The “Start November Off Right” Workout & Playlist

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Achieve with Athena

Ate too much Halloween candy this past weekend?

Dreading the implications of the upcoming holiday season?

That’s okay!

You can start by checking out this “How to Work Off a Halloween Hangover” article I saw on Self.com today. It provides a few different options for how a 150 pound person can burn off 200 calories:

–18 minutes of jumping rope

–18 minutes of running at 6 mph

–30 minutes of singles tennis

–Walking for 35 minutes at 4 mph

–35 minutes of power yoga

–45 minutes of sex

Orrrr you could work off Halloween / kick off the holiday season with my “Start November Off Right” workout. Yes, I named my own workout. I taught this in class tonight and got two compliments at the end of class. Thanks Jen & random new girl!

Sidenote: As part of the November Be Thankful Challenge, courtesy of Tina, I am blogging that I am thankful for the ability to still teach kick butt classes and get praise on them despite my shoulder injury.

Back to the workout.

First, get these songs on your iPod.

Trust me, you’ll need ’em!

Rocketeer – Far East Movement (Remix)
I Wanna Go – Britney Spears
Pass At Me – Timbaland feat. David Guetta & Pitbull (I used the clean version which is by Ameritz Audio Karaoke)
Good Feeling – Flo Rida
Hangover – Taio Cruz featuring Flo Rida (Master Q Karaoke version)
We Found Love – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
Memories – David Guetta
Mr. Saxobeat (Radio Edit) – Alexandra Stan
Bon, Bon – Pitbull
Blackout – Breathe Carolina
Tonight I’m Loving You – Enrique Iglesias
Spin Me Right Round – Dead or Alive
Da Funk – Daft Punk
Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
Paradise – Coldplay
Run – Collective Soul

Then get moving!

As always, check with a doctor before starting a new fitness routine. But you guys already knew that. 😉

Warmup

Cardio Set

4 butt kick jogs to the right diagonal, 4 high knees back to center, 4 butt kick jogs to the left diagonal, 4 high knees back to center (Repeat 4 times)
4 step touches in place (right and left = 1)
8 hamstring curls (right and left = 1, advanced option jump the hamstring curls)
Repeat butt kick/high knees combo 4 times
4 step touches in place (right and left = 1)
8 hamstring curls (right and left = 1, advanced option jump the hamstring curls)
8 knee lifts to the side (right and left = 1, advanced option hop during the knee lift)
Repeat butt kick/high knees combo 4 times
4 step touches in place (right and left = 1)
8 hamstring curls (right and left = 1, advanced option jump the hamstring curls)
8 knee lifts to the side (right and left = 1, advanced option hop during the knee lift)
8 knee lifts to the front (right and left = 1, advanced option hop during the knee lift)
Finish with 8 alternating front kicks with opposite front jabs (right and left = 1)

60 Second Supersets
For supersets, perform as many reps as possible within the designated timeframe, keeping the correct form. Only rest in between each set, not in between each move.

Alternating front lunges / Squat Jumps
Pushups / Burpees
Plie Squats / Jumping Jacks
Lower & Lift Abs / Seated Rotations

Bicep / Cardio Countdown Intervals
For these, start with 10 reps, then 9, then 8, and so forth until you get down to only 1 rep.

10 bicep curls
10 shuffle touchdowns (right and left = 1)
9 bicep curls
9 shuffle touchdowns (right and left = 1)
And so on

30 Second Supersets
For supersets, perform as many reps as possible within the designated timeframe, keeping the correct form. Only rest in between each set, not in between each move.

Note: Same moves as before, but for less time.

Alternating front lunges / Squat Jumps
Pushups / Burpees
Plie Squats / Jumping Jacks
Lower & Lift Abs / Seated Rotations

Tricep / Cardio Countdown Intervals
For these, start with 10 reps, then 9, then 8, and so forth until you get down to only 1 rep.

