Tomatillo Salsa - WICKED GOOD

Tomatillos are called green tomatoes in Mexico.   They are a staple in Mexican cooking.   We grow our own tomatillos and use them for a variety of dishes including this salsa.   Very delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups tomatillos, chopped

• 1½ cups onions, chopped

• 2 small or 1 large jalapeno peppers, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• ¼ to 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I enjoy cilantro so I go to the ½ cup)

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons roasted cumin  (I enjoy cumin so I go much heavier on the cumin).

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pot and stir frequently over high heat until mixture boils.  Reduce heat.   Simmer 20 minutes.

You can also freeze this salsa.   

Adapted from Food.Com (Barb Gertz)

Stay tuned………

Arnold Palmer - Quote

"I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win. " -  Arnold Palmer

Tricep PushUps (Great Builder of Arms)

How about this for a different twist on an old favorite?

The triangle push up also knows as the diamond push up focuses on your triceps and shoulders.  It is one of the most challenging of all push up variations. 

Tricep pushups must be performed with proper positioning of the hands and elbows.    You put your hands together to form the shape of a diamond, in other words, your index fingers touch and your thumbs touch to make a diamond.  Your elbows must be kept in towards your sides the entire rep.     The “regular” pushup your hands are shoulder length apart and the emphasis is on the chest muscles.    Diamond hand positioning and strict elbows tucked in puts the emphasis on the triceps.    Keep the body straight throughout the whole movement. 

This is a move to wrap up a day you do dips.  Perform as your “burn out” move after heavy dips (heavy tricep day).

Stay tuned………

How 40% of Our Food Goes to Waste

While this post is not strictly nutrition or fitness-focused, it may help make us more aware of the quantities of food we prepare, consume and ultimately, throw out.  I do not know about you, but I had no idea how much food we waste!  More thoughtfulness about the foods we waste will likely also translate into better control of our caloric intake.

Check this out:  How 40% of Our Food Goes to Waste

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/08/how-40-of-our-food-goes-to-waste/261498/

Stay tuned…….

Steve Young - Quote

"The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before. " - Steve Young

Pull Throughs - Bands

Pull Through with Bands is a great supplemental exercise for your lower back, hamstrings and glutes.   Anchor a band around the bottom of a secure piece of equipment/object.   Face away from band anchor and straddle the band.   Grasp the free end of the band and move forward until there is tension on the band.   Take a wide stance and let the band pull you down into a squat position with your hands between your legs holding the band.   At this point, there should still be tension in the band.   Explode back up.   Keep your back straight and use your hips and glutes to stand back up.  Hold this position for a second and repeat.   This is one exercise that is best done with rep range of around 10-12.    I recommend you do this after deadlifting as a complimentary move.

Stay tuned……….

You Fell Off The Fitness Wagon …….

What do you do to get back up and going again?   

Be sure to eat the next day.  Starving yourself just slows the metabolism down.   You should trim some calories.   Do not over-react, but trim around 500 calories off your daily total.   If your pig-out was especially bad, repeat for a few days.  Then return to your normal “healthy” calorie target.

Hit the gym and workout hard.  Make up for lost ground (and pounds gained) with a week of HIGH intense workouts.  Add a few more heavy sets and reps.   Make sure they are intense and push yourself hard.   Get back on track.

Do not let yourself dwell on “failing."  Just start with a fresh day and hit it hard.

Stay tuned……..

Tommy Lasorda - Quote

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination. " - Tommy Lasorda

Kettlebell Swings - Full Body Workout

How about another great compound move?  This is a nice switch to introduce once every few weeks to switch it up from your normal lifting routine -  Kettlebell Swings.  Kettlebell Swings are very simple and yet at the same time they are a kick butt exercise. This unique exercise is a whole body workout.

To do Kettlebell Swings (you can also use dumbbells), you must let the bell hang in your arm.  Envision it as a pendulum.   Start by swinging the kettlebell down between your legs with a slight knee bend.  This is not a squat position.  For explosion your hips should be pushed back and create tension in your hamstrings.  Drive upwards with your legs and straighten from your waist with a pop to propel from the hips and lower body and not from your arms and upper body.  Keep your core tight.  Then swing the bell up to chest level. Swing the kettlebell back down between your legs and repeat. Keep control of the weight the entire time.  

