Exciting News and what Pasta and Power Squats Is

  Pasta and Power Squats: A Girl Fires Up the Gym and Kitchen is a blog about my adventures as a group exercise instructor, runner and triathlete as well as my kitchen experiments, good or bad as they are. I was certified as a fitness instructor in 2006 to supplement my nonprofit income at my first job. Now, I love both jobs equally and don’t think I could give one of them up. 

I just added twitter to my blog so you can follow my posts on twitter and a gadget to receive P&PS by email.  Super getting social today!

Quick Cooking: Fast and Healthy

I am typically running from one meeting to the next and constantly in a rush to squeeze in a workout before running to work so I am trying to find new ways to satisfy my hunger and not eat junk food.  I made a deal with myself which I mentioned in a previous post to cook dinner 5-6 times a week and bring lunch to work a few days a week. The salad bar can be a dangerous place if you don’t know what you’re doing.  


In the past week while I was exhausted while I didn't really COOK I did come up with fool proof quick and easy recipes for days you just can't bring yourself to do any cooking. 


After a long run when it was cold I was eating oatmeal but I usually and unfortunately find myself starving 5 minutes later.  However thanks to seeing Run Eat Repeat mix it with PB (at which I first thought - GROSS! but then "eh").  I started mixing MY OATMEAL with peanut butter.  I took it in a Ziploc container or from a snack pack to work and I find a can make a satisfying meal with no fuss that lasts longer than 10:45.  And when it's warm - I always love smoothies while getting ready.   


This week I made a quick stir fry that used pre-cut bought veggies from Garden of Eden and a can of tuna paired with lime and soy sauce it was super easy and no extensive cooking or multi-pots required. Last week for dinner, as I mentioned I wasn’t doing swell making dinners aside from pasta and peanut butter but I also made a relatively healthy pizza using tortillas. I had leftover sauce and no energy to cook pasta – heated up the oven put the tortilla on Reynolds wrap and covered with sauce and a little low fat cheese.  Couldn’t be easier and it was delicious cut up like a pizza or rolled like a tortilla – pair with salad – done! Just like this post. Happy and Healthy!

Pumped Up Week: Back on Track

 Included:

Daily Workouts: running, bootcamp and sculpt

Recipes: Grillin' fish, Potatoes, and Quinoa Salad with Red Pepper and Pineapple

Much like the stall in blog posts, my recent efforts to do my best to track my food, calories and budget, meaning cook more and take lunch to work were seriously stalled last week.  I couldn’t drag my bum to the store which meant no food in the house which meant a lot of eating pasta and peanut butter sandwiches and buying salads at work – not completely unhealthy but not cooking at home the 5-6 times a week I promised myself during the New Year, it was on my list.  Billy and I both made resolution lists on our new Ipads at the start of the year but haven't kept the resolutions too well. 

In spite of it being St. Patty’s day, I managed to start the weekend off right with a 10 mile run and then left to watch Billy play the fiddle.   After a weekend of a few beers, ice cream, pizza and other grease, it was time to tip the scales the other way. Though technically with my long run, limited food intake and rushing to NYC to the bar to see Billy play, myfitnesspal told me I’d weight 20lbs less if every day were like this (10 mile run, 3 beers, 3 pieces of pizza – super healthy). 

 

This week was FABULOUS in NYC!  It was close to 70 degrees all week – it was time for some serious grilling.  I forced Billy to pull out the grill on Monday evening and we grilled up some tilapia and I made roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower.  It was delicious and low-carb.   I also roasted some potatoes but they didn’t quite finish in time for dinner.  Oops.  However, I did use them the next day in a stir fry – normally I’d use rice but what the heck?  I put a can of tuna in the stir fry with lime and soy sauce.  Delish. 

Tuesday started my non-stop gym workouts.  I’d done a tempo run with speed intervals Monday but Tuesday began the Sky Club Marathon of subbing and teaching classes right through next Thursday when I get a big rest day. Tuesday morning I taught my bootcamp class and we really worked hard – we did high intensity intervals (i.e. burpees and squat jumps on the step) for 50 sec, 10 sec rest 2x each, so 4 min total, then we got 1 minute recover. 

