Monday, March 17, 2014

Great workout to prepare for obstacle racing

If you are like me and many others who are taking to the obstacle racing scene, here is a great workout you can do in the gym (of course you can improvise if doing outdoors).

I want to forewarn you this id a brutal workout, and is only intended for those who have been working out regularly and have no injuries or nagging aches.

You'll want to make sure you get in a good warm-up, doing some Rowing on the Concept 2 machine for 5-10 min., and then follow that up with some dynamic stretching for another 5-10 min.

Make sure you have access to a water fountain or have a water bottle close by as you will be sweating a lot and burning lots of calories.  The workout will take you between 15-30 min per set, depending on your fitness level.

I recommend that you do 3 sets of the following exercises, but id that is too easy (you must be an animal) then try for 4-5 sets. However, if after 2 sets you are already fried, don't attempt a 3rd set.

Workout:  3 sets total
1/2 mi. Run at moderately hard pace
10 Burpees 
10 Burpee Pullups 
20 Box Jumps (18-30" box)
30 Bicycle Crunches
30 Squats (bodyweight)
20 KB Swings
20 Walking Lunges (10 per leg) holding DB's in each hand
10 Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
REST 1-2 MIN
Repeat

Then after completing the workout, finish with some core exercises...3 sets, 30 reps each
If you don't have a TRX, just do the side planks on the ground

TRX Side Planks w/ Hip Drop
Crunches
Med Ball Russian Twists
Plank (30 sec)

I would love to hear your feedback on how the workout went for you.  Please leave a comment in the comment section below.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Best nutrition purchase you'll ever buy

So have you heard of Nutri Bullet?  It's probably one of the greatest nutrition items currently on the market.  I heard about it from a friend of mine, and was sold on it after he quickly made me a drink.


I enjoy eating fruits and veggies, but admit I probably don't eat enough veggies.  Why?  Well I hate to admit it, but manly for the inconvenience of having to cut them up.

Yes of course you can but them pre-cut, but then again there is a price to pay for that.  Plus, I like to buy as fresh as possible.  So I buy produce in it's most natural state as possible.

Ingredients:  1/2 Apple, 1 Cup Kale, 1/2 Banana, 1 Tbsp Dried Goji Berries, 1/4 Cup Walnuts, 2 Small Carrots, 1 Celery Stick, 1/2 Scoop Protein Powder, 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed, and 1/4 Cup Organic Pineapple Juice

Introduce the Nutri Bullet...a high powered smoothie making machine.  It's a simple way for those who don't eat enough fruits or veggies to make a smoothie without the hassle of cleaning up a big mess.  Yes, like most blenders, or juicers, there is a lot of cleaning to do after making the drink.  With the Nutri Bullet, you add your ingredients, screw on the blade, start chopping/blending, unscrew the blade, rinse the blade with water and then enjoy your drink.

everything added with 3/4 Cup water

ready to mix 

Start to finish takes about 1 min.  Who doesn't like simplicity.  So far I have recommended 3 people to try it and they have all purchase their own unit and love it.  It's time for you too to give it a try and see for yourself the beauty of eating healthier at a low cost and simple process.

finished product 20 seconds later

When I purchased mine they were offering a "Buy 1 Get 1 Free".  So I paid $120 and received 2 complete Nutri Bullet units.  That is much cheaper than you will pay for any juicer (and you get all the fiber, unlike a juicer) or VitaMix machine.  Of course, it comes with a recipe book full of great ideas, or you can always make your own.

I have had a veggie/fruit smoothie everyday, mostly as my mid-morning snack.  As a result, I have eaten much more spinach and kale (about a 10 oz bag a week) than I have in the past.  I keep one unit at work and one at home.  

Now I am not advocating that you stop eating your veggies or fruits raw, but this is a simple way to just add more of them in your daily diet.