I recommend doing medium weights and higher reps.  I do these during weeks along with 100s of Pull Ups and Dips, about once a month for me to keep the body guessing.

Stay tuned………

Ginger - Powerful Herb

Ginger has been a natural remedy for centuries in China.    It is a powerful herb full of essential oils which is the key to its healing powers.  Ginger is used to aid in digestion, to treat colds and sore throats, inflammation, migraines, and it might even help in the prevention of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's dementia. 

Try some ginger tea and add ginger to recipes for some spice in your dishes……  It is healthy and taste good tooo !!!!

Stay tuned………

Babe Didrikson Zaharias - Quote

"Luck? Sure. But only after long practice and only with the ability to think under pressure." -  Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Deloading Phase

Sports’ training has cycles.  You train to peak at the time of competition and then you  “deload” and then start training again.   The same can be and should be done with your fitness routine whether you are competing at a sport or simply working out for fitness and health.  

Deloading means you do less weight for a period of time.  Going full tilt all the time will lead to overtraining and injury.   You will become stagnate or decline in your personal best attempts.   After an intense training cycle (varies by person and objective), try dropping the weight load by at least 10-20% and reduce the number of sets.   Still keep the routine to the main big compound moves.   Do this for a week or so and then hit it again and you will push past your plateau and set new personal best records. 

As the saying goes…….. sometimes less is more……….     

Stay tuned………..

Nitric Oxide - Supplement

Nitric Oxide is a must for almost any individual involved in just about any sport, age or fitness level.   Next to BCAAs (see previous blog postings), they are staple of my health journey.

It is such an incredible supplement that in 1988 three researchers were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their discovery of endogenous Nitric Oxide, its existence in the body and its effect on the cardiovascular system.

Nitric Oxide (NO) is a gas that is produced by every cell and organ in the body.   It plays a primary role in so many critical functions including the regulation of blood pressure, learning and memory formation, and our immune system.  Some benefits from taking an NO supplement include increased blood circulation, enhanced endurance, enhanced immune system, increased alertness and focus, reduced inflammation and increased muscle mass.

From athletes to expeditions to Mt Everest to critically ill patients, NO supplementation is useful to open up the blood vessels and capillaries to increase blood flow and deliver oxygen and critical nutrients throughout your body at the time it needs them most.

Stay tuned………

Kale Salad

Another HEALTHY Kale recipe.  Who would have thought Kale could be this delicious?  This is loaded with nutrition and for a salad, is an unusual source of protein from the nuts, eggs and cheese.

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch kale (center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced)

• Grated parmesan

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• Sea salt 

• Toasted walnuts

• 4   hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

Preparation:

In a bowl combine cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon juice and 1/3 cup olive oil; season dressing to taste with sea salt.  Drizzle dressing over kale and toss to combine.   Top the salad with walnuts, parmesan cheese and eggs. 

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Stay tuned……..

Gordie Howe - Quote

"You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave - win or lose. "  - Gordie Howe

Warming Up Before Lifting

It is critical to warm up your muscles and get prepared to handle heavy weights.   It is impossible and potentially dangerous to immediately start lifting at a heavy weight on the first set/first rep.   You want to prevent injury and gets the blood flowing.    Unfortunately, warming up is not an exact science.   I recommend starting light and doing a few sets and work your way up to the normal heavy loads.    If you jump up too fast, you will injury yourself and more likely to fail sooner in the workout.  

Warming up gets you into the “groove” both mentally and physically.    Physically, this is the time to get the form down.  Make sure you have correct technique with light weights.    Loosen the muscles.    Mentally, you can work the nerve up to attack those personal best records.  

Here is an example of my bench press warm up:   Barbell only for a few reps (this prepares me for range of motion and the form).   Then I go to 95 lbs for 5 reps.  Then I go to 135 lbs for 5 reps.   Then 155 lbs for 5 reps.   Now I am warmed up and ready to tackle my heavy lifting.    You do not want to do too many “warm ups” or you will take away from the endurance needed for heavy lifting which is where we build muscle and burn fat.

Lift strong --  warming up is key to this…….

Stay tuned……….