Return of the DB 10 x 10

I did this workout a few weeks ago as a Weekend Challenge, and now it's workout C of my program (TT 2K9)! Last time I used 10 lb DBs and thought they were a bit light. This morning I decided to stay at home instead of going to the gym and so I used my 12.5 lb DBs.

DB 10 x10 Circuit
DB Bulgarian Split Squat (4x10 ea side)
DB Shoulder Press (4x10)
DB Step up (4x10 ea side)
DB Chest Press (4x10)
DB Row (4x10 ea side)
DB Lunge (4x10 ea side)
DB Swing (4x10)
DB Shrug (4x10)
DB Incline Press (4x10)
DB Squat (4x10)

First round: 5 min, 17 sec
Second round: 5 min, 23 sec
Third round: 4 min, 51 sec
Forth round: 4 min, 36 sec

Total time, with rest periods, was 22 minutes and 56 seconds. So a little slower than with the 10 lb weights, but I'll get the chance to do this again next Friday!

Today's Workout

This morning's workout is brought to you by the letter "F" (Thanks, Fred!) and the number "8". The first part of the workout is similar to a previous workout with timed intervals that I posted about here. The second part of the workout is the Tar Heels Medicine Ball 200, which was a Weekend Challenge several weeks ago and that I posted about here. Except I don't have a medicine ball at home. I scoured the house and found a....{fanfare}....paint container! This little baby is only about 1/4 full and weighs in at 4.2 lbs. Has a convenient handle. I will remember the woodchops next time I need to mix paint. :) Just another way to get a good workout without any fancy equipment!

Part 1:
KB swings x 20 seconds
Active rest x 10 seconds (hold at bottom of squat)
Push ups x 20 seconds
Active rest x 10 seconds (hold at top of push up)
Repeat for a total of 8 times through

Part 2:
Big Circles - 10/10 = 20
WoodChoppers - 20
Standing Russian Twist - 20 (left + right for 1 rep)
Squat to press - 20
Medicine ball Sit ups - 20
Rocky Solo’s - 10/10 = 20
Toe Touch - 20
45 Degrees torso Twist - 20 (left + right for 1 rep)
Suitcase Crunch - 20 (left + right for 1 rep)
Diagonal Crunch - 20 (left + right for 1 rep)

I will be feeling this in my abs tomorrow!

Recipe Wednesday - Spicy and Cheesy Chicken Soup

I made this recipe last Friday night kind of on the spur of the moment. (Whoo-hoo! How's that for flexible planning!) The day prior, I had seen a recipe in a magazine as I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office. I was looking at the ingredient list and thought to myself, "I have most of that stuff at home right now!" And it sounded really good! I made a few adjustments - for example, I made it as a soup instead of a casserole. It was sooo good and I will definitely make it again!

Spicy and Cheesy Chicken Soup

2 chicken breasts (4 to 6 oz each)
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes with jalapenos
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup
1/2 cup condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook about 6 minutes on each side.

2. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, garlic and chicken broth to the pan and stir well, scraping any little bits from the bottom of the pan.

3. Add the 2 condensed soups and the cup of precooked rice. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add them back to the pan and stir well. Ladle into bowls and top with the shredded cheddar and mozzarella.

This will make 2 large servings or 4 smaller ones. The picture below is of a large serving.



For 2 large servings, assuming 4 oz chicken breasts, each serving will have:

460 calories
37.5g protein
17g fat
38.7 carbs
4.2g fiber

You could add lots of different vegetables to this as well, if desired. My husband and I like different vegetables so he had peas in his soup, and I had broccoli on the side. You could add corn, carrots, or even cauliflower to this. I'd probably add them at the same time as the brown rice. I think next time I'm going to make this with some chopped cauliflower. That sounds really good!

You-Know-Where Has Frozen Over

I was at the gym the other morning, and "that woman" (the cardio queen), was lifting weights! I was like Hallelujah! This is the same woman who I have seen at the gym every morning for the last 18 months or so, on the treadmill or elliptical, and she looks exactly the same as she did...18 months ago. It looks like she may have joined the women's "strength training" group. Once or twice a week a small group of middle-aged ladies work out with the gym staff using light weights, stability balls, and resistance bands. At least it's a start! I'm proud of her for trying something new. How about you? What are you going to try this week?

This morning for my light day workout I decided to try one of those free workouts from the cable TV "OnDemand". It was about as invigorating as a nice long soak in a hot bubble bath so I added a short circuit of push ups, chin ups, jump squats, etc. Tomorrow I'll be doing workout B of TT 2K9. Looks pretty good. It has 2-hand kettlebell swings in one of the supersets. I'm going to smuggle in my 20lb kettlebell because my gym doesn't have kettlebells! :)

Week Four Update

I'm a little late this week, but better late than never, right? Been a very busy weekend! Here is a recap of how I did this week relative to my goals.

