Got 7 Minutes?

POWER WOD

7 minutes of burpee pull-ups, AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE! 

Do this with a partner, take turns or find two bars and push each other. The beauty of this workout is that it can be done almost anywhere, all you need is a bar that is about 6 inches of your reach. You can do this on a tree, at a playground, or even at a gym. 

GO HAM!

Dark Chocolate Banana Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

·      2 Bananas

·      2 Tbsp Almond Butter or Peanut butter

·      1 Scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder

·      1 Egg

·      Dark Chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Mash the banana, nut butter, and egg until smooth

2.     Mix in protein powder and dark chocolate chips

3.     Cook until browned on each side

4.     Let sit for 5 minute to firm up

Overachiever: 

You can separate the egg and whip the egg white until it forms peaks on a mixer, then fold it into the mixture for extra thick and fluffy pancakes.  Mix in the yolk during the first step. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY, it’s like a multivitamin and is packed with extra protein. I put Greek yogurt on it to make it fancy. 

Triathletes need more carbs after a workout? Soak 1/2 cup oatmeal in a little milk or almond milk and substitute for one of the bananas.  

Power WOD + Getting Competitive

The W.O.D.

10 Hand Release Pushups
20 Deadlifts 235/145
30 Burpees
40 Box Jumps 24"
50 Kettle Bell Swings 45/30
60 Ab Mat Sit-ups
70 Air Squats
800 meter run
1 Chest to bar pull-up
... and do this as fast as possible

The Challenge

Find someone to do this workout with and race them to the finish. Find someone who will make you work harder than you ever could have alone. Find someone who sparks your competitive drive.

It's the weekend of Memorial Day and I came home to spend time with the family. Today my sister and I went to the gym and did this workout together and let me tell you, a little sibling competition can go a long way. This summer I have been doing a lot of workouts on my own but nothing compares to having someone to push you through your workout.

I understand that when life gets hectic, it can be hard to schedule workouts with a friend and it is easy to head to gym alone to get a quick workout in.  I would strongly encourage you, whenever you have time, to do a competitive workout with a friend or a complete stranger for all I care. All that matters is that you find someone who will make you work harder than you ever could have alone.

If you are an endurance athlete, the best way to get faster is to do high intensity workouts with someone who can push you. If you are a crossfitter or are strength training, bring a friend who will make you lift heavier and go harder. The more the merrier. Having a workout partner also makes you more likely to show up to show up to the gym, have better form, and make healthier choices in general. I can validate that. Get competitive and make improvements.

Here are the results from the workout today, I dare you and a friend to try and beat our combined time.

Time 1 12:27
Time 2 14:40
Combined Time of 26:57

No cheating on the burpees, full extension on the box jumps, and no joking around with that last pull-up.

Squats on Squats on Squats

30 Squats at 80% of your 1 rep max. Do in small sets taking no more than 30 seconds of rest between each set. Complete as quickly as possible.

then 4 rounds of....
20 pistol squats
15 calf press
10 Pull ups

Liver Meatballs

Here is a recipe I borrowed and adapted from a friend of mine.  After introducing the idea to me, I knew I would have to try it.  It might sound a little scary at first glance, but eating organs is not nearly as bad as it sounds and this is a great way to give it a try since the liver is mixed with ground beef. This is not liver and onions, and there is no reason to be afraid.

Not only does it add a ton of flavor to the dish, but buying organs is extremely cheap and is a very sustainable way to utilize meat.  Would a caveman have wasted organs? Probably not, he/she would've used every last bit the animal, so why should you?

On top of that, liver is nature's multivitamin and contains huge amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin, folate, iron, selenium, and protein.  It also contains a number of trace elements that the body needs to function.

Liver Meatballs

 

Ingredients

• ¼ lb of liver
• 2lbs of ground beef/turkey
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Put liver in the food processor and blend until finely processed
2. Mix ground meat, liver, sauce, paprika, salt, crushed garlic, onions, and pepper in a large bowl
3. Form meatballs and bake at 350F for 15-20 Minutes (make sure the baking sheet has sides to avoid dripping) 

These are fantastic with spagetti squash and tomato sauce or with rice. Really, you can use them anywhere you would normally use meatball.  Next time you use ground meat try adding in a little liver to boost the flavor and add a few vitamins and minerals to your diet.  Next time, we cook beef heart.... maybe. 

Cauliflower Primal Paella

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Cauliflower 
• Chicken/Pork
• Shrimp
• Onion 
• Bell pepper
• Frozen Peas 
• Tomato Paste
• Canned tomatoes
• Chicken Stock 
• Saffron 
• Oregano 
• Favorite Fat
• Salt and Pepper 

Directions: 

1. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and pulse in a blender until the pieces are rice sized.
2. Sauté chicken/pork in a large pan
3. When meat is nearly done, add onions and bell pepper. Cook until slightly browned
4. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes
5. Add peas, salt, pepper, oregano, and cauliflower continue to cook and mix through
6. Add heated chicken stock with saffron and shrimp to the mix (cauliflower does not have the absorbing power of rice, you will use much less than standard paella)
7. Cook until shrimp is done and liquid has been reduced 

Power WOD

20 Minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of....

500m Row
15 Burpees
25 Wall Ball Shots

Runner's High and Evolution

After being at home for a little over a week, I'm back in Ann Arbor and have just started my summer research project on neuronal degeneration. Hopefully I can find some way to tie evolutionary or nutritional studies into my research. But since I'm back in Ann Arbor, I thought I would talk about getting high.....off of running. Every athlete doing some kind of aerobic training has felt it. It's that great feeling of accomplishment and relaxation you get after a long run, and it repeatedly motivates you to hit the pavement or trail.

