I Had One Hour…

There really is no need to spend hours at the gym.  Sometimes I don’t even get to the gym…I’ve created quite the home gym over the last few years and to me, spending money on key pieces of equipment makes me much happier than spending money on shoes and handbags (don’t get me wrong, I love those too)…

Monday was a super-busy day for me (as usual) between work, family, dinner, softball games, etc.  I had just over one hour during a break in the action to squeeze a workout in at home.  I saved a few minutes afterwards for a shower…you’re welcome.. 😉

I used an adjustable dumbbell set and a few kettlebells (but you can used dumbbells for the entire workout if you want):

I performed all the exercises in the order listed, took a 1 minute break after the end of the circuit, and completed 4 total circuits.  I did a quick light aerobic warm-up for about 5 minutes:

• Dumbbell Curl to Overhead Press x 15 reps
• Heavy Kettlebell Swings x 20 reps
• Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks x 15 reps
• Renegade Row x 10 reps each side
• Unilateral Bent-Over Row with Kettlebell x 15 reps each
• Burpees x 10 reps
• Reverse Lunges x 10 reps each
• Russian Twist x 20 reps
• Unilateral Floor Bridge x 15 reps each
• Plank with Alternate Leg Lifts x 10 reps each
• Kettlebell Deadlift x 15 reps
• Unilateral Kettlebell Thruster x 10 reps each
• 3-way Delt Raises x 10 reps each (Front, Lateral, and Bent-Over)

That completes 1 cycle.  Rest for about a minute to grab some water and catch your breath and then go again!  This type of workout gives you the best of both worlds (as long as you use a weight that is challenging).  Not only are you stimulating each major muscle group, but your heart-rate remains elevated for the entire hour for that fat-blasting effect.  I try to do a workout like this about once per week in between my other “standard” weightlifting routines.  If you decide to try it, let me know how it goes!

 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

I think it’s about time I got back to posting recipes.  I was in the mood for a little something with an Asian flair (again…lol) but I needed it to be lower in carbs (I’m currently cycling my carbs – see my previous post https://fitgirlkris.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/carb-cycling/ ) so that meant no rice for tonight.  I remembered a favorite appetizer when dining out and figured I’d put my healthier spin on it.  So, for tonight’s dinner, I made chicken lettuce wraps with peanut sauce.

I cooked in bulk so I’m guessing I made about 3 pounds of chicken altogether so you can certainly cut this recipe in half if you’re making a much smaller batch:

Ingredients:

3 lb. Chicken Tenderloins cut into small pieces

Sauce:

1/8 cup Liquid Aminos or Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1/8 cup Roasted Garlic Flavored Rice Vinegar

1/8 cup Honey

1/8 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (I was out of Coconut Milk but you can use that too)

3 TBSP PB2

1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter (Creamy)

Truvia or Stevia to taste (I used approx 2 tsp) – just to take a little bit of the bitterness away from the rice vinegar.  Since this is a no-cook sauce, you can certainly taste and alter it prior to adding it to the chicken.

 

In a pan over medium heat, add 1 TBSP of Toasted Sesame Oil, chicken, black pepper, garlic, and ginger (I almost never measure these ingredients – I tend to sprinkle them on to taste).  Cook the chicken until it is done.

While the chicken is cooking, add the sauce ingredients to a measuring cup and mix thoroughly.  After mixing, add enough water to fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup mark.

When the chicken is done cooking, add the sauce and simmer until it reduces a bit (about 5-10 minutes).

Wash several large pieces of Romaine Lettuce and pat dry.  Place the chicken on top of the lettuce, wrap up, and enjoy!  Just make sure to have plenty of napkins ready – I don’t know about you, but I’m a total slob when I eat these!

 

If I Could Erase the Last 5 Months…

Hey guys and girls…I know I’ve been quiet the last few weeks but I’m doing my best to try and catch up.  If you’re in the mood for a ramble, read on…if not, I encourage you to hit the back button.

They say “things happen for a reason” right?  I am often baffled by what that reason ends up being.  In a nutshell, the last few months of my life have been a sure test of my real “strength”.  Some of you may know that I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal stuff since the end of last December:  I quit a job, my mom passed away suddenly, my father was in the hospital, I started a new job, I’m in the process of starting my own business, I had a wrist injury, and just last week my grandmother passed away (deep breath and sigh…).  I feel like I’ve spent more time in funeral homes and hospitals than doing what I love…training.  All while trying to keep a smile on my face for the sake of my children.

I can’t believe that it is already May.  A few blogs back I was ramping up to lean out a bit for Spring.  Well, it just hasn’t really happened yet.  I’ve done the best I could, but I’ll admit, I’ve struggled.  Early workouts, late workouts, home workouts, and really short/interrupted/distracted workouts…all of these are absolutely better than nothing but I lacked the focus and intensity that I am used to.  The same deal with nutrition…instead of being 95+% on point, I’ll give myself a score of around 88%…

A lot of people ask me when my next contest is and the truth is, I don’t know…I am certainly not at the point where I feel that I can add the stress of a contest diet and deadline to my already full plate.  But for whatever reason, this week I feel like I’m starting to crawl out of my hole a bit.  So, let’s call my Spring Cut a do-over and I’ll check in with you soon!