Saturday
Posted: May 19, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts 2 Comments »I think it is physically impossible for me to sleep past 6am anymore. Granted, I go to bed pretty early, but still. Even on the weekends, I’m awake at the crack of dawn, thinking it’s at least noon. I guess my teenage sleeping years are officially over…
The good thing about never sleeping late is that you get the whole entire day to do fun stuff. For me, my fun stuff yesterday started with a workout at the Y. The Y is a completely different place on weekend mornings than on weekday mornings, with kids running around everywhere, but I get in and get out and it still works.
Here’s what yesterday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Bench presses:
- 15 @ 45lbs
- 12 @ 55lbs
- 10 @ 65lbs
- {8 @ 75 + 10 upright rows @ 50} x5
- Workout (21-15-9):
- Deadlifts
- HSPUs
- @55#:
- 50 Squat cleans
- 50 RDLs
- 50 Back squats
- @35#:
- 50 Reverse curls to overhead
- 50 OH squats
- 100 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 200 Weighted side bends
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
For breakfast, I went with the Saturday morning staple: pancakes and bacon. I made these super simple pumpkin pancakes with a half of a can of pumpkin that I pulled out from the freezer and thawed plus two eggs and cinnamon. They were much more moist than if I’d added almond flour to them, but delicious nonetheless!
The rest of yesterday was spent largely out and about, with a pit-stop at Home Depot to pick up some plants for my patio. I’d been toying with the idea of getting a plot in the community garden at my apartment complex, but ultimately I decided to keep it small for one more year and just get a few plants to spruce up my outdoor space a bit.
Last night was low-key, spent on the couch with a bucket of homemade popcorn and my main man Vin Diesel.
The Fast and Furious movies are some of my favorites, so in anticipation of the upcoming sixth installation, I’m catching up on some of the older ones. Last night it was Fast and Furious (the fourth movie), which I’d only ever seen parts of before. With all the original cast though, it was great!
As a rule, I try my best to stay away from eating things with tons of added sugars on a regular basis. (Don’t mind all that maple syrup up above there…) But I say try because we all know sugar-laden desserts are my favorite food group, so I wasn’t all that surprised when I saw this apple chart.
![017_thumb[7]](http://cookiesncrunches.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/017_thumb7.png "017_thumb[7]")
Is it any wonder that my beloved Fuji apples are at the very top of the sweetness wheel? I think not. Where do your favorites fall?
I’ve gotten so much done today and it’s not even noon. Gotta love when that happens!
Off to enjoy the rest of my weekend… hope you can do the same!
Homemade Chipotle Salad
Posted: May 18, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts 4 Comments »I have to be at my new job earlier than I used to go in, so I’ve had to work more quickly in the gym in order to avoid having to get up any earlier. It’s a little bit stressful, but it also makes me work harder! Here’s what yesterday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Strength:
- 15×4 Bent over rows
- 15×4 back extensions
- 10×4 Bent over front raises + Upright rows
- 10×4 Deadlifts @ 85#
- 5×4 Inverted rows
- Workout 1 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 OH squats @ 35#
- Workout 2 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 Front squats @ 35#
- 100 Med ball slams
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
Most of my meals have been pretty repetitive this week, but I did have a couple interesting ones. First up: this one with fried eggs over leftover steak and sautéed green peppers. I have been eating lots of typically “lunch” or “dinner” meals for breakfast, but this was a nice combination of both. Who says you can’t have a nice, juicy piece of steak for breakfast?!
I’ve also been on a berry kick this week, eating this big container of strawberries and blackberries with my eggs and peppers for breakfast the other morning.
But the star of the show this week as far as meals go though was, by far, my homemade Chipotle salad. I love, love Chipotle, but since we don’t have one where I live, I’m not able to go very often. The other night, I didn’t know what the heck to have for dinner, but I saw a jar of salsa in the fridge, so it gave me the idea to try and recreate the restaurant’s salad myself.
First, I cooked up chicken and peppers in a pan, sprinkling the peppers with just a bit of cumin at the end.
To build the salad, I went layer by layer, just like they do at the restaurant, adding everything that I usually get when I go there.
First up, some romaine lettuce, sliced up into thin strips.
Next came the peppers, cooked up so they were nice and tender. (If you haven’t tried slightly burning your peppers, you should. It makes all the flavors really come out well.)
Next up came the chicken, which I cut up into very thin slices so it was moist and tender.
And last, but not least, a couple spoonfuls of hot salsa to top it all off. Who needs dressing when you’ve got salsa?!
I gave it all a good toss, and voila! It tasted just like I had gone out and bought it. Seriously, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of doing this before; it was awesome and I practically licked the plate clean!
When it comes to salsa (like anything else), you have to be careful about which one you choose if you’re trying to avoid artificial ingredients. Unless you’re planning on leaving the jar on your shelf for years at a time, there really is no need for all that extra garbage to be added to something that can otherwise be very healthy. Salsa is a great garnish that you can make at home if you choose, but if you’re buying it from the store, be sure to check the ingredients list before you buy.