This elevated feeling is due to endogenously produced cannabinoids, which are chemically similar to the molecule THC which is the active component in marijuana. These molecules act on cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, leading to a decrease in the perception of pain, regulation of the stress response, and a change in a number of other cognitive effects. In other words, sustained aerobic activity leads to the production of natural pain suppressants that act in a similar manner to marijuana. 

This has been proposed to have EVOLUTIONARY significance because it would have encouraged early mammals, including humans, to run long distances. Running, as we know, promotes increased aerobic performance by increasing stroke volume and improving the efficiency of oxygen metabolism. In addition, running increases bone density and increasing neuronal proliferation. Some research even suggest that humans were built to be long distance runners because of the way our feet and joints are constructed, but that's a topic for another day. Because of all of its positive effects, running may have increased the reproductive success, and therefore getting a runner's high would have been evolutionary beneficial.  

Any triathlete will tell you that the term "runner's high" should be expanded because you get this feeling after practically any type of endurance workout. It helps keep you motivated and push through pain day in and day out, even when training gets rough. Unfortunately, when injury results as a product of overtraining, the lack of endocannabinoids can lead to a feeling of depression and stress. But don't worry, anaerobic exercise also produces that great feeling. So when injured and feeling down, take a break from the cardio and do some resistance or strength training to brighten your day.

Next time your training calls for a LSD (long slow distance) run, remember the powerful effects of enocannabinoids.

Power Wod

15 Minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

5 Power Cleans 

10 Pull-ups

15 Burpees  

Red Wine Braised Shanks

Here is an easy recipe for braised beef that I came up with one weekend.  I chose shanks because I was in the mood to experiment and they were dirt cheap (great collegiate triathlete meal). I served it with baked acorn squash and threw some other vegetables into the dutch oven as well. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare but does require some waiting, probably best to start it in the crock pot before heading to work, class or your morning workout, and enjoying that evening. The longer it cooks the better it tastes because it allows the fats and collagen in this usually tough piece of meat to melt away in the sauce. Bone marrow from the shank is easily the best part.

Ingredients:

·      Beef Shanks

·      Large Spanish onion

·      Red wine

·      Canned Tomatoes

·      Garlic

·      Salt and pepper

·      Favorite Fat

Directions:

1.    Caramelize onions in fat

2.    Add shanks and sear  

3.    If using a crock pot add all ingredients in and cook for more than 6 hours, if using a Dutch oven add remaining ingredients and cook for more than 3 hours at 350F  

Swimming

Many triathletes are natural born swimmers with smooth, efficient strokes that runners and cyclists envy. It is the first of the three sports and can make a huge difference in your time, even though it is the shortest leg. It offers a great advantage to efficient swimmers because they exhaust much less energy than a swimmer with a sloppy stroke. This is why many triathletes who don't come from a strong swimming background choose to focus on training to improve their technique, rather than endurance.

I think this is the right way to go about it and is my preferred method of training. Being the Tri Club at UM has made me realize that the real advantage gained by being an efficient swimmer is not always time but energy. Coming from a running background, swimming is not my strong suit, but it has quickly grown on me.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FORM. Swimming is arguably the most technical of the three sports and it takes time to master the technique and build the working muscle memory required to become efficient. I am trying to overcome this barrier by breaking up the components of the stroke into drills, because it is easier for me to build my stroke one piece at a time.

Triathlon Swimming Technique

Benefits

• Swimming is a low impact, high resistance sport.   
• It is a good alternative to running, which can take a serious toll on the body through constant impact with the ground which stresses the joints. 
• This makes it a great workout not only for aerobic endurance training, but also a good alternative during injury. Swimming works well for rehabilitation by removing the stress from joints, while retaining the resistance needed to obtain results. 
• GET FAST & JACKED! Swimming increases aerobic performance while increasing muscle mass. 
• In a twelve week study performed on middle-aged men and women experienced significant improvements in oxygen consumption and stroke volume (heart strength). 
• An 8 week study on men showed a nearly 24% increase in the mass of the triceps muscle. 

http://www.medicinenet.com/swimming/article.htm#intro

Red Pineapple Curry

Ingredients:

·      Chicken

·      Red Bell x1

·      Orange/Yellow Bell Pepper x1

·      Small Eggplant x1

·      Pineapple ½Cup

·      Coconut milk 1 can

·      Red Curry Paste 1-3tbsp

·      Lime Zest 

·      Fish Sauce 

·      Sweet Basil (fresh or dried) 

Directions:

1.    Sautee chicken and bell peppers for about 10 minutes

2.    Add eggplant in later with chili sauce. Mix well and cook another 3 minutes 

3.    Add first ½ of the coconut milk and simmer until reduced by ½

4.    Add remaining coconut lime zest, basil, fish sauce, and pineapple.

5.    Simmer until creamy.