Girlwithnoname – Fitness at Home

Always in a rush and feel like you’ve got no TIME to ‘eat healthy’?

Well, I’ve got news for you …

It does NOT take that long to whip up a healthy, nutritious and downright YUMMY meal.

After a long day spent getting in a hard strength-training workout and then hours and hours at the beach doing one of my favourite forms of cardio (swimming in the ocean), I got home kind of late …

… and famished!!! That’s a lot of exercise in one day.

Naturally, I wanted to eat as soon as possible without ruining this great day of healthy activity by dumping some kind of caloric and unhealthy fast food into my body.

So, I whipped up a delicious meal of grilled bison (sometimes also known as “buffalo”), grilled red peppers and asparagus with a luscious green salad.

How long would you estimate that took me to prepare?

I was eating hours later, you might assume.

Nope.

Come with me now and find out …

There ya have it.

PROOF!! Easy, delicious, nutritious and speedy.

No more using ‘too busy’ as the excuse not to eat healthy, am I right?

Yes. I am right!!

Oh! And as I mentioned in the video, I’m not very experimental when it comes to more complicated recipes. I tend to eat fairly simply (mostly due to lack of imagination when it comes to what foods taste good mixed together into one recipe) …

HOWEVER … if you like to get a bit more jiggy with it in the kitchen and love to try out new recipes but still want to keep it healthy, nutritious AND delicious, I have something for you that will be right up your alley.

Have you checked out the Anabolic Cooking Cookbook and Nutrition Guides yet?

I just discovered it all a few days ago, so checked it out right away to see if it’s actually any good.

Let me tell you it is a FANTASTIC resource that contains tons of valuable nutrition information and a HUGE number of great muscle building and fat loss recipes (over 200) that are healthy, nutritious, natural AND yummy. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out right away!

==> Find out more about The Anabolic Cooking Cookbook Now!!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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There are tons of methods out there when it comes to getting a kick-ass workout. I’ll bet there are some methods you may not have ever even considered.

Here’s a few very cool ones to take a stab at:

Tire Flipping.

How does it work?

Well, you get a crazy big tire (like something from a tractor or one of those “Monster Trucks” you see at those nutty truck shows) and a big area that you can thrash up a little bit (like a back alley or a big backyard or a field), and just start flippin’ !!

How to do it?

Just lie the tire on its side, bend over into a squat, hook your fingers under the tire and lift until the tire is on its treads, then push it over until it lands on its side again. Repeat … and repeat again … and again.

You get the idea.

The key here is to make sure the tire is heavy enough to really make you work at getting this tire up on its treads and over onto it’s side again … you want it to get your heart rate up and get you hot and sweaty … and give you a good, hard workout.

Just keep going until you are exhausted, and trust me, it won’t be long until you are. It’s a great full body workout (in fact, I dare you to name a muscle group this doesn’t work and work HARD).

Another cool way to get an alternative workout in is Rope Climbing.

Of course you need to find a rope or two, but talk about a great full body workout.

If you think this is just for arms and back you’re sorely mistaken. You engage your entire body to get yourself up those ropes. Go ahead and wrap your legs around that rope and grip with your thighs and calves to help you get up there!!

Now, how about Stone Lifting?

That’s another crazy alternative way to get ripped. And you don’t even have to pay for the equipment.

Head down to your local park or beach and find a huge and heavy stone and just start heaving it around.

Lift it over head like you would a barbell during shoulder presses … throw it and chase it, pick it up and throw it again. Use it to do some bicep curls. How about holding it while you so some squats or lunges?

These are all great ways to use a heavy, misshapen stone in your workouts.

What’s great about this kind of workout is that the stone is an awkward shape which makes it harder to lift and engages more muscles fibers and gets them working harder to compensate for the awkwardness of the lift. It’s a great way to not only get ripped but get your functional training in as well.

Same deal with Sandbag Training.

Get yourself a big floppy and awkward (but heavy) bag of sand and do any lift you can think of: chest press, shoulder press, back rows… you name it.

This kind of training is also the way ordinary life is lived and all the chores that go into it are performed.

When was the last time you had two bags of groceries and they were both the exact same size and shape? Or two kids?

NEVER, right?

The more misshapen and awkward the shape of the weight you’re heaving, the more applicable to real life your training will be.

Training this way is also known as “Functional Training” and it’s a great to just generally make living life easier.

Want to get more groceries in from the car in one trip? Or pick your kid up and carry him around while you do a chore or cook dinner?

These are the kinds of things that functional training can make easier to perform on a day by day basis.

Life isn’t lived with equal weights on each side for everything you do throughout life, right? Well, neither is the concept of functional training.

So flip some tires, climb some ropes and lift some stones and sandbags. You’ll get very fit very fast AND life chores will start to become that much easier!