This brand is one of my favorites because of its taste and texture…
But also because of what’s in it (or not in it).
Just real ingredients and nothing unnecessary!
If you’re a Chipotle fan, definitely give this salad a try. You could easily add beans, cheese, or onions too, just like you’d get if you went out!
Lunch At Home & 100% Clean
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, nutrition, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, nutrition, strength, workouts 1 Comment »One of the (many) things I’ve been loving about my new job is that it’s much easier to go home for lunch. My commute is approximately two minutes now, so it takes me all of five minutes to get from my front door to my desk. I know some people like having a long commute where they can think… or be alone… or whatever… but I don’t. At all. In fact, I don’t see driving as “relaxing” in any way. I see it as time where I could be doing something more productive/fun, and so whenever I do have to drive, I end up making lists and plans in my head the whole time anyway.
I have been bringing my lunches to work just in case I can’t get home for whatever reason, and one of the things that makes packing lunches much easier for me is this little guy.
It is a salad dressing holder, and it’s perfect for taking dressing on the road with you. (Who wants to lug a whole bottle of dressing to their desk and back every time they want a salad?) My mom and my aunt each got me one, which is great because I do wonder if, after a while, they will start to smell/taste like the dressings I put in them. All of the pieces come apart and they are pretty easy to wash, so I haven’t had that problem yet, but it’s always good to have backup in case.
The other day, I made a dressing right in it by adding some olive oil, red wine vinegar, and jerk seasoning and giving it a good shake. This salad had romaine lettuce, spinach, red peppers, carrots, and cucumbers, even though you can’t really see much of it hiding beneath the chicken.
Most of my other meals have been pretty standard lately (chicken, steak, eggs, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, etc.), but yesterday it was particularly sunny and warm, so I decided it was the perfect day for a special smoothie. When I ran home for lunch, I threw a frozen banana, a few frozen strawberries, and a little bit of water into my GNC blender. After a couple minutes, it was absolutely deeee-licious. Doesn’t get much better on your lunch hour than drinking a healthy, fruity drink in the sun, does it?
For the past week, I have been eating 100% clean, and the difference has been visible. My stomach aches have reduced, and for the first time in a while, yesterday I didn’t feel like I needed a nap by the time the afternoon rolled around. I know I’ve said it before, but it really is crazy how much what you put into your body affects your daily (and long-term!) health and well-being. I generally eat pretty well, but all those “treats” add up after a while, and since I’ve committed fully, it’s been great.
Feeling better has not only given me what I need to tackle my new, more demanding job, but it’s also given me more energy in the gym.
Here’s what Wednesday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk; 15 back squats @ 45
- Deadlifts:
- 15 @ 85#
- 12 @ 105#
- {8 @ 125#} x5
- Workout:
- Run .5 mile
- 25 Thrusters @ 35#
- Run .5 mile
- 25 Thrusters @ 35#
- 30 Pull-ups
- 50 Cleans @ 35#
- 50 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 100 Weighted side bends
- 50 Cleans @ 35#
- 50 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 100 Weighted side bends
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
And here’s what Thursday’s looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Front squats:
- Warm-up
- 5×5 @ 135#
- Workout (15 min AMRAP):
- Run 1 lap
- 10 Push-ups
- 15 Air squats
- @ 35#:
- 50 Hang cleans
- 50 Shoulder presses
- 50 RDLs
- 50 Back squats @ 45#
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
I thought that run/pushup/air squats workout was going to be a piece of cake, but I was wrong. We did it as a group, and I’m not sure how many rounds we got through (there were a lot, and I lost count after about two), but I definitely felt accomplished afterwards!
I know my posts have been a little sporadic lately, but my meals have mostly been shoved into my face between meetings, and besides my new job, everything else has just been pretty normal this week. Hopefully I will have something fun to share after the weekend.
Have a good one! 
Focused On Work
Posted: May 15, 2013 Filed under: cardio, circuits, crossfit, daily, nutrition, paleo, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, circuits, crossfit, daily, nutrition, paleo, strength, workouts Leave a comment »Other than starting my new job (which has been going really well!), not a whole lot of new stuff has been going on around here over the past couple of days. I’ve been doing the usual eat-sleep-work-workout-repeat routine, and things have been going pretty smoothly, all things considered. I’m still trying to adjust to my new schedule (I have to be at work a little earlier), and figuring out when the best times to do things are, but I’m sure I’ll get into a groove shortly.
There are times when I’m more focused on fitness, or on relaxing and enjoying myself, or whatever else the case may be, but right now, I’ve definitely been focused on work the most. (Nerd Alert: I even ordered this book to brush up on my Excel skills.) Honestly, I’m liking that fact a lot, and I’m really enjoying learning about my new role and all that I’ll be doing. I think that this change is exactly what I needed!