1. I will make every workout count
Felt great this week! Really worked hard in every workout. I finished the TT 2K5 program and next week I plan on starting TT 2K9. (2K5 and 2K9 just refer to the year Craig Ballantyne created that particular Turbulence Training program.) TT 2K9 uses kettlebells so I will get to use my new toy!

2. I will drink less diet soda
Still drinking too much once again. Got a little crazy near the end of the week. Time to put a stop to it! Going to be cracking down on this goal a little more diligently from now on.

3. I will weigh myself ONLY once per week
Did great this week. I have no idea what I weigh right now. Feeling OK about that because I went shopping yesterday and bought a pair of size 4 pants that fit great, so I know I'm not gaining a lot of weight.

4. I will eat 2000-2200 calories per day on workout days and 1600-1800 on non-workout/light workout days (updated goal).
Workout days were: 1842, 2565, and 2451 calories; Non-workout/Light days were: 1836, 3172 (birthday), 1658, and 2388 calories. So a little high this week overall, but I did spread my birthday celebration over a few days. Maybe it will help with muscle gains this week. Although, that doughnut probably isn't going to help build any muscle. :)

5. I will eat cleanly, but will allow treat meals
I did well early in the week, but had too many treats for my birthday. I have 8 weeks left in the contest, and I am planning on only 1 or 2 treats per week from here on out.

6. I will eat 5-7 fruits/vegetables per day
Achieved every day except for yesterday.

7. I will not worry about gaining extra weight while building muscle
Didn't worry about gaining weight this week!

8. I will not be neurotic with my diet
Did well this week. Allowed myself more treats than I should have though! I was able to read through Precision Nutrition V3 and made my mealplan for next week. I narrowed it down to ONLY 49 recipes that I want to try. LOL Be sure to Follow My Feasts this week because you'll be getting an eyeful of Gourmet Nutrition V1!

9. I will not be grumpy at my family
Did good this week. I created this goal to work with goals #8 and #10 because if I am stressing about my diet and the contest, then I will be grumpy at my family.

10. I will enjoy the contest and will not allow it to stress me out
This week was great and I felt relaxed.


Finally, here is the link to this weeks TT Coaching Call: TT 7-day Fat Loss Guide. Good stuff this week about social support. You can also get all these calls on iTunes here: TT Podcasts

Have a great week everyone!

Recipe Wednesday - Blueberry Protein Muffins

A big Thank You to Sara at Sanaworld for the basis of this recipe. I've tweaked and tweaked and have now come up with this version of blueberry protein muffins. These are quite dense, but very tasty!

Blueberry Protein Muffins

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (measure first, then grind in a food processor)
1.5 cups vanilla whey protein powder (about 6 scoops)
1/4 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
6 oz lite firm tofu
1 container blueberries (1 to 1.5 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the first 6 (dry) ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Blend the remaining ingredients (except for the blueberries) in another bowl until smooth, either with a blender/food processor or an immersion blender.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together. Stir in the blueberries.

5. Spoon into muffin tins lightly sprayed with nonstick spray up to 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.


I frosted mine with a cream cheese frosting from Sharron Long's Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine. Here's the recipe for that:

3T butter
2 oz neufchatel or cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 packet Stevia Plus
8 packets Splenda
dash of salt
1/4 cup milk and egg protein powder (about 1 scoop)

1. Cream butter, neufchatel cheese, vanilla, salt, SteviaPlus and Splenda until smooth.

2. Add milk and egg protein a little at a time, blended well each time.

This will be very thick but is easier to spread if you let the neufchatel cheese and butter sit out for a bit first. I usually make it in a blender and add the milk & egg protein slowly in through the top. This will frost exactly 12 muffins.


Each muffin, with frosting, has:

152 calories
14.4g protein
5.7g fat
11.1g carbs
1.4g fiber

I am super excited because my Precision Nutrition V3 arrived yesterday and I've been reading like a madwoman! I started with Gourmet Nutrition V1 (included with the PN V3) because I am always looking for new recipes. (I already own Gourmet Nutrition V2 and love it!) I like how V1 is not just a recipe book, but also has tips like how to flip an omelet, and little history lessons on things like quinoa and kung pao chicken. Tonight or tomorrow I should have some time to get into the actual tenets of the program, but for now I am drooling over the recipes! :)

How Fast Do You Eat?

Recently during dinner, I stopped eating for a moment and put down my fork. My 4-year-old son looked at me surprised and asked, "Why'd you do that, Mama?"

I wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Why'd I do what?"

"Why'd you stop eating?"

