Nutrition: Meal Prep 2

This is a continuation of the previous meal preparation blog and mixes in a little bit of calorie and macro management. Here we will talk about meal timing and quantity.

Calculating Number of Meals Conventional wisdom suggests to eat 5-6 small meals a day. I generally agree with this but do also recognize that there are various types of dieting and caloric intake methods. Whether it is intermittent fasting, carb cycling, Atkins or Shakeology; as long as you are accountable to some sort of system, I believe you will have results. Beware of gimmicks or "fad dieting". Try to find something that is maintainable for you and make a lifestyle change. I dropped about 10lbs since that post last year and am going to stay lean since summer is approaching (between 180-185lbs). It's purely a personal decision on how to split your calorie count up. Everyone has different daily schedules so certain methods may or may not apply well to your lifestyle. I work a desk job with access to a refrigerator and microwave. I can also choose to workout at lunch or after work if I get busy. Due to my work situation, I can be pretty flexible with my meal count and timing. My method of calculating meal count is based on my protein macro (instead of fats or carbs). Since I'm focused on bodybuilding/aesthetics, it's one of my most important macros to hit. It also is a macro that is hard to exceed. I often find myself trying to limit fats and carbs, looking for foods that are low in these categories. For protein, if I'm being strict and counting every gram, I often have to try to make up protein at the end of the night. So I like to figure out how much protein I need daily and try to split that between 5-6 meals. For those of you trying to drop weight, your total caloric intake is likely the most important macro. Track that and split it in between your chosen number of meals.

Meal Timing Below is the timeline of a typical day of eating and a brief look into the activities between those meals.   Meal #1 8:00am *** Woke up, walked dogs. 1 pinch of Almonds (1/4 cup) 5oz Salmon fillet 2 cups steamed veggies   Meal #2 11:17am *** At work, just out of meeting. 5-6oz Ground Turkey 1-2 cups black beans   Snack #1 2:00pm *** Finished workout during lunch. Protein Shake (Whey mixed with water)     Meal #3 3:16pm *** Still at work. 5oz Salmon fillet 1-2 cups black beans Additional: Nuun tab in water   Meal #4 4:45pm *** Wrapping up at work. 5-6oz Ground Turkey 2 cups steamed veggies Additional: Green Tea in water   Meal #5 8:15pm *** At home or out and about. Bowl of Ramen w/ an egg and a can of tuna added. Example Alternate Dinners/Lunches Repeat Meal #1 or #4 (low carb meal) Meal from my girlfriends prep. Generally some type of tofu dish w/ veggies. Large Texas Tuna Sandwich Lean Lemon Turkey Chicken bowl, stock velvet w/ double veggies instead of rice   Snack #2 10:30pm *** Optional meal, before bed. Boiled Egg Pinch of almonds If short on Protein that day: Protein shake w/ Almond Milk

Considerations This style of eating is not for everybody. Depending on your fitness goals, it may not be ideal for you to use this meal timing. This is just an example of what works for me and my specific goals. I encourage people to research various styles of eating habits and explore what works best for them. Whether it is counting all macros or just carbs or "points". Once you become familiar with your chosen diet system, I believe that you can transition to "free eating" and become less strict with your bean counting. That may not be ideal for those trying to lose lots of weight however. The more you eat your meal prep, the better your results will be. Not everyone can eat steamed veggies and fish all the time so I do like having "cheat" meals. Just don't turn a cheat meal into a cheat day. On weekends if I have some drinks or dinner out, I still will have eaten at least two meals from my meal prep. It's all bout finding a sustainable balance between living life and being healthy. As long as you are eating healthy and exercising more often than you are not, you should still be moving toward a fit physique. Of course the higher percentage of meals you prepare and control yourself, the better your results will be. If you are just starting out with eating healthy, do not try to drastically change your eating habits immediately. Maybe just switch out your lunch for a healthy option initially and slowly expand from there. Read more about that in our Getting Started Blog.

Check back for additional advice and browse our posts regularly for ideas on workouts and nutrition. Good luck! Submitted by Bars

Workout: Chest 1

Below is a chest routine that I've found to be good for gains. I'm an ectomorph and my chest doesn't grow easily. I still have a ways to go before I can get it to round out above my collarbone but I feel I'm on my way. The addition of more flys and incline exercises have seemed to help greatly. I really don't like Flat Bench too much and after talking to others I plan to reduce or replace that exercise. In the meanwhile, I try to keep a slightly wider grip during flat bench to hit my pecs more. I have long arms so this may just be a specific issue for me. If you need a chest workout, try this one and leave us feedback. Links to video examples of each exercise are provided at the very bottom of this page too. Good luck!