And by the way… if you liked these ideas, Zach Even-Esh really knows what he’s doing with these types of workouts. He’s been training this way for years and has put all his kick-ass methods into a fantastic training manual.

So, if this kind of stuff is right up your alley, then make sure you grab his Underground Strength Manual now. You’ll LOVE his strength programs.

===> Grab Underground Strength Manual by Zach Even-Esh Now!!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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My goals are my goals. I know what I want and nothing stops me from getting them.

Not even the temptation of those greasy concession stands at the beaches I go to all Summer.

I’ll be damned if a relaxing day at the beach is going to interfere with me reaching my goals.

I refuse to eat that stuff they serve out of the concession stands and I plan ahead so I don’t have to once hunger strikes (and it always does).

What do YOU eat when you go to the beach?

Do you plan ahead (like me) and make sure you’ve got lots of healthy treats with you so you aren’t tempted by the greasy, calorie-laden and goal destroying hamburgers, hotdogs, bags of chips and over-sized servings of soda pop they serve at the concession stands?

If you don’t, WHY NOT???

Maybe you just need some good ideas?

Okay, well, maybe I can help. Here’s what I take to the beach:

So there ya go. No more excuses …

Next time you head out to the beach, make sure you’re well stocked with the kind of healthy snacks I mentioned so it’s not a struggle to stay away from that nasty ol’ concession stand full of sabotage!!

During my chat I mentioned Mike Geary, author of
“The Truth About Six Pack Abs” and “The Fat Burning Kitchen“.

Find out more about Mike’s awesome nutrition resources here:
Mike Geary Nutrition

And while you’re at it, get yourself a stainless steel “Klean Kanteen” water bottle.

It sure beats drinking out of a plastic water bottle, especially when it’s been sitting in the sun all day and your water starts to taste like the bottle. That doesn’t happen with a Klean Kanteen bottle.

I love mine (actually I have two … one for the beach & working out and one for the car).

Grab one here ==> Klean Kanteen

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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It’s been one helluva day so I’m just popping in for a quick catch up today.

But let’s just say I spent my run today doing a bunch of swearing under my breath at the Vancouver Parks Board.

I mean DANG IT ANYWAY, PARKS BOARD GUYS!!

Do ya really gotta mess with my perfect cardio programs like this?

REALLY?

*sob*

Well, at least they’re gonna force me out of my comfort zone. That’s never a bad thing.

This is what I’m talking about:

That’s pretty much it. Thanks for letting me vent. I’ll get over it eventually (and I’ll get over it for sure once the seawall is fixed and accessible again … lol )!!

In the meantime, let’s liven this party up …

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Workout Song of the Day …

… and this one is very apropos since it’s an AWESOME song for running and also because I now feel like MY world is ending without my beloved seawall to kick it on!

Enjoy!

Information Society – Ending World 1.1

Hey, if you love it like I do and want to add it to your workout collection a quick click on the ‘buy’ button on the player widget above will get you set up in no time.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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Is Potato Salad one of your favourite Summer staples for picnics, BBQs and other outdoor eating events?

Yah, me too. But the stuff is so bloody caloric and fattening that I don’t eat it very often.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I invited one of my clients Robyn Gill and her boyfriend (and awesome photographer) Tyler Ingram to join me on my patio to watch the Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival and enjoy a BBQ.

We agreed ahead of time that we’d make sure we had a ‘healthy eating’ evening.

So, imagine my surprise when she showed up with Potato Salad.

Then she told me the recipe.

I was skeptical it would be tasty.

But, then I tasted it. It was delicious.

So, I begged her to let me share the recipe with you. She agreed.

And, while Tyler snapped away at the fireworks display, the three of us enjoyed a healthy meal of grilled meats, grilled red peppers & asparagus and this awesome potato salad!

Enjoy!

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Robyn’s Low-Fat Potato Salad

- 6 cups (once chopped) white, red or new potatoes (skin on)

- 3 cold hard boiled eggs

- Steam 1 cup fresh green beans and let them cool

- Boil the potatoes and let them cool

- Chop the potatoes and beans into chunks

- Peel eggs and slice, add to potatoes and green beans

- ½ cups finely chopped celery

- ¼ cups finely chopped green onion

- Add celery and green onion to salad

Potato Salad Dressing

- ¾ cup plain fat-free yogurt

- 2 – 3 tbsp of grainy / seedy mustard

- 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

- 1 tsp dried dill

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Mix all ingredients together, add to potatoes, eggs and beans and refrigerate or serve immediately

This recipe serves 4 people and takes approximately 40-45 minutes to make. You can double, triple or quadruple the recipe to serve as many people as needed. 

