Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Best Muffins EVER!


OK folks, I just got some EXTRA SPECIAL info that I need to pass along to you all. Every Tuesday 1 of my very favorite personal training clients (who wishes to remain nameless) brings me at least six of these Raisin Bran Protein Muffins and I cannot keep them longer than a day or two; THEY ARE RIDICULOUS! It took me over six months to pry this recipe from her, but after constant begging and pleading, I GOT IT! I know the name Raisin Bran Protein Muffins doesn't sound as good as I'm assuring you they are, but you'll have to just TRUST ME on this 1!


They may not be the picture of a super-healthy snack, but they are much better for you and much better tasting than anything you'll find at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. I don't have exact numbers, but I'll guess that each muffin contains approximately 200-220 calories, 10-12 grams of protein, and 5-7 grams of fiber. I have never made them myself, but it looks simple enough that I think I could if necessary.


Raisin Bran Protein Muffins
This makes a huge bowl and keeps up to six weeks in the fridge. Use a very large bowl that has a lid!!
5 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar/can use substitute but I don't
1 (15) oz. box raisin bran/ any brand will do, organic is good.....less sugar
1 cup LOW FAT granola
5 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 qt. lowfat buttermilk
4 eggs slightly beaten/can use egg substitute
1 cup canola oil
4 to 5 scoops protein powder/ I use ARIA Vanillla
1/4 cup ground flax seed


Combine flour, sugar, raisin bran, granola, baking soda, salt, protein, and flax. Combine buttermilk, eggs and oil and stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Cover mixture and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, preheat oven to 375. Fill greased muffin tins (use Pam or lowfat spray) 3/4 full and bake for about 17-20 minutes. This muffin mixture keeps up to 6 weeks in fridge...if it lasts that long!


Let me know what you think!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Let's Get FUNCTIONAL...FUNCTIONAL!


A big buzzword thats been floating around for a while now in fitness and exercise circles is "functional." How can we become more "functional" in our training and what exactly does it mean?

The bottom line is this; unless you are training to become a professional bodybuilder, exercising should make your daily life and the things you like to (and have to) do easier. No matter what your fitness level, activity level, or injury history, we can all train to be more competent in the daily "real life" tasks we have to perform. Just incorporating 1 to two functional type exercises in your routine each week will help with that translation into your everyday activities.

Here are just a few examples of functional exercises and their related "real life" move:

Lunge with Medicine Ball Reach - While stepping out into a lunge (to the front, side, or twisting to the back) reach a medicine ball out over your lead toe as if you were picking something up off of the ground and pull it back to the chest as you return to standing position. Repeat this to each side trying to step in differing angles. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Picking up a box of files or books, picking up your children's toys, etc.

Medicine Ball Swing Toss - Holding a medicine ball as if you were holding your golf club or tennis raquet, go into your back swing and release the ball to a partner or against a wall as you swing forward as you normally would while playing your desired "swinging sport." Repeat this move with both sides of the body performing 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Playing golf or tennis

Sqaut with Twisting Bicep Curl - Picture this...you get home from the grocery store and of course you don't want to make two trips into the house from the car, so you load up your arms with all of the plastic bags and lug them to the kitchen only to find that you are too short to just lay them onto the counter top. How do we get them up there? We have to do a bicep curl right, but not only that we have to build up from the ground up because the bags are too heavy! So, here's the move: while holding a dumbell in each hand, bend the knees to a "mini" squat and as we straighten our knees and rotate our torso keeping the core drawn in and tall perform a double bicep curl. Return to center as you lower the dumbells and repeat on the opposite side. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real Life move: Setting the grocery bags, cases of water, dog food, etc. on the kitchen counter top

Butt-touch Squats - With a chair or bench positioned behind you, squat and sit back until your butt touches the seat and without allowing your bodyweight to fall onto the seat. As soon as your bottom touches the seat, stand up while not allowing your knees to go forward beyond your toes and repeat. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions and add weight if possible to increase the intensity and difficulty.
Real life move: Getting up out of a chair

Calf Raise with Reaching Military Press - Holding dumbells with both hands at chest height, slightly twist to one side while putting most of your weight on 1 leg, go into a calf raise on that leg and as you do so reach/press the dumbells overhead into a military press. Return to center as you lower the dumbells to chest height and repeat to the other side. Perform 10 - 20 repetitions on each side.
Real life move: Placing or removing a box or item onto or from a high shelf

See if you can come up with some of your own functional exercises. What do you do during the day that might be able to be "practiced" in the gym? Incorporate one of these or some of your own moves into your strength training routine and start to feel the immediate benefits. Remember, the path of life is much easier to tread with a strong, healthy body! Oh yeah, HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Gym Ettiquette - Are You 1 of These People?


