Super Bowl Workout

Put on your favorite Black Eyed Peas CD and turn out this interval cardio workout inspired by the Super Bowl! GO PACK!

Perform each exercise for one minute. Complete one to three sets, depending on how tough you are.

1. Field Goal Kicks: Kick your right leg across your body toward the extended left arm. Then kick your left leg across your body toward the extended right arm. Repeat, alternating sides for the minute.

2. High Knees

3. Freestyle touch down dance: work it your own way, as if you scored a TD for the minute.

4. Butt Kicks - yup - one minute.

5. Three Point Stance. Start standing straight up, legs together, arms by your sides. Jump legs apart, push hips and glutes back to bend knees and touch ground with your right hand. Jump legs back together to come back to standing. Repeat touching ground with left hand. Alternate for the minute. (See picture for correct body position.)

6. Wide Football runs: Stand with legs wider than hips, squat down a bit and moving feet as quickly as possible, run in place. Keep going for a minute.

7. Burpee: any style of burpee you like for one minute

8. Narrow Football runs: Same as wide football runs, but keep feet close together for one minute.

9. Tackle drop downs: Run in place for four counts, then drop to the ground flat on your belly, immediately use hands and feet to push yourself back up to standing. Repeat for the whole minute.

10. Sprint in place to finish off for one minute.

Be sure to drink a big glass of water and stretch when you're finished!

(image from: posters.ws)

Boxing/Kickboxing

Sore does not even begin to describe the muscles that I never even knew existed before I entered a boxing gym last Thursday.
My man and I toughed out three days in a row of Kickboxing and boxing classes at a real deal boxing gym. Needless to say, we took much needed rest on Sunday, but still are feeling as though we were run over by a semi and then backed up and rolled over again!
I'm not talking Turbo Kick or Tae Bo - which are awesome in their own right.
I mean sweaty, tough as nails, no frills boxing and kickboxing conditioning like jump roping, shadow boxing, plyometrics, agility drills, heavy bag, punching drills with a coach, major core work and even having a partner punch me in the gut while doing sit ups. My glutes and shoulders are screaming from deep within! My abs hurt when I laugh.
I love it.
As sore as we are, the exhilaration of these workouts is incomparable. The empowerment of punching and kicking, finding balance and strength, having to listen and make kinesthetic connections ... keeps us coming back for more.
Don't worry about equipment, most gyms have wraps and gloves you can borrow your first couple times, but from there - to minimize the yuck factor of sticking your hands into someone else's sweat, you'll want to invest in at least wraps.
Find a boxing/kickboxing near you: http://boxinggyms.com/
(photo from: illustrationsof.com)

Optimum Nutrition Egg Protein

I like to switch up my protein powders to keep from dietary boredom.

I just bought a tub of Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Custard Egg Protein from Vitacost.com.

I am totally pleased!

Each serving contains 24 grams of protein and 100 calories - the equivalent of seven egg whites.

Instantized - so it mixes quickly with anything - this is the definition of protein convenience.

I've been making a killer post workout smoothie with this - it's a bit sweet - but, totally delish!

Eggsellent Blueberry Post Workout Smoothie:

8 - 10 oz cold filtered water
1- Serving ON Egg Protein Vanilla Flavor
1/2 cup Trader Joes frozen Wild Blueberries
1 packet Stevia
1 packet Emergen C Lite with MSM
1 tsp glutamine
2 grams Jarrow MSM powder
1 tsp Carlson Cod Liver Oil - Lemon Flavor
1 scoop Scivation Xtend - Refreshing Lemonade

Throw all ingredients into blender. Blend and Enjoy!

Learn more and purchase Optimum Nutrition products here: http://optimumnutrition.com

(image from: optimumnutrition.com)

Foam Roller

I have fallen back in love with my foam roller.

My oblong friend had been sitting in the corner of my home workout space for quite some time, collecting dust and memories of IT bands once rolled.

Then, I read an article ... in a magazine or on a blog, about a female athlete who said foam rolling was the "poor woman's massage."

I immediately identified.

I threw down that foam roller so fast and rolled the heck out of my legs, back and any body part remotely rollable.