10 tricep kickback extensions (2 arms bilaterally)
10 seconds high knees
9 tricep kickback extensions (2 arms bilaterally)
9 seconds high knees
And so on

Inner / Outer Thigh / Ab Floor Work

Lying on one side, knees and hips stacked, knees slightly bent, weight resting on outer thigh, knees and toes front. Leg raises for 2 sets of 8, then 8 pulses. Then 2 sets of forward and back rotations.
Finish by extending the leg out then pulling the knee in (pointed toe), extending the leg all the way up (pointed toe), and flexing the leg all the way down (flexed foot). Do 4 slow and then 8 fast.
Place same foot flat on the floor behind the other one. Flexing the now front leg (the one you didn’t just work) do 2 sets of 8 inner thigh raises and 2 sets of 8 pulses.
Seated Rotation Variation. Feet either on the floor, knees bent with feet raised, or knees straight with toes pointing up. Perform 8 oblique twists to the right, immediately do 8 twists to the left, and finish with 8 sit backs / leg pushes to the center.
Repeat entire series on other side, including another round of seated rotation variation.

Last Round of Ab Work

Regular crunches to center: 3 sets of 8, then 8 pulses
Oblique crunches to one side: 2 sets of 8, then 8 pulses
Oblique crunches to other side: 2 sets of 8, then 8 pulses
Regular crunches to center: 3 sets of 8, then 8 pulses
Finish with feet raised out in front of you, 6 inches off the floor, upper back raised as well. 30 second hold.

Cooldown / Stretch

I know sometimes it can be difficult to know exactly what the correct form/moves are for some of the routines I write about, so if you ever have any questions about the proper ways to do anything, please contact me and I’d be happy to break them down further / send examples on how to do them.

Now what are you waiting for?!

Question of the Day: How are you planning on starting your November off right?

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese, Sage, and Toasted Pecans

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Achieve with Athena

Morning!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far.

Before I head out for a family filled Saturday, I’d like to share yesterday’s meals with you guys.

Breakfast

I tried to get fancy with my pumpkin oatmeal. Instead of using instant, I used real oats and cooked on the stove with skim milk, one sliced up banana, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg. And pumpkin of course. But I accidentally put way too much nutmeg in and it really ruined it for me. It was just too much flavor. Next time I’ll stick with the one I made last time. Or just use the nutmeg sparingly. Either way.

Lunch

…was for two! Tim and I were both able to work from home on the same day, which hasn’t happened in quite some time. I whipped up another batch of the chicken salad I posted about yesterday. This time I added in the apple slices since I forgot about them last night. We had it with the Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup (served with Kashi TLC 7 grain crackers) that I bought on Monday during my grocery run. This was a very filling lunch.

Dinner

Remember a couple weekends ago when Tim & I went to the Boston Local Food Festival? Well, while we were there we watched a butchering demonstration (presented by Michael Ehlenfeldt of Stone Hearth Pizza Co) and learned how to cut up a whole chicken. Tim has been talking about this nonstop ever since, so we decided last night would be the night he attempted to cut one up himself.

Success!

After he cut it up, he put the chicken in a bowl with lemon juice, pepper, sage, and cilantro. We let this sit for about 20 minutes and then tossed it on the grill.

What’s nice about buying a whole chicken is that for $15, we got:

2 chicken thighs — grilled + eaten last night
2 chicken breasts — grilled last night + saved for leftovers
2 chicken wings — frozen last night for a future meal
Chicken soup from the rest of the meat — made with broth last night while the thighs were grilling, will refrigerate and add veggies for a meal next week

Pretty good, huh? I think 4 meals + 2 wings + multiple soup servings = pretty damn good for $15.

For a side, we wanted to try another butternut squash recipe since we loved the one we made a couple weeks ago so much. This particular recipe was for butternut squash with goat cheese, sage, and toasted pecans. I found it in Self Magazine as part of their Eat Like Me blog.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goats cheese
1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped –> We left this out too, since it was just going to be for garnish
2 tsp. orange zest –> We didn’t have this, so we left it out

Directions

For the toasted pecans:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Spread pecan halves into a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes or until fragrant
Remove from heat/oven. Let cool. Roughly chop. Set aside.