I consider myself a normal human being and I think I know what gym etiquette is. These are just a few things that you absolutely should not do while "working out."

Do you do any of these things at the gym? Yes? How about you stop...NOW!

1. Do you take your cell phone in the gym and actually talk on it while faining that you are exercising? Worse yet, do you use the fake secret service lookin' bluetooth earpiece and walk around acting like the most important person in the joint? You're just not that important...plus, every1 near you thinks that you are talking to them when they can't see your stupid earpiece!

2. Ladies...are you really getting a good workout while your face is buried in the latest Hollywood Rag Mag? Isn't it amazing how fast Jessica Alba bounced back from having a baby? That Bitch!

3. Guys...Yes there are mirrors all over the gym, YES you may glance at yourself while exercising to check your form, YES, you can make sure that white head on your nose isn't ready to pull a Mt. St. Helens, but do not ever, EVER, EVER pull up your shirt to flex your washboard, Greg Plitt lookin abs, or any other muscle for that matter! Save it for the bathroom mirror!

4. Do you really have to let the whole gym know that you are squatting 400lbs by grunting and groaning at the top of your lungs? "Hey, look at me, I won't be able to walk without a serious limp when I'm 40!" That's what you should be yelling!

5. Do you leave your DNA all over the equipment when you are done using it? You see those spray bottles? You see those towels? Learn to use them please!

6. Guys (and maybe gals?)...In the locker room; must you walk around brushing your teeth, flossing, shaving, steaming, conversing, and whistling BUTT NAKED??? Seriously, I see this WAY TOO MUCH! I understand its a locker room and I understand you played high school football 30 plus years ago, but c'mon man, some of us just had a pre-workout shake and don't need to see your your JUNK!

7. Do you wear a weightlifting belt? Do you? REALLY? How's this, if your name is Sven or Magnus and you are in the back of the gym lifting Volkswagens, you can wear a belt or anything else for that matter because no1 will mess with you!

8. Talking form and technique. Do you... 1) bounce the barbell off of your chest when doing a bench press? 2) have your spine in the shape of an upside down "U" when doing a bent over row? 3) swing back and forth doing a bicep curl so you can curl those 60lb dumbells? Good job, we're all very impressed. 4) hang on for dear life to the handrails on the stepper placing all of your body weight on your wrists as opposed to the muscles that are actually supposed to be doing the work - the LEGS? 5) pull on the back of your neck when doing crunches? 6) do lat pulldowns pulling the bar down behind your neck? STOP IT NOW AND LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT! Here's an idea, put your pride in your pocket and talk to a certified personal trainer!

9. Please stop it with the perfume and the cologne! If you think you stink, don't try to cover it up with Red Door or Stetson! You stink worse than the original B.O. you brought yourself in with and you are making every1 around you violently ill.

10. Do you think the gym is a night club fellas? It's not...trying to pick up a girl in the gym is probably the single biggest turn-off that exists! If you're working out to get chicks, that's fine, but please stop trying to get them AT the gym! Also, if your one of those belt wearing, barbell bouncing, arm swinging meatheads and you try to show little miss make-up how to do an exercise or try to tell her that she can do more weight, guess what? You look like an ASS to both her and the normal people like me witnessing your sorry attempt to know what you are talking about!

Again, these things just came to MY mind, there are PLENTY more out there! Please leave me a comment with some of your gym pet peeves.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Six "Abdominal" Exercises That You Better Be Doing

So you think you got your ab routine down huh? You do the same 5 - 10 minutes of "abs" after your cardio or strength workout four or five times a week and thats it. Guess what, you're doing it all wrong!

The abs should be treated just like any other muscle group in terms of training volume. Do your focused "ab" training about twice per week. The abs are so active in so many other exercises that they are (or should be) practically always working! Your abs can be overtrained and thus stop "growing" and getting stronger.

AND...I hope you already know that you will not get a sweet six pack by doing a million crunches everyday, right? There is no such thing as "spot reduction." We ALL have a six pack, but the reason we can't see it is most likely because there is a layer of fat hiding it! If you think you are training your abs and core properly, be sure you're doing enough cardio and clean up that diet!

Now, to the SIX EXERCISES that you better be including in that killer ab workout of yours! DO NOT DO THE SAME ROUTINE EVERY TIME!

1. Front Plank



2. Resistance Band Twist (standing or seated on ball)



3. Stability Ball Crunch (with resistance)



4. Dead Bug



5. Stability Ball Rollout (Ab Roller, Ab Dolly, or Ab Wheel)


6. Bicycle Crunch