Ahhhhhhh. Sweet relief.

Taking five to ten minutes to foam roll your muscles will make a huge difference in your recovery, flexibility, injury prevention, treatment and overall wellness.

Check out this YouTube video for the top five foam roller exercises:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJLxruO3su0

Purchase a foam roller here and check out all the other fitness goodies:
http://www.power-systems.com/s-67-foam-rollers.aspx?gclid=CMLF1NG25KECFQtSgwodTzA8IA

(image from http://powersystems.com)

Tub Stretch

**Disclaimer: http://damn-ilookgood.blogspot.com takes no responsibility for injuries incurred while attempting this activity **

Take advantage of warm muscles by stretching in the tub.

Move slowly and carefully while attempting these movements, as tubs are, as Bon Jovi so eloquently titled an album, "Slippery when Wet."

Fill a tub with the hottest water you can withstand and add 2 cups of Epsom Salts.

Soak for 15 minutes.

Spend the next ten minutes holding the following stretches:

1: Hamstring: Bend one leg. Extend the other leg straight up and grasp the back of your thigh, hamstring, calf, ankle or foot. Pull extended leg into body. Repeat on other side.

2. Low back, glute: Bring one knee into chest. Cross knee over opposite side of body so that you are in a twist. Try to get knee to bottom of tub. Repeat other side.

3. Quads: Kneel in tub. Place hands behind your rear end and lean back to stretch quads.

4. Upper Body. Face away from edge of tub. Clasp hands behind you and press palms together. Hook wrists on edge of tub and stretch through chest and upper body.

Relax and soak for another 5 minutes when finished.

(image from: shutterstock.com)

Salmon Pouches

Tired of the same old tuna?
Can't stand another post workout shake?

Try canned or "pouched" salmon.

I like Chicken of the Sea Premium Wild Caught Boneless, Skinless Pink Salmon Pouches. They cost less than a buck each for the single serving size, are dolphin safe and super convenient! You could even eat it right from the pouch in a protein pinch!

A 2oz. serving has 60 calories and 10 grams of protein. Plus you get the Omega 3 fatty acids and DHA benefits of fish oil!

Try this yummy dish:
2oz "Pouched Salmon"
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1oz fresh avocado

Mix ingredients together and serve on a whole grain cracker like GG Crackers(http://brancrispbread.com) or Mary's Gone Crackers (http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/ns/intro2.php)

Learn more about Chicken of the Sea Salmon here: http://chickenofthesea.com/product_line_detail.aspx?did=4800009043

(image from: chickenofthesea.com)

Nancy's Organic Cottage Cheese

After the four hour yoga workshop on Saturday, I faced a 45 minute drive home with only an organic apple in my possession.

That wasn't gonna cut it.

I was starving and my muscles were screaming for protein.

I rolled into the local Truckee, CA natural foods store, New Moon Natural Foods.
http://newmoonnaturalfoods.com/

They were about to close, so the pickins were slim in their prepared foods case that usually has salads, raw food meals, veggie sushi, etc ...

I wandered over to their refrigerated cases and noticed a very convenient, single serving size package of Nancy's Organic Cottage Cheese.

I picked it out of the cooler and examined the label on the perfectly cute 8oz serving cup. You can view the details on the label above and see why I was impressed. This organic cottage cheese is a stellar way to get post workout protein.

Plus, a serving is really only 1/2 cup, so each "single" serving container gives you two shots of high quality, mostly slow absorbing casein protein.

$1.89 bought me my fix. Not bad for a whole food protein source when you consider the price of a serving of protein powder - which is highly processed no matter how you try to spin it!

I cracked open the container and discovered the thickest, creamiest, tangiest, tastiest cottage cheese I've ever devoured. The tangy taste comes from Nancy's old fashioned culturing process which loads this cottage cheese with probiotics! BONUS!!

I was full after half the container and satiated well past my 45 minute ride home.

Nancy's also makes an entire line of cultured soy and dairy products.

You can find a retailer of Nancy's products here: http://nancysyogurt.com

(image from: nancysyogurt.com)