Wednesday I taught my scheduled spin and went to teach abs but no one showed so I went to work and that night went for a light run. To steal myself to continue and get up on a day when I normally take a nap, Thursday, – I made roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes on the grill (however I preheated in the micro for 5 and 10 min, respectively).  I also made chicken breasts with lemon and rosemary on the grill and some grilled asparagus. Thursday morning I taught a sculpt class where we focused on legs and push-ups.  For legs my new favorite move is having one foot on the step standing in front of it (like your going to do lunges with one foot on the step) and powering up into a jump – such a great move and good for outside too. Strong women in that class!  After class I went for a run and worked speed intervals – 3 half mile repeats with a mile warm up and cool down. I forgot to mention Tues and Thurs I rewarded myself with fro yo – it was that warm. 

Friday I woke up in so exhausted, super sore and my knee was aching despite my best efforts to get to bed early last night and ice my knee.  I totally missed Golden Girls at midnight because I was asleep and I had busted my butt to get dinner on the table. I made tuna steaks for the first time and the result was so-so.  I think I may have cooked them a minute too long.  Ah, well. Live and learn.  We marinated them in lime and soy sauce.  I paired it with a quinoa salad.  I sautéed red peppers and zucchini (Billy bought them) and cooked the quinoa in coconut water and a pinch of crushed red pepper.  I chopped the pineapple tiny and mixed it all together in a bowl.  Billy thinks in the future we should grill the pineapple, which is a good point –but it was delicious anyway– the veggies had canola oil and salt and pepper and little cilantro which made a nice dressing. Billy took a picture of it so I will post it soon. So back to this morning – exhausted I told my class I needed to teach on and off the bike – they were great.  I ended up on and off the bike anyway trying to combat the horrible heat that cranked the room up to 76 degrees.   Bikram spin is not fun – thankfully management is on the case and it's fixes (yay!). I think our surprising warm weather is coming too fast.  Also, that’s one of the downsides to being the first one in the room – any elements that might impair your ride or AC that’s not kicked in yet, you’re left to deal with but we managed to sweat and get in an early AM workout.  I came home went for a slow run/walk and went to work, drinking my Ellie Krieger PB smoothie as I got ready. 

This weekend is going I have to squeeze out some running and sub kickboxing on Sunday (I ended up bailing on running Saturday opting for sleeping in with Billy rather than running - we went for a nice bike ride 17 miles which worked off the calories we ate at dinner at Hoboken Bar and Grill last night). I've always thought if you don't wake up feeling it and I are in too much pain - take a rest day. 

High Energy and Hard Ass

High Energy and Hard Ass...Best compliment you can get as an instructor - that you've walked that fine line between too easy and too hard and kept them motivated.

I subbed my first kickboxing class in a long time this past weekend and overall it was a success! It helped to have friends in the crowd, walking in as a sub to another class can be a horrifying experience. People are skeptical when they don't know you - their first instinct is to be critical, I've had the sighers who complain about ruined workouts. The worst is when they pack up their stuff before you even get started, or worse yet decide to leave one song in to your class. You have a strong desire to prove yourself; however if you go to crazy - they may run in the other direction if they ever see you again. Keeping your confidence is key - if you trust yourself as a professional instructor so will they. Be yourself, but be strong and challenge them - they'll remember you and your workout. And, best advice, keep it simple, they don't know you or your cueing style so better to keep it easy.

I saw several of my attendees from the class tonight - and they were feeling sore. Good news!!

Tonight I subbed a boot camp class, which built on my "back in action workout" but slightly different to assess where the class was at since I don't teach them regularly. We used the body bar (for squats and lunges), 2 sets of weights, mat, step with 2-3 risers. After the warm-up I always do (basically getting the heart rate up, no weighted basic moves and some light stretching). We did:

100 skips

50 squats

10 pushup - any fashion

15 goal post press

15 curls

rest

100 skips

25 R/L Lunge

10 pushups

15 curls

15 overhead press

rest

100 skips

50 squats

10 pushups

15 skull crushers (tricep)

15 rows standing (back)

rest

100 skips

25 L/R lunge

10 pushups

15 chest press

10 tricep dips (those are hard!!)

rest

2 min HIIT interval (shoot squat jumps, lunge w/cross jab, jump rope, football run, heisman)

rest (walk about, more water)

plie squat with elbows out holding one heavy weight

wood chopper R

French press tricep

wood chopper L

both weights curl

no weight - one leg squat jump (if you saw my last punch - this is the sucker punch move)

dead lift

other side one leg jump

dead lift

power squats on the step

ABS - crunches, double crunch, reverse crunch, right side oblique, left side, sitting on step double crunch, plank (hold for 15 seconds).

