long it will take to get done!

Greek yogurt 

is a favorite snack option.  First of all, what is Greek yogurt?  Greek yogurt is yogurt that is thicker and creamier than American yogurt.  It has a texture that is rich and velvety, which makes it perfect for cooking with, and for use as a base for dipping sauces (in addition to eating in a bowl).  The texture reminds me of sour cream.  You can buy it in the grocery store, right next to the other yogurts.  It comes in a 2% version and a fat free version, both of which are far superior to the American yogurt.

Why even bother eating Greek yogurt at all?  Because it is a superfood.

Not only does yogurt promote intestinal health, it helps build stronger bones , and helps to enhances immunity.  More specifically...yogurt helps to prevent yeast infections, and it can help prevent urinary tract infections.  It is also safe for the lactose intolerant.  At only 120 calories per cup, and zero fat, you will not find a better source of protein.  20 grams of protein per cup and 25% of your recommended calcium for the day!!!  Plus, I rarely eat an entire cup in one sitting.  By the time I add in my mix-ins, I have a huge bowl of food.  I eat half of my bowl in the early morning, and the other half about an hour before lunch.  Greek Yogurt is gluten free, safe for diabetics and vegetarians, and with the 2% variety being only 120 calories a cup, it's perfect for dieters of all kinds.  Its higher in protein and there are 0% fat options to choose from! Remember to be sure and check the sugar content, pre-sweetened yogurts are LOADED in sugar and are not a good choice for a clean diet.

Here are my top ten favorite ways to use Greek yogurt.  Once you try Greek yogurt, you will never go back to American yogurt.....

1 - In a bowl for breakfast with fruit, nuts and/or cereals.

2 - Tzatziki sauce - a Greek cucumber sauce made by adding the following ingredients to a container of greek yogurt:  juice of one lemon; 2 T. dill chopped, 1-2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cucumber, minced; salt and pepper to taste.
 3 - Add into tuna as a substitute for mayo.  Also add in Dijon and spices for extra zest.
 4 - Add it into a bowl of oatmeal with a little Splenda and cinnamon. Actually, I don't eat oatmeal, but I hear this is delicious.
5 - Add to mashed potatoes instead of sour cream, my children don't even know there is a difference!
6 - Mix with low sugar jam to make a fruit flavored yogurt.  Right now I have some yummy homemade sugar free strawberry jam a neighbor gave me that is so yummy with my yogurt!

 7 - Use in a smoothie in place of water or milk.  Your smoothie will be tangier and thicker and have a ton of protein. 

8 - Make chicken salad - Take boiled or left over baked chicken and add yogurt,celery, onion, Mrs. Dash, pepper, dill cubes, fresh cucumbers...uh yummy! 9 - Make frosting: Whisk together 1 c. Greek yogurt; 1 T. vanilla extract; 1/2c. powdered sugar.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to thicken, then spread on cupcakes, or cake.
10 - Add a package of ranch dressing mix to the yogurt (using it in place of sour cream), and make a dip for raw veggies.


Here's one of the many ways I have found to get the protein I need to stay strong and healthy!

Lisl's Protein Pudding

1 cup of 0% fat Greek Yogurt
1 scoop whey protein
1 tbs Cocoa Powder
stevia to taste to sweeten

mix all together...yummy snack full of protein!

Make your own Greek yogurt

Would you love to make your own Greek yogurt?? I tried and it's awesome and easy!

In an effort to make some better food choices in our house, we have been using non-fat Greek yogurt in recipes.  So far, so good.

The one thing we don't love is paying for Greek yogurt.  It's very expensive--crazy expensive.

First, you need plain non-fat yogurt.

This is the tightest mesh strainer that I own.  I would recommend a fairly deep bowl for this process.

Next, put a coffee filter (or you can use cheese cloth) into your strainer.

Spoon your yogurt into the filter-lined strainer.  This will drain the whey, and change the consistency of your yogurt.

