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!

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!

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.

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

Why the BOSU rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUZLTlm3he4

Yes, the moves in this video are highly advanced but it shows the endless versatility of the BOSU! Stop looking at that blue "half-ball" in the corner of your gym, grab it, and start experimenting! Make sure you are comfortable standing on both sides before trying to add weights, squats, jumps, etc. The BOSU will challenge your body in a whole new way!

We all lose our ability to balance as we age; why not put that off as long as we can? The BOSU puts us in an unstable environment and makes our often under-used stabilizer muscles work hard to keep us upright. Stronger stabilizer and core muscles lead to the "deep" strength we need to support our bones and joints. Add the BOSU to at least one exercise each time you workout and start to see the results of improved balance and strength immediatley!

Fifty 1 Things

Here are 51 simple things (in no particular order) that you can add to your routine that will improve your fitness level immediately. You don't have to do (or follow) them all, but start weaving them in and notice the positive changes in the way you look and feel!

These statements have not been approved by the FDA, FBI, DEA, CIA, CDC, IRS, or any other governing body with a scary acronym; they are simply things that I think I know will help YOU!

1. If you smoke or chew tobacco...stop right now and go get your head checked! You obviously don't care about yourself enough to be reading this blog!

2. Drink at least 1/2 of your body weight (in ounces) of water each day.

3. Take a daily multi-vitamin.

4. Learn how to perform exercises and use machines properly before doing them.

5. If you don't know how to exercise properly, ask a certified personal trainer to show you how.

6. If doing a particular exercise hurts you, stop doing it!

7. Include intervals in your cardio training. Not sure what an interval is? Ask me!

8. Get your butt on the Stairmill or Stepper at least once a week for at least 20 minutes! It's hard, therefore, it works!

9. Stop drinking soda.

10. Decrease the amount of processed foods you are consuming, the sodium content is dangerous in almost all processed foods.

11. Increase the amount of natural / organic foods in your diet.

12. Stretch after EVERY workout session.

13. Stop doing the same damn workout every time you go into the gym, keep your body on it's toes and you'll never hit a plateau.

14. Do push-ups!

15. Break a sweat at least five days a week.

16. If you can't find 5 - 7 hours a week to exercise, stop lying to yourself, you're not that important!

17. If you're too tired or too stressed to workout...good news, exercise is a natural anti-depressant and energy booster!

18. Get 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night.

19. Do pull-ups!

20. If you are working out "enough" and you're not losing weight or bodyfat (if that's your goal) start a food log! Write down every single thing you put down your throat. I guarantee you're not eating properly.

21. Start cutting back on the amount of sugar in your diet immediately!

22. If you are sick, it's OK to REST!

23. If you are injured, it's OK to REST!

24. Eat an apple a day.

25. Learn what it means to "draw in your core" and practice it with almost every exercise you do.

26. Sit up (and stand up) straight and tall, we all sit too much, and we all SLOUCH way too much!

27. Start exercising in unstable environments, ie. on a stability ball, BOSU Ball, Dyna Disk, Airex Pad, or simply while standing on 1 foot. Get away from those machines ALL the time, they are fine in moderation.

28. Speaking of moderation, don't go crazy and deprive yourself of foods and beverages that you enjoy. You need to reward yourself periodically for the work you've done, just be careful and "pick your spots"

29. Do Deadlifts, but learn how to do them properly!

30. Increase the amount of fiber in your diet.

31. Give yoga or Pilates a try, you may love it!

32. Make sure your playlist motivates you and gets you moving, if you don't listen to music when you exercise, TRY IT!

33. Got a sweet tooth after meals? Always keep sugar-free gum with you and jam a piece in your mouth as soon as that craving hits, it'll go away!

34. Yogurt and almonds are a great before bed snack.

35. NEVER skip breakfast!!!!

36. Always schedule your workouts on your iPhone, Blackberry, planner, etc. It's part of your day isn't it?

37. Do squats!

38. Learn how to properly use a foam roller and roll all major muscle groups at least once a month.

39. Switch from whole milk to 2% or skim already!

40. Stop eating white bread; whole wheat or multi-grain taste better anyway.

41. Get a reliable workout partner and hold each other accountable!

42. Write down 1 short-term and 1 long-term SMART goal and keep it with you at all times. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-stamped.

43. Get outdoors and exercise sometimes, a change in atmosphere can be very motivating.

44. Stop it with the fad diets, weight loss pills, and gadgets you see on TV and read about in US Weekly already! There is no easy way out; if it were easy 65% of the population wouldn't be obese and we'd all be walking around looking for reasons to tear our clothes off! Just start sweating!

45. So you're still taking the escalators and elevators? Really? Are ya, really?

46. Almost every tasty food out there nowadays has an almost as tasty lower calorie, lower fat alternative...give them a try!

47. Keep a set of exercise clothes in your car at all times, if you go home after work to change for the gym, you won't always make it there.

48. Don't go food shooping when you are hungry. You will generally buy things that you don't need to be eating, and if they are in in your kitchen, you will consume them.

49. Learn and try simple, at-work stress relief techniques, ie. deep breathing, meditation, walking, etc. Stress is the "silent-killer."

50. Stop it with the EXCUSES already! Excuses are crutches for the weak and lazy. If you truly want to live a better, healthier, happier life go out and do something about it!

51. Check out my blog at least weekly, tell your friends about it, and become a "follower." Make comments on things you find here and don't be afraid to question me about what you read. I appreciate all types of feedback!

Keep your eyes out FOR THIS!!!

"YOU ONLY GET 1" BOOT CAMP

Coming to an area near you this spring!

This 90-minute bootcamp will completely make you re-think your current fitness routine! Burn calories and sweat like you never have before while focusing on all aspects of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and balance. This boot camp is like no other you may have tried...it'll be FUN, it'll be HARD, but most importantly, it will be EFFECTIVE!

Stay tuned...