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Robyn says:
I developed this recipe on my own as a low-fat option to fattening classic versions of potato salad.  The creaminess of this recipe comes from the eggs and the seedy mustard.  It is easy to make with not too many complicated ingredients; I’ve brought it to many parties and family BBQs and people love it.

So, while Summer is still upon us, make sure you try out Robyn’s Low Fat Potato Salad instead of blowing all your weight loss goals eating the conventional high-calorie versions …

And, thanks very much to Robyn for sharing this with us!

Robyn’s webspace can be found here: Robyn’s Nesting Space (or feel free to check her out on Twitter where she tweets as @robyn_nest)

… and to enjoy more of Tyler’s photography than I’ve posted here, check out his website: TylerIngram.com (or check out his Twitter stream where he tweets as @tyleringram)

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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Oh No! My Hillsprints hill has CLOSED!

Yup, tragedy has befallen me. The Parks Board decided to fence up my favourite hillsprint hill.

No matter … I’ll still find a way to get my hillsprints done …

… but in the meantime, I’m kinda crushed and feeling out of sorts.

It’s almost like being in mourning.

I’m gonna miss that hill. I hope they let it survive the construction.

Don’t mind the tears, ok? LOL

Oh, and if you didn’t catch that post I mentioned about the Healthy Chocolate Pudding, catch it here: Healthy Chocolate Pudding… with Avocado?!

It’s super yummy and really healthy, too. You’ll love it.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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Keeping fit is a challenge in it’s own right.

Exercise is hard to do and sometimes just hard to motivate out the door to get it done.

However, the benefits it reaps far outweigh the difficulties.

Many choose to forego the time consuming and expensive route of joining a gym and then having to travel to and from and wait to use the equipment if it’s busy.

Instead these people choose to get their workouts in the privacy of their own home or apartment or condo gym.

I applaud those people being able to motivate without the energy of other people working out around them.

Heck, I happen to BE one of those people.

But if you are a ‘home workout’ maven like myself, how do you know you’re getting it right?

No gym employees, personal trainers or even other exercisers around you to learn from.

Getting your form correct is vitally important especially when you’re weight training.

If you aren’t careful or don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you could injure yourself … badly.

So, what do you do? How do you keep yourself safe?

Well, when I was first starting out, the answer to all my prayers turned out to be the Internet.

Wow!

What a huge resource of great information there is on health and fitness on the internet.

You can tap into articles, great explanatory pictorial blogs, audio interviews … and MY absolute favourite: instructional videos. There are thousands of them on the internet.

You can find everything from how to do stretches to how to do proper form when lifting very heavy equipment like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and even your own bodyweight.

However, let’s get one thing very straight before you jump off and start watching videos and copying everything you see:

Just because it’s on the internet does NOT make it completely and 100% accurate.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s TONS of fantastic tutorials on the Internet. But not ALL of them are as fantastic as others.

Just because ‘Joe with a Website‘ has a swish-looking webspace doesn’t mean that he knows what he’s doing when it comes to doing a proper barbell squat, or lunge … or push-up for that matter. I’ve seen some pretty bad videos out there demonstrating what is very harmful and dangerous form for some exercises.

And don’t be fooled by slick looking videos or polished surroundings in the videos.

If ‘Joe with a Website‘ has a great looking video all that means is he probably rented space in a fancy gym, has a great cameraman, good technical knowledge or an entire production team and another one that knows how to build a great website to host said fancy video.

It does NOT (necessarily) mean he knows his stuff when it comes to exercise.

I mean, he MIGHT be awesome when it comes to proper form and technique with his exercises. But the fancy video alone is not an indication he knows what he’s talking about.

So when you’re watching videos or looking at pictures to get your form right, make sure you view SEVERAL for EACH move you’re trying to learn.

Compare and contrast them. Pay careful attention to how they explain themselves and you’ll soon learn who knows what they’re talking about and who’s a complete hack.

And if you’re still questioning who knows best, start frequenting forums or asking around to other fitness-minded people on the Social Networking sites.

It will soon become apparent who is good and who is not. Usually, the best and most knowledgeable will get recommended by others often and the most.

So be careful out there. Learn as much as you can but learn from the best, not the worst.

Because when it comes to your health, doing it right the first time and avoiding injury is of the utmost importance.

Remember … just because it’s on the internet doesn’t make it true!

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Not everyone is an “Authority” but Craig Ballantyne, author of the Turbulence Training series is.

Craig regularly pumps out a huge selection of highly informative articles and invaluable instructional videos … and I’ve never seen him demonstrate improper form.

Plus, he knows what it takes to workout hard and smart to get you the body you deserve.

You can trust everything Craig has to say and demonstrate. If you’re going to trust anyone, I HIGHLY recommend you trust him.

You can find out more about Craig Ballantyne and Turbulence Training here:

Try Turbulence Training to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

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Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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