Tip: Be sure to stretch adequately, especially your rotator cuff. Warm up your chest and arms muscles by lifting light weights (i.e. pressing the barbell only, rotating a 5-10lb plate on each hand, knocking out some push-ups).

Chest #1

SUMMARY Stretch/Warmup Incline Dumbbell Press (5 sets) Standing Cable Fly: Upper & Lower (3 sets each) Flat Bench Press (4 sets) Incline Dumbbell Fly (5 sets) Decline Bench Press (5 sets) Dips into Push-Ups Superset (Failure)

Examples Incline Dumbbell Press: Click For Video Example Standing Cable Fly (Lower): Click For Video Example Standing Cable Fly (Upper): Click For Video Example Flat Bench Press: Click For Video Example Incline Dumbbell Fly: Click For Video Example Decline Bench Press: Click For Video Example Dips: Click For Video Example Push-Ups: Click For Video Example

Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers #2

What You Will Need:


4-6 Bell Peppers
*1 lb of Ground sirloin
1 cup of Golden Raisin
15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of sliced stuffed green olives
2 chopped garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups pre cooked brown rice
Salt to taste

*substitute sirloin for some vegetarian ground soy meat and this dish will become vegetarian 
Make It: 


Turn oven to 400

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Put them in a baking pan.
Cook meat, garlic, cinnamon, and cumin until meat is slightly pink. Add raisins and tomato sauce until meat is done to your preference. Remove from heat. Mix in rice and olives. Salt to taste. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture and bake for about 15 minutes.

Have your items out ready

Cooking the meat

Rice and olives mixed in to mixture

Peppers are stuffed and ready for the oven

Feel free to play around with the ingredients and make it your own

Submitted by Miles

Nutrition: Fruit "Roll Up"

What you will need:

Fresh fruit or frozen fruit(around 3 cups)
*Sweetener(optional) 

*if your fruit is naturally sweet enough, you won't have to ask anything. If you decide to add a sweetener you can use granulated sugar, honey, splenda, or agave syrup just to name a few.

I used 2 tablespoons of agave syrup just to see how it would turn out. The notes I read is that the flavors and sweetness intensify after drying. 

I wanted to find something as easy as possible. 

Put all the items into the blender and get it as smooth as possible. Line a pan with plastic wrap, the temperature is going to be so low in the oven that it won't melt. You won't need a ton of overhang, smooth as the wrinkles. You can also use a silicone if you have it.

Pour mixture in pan and smooth out evenly. Cook in the oven at 170 degrees, that's the lowest temperature me oven would go. The cook time will be 6-8 hours. If you're not going to be at home and you don't want to keep it on, it's okay to turn it off. I turned my oven off overnight and started cooking it again in the morning. You can test to see if it's done by pressing the center and it should not stick to your finger. The edges will cook faster than the center. 

**Different combinations of fruit have different flavors, so the possibilities are endless. Since the drying process time some time, make different batches.

I let the fruit defrost

Pour in the plastic lined pan

All dried out

Finish product wrapped in Parchment paper

Nutrition: Popcorn

Popcorn A quick, healthy snack is popcorn. Of course not the movie theatre, butter-laden kind but plain kernels. The ideal method is to use an air popper ($20 at Target) but if you don't have one, microwave popcorn will work too. Be aware that most microwave popcorn includes some salt & oil (which contains more calories). An average bag is around 100 calories w/ 20g carbs. The popcorn is good on its own but if you want a little more zing, try some fun add-ins.

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SALTY  I prefer to avoid table salt and use these alternatives to satisfy my salt craving. My favorite is to sprinkle on Mrs Dash "Garlic & Herb" flavor. Mrs Dash contains no salt, so it helps keep your sodium content low. Sometimes I use paprika or some Lawrys (Garlic Powder) too. Paprika is abnormally high in vitamin C & garlic powder contains vitamin A, vitamin C and selenium, all great antioxidants. Ensure you're using Garlic Powder and not Garlic Salt lol. Sea Salt is another good option to avoid using table salt too.