For the squash:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Meanwhile peel the skin off the squash and cut in half long ways. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut ends off squash and then chop into equal size pieces (about 1 in. cubes).
Transfer squash cubes into a large bowl and toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray, spread squash into a single layer onto the tray. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chopped sage evenly over the squash.
Roast squash in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes is up, take the squash out of the oven and flip over. Turn oven up to 350 degrees. Return squash to oven and continue roasting for another 20-30 minutes or until tender, but not mushy.
Meanwhile, pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then turn down heat and let simmer until it thickens and reduces by half. Then add 1 tbsp brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue to simmer until it becomes like syrup.
After removing squash from the oven, put onto serving dish and sprinkle with the goat cheese, chopped toasted pecans, and ~~orange zest~~. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar reduction (you will not use all of it). ~~Garnish with basil~~.

A couple lessons learned:

I hate peeling the butternut squash. It takes forever, I find it really difficult for some reason, and I get cranky while doing it. Next time I’ll buy it pre-peeled I think.
Start the balsamic reduction earlier than you think you need to! We ended up waiting forever for it to be ready, and it still wasn’t fully ready when we served it. I think if I were to do this again, I’d save the time and just drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette dressing over the squash instead.
The pecans definitely add a nice crunch to the side dish, but next time I will chop them up for even smaller pieces as part of the mix. I thought the pecan halves were just a little too big. If you aren’t a big nut fan, these could definitely be omitted altogether.
Goat cheese + perfectly timed butternut squash = to die for!

If you are looking for a fall plate full of flavor, this is your answer. We will definitely be making this one again.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite way to cook butternut squash?

I’m off to my little cousin’s baseball game, my aunt’s birthday get together, and then Tim’s sister’s graduation dinner. Told you I had a family packed day!

Feta Chicken with Vegetables

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Achieve with Athena

The other day I was scrolling through my Fitness & Feta facebook page‘s news feed, when a link from Self Magazine caught my eye: “A SELF facebook fan asked us to suggest some healthy chicken recipes. Here are some of our favorites!” Self then shared this link.

Tim and I decided to give one of these recipes a go for a post-bootcamp dinner last night. Naturally, I wanted to try the Feta Chicken with Vegetables. While we were preparing dinner, I enjoyed a glass of Black Swan Riesling. Much needed after my busy week! And I “accidentally” ate half of an apple cider donut, whoops. Tim had a Shipyard Pumpkin and sampled one of Slesh’s margaritas, the next drink she plans on writing about in A Twist and a Shake.

But back to the feta chicken.

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and peeled <–I’m not really sure what peeling asparagus entails? Can anyone tell me? We just trimmed them like we normally do
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 whole bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz each), split crosswise
1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 plum tomatoes, quartered <— We substituted regular tomatoes
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup crumbled lowfat feta
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
4 whole-wheat pitas, warmed

Can you see Slesh blogging away in the corner amongst our mess?

Directions

Heat oven to 375°.
Blanch asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain stalks and plunge in a bowl of ice water. Drain again and pat dry; set aside.
Heat oil in a 6 to 8 qt heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Cover and cook, turning once, until slightly brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in onion and garlic; replace lid and cook until soft, 4 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and eggplant. Replace lid, place pot in oven and cook until eggplant is tender, about 18 minutes.
Remove pot from oven and stir in asparagus and spinach; sprinkle with feta. Replace lid and let rest 15 minutes.
Stir in oregano and season with salt and pepper. Serve with pitas.

One thing I need to get better at is planning my recipes ahead of time and preparing the ingredients ahead of time. Last night after bootcamp ended at 7, I still had to go to the grocery store for some of these ingredients, and chop them all up. By the time we ate dinner it was late! So I think that will be a goal of mine over the next couple of weeks.

This dinner was worth it though! Tasted so good. All that juice from cooking the veggies in the oven gave everything so much flavor.