Optimum Anabolics - Day 79/The Godfaddah (& Momma)

This morning, Christina and I had the honor of becoming Godparents to little Brenna Elizabeth Sampson. Pretty cool, huh? Brenna is the beautiful youngest daughter of our good friends Adriann and Don Sampson. Christina and Adriann spent their entire school-age years together and went to the same church growing up. So close are these two that Adriann was the co-officiant at our wedding! Very cool.

The proud Godparents...

















The happy family and Pastor Megan...

















The whole gang...



















WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 12, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Concentration Curls, Cable Push Downs
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curls, Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Plank (1 minute hold on stability ball), Stability Ball Jackknife

Total Time => 37:28

Comments:

It seems my biceps and triceps are getting significantly stronger each week.

Stability ball plank holds were tough when combined with the jackknifes (jackknives??...haha).

Worked out later in the day (6:30 P.M. ±) today and felt like I had more strength.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN (PLUS 1)

The hotel we stayed at provided us (ok, me at least) with vouchers for the hot breakfast buffet. This was not a high-end meal but not too bad, either. Comparable to the $10 buffets out in Vegas. Anyway, since this was not a post-workout meal, I ditched the carbs and had a plate full of scrambled eggs with some bacon and sausage while waiting for my made-to-order omelet. (:

The omelet was actually quite good. The kitchen stuffed it full of green peppers, onions, mushrooms, ham, and cheddar cheese. Holy protein.

Lunch after church and the baptism was family-style Chinese. I could have went nutso and pigged out because everything was so good but I kept a solid hold on the reins. Amish pumpkin pie and ice cream made up dessert. Somehow I managed to only have one piece of that, too. Clearly I was not focused. (~:

On the way back to Columbus, I did a little post workout meal pre-planning and stopped at my college-days employer, Pizza Oven (a local Italian family run establishment), for a take out pizza. I took home a bianco (white) pizza topped with olive oil, salt, pepper, mushrooms, and provolone cheese. Ahhh the memories!

After shoveling the 'za in my face just like the old days, I had some leftover sweet potato pie for dessert. What a wild day of eating this was...

So glad to be home, too.

Optimum Anabolics - Day 72/Gluten Free, Dairy Free Waffles

There are times when I do not care for the internet. Today, I love it.

Not too long before my wife determined it was in her best interest to not consume dairy or gluten, I had hooked her on homemade waffles (and pancakes). My mom could make a heck of a waffle so they were Sunday morning, post-church comfort food for me growing up. But how to make them gluten free, dairy free, AND taste good had me scratching my head.

I had been craving waffles lately and then it happened. One of the blogs I follow, Mark's Daily Apple (thanks, Heather), recently posted a link to a grain-free waffle recipe. With a substitution of coconut milk for cow's milk we made it dairy free, too. Beautiful!

Grain-free Gluten-free Waffles:

• 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp milk (we used coconut milk)
  
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• Optional – 1 Tbsp maple syrup, honey, or other sweetener (we'll use more next batch)
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp coconut flour

Simply mix everything together, and let the ingredients meld for about 5 minutes (or during your workout :-) while your waffle iron gets warm. The coconut flour seems to react better if it has time to “soak” so please don’t leave out this “melding” time.

Then, thinly spread over your waffle iron – I didn’t need to use nonstick spray for these. You’ll want to just barely cover the “hole” lumps of the waffle iron, because this batter expands a lot.

Close the iron and wait several minutes, until the steam stops coming out quite as much. If you want, you can open it to peek… it won’t hurt anything. When the steam isn’t as crazy, and the waffles are starting to brown, remove them to a plate.

The verdict? Delicious!

I would not hesitate to serve these to any waffle lover.

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 11, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Concentration Curls, Cable Push Downs
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curls, Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Plank (1 minute hold on stability ball), Stability Ball Jackknife

Total Time => 38:29

Comments:

It seems my biceps and triceps are getting significantly stronger each week.

Stability ball plank holds were tough when combined with the jackknifes (jackknives??...haha).