I cover mine with plastic wrap or foil, and leave in the refrigerator for a few hours.  The clean up is easy, and you can just transfer the yogurt to another container and drain the whey. 

Progress is directly proportional to participation

Cupcake Workout!

When you speak the truth, have one foot in the stirrup.
-John Wayne

Well, not exactly!There are so many misconceptions about how exercise, food and fitness change the way you look.  Going to the gym, taking a group fitness class, going on a run, or a walk is awesome, but, it's more about the type of activity and the intensity of that activity that will change your fitness level and help reach your goals. Those that weigh more, need more fuel, so they use more calories.  In my experience many people think they burn way more than they actually do and this common misconception can keep their fitness goals at bay.  Truth be told, you might not be burning as many calories as you assume and this can put a halt to weight loss. Did you know that a 135 pound woman burns about:

55 calories per hour sleeping

60 calories per hour sitting

75 calories per hour waiting in line

90 calories per hour typing or doing light office work

120 calories per hour driving

125 calories per hour cooking

140 calories per hour shopping

(note: just 8 hours of sleeping and 8 hours of sitting adds up to 920 calories burned)

Of course, the calories burned per hour exercising are much greater:

150 per hour doing hatha yoga

300 per hour walking at 4 mph

450 per hour on the elliptical

500 per hour intense circuit training

600 per hour swimming laps

If you want to look like an a fit athlete, you need to train like an athlete.  How does one train like an athlete you may be wondering.  For one, athletes and people with lean, athletic, healthy builds, don’t simply go on the same run everyday and expect to keep losing weight.  Cross-training is the key to success, along with high-intensity interval training. (HIIT) 

Look at the whole picture:

• calorie needs. You can use an online calculator which takes into account your activity level.
• Know how much you are eating. Do you know how many calories you are actually eating?  Most of us underestimate how much we are eating and few hundred calories here and there can add up.  Keep a food record.  I love www.livestrong.org

Know how much you are burning. Don’t rely on those gym machines either – many of the overestimate how many you are burning.  How many calories you burn during exercise depends on many factors such as weight, gender, muscle mass and intensity.

SO, Get MOVING! EAT CLEAN AND STAY ON TRACK!

Tonight's Workout!

Warm Up

Bottom to Bottom Tabata Squats 8 rounds

then...tabata abmat situps vs biceps 

Sprints, outside 15X

Then...

Painstorm... Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes (AMRAP):
5 x Deadlifts (75 lb/ 45 lb)
5 x Power Cleans
5 x Front Squat
5 x Push Presses
5 x Overhead Squats

Bar Burps
Ten rounds for time of:
10 Barbell Burpee Clean & Press
20 reverse crunches
Pushups....50 men, 25 women

Spinach Basil Pesto 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture while processing until smooth. 

I made some today, spread it on my chicken before I baked it...yummy! I also froze some in small portion ziplock bags for later. BTW, I left off the Parmesan cheese this time.

Are you scared of your workout?

“If your workout doesn’t scare you, it’s not hard enough, if it scares you into staying home, you’re not hard enough.”

Is your workout hard enough? How do you know it's hard enough? Do you go through the motions, completing each rep perfectly and with precision? Is that what makes it hard enough? Did you do the required 45 minutes on the dreadmill? (or 2 hours if you are someone I know) Is that what makes it hard enough?

The whole reason you’re in the gym is to overload the system you’re training—whether it’s your heart and lungs or your muscles.  No improvement, no significant benefit is going to take place without overload.  If what you are doing has stopped being challenging and has become routine, it's time to change it up, get some intensity and get busy!

Is your workout social hour? If you spend more time talking than working, then it's time to pull down your baseball hat, put in your earbuds and focus on you! Of course we like some of the social time at the gym, but, don't forget that you also want to get some physical benefits too! I know some people who get downright irritated when their workouts are interrupted...you don't have to be rude, but, you owe it to yourself to get your money's worth while you are in there!