Good Lord, had the child never seen me take a break while I was eating? This got me thinking, do I ever take a break while eating? Over the next few days I paid attention. The answer was NO! I eat very, very fast!

I've read things about losing weight and how you should put your fork down between bites, or how you should eat slowly because it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register you've eaten. Apparently, I've never taken it to heart. But this week, I'm vowing to eat more slowly, and savor my meals. My son may look at me weird, but I think it may help as I try to keep from snacking so much this week. Is anyone out there a "slow eater"? Has is helped with your weight loss goals?

Weekend Challenge and Another New Toy

Here is the Weekly Challenge workout posed on the TT forums. I had done both parts of the workout before, so I wanted to try and improve my times.

Bodyweight 350
45 Prisoner Squats
40 Push ups
20 Jumps
20 SB leg curls
20 SB Jackknifes
40 Step ups (20 per side)
10 Pull ups (OK, I confess, I cheated and used a 10lb assist)
40 Forward Lunges (20 per side)
40 Close grip push ups
20 Inverted Rows (Beginner)
40 Squats
15 Chin ups

Previous time - 14:06
Goal - 13:30
Actual - 12:00 exactly, but I did use the assist this time for pull ups and the last time I did not.

1 Mile Run
Previous time - 10:55
Goal - 10:30
Actual - 9:59! Best time ever!

And, I got a new toy yesterday! It's a beautiful blue 20lb Kettlebell. I had been using a 10lb kettlebell for swings, but it was getting way too light!


Speaking of new toys, I got an email the other day saying my Precision Nutrition V3 had shipped! Whoo-hoo - very excited to get to read that when it arrives! You can still get it for 33% off through January 20th.

Finally, here is the link to this weeks weekly TT Coaching Call: TT Weekly Call. Interesting stuff this week about bodyweight training, planning your workouts ahead of time, and high intensity cardio.

Week 3 Update

Here is my Week 3 Update as I compete in my 4th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. I am really going to have to buckle down and clean up my diet if I want to have a great transformation. After the holidays I was really disappointed in how I looked, and while I can see I've made progress, it's not as much as I had hoped by this point.

1. I will make every workout count
Did good. Raised the weights again in some exercises, and I managed more 1-legged squats in a row than last week. Two full sets of 8 on each leg on Friday!

2. I will drink less diet soda
Still drinking too much. I was in a bit of funk mid week and consoled myself with my friend Diet Soda, which is probably better than my friend Pumpkin Pie, or New York Style Cheesecake.

3. I will weigh myself ONLY once per week
Did much better! A few days I didn’t even look at the scale.

4. I will eat 2200-2500 calories per day while building muscle (to be reassessed as needed)
I think I am changing this goal. In the spirit of the contest, I want to get a little more lean. I’m going to shoot for 2000-2200 calories on workout days and 1600-1800 on non-workout days. I think that by not drastically dropping my calories, I should be able to maintain the muscle I have.

5. I will eat cleanly, but will allow treat meals
This week went fairly well. Too many extra small treats (almonds, muscle milk brownies, protein cookies), and my main treat meal was pizza. Avoided the carrot cake and ice cream on Thursday at the office, but I ate too much today. Had my treat meal, but then ate too much tonight. Not bad foods, just too much in general.

6. I will eat 5-7 fruits/vegetables per day
Achieved every day except for today.

7. I will not worry about gaining extra weight while building muscle
See goal #4 above.

8. I will not be neurotic with my diet
Doing better. I was even able to change a few things around without a crazy binge-type episode at night. Still counting croutons, but who doesn't? ;)

9. I will not be grumpy at my family
Did OK this week. Not quite as energetic as last week. I need to spend less time on the computer and more time with my children.

10. I will enjoy the contest and will not allow it to stress me out
I was quite proud of myself as I did NOT join the new Twitter contest. I know myself too well and adding this extra pressure would not have been good for me. However, there is still time to enter if anyone is interested (last day to enter I think is January 20). Here is the link to the rules: TT Twitter Contest Rules

Quick Bodyweight Workout

Here is a new video with Craig Ballantyne showing a very easy way to get in a very fast workout using timed intervals.

I used this as the basis for my quick workout at home. I didn't go to the gym this morning (it's -17 degrees!) but I have no excuses to not work out.

200 Kettlebell swings
30 sec swing, 30 sec marching in place x10

BW squats
20 sec squatting, 10 sec hold at bottom x8

Push ups
20 sec push ups, 10 sec hold at top x4

Stability Ball roll out
20 sec roll outs, 10 sec hold extended x4

Jumping Jacks
20 sec jumping, 10 sec rest x5

Burpees
20 sec burpees, 10 sec rest x5

Took about 25 minutes total time. And got a pretty good workout!