STRETCH.

Now a long hot shower as I prep for boot camp tomorrow.

Back in Action!

It's been awhile since my last post. The new job and the holidays kept me plenty busy. As well as visiting my new niece and training for the More Fitness Half Marathon - up to 8 miles this weekend! What a great winter for training.

I got a great response from this boot camp class - I based the idea on BodyRock.tv's 600 rep workout. I focused a lot on legs and added in some moves from Fitness magazine's sexy legs workout. I liked a lot of the moves they did - many of the moves are similar to one's used by celeb trainers like Jackie Warner and the one's used by the Sucker Punch trainer who whipped those ladies into fighting shape.

I was asked to incorporate the workout every few weeks and I will do my best to and to make it harder every time.

100 high knee skips

50 squats

25 curls

10 pushups

100 high knee skips

50 lunges L/R

25 skull crushers

25 reverse crunch

10 pushups

100 high knee skips

50 squats (evidently I did 60 - oops)

25 over heard press

10 pushups

100 high knee skips

50 lunges L/R

20 pushups

20 crunches

water

2 min HIIT - squat jumps/football run/heels

plie squat and one legged dead lift

2 min HIIT cross jabs/kicks/high knee run

sissy squat and one legged jump

20 - crunch

20- double crunch

20 oblique right

20-oblique left

20- bicycles

plank

My Fav Online Workout Video (it's free and not easy!)

I am very excited to see that SHAPE magazine recognized Bodyrock.tv for their free youtube exercise videos, which as I mentioned, I steal moves from frequently because they are interesting, creative and dynamic. http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/10-best-workout-videos-youtube

Additionally, I tend to use Bodyrock in the gym. I love the concept of a home workout. Some people do not like to leave their house for a workout- be they scared of the gym equipment, worried about working out in front of others or just don't want to pay for the gym - the at home video provides a great alternative. However, there are downsides. If you don't know how to create a workout or change up your workout, you may get bored or plateau. Also, buying videos can get pricey and you may need to purchase quite a few to get a variety. This is why I love that bodyrock is free and the workouts change all the time. I also love, as SHAPE mentioned, that Zuzana provides beginner alternatives and really takes the time (and photos) to show you to make the move work for you. I will always remember the first instructor I had in they gym, and my future boss, telling the class you don't need to jump and offering levels 1, 2 and "crazy." I try very hard to provide the same alternatives in my classes. I have found that not all videos offer these varying levels and may provide too difficult for the inexperienced. I think P90X is great - if you have worked out before or have a base. My boyfriend bought the series four years ago and still has yet to do any of the workout because after watching the first one he was totally intimidated. I did a few of them and found that the workouts were very intense. He went back to working out on his bike and bike trainer set up in the apartment. Due to our space limitations I am hoping he learns to love the gym.

While I like the concept of the home workout, I can never bring myself to do it. I like going to the gym, yoga studio, pilates studio or wherever to work out and then come home and my house is a place to relax and decompress. Perhaps I feel this way because I have been working for clubs and studios for quite a few years and haven't paid for a gym membership in awhile, otherwise I imagine I would feel differently. However, I've really grown accustom to the feeling of the gym or going outside to workout.

However, I do use Bodyrock even with the gym. I used to love spending all my time at the gym. I had lots of free time and I lived by myself so aside from popping in the frozen dinner - the gym seemed like an ideal place to kill some time. I would take class after class - Saturday mornings usually meant hours at the gym. However, now with a new job that requires a commute, changing lifestyle and dinner and a house to take care of - I don't feel like being there all day or getting up before 4AM. Also, I teach the spin classes at 6AM and there's not another class that morning and I never feel like returning back to the gym at night for a class - I'd rather just get my workout all done while I am in the gym - I need something quick and fast to compliment the days I'm not spinning or add to the spin so I get some strength training.