How long has it been since you changed your weights, number of reps or your workout plan? Do you always squat with 2 plates? Do you always pick up the same dumbell to do swings? Why? What are you afraid of? Get in there and try harder! Routine is the enemy!

Who are you working out with? Your workout partners should not be those that are willing to let you slide on that last rep, or tell you its ok to do burpees the easy way. Or that box jumps are hard so it's ok to do step ups instead! Of course it's all hard the right way, that's why it works! Find people to work out with that support your fitness goals, that are motivated like you are to create change and be healthy. Sometimes it is hard to always be the cheerleader, so, find someone who can cheer  you on as well, even on the burpee challenge, sprint forever, or plio push up days!

Get Fit Stay Fit Be Happy!

 Today's Workout may change depending on the weather, so, if it rains, I have included some back up.  We will not do all of this, but any of this is a possibility depending on weather.  So bring your water bottle, towel and POSITIVE ATTITUDE!

10 cleans then sprint
9 cleans then sprint
etc…..until you get to 1 clean then sprint...ohh, I can't wait to do this one!!!

" Leg Day" (Big Daddy requested legs...and he always gets what he wants...)

4 rounds for time:
1 Suicide(or if its raining 20 Straddle Squat Box Jumps)

20 Pistol Squats (10 each leg)
40 Air Squats
50 Walking Lunges (w/ bar backracked)


Painstorm...(don't you love that!!!)
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes (AMRAP):
5 x Deadlifts (75 lb/ 45 lb)
5 x Power Cleans
5 x Front Squat
5 x Push Presses
5 x Overhead Squats

Bar Burps
Ten rounds for time of:
10 Barbell Burpee Clean & Jerk (135 lb/ 95lb)
20 reverse crunches
Pushups....50 men, 25 women

"Death by Kettlebell Swing"
Do 1 KB swing the first minute, two KB swings the second minute, three KB swings the third minute… etc.
Continue until you can no longer do the required number of swings in the minute allowed.
The last time I did this workout, I got 29 rounds + 23 swings. And I vaguely recall swearing I would never, ever do this one again. But I do loooove to swing, and my short term memory isn't what it used to be, so here we are...
WOD: Sit Ups and Swings …

For time:
10 Abmat situps
1 Heavy Kb Swing
9 Abmat situps
2 Heavy Kb Swing
8 Abmat situps
3 Heavy Kb Swing
7 Abmat situps
4 Heavy Kb Swing
6 Abmat situps
5 Heavy Kb Swing
5 Abmat situps
6 Heavy Kb Swing
4 Abmat situps
7 Heavy Kb Swing
3 Abmat situps
8 Heavy Kb Swing
2 Abmat situps
9 Heavy Kb Swing
1 Abmat situps
10 Heavy Kb Swing

WOD - --- AMRAP in 30 Minutes....
50 Box Jumps
50 Kettlebell Swings on the deck
50 Squats - go HEAVY
50 Pushups on your TOES
50 OVERHEAD walking lunges outside
50 tuck jumps....... finish with 50 ab ball throws against wall 

 "Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is."  

Harriet Beecher Stowe

 

Easy Day?

“The only easy day was yesterday"

 warm up 
But First, a Review: What's a Tabata?  
If you don't already know what a Tabata interval is, it's a high intensity interval training protocol originally created by Japanese researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata.
Each Tabata interval consists of 20 seconds of high intensity (as hard as you can go) exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. This is repeated for eight rounds, totaling four minutes time. Tabatas are great for both fat loss and improving one's work capacity (conditioning).

Tabata
 box jump vs bicep curls
box straddle squat jump vs dips

Barbell Complex 10 sets! You will have 10 seconds to transition from one exercise to the other.
eight-exercise Barbell Complex: 30 seconds at each exercise, transition quickly from one to the other

1. Reverse Lunges (Barbell on shoulders; back squat style)
2. Good Mornings (Bar still on shoulders)
3. Shoulder Press (beginner) or Thruster (adv)
4. Upright row

5. Front Squats
6. Bent Over Row
7. Deadlifts
8. Push Ups

Remember.... We're not trying to build peak power, we're trying to build conditioning and lose fat.

