Work Out Of The Week November 29th, 2009

15 Minute Workout - Power Surge
For each set perform the exercises back to back without resting between, 10 repetitions each. Perform three rounds of each super set, resting a couple of minutes between sets.

Super Set #1

Plyometric Push-Up
In full push up position lower yourself to the floor then push yourself up with enough force so your hands leave the floor.

Dumbbell Bench Press
Lie on bench with a set of dumbbells and perform a dumbbell chest press.

Super Set #2

Explosive Step Ups
Perform a regular bench step up but explode off the floor and bench. Repeat all on the right and then all on the left.

Alternating Dumbbell Step Ups
Hold dumbbells, step up and down on a bench. Repeat all on the right, then all on the left.

Super Set #3

V-Up
Lie on the floor with legs straight out and arms extended over your head. Jackknife up to a full V sit up, touching hand to shoelaces.

Weighted Sit Up
Lie on the floor, holding a dumbbell at your chest. Perform a regular crunch.

Following the above workout with 30 minutes of cardio will increase your fat loss significantly.

Chicken Florentine

This is one of my very favorite chicken breast recipes and the nutritional value is phenomenal!

Chicken Florentine

1 Package (10 Ounces) frozen spinach
2 Garlic cloves (I used garlic that is already chopped. They sell huge jars at Costco that are very good).
1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets (I buy regular chicken breast because it's cheaper and then pound it down so it's thinner).
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Thaw the spinach in a microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Finely chop the garlic.

2. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook over med-high heat, turning, until lightly browned and cooked throughout, 1 1/2- 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. To serve, spread the spinach on a platter and arrange the chicken on top. Drizzle any juices from the plate over all.

You really don't need to add anything to this dish. It's a full meal with lean protein and leafy, dark green vegies and the garlic and Parmesan makes it very flavorful.

Enjoy!!

Workout of the Week November 16th, 2009

Hey guys!

Another fabulous treadmill workout. Again, only 30 minutes. You don't need to go for an hour. As a matter of fact you will get more benefit going shorter and harder. You don't need to workout longer, just more efficiently.

After 3-5 minute warm up.

Take around 3 minutes to find a comfortable pace (walking OR running).

Here's the interval sequence:

2 minutes at 6% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
90 seconds at 8% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
60 seconds at 10% incline
1 minute at 0% incline
30 seconds at 12% incline
1 minute at 0% incline

Repeat the entire sequence again.
Recover at 0% incline and then slow your speed to a very comfortable walk.
Lower speed to a 1 on the treadmill and walk backward for at least 1 minute.
Hop off the treadmill and stretch hamstrings, quads, hips and calves.

Now reap the benefits of a hard workout because you are burning 6X more fat and your metabolism has been raised for the next 24-48 hours. Then you can repeat it again and continue on that fat burning track.

Garlic Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar

Skinless, boneless chicken breast is probably the number one choice for getting lean protein in your diet. It is easy to find and can be inexpensive.


I have had several requests lately to post some good chicken breast recipes. Yes - skinless, boneless chicken breast is flat-out boring and am not one to spend hours in the kitchen so any dish that I cook has to have a few ingredients and be easy to make.



Garlic Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar

1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets (easy to make your own)
Salt and Pepper
4 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

Season cutlets with salt and pepper and chop the garlic.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a pan. Add chicken and cook over med-high heat, turning once, until browned (about 1.5 minutes per side). Remove to plate, leaving drippings in pan.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the garlic. Cook over med-low heat, stirring, until softened but not brown, about one minute. Add the vinegar and 1/2 cup water to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, Boil one minute. Stir in the parsley.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pan and simmer for one minute to heat through.

I have several great recipes in my stash and I will post more in the future.

Work Out of The Week November 2nd, 2009

Hey guys! Here is this week's workout:

This cardio interval workout is best done on a stationary bike, but can be performed on any club cardio machine except the treadmill. You can run outside and perform the intervals. A treadmill just doesn't react quickly enough to accommodate the short speed increases and decreases of this workout. My past workouts have all involved a treadmill so I thought I'd shake it up a little bit.

A study was conducted in Sweden a couple of years ago and they discovered that shorter bursts of high intensity output followed by recovery at at 1:1.5 ratio burned NINE times more fat then steady state cardio. The thing is this workout is harder to manage then the previous workouts that I have posted.

Warm up for 4-5 minutes.

Starting at the top of the minute go full out, run for your life hard, for 8 seconds (that's right, just 8 seconds) followed by 12 seconds of recovery. Continue this 8/12 pattern for 20 minutes followed by a cool down.

You have to have a clock with a second hand right in front of you or a watch that can be set to beep every time you need to race/recover.

I usually do this workout once a week on a bike in the cycle room at one my clubs. It is really challenging (and uncomfortable in a not-so-good way) to do the intervals on one of the cardio bikes out on the floor. You know the ones - they have really big bike seats and you have to sit really upright. It is better to do them on a recumbent bike if you don't have an indoor cycle available for your use, I know some clubs lock their cycle rooms between classes.

Good luck!