And for those who do go to the gym at night or in the 7-8am time slot - you can't always make it to the perfect class. Sometimes even when you go to the gym, there may not be a class that's for you or you may have missed a class due to work or school and you're at a loss. You want to move quick and get the hell out but you want a high calorie burn. Do you do the elliptical for hours or lift weights without knowing what you need to do? How do you get your heart rate up for a short period of time without being a the gym all morning/evening? I think Bodyrock is a great solution. I watch the videos the night before - copy the workout down or commit it to memory and do the workout in the gym. I may look crazy doing some of the moves in the gym but I usually hit 250-300 calories in anywhere from 7-15 minutes. Sometimes I will combine a workout together if I've allotted 15 minutes for the workout.

MY WORKOUT

Typically, I spend 4-5 days on cardio - 2-4 days of spin/biking and 3-4 days running (anything from an outdoor run to an interval on the treadmill). I usually add in swimming (once a week in winter and more before and during tri season) and I usually incorporate strength training, which is usually the bodyrock moves and my bootcamp class 2-3 times a week. I am not a fan of spending a ton of time lifting - I like power moves more. I remember another gym supervisor used to say "you don't need big weights (or any) for big muscle results). I am trying to also make sure I add back in some kickboxing, yoga and pilates back to my schedule, especially now that it is winter and if you're not traveling for races and taking some time off - this is a great time to try new workouts. One of the things I love about bodyrock is that they use all the basics - lots of squats, pushups, planks, burpees and other moves that either are the base moves or build on the base moves to make you stronger. I believe that any trainer/instructor wouldn't doubt the importance of a push-up or squat in your exercise diet.

Anyway, as winter sets in - if you're looking for a home workout or new moves to add to the gym check out bodyrock and give their videos a whirl. These are especially needed during X-mas cookies season!!

Burning Up: Raining Sweat!

Yesterday, we did a fabulous workout in my Tuesday morning bootcamp class. Fabulous because it left my ass sore and legs burning. When I saw one my students this morning, she let me know that the class had left her exhausted (good exhausted and good sore) and that I should do that class once a month to turn up the intensity every so often. *note taken!

The class idea was snagged from one of my favorite sites - bodyrock.tv. The workout, called "It Will Rain Sweat" was a series of 10 difficult moves times 10 reps. And it did. While I've been interviewing I've spent a lot of time in the rain - miserable hot disgusting rain - and covered in sweat. Rain and sweat that have left me with a ridiculous dry cleaning bill and a newfound kinship with our cleaner. I seem to interview every time there is a mass rainstorm and also a November "heat spell." I end up sweating my ass off in a rain jacket riding in on the Path and then getting soaked while I walk over to interviews (though I am grateful for the opportunities-don't get me wrong!). I've spent a lot of time in office bathrooms under dryers or stripping on the Path train post-interview ripping off a suit jacket that was too hot under a rain jacket. And hair is not meant to be survive this weather. There's been a lot of buns.

As I mentioned, the name "raining sweat" certainly was accurate as I finished the workout totally soaked through as if I'd just left the sauna. The workout was meant to be done 10 times through; however with the task of trying to balance many different levels of fitness and defer repetition that may risk boredom from some patrons - I added my own twist and incorporated the "fit ass" workout using a high step (3 to 4 risers) instead of a chair. By the end of the workout you'll have 50 reps of fit ass and a solid 360 reps of high intensity exercises. For more on bodyrock or if you're short on time check out Bodyrock on facebook for "it will rain sweat" and "fit ass" or their website http://www.bodyrock.tv/

We did our regular warm-up - 5-7 minutes.

SET ONE

90 second JUMP ROPE

20 reps L&R of squat step up knee drive on the step. (Turn left side to step, stand with feet wide apart, step right foot in, step left on step, drive up right knee) SWITCH.

Set of 12 exercises (this is what I used that incorporated some of the bodyrock workout and some changes)

10 burpees

10 weighted (or not) squat jumps

10 pushups (on knees, regular, or legs on step with hands on floor)

10 legs in and out (abs)

10 rows

10 tricep (french press)

10 plank jacks

10 lunge jumps

10 curl and press

10 tuck jumps

10 squats

10 roll ups

WATER

SET TWO

60 second jump rope

Set of 20 fit ass again

Repeat set of 12 exercises again

WATER

SET THREE (slight changes)

30 second jump rope

Set of 10 fit ass (to make 50 on each side)

Repeat set of 12 exercises again reaching total of 360

ABS -

curls

obliques - L&R

reverse crunch

repeat 2x

planks - rock side to side

Cool down

TOTAL TIME - 45 to 50 minutes