FINISH!  one clean and press and one burpee
Add one rep every minute. . . continue until you cannot keep up with the reps in the minute time frame. You will go for 15 minutes, starting over at 1 when you miss your minute.
advanced option, alternate one leg up at a time...
Score= highest rep count in the one minute time frame!

ABS..
medicine ball roll out
Side Plank...adv use a medicine ball
Medicine ball plank

Dinner tonight!!
Lentil Stew Recipe with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• one large sweet onion
• five to six large cloves of garlic
• one large carrot
• two stalks of celery
• three medium-sized sweet potatoes
• one small cayenne pepper
• 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups brown or green lentils *
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 Tablespoon dried thyme)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 quart Chicken Broth or Veggie Broth if you are doing vegetarian 
• (to avoid the sodium in canned broth, I make my own by boiling whole chicken and spices.)
• 1 cup white wine
• about 2 cups water
• fresh kale (about 7 oz., including stems)
• Mrs. Dash ( I use this instead of salt in all my recipes)
• freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• sliced fresh mushrooms
• Protein....shredded chicken, or Turkey sausage (low fat) or left over pork

* you can use whatever mixture of lentils you wish to add up to two cups. Try using de Puy lentils because they hold their form better but adding a small amount of brown lentils (which tend to disintegrate more) for texture.

How To! 

1. Skin the onion and finely chop it. Skin the garlic cloves and mince them. Wash the carrot and celery and slice them (1/4 inch thick pieces). Scrub the potatoes then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Finely mince the pepper.

2. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat (medium low on a gas range), adding the extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the onions, garlic, carrot, celery, potatoes, and minced pepper. Stir frequently until the onions start to turn translucent. At this point, add the dry lentils and stir them in until they are coated in oil. Add the thyme, turmeric, and bay leaf, mixing well.
3. Add the Chicken Broth and the white wine, stir well. Bring to a simmer. Turn heat to around medium-low (where it will hold a low simmer) and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water when necessary (I ended up adding about 2 cups), since the lentils will absorb a lot of liquid. Add the shredded chicken. 
4. Wash the kale, remove the stems, and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
5. After 45 minutes of simmering, add the salt and pepper to taste. Add the red wine vinegar and kale, then mix well. Simmer for an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tabata Thursday!

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Today is Burpee Challenge part 2~
Remember, set a goal and try your hardest to hit it. You will have 10 minutes to get as many burpees as possible. Tuesday night's big number was 118!
1. Burpee Challenge
2. Alternating Tabata  shoulders and situps and Tabata Sprints outside



3. 7 Rounds for time:
  run!
7 front squats (135/75)
7 push press
Use the same weight for push press that you use for front squats.
No racks used on this workout – you will clean the bar from the floor to rack position for front squats and continue with push press. You should try to complete all 7 reps of the squat and press without putting the bar down.

4. 3 sets
30 Box Jumps
10 Man makers
30 KB swings
25 Lateral Hops over step
50 OVERHEAD Lunges down Side walk
50 Mountain Climbers


 
 Why is Tabata Training and Interval Training SO effective?
We've been fed the "aerobic" lie for over 30 years. Even doctors have been fooled by this pervasive myth.The truth is slow aerobic training is terribly inefficient when it comes to losing weight.It all has to do with a 4-letter acronym: EPOC. EPOC stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. It's a scientific way of describing the calories you burn after you are done exercising. With aerobic training, once you're done, you no longer burn calories. That's it. Done.
But with high intensity exercise (even as short as 4 minutes at a time) your body continues to burn calories for up to 2 days later.  That's right - your body is still working hard burning that stubborn fat long after your workout is complete.