There have been a couple new things around here lately, in food form, of course:
I tried jicama for the first time… but I didn’t like it. Jicama is a type of Mexican yam/turnip that I’ve heard a lot about, so I used my julienne peeler to shred it up in an attempt to make jicama hash browns.
I cooked it in a pan with black pepper, but apparently that wasn’t the right choice because it was definitely not very good. (That’s me sugar coating things.) I know some of my cookbooks have jicama recipes in them though, so next time I’ll go for more of a structured approach, and hopefully it will taste a lot better.
I also tried yams for the first time (I’m behind the curve, I know), with much more positive results. I cubed up a yam and baked them in the oven, and even reheated in the microwave, I thought they were very good. (You know something’s good when it’s tolerable right out of the microwave.)
Next time, I’m going to cook them just as I need them so that I don’t have to reheat them… I bet they’ll be even better!
I’ve also done a couple of fun new workouts this week, just in case anyone’s following along!
Monday:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk on treadmill
- Back squats:
- 15 @ 45#
- 12 @ 95#
- 10 @ 135#
- 8 @ 175#
- 5×5 185#
- Workout (21-15-9):
- Shoulder presses @ 35#
- Box jumps
- 50 HR push-ups
- 100 crunches
- Cable circuit (4x @ 35#):
- 12 Curls
- 12 Upright rows
- 12 Push downs
- 12 High rows
- 12 Hanging knee lifts
- Core circuit (4x):
- 20 Swiss ball crunches
- 15 Back extensions
- 10 OH side bends (each side)
- 5 Hanging knee lifts
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
Tuesday:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk on treadmill
- Strength: Push presses and Back squats
- 15 @ 35lbs
- 12 @ 55lbs
- 9 @ 65lbs
- {5 @ 75lbs} x5
- Workout (Repeat 5x, running one less lap each time):
- Run 5 laps
- 10 snatches
- 10 Bent over rows
- 10 crunches
- 100 Box jumps
- Cool-down: 10 minute walk
And now, I would like to leave you with this awesome picture I found on Instagram:
I knew I was onto something with my love of near-death bananas!
Questions:
What are you focused on right now? Work… Family… Fitness… Food… Fun?
What’s new in your life right now?
How do you like your bananas?
Food & Family
Posted: May 11, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts Leave a comment »At dinner last night, my cousin said “I feel like all we did today was eat…” and he was right!
Luckily, he and I got up early yesterday morning and headed to the Y first thing. We knew it would be a full day of eating and family, and it felt good to start the day off with a little sweat!
I did my normal type of workout to start, and he did his own thing for a while before joining me for workout 2 and the rest of the stuff. Here’s what it looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Bench presses:
- 15 @ 45#
- 12 @ 65#
- 8 @ 75#
- {6 @ 75# + 10 sumo squats with high pull @ 30#} x5
- Workout 1 (3x):
- Run 3 laps
- 25 Back extensions
- 25 Crunches
- Workout 2 (21-15-9):
- Box jumps
- KB swings @ 25#
- 100 Med ball slams
- 50 Reverse curls to overhead press
- 100 crunches
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
I pushed him hard and was happy to show him a couple new moves, and he did awesome! It is so fun to teach people new things and push them because most of the time, they have no idea what they’re really capable of!
When I got back home, I toasted up a couple of leftover banana-egg-almond pancakes that I brought with me. Topped with a whole bunch of berries and maple syrup, they were just as tasty the second time.
A little later on, my whole family headed down to the cemetery in Massachusetts where my grandmother’s family is buried. My memere passed away in October and was cremated, but she wanted to be buried with her parents, so my family had a small ceremony for her while we were there.
She was a very special lady and I know she would’ve been very happy to see us all together on such a bright, sunny day.
Afterwards, we all went out for a special lunch together – something that doesn’t happen very often anymore with everyone being so busy in their own lives. It was so nice to get to remember Mem together, catch up with everyone, and share some laughs for the afternoon.
My mom and I were stuffed after lunch, but ice cream was Mem’s absolute favorite food in the world, so we went out for some in her honor. Her favorite was mocha chip, but I got milky way and it was delicious!
The afternoon was filled with TV-watching, errands, and naps… but once we regrouped, my mom, cousin, and I headed back out to the mall to do a little shopping. I needed some new dress pants for work and some new workout shirts for the gym, and I found a couple of both.
Then, as if we needed another treat, I suggested Mexican for dinner. We don’t really have a good, authentic Mexican restaurant where I live now, so I haven’t had it in quite a while, which is obviously a problem. Chips and salsa to the rescue!
I got my usual beef taco + chicken enchilada combo, but I was so stuffed I could barely finish it.
We finished off the night at my cousin’s baseball game, and then I promptly fell asleep on the couch. A 6am gym time, plus family time, running around, and a whole bunch of good food makes for a very tired person… but it is always so good to be home!