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CHEESY  If you have some grated parmesan, sprinkle some on while the popcorn is hot. Avoid the cheap, canned parmesan. Freshly grate it yourself if possible. One ounce of parmesan has 11g of protein with just 1g of carbs. It's also very high in calcium and phosphorus. You can also use Braggs Premium Nutritional Yeast to mimic a cheesy flavor.

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SWEET  You can make a type of trail mix by adding in dark chocolate chips and unsalted peanuts (or your favorite nut). The nuts contain healthy fats as well as protein & fiber to help keep you full. Dark chocolate has lots of good antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. It's good for your heart and brain as well. Another option is to sprinkle in cinnamon.

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Like with anything, portions should be monitored to prevent yourself from gorging. Bag these up & carry them with you for a quick snack that doesn't need refrigeration or re-heating. Great "on-the-go".

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Optional Tip: If you don't have an air popper, you still can make your own popcorn using a microwave. Just put kernels in a brown paper bag, fold the top over (making sure there's enough room in the bag for the popped corn) and staple it closed. Microwave until the popping sound stops. Be careful taking the bag out that you don't touch the staples, they will be hot! Submitted By Bars

Workout: Mueller Lake Park Circuit 8

Equipment Used: Standard deck of playing cards Soft ground area to lie down (carpet/grass/etc) A raised, solid surface which will support your weight (park bench, steps, sturdy chair) Optional: Resistance Band or Dumbbells to perform weighted/advanced versions of exercises

Circuit #8

SUMMARY ***Stretch/Warmup Hearts (cardio): Burpees Spades (lower): Squats Diamonds (upper): Push-Ups Clubs (abs): Lying Crunches Jokers (all): Box Jumps, Pull-Ups, Walking Lunges, Reverse Crunches, Rest Aces: One minute rest / water break Face Cards & Jokers: 10 reps Numbered Cards: Reps matching number of that card

Circuit #8 - Deck of Cards Workout

This circuit is designed to be ran quickly. The point is to keeps moving and attempt to get through the deck as quickly as possible. Since we are moving quickly, we chose to use calisthenic exercises that require no equipment. This type of workout is extremely flexible due to the fact that you can switch up the assigned exercises to suit your needs. If you require more rest than what we have come up with here, you can replace the Aces w/ 11 reps and instead take a break every 5-7 cards completed. Jokers are optional but we wanted to make them a big deal like they are in most card games. We decided to make them worth 10 reps of a unique exercise in each body group. A break is added in at the end to help ease the transition back into the usual exercises. You can choose to leave out the Jokers or come up with your own fun variation to use them. We chose the above exercises to try and hit each body group and include some cardio. Again, you can change these exercises to suit your own individual needs or to not let the circuit get stale. If in a group, you could also have each member select a group of cards face-down and pick their own exercise assignments for each suit. Take breaks in between each members custom set. Many of the exercises we chose to use are explained in greater detail in previous posts so browse those for additional tips and tricks. Video examples are linked below to refresh your memory on each exercise.

Examples

Burpees: Click For Video Example Squat Presses: Click For Video Example Push-Up: Click For Video Example Lying Reverse Crunches: Click For Video Example Box Jumps: Click For Video Example Pull-Ups: Video Example (Assisted) Walking Lunges: Click For Video Example

Hydrate, Rest and Recover. Good luck!!!

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 Shoe Review

I can now say that I've become a Brooks shoe fanboy. Every shoe that I currently run in are Brooks. I've owned the GTS series since the 11's. You can read my review about Brooks GTS 12. I use to run in the most trendy shoes out, not really caring about how many miles I would put in them. Since I started getting serious over the past 12 month about my running I know now that I need a shoe that can carry me well. 

Contrary to most running literature. I knew that it wouldn't be smart to take a new pair of shoes out for a race, but that's exactly what I did. I bought them and took them out for a short run, then the next day I ran the Rock'n Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon. These shoes worked perfectly. 

Now before you think that I'm speaking so highly of Brooks, go back and read Brooks Trance 11. The Trance where one of the worst pair of shoes that I've tried. 

I've put in about 100 miles in these shoes and I can say that I love them. If you go back and read a few of my other shoe review, you'll know that I'm a heavier runner and that I need shoes to hold up to the pounding I put them through.

Submitted by Miles