Mowed the lawn (again) this afternoon for some "extra credit" cardio.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN (PLUS 1)

Breakfast was later in the morning after my workout and included waffles (see above) covered in homemade chocolate syrup (maple syrup and coco powder) and homemade bacon from my friends at Bluescreek Farm Meats. Awesome breakfast, fun pictures. :)






































Since breakfast was late today, I skipped lunch and had a mid-afternoon snack of cottage cheese and raw walnuts, almonds, brazils, and cashews.

Earlier in the day, I dusted off the crock pot (literally) and put dinner in to cook. A 3+ LB lamb shoulder roast (also from Bluescreek Farm Meats) simmered all day long in chicken broth, spices, and onions. Outstanding. I think I could have eaten the whole roast...it was that good.

Before bed, I had my 30g of whey protein isolate powder and called it a day.

Optimum Anabolics - Day 68/Lawn Fitness

Why shouldn't the health of our lawns be part of our Overall Fitness?

After I gave our lawn a haircut this evening, I sprayed on a "lawn tonic" that I began using in the spring to keep our grass healthy through the tough, unpredictable summer months. What time better than the present to share it with you.

Christina and I are working on eliminating as many toxins from our lives as we possibly can. We use many glass storage containers for our foods, eat organic produce and meats whenever possible, have a whole-house water filtration system, sleep on organic cotton sheets, and clean with natural cleaners.

Since we started making moves toward more natural products, I had been searching for a safer treatment for my lawn that would keep it decent (I don't pretend to be weed-free and perfect) and be safe for the pooch to roam around on. She is stubborn and refuses to wear shoes. (~:

Thanks to Christina's uncle in Cleveland, this recipe appeared in my inbox. I put it to work the first part of June and never stepped foot in the fertilizer aisle at Home Depot again.

Check it out...

• 1 can of beer -- any kind, but not "lite"
• 1 can of pop -- any kind, but not diet
• 1/2 cup of ammonia
• 1/2 cup of mouthwash
• 1/2 cup of liquid dish detergent --do not use "anti-bacterial"

Mix all ingredients together and use in a 10 gallon sprayer hooked to a hose.

Apply every 3 weeks after mowing, preferably in the evening.

It takes about two batches to cover a 5,000 square foot lawn.

Granted, this is still not "organic" but it's a far cry from the toxic dump found in a bag of Scott's lawn products.

Give it a shot. Your grass will thank you for it and your pooch just might have better breath. :)


WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS

2 supersets of the Week 10, Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work

Superset 1: DB Flyes (on stability ball), Dips - Chest version
Superset 2: DB Pullover, Bench Press (Flat)
Superset 3: Reverse Ball Crunches, Mountain Climbers (plus 12-1/2 LBS per ankle)

Total Time => 40:48

Comments:

Almost (almost) made it through all the sets of dips without needing any assistance. Sweet.

I went with 5 LB ankle weights with 7-1/2 LBS attached while doing mountain climbers. Abs are feeling those.

It was good to have longer rest periods this week.

I enjoyed changing up the exercises, also.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN (PLUS 1)

My post-workout breakfast this morning was rather uneventful and a repeat of Day 66. I thawed out two of Polly's oaty cakes and put them into a warm oven before my workout. These got gobbled up with organic butter and Ohio maple syrup. For some protein, I heated up a grass fed beef sausage patty that was grilled up over the weekend.

Mid-morning, I snacked on Greek style yogurt along with 1/3 scoop whey protein isolate, and 4 tsp of ground flax seed mixed in.

For lunch I had wasabi salmon from Dr. Mark Hyman's book Ultra-Metabolism stuffed into a red bell pepper.

Work was far too hectic today which put me eating lunch late and skipping my afternoon snack. Cottage cheese and raw nuts live to see another day. (~:

Dinner tonight was a new (to us) chili recipe from a fine blog that Christina and I used to visit often, Eat, Live, Run. The recipe was simple and healthy but lacked the punch and flavor complexity Christina and I like in our chili. If we make this again, it will require a significant overhaul. On a positive note, the ingredients did lead to a good, thick texture. Something to build on.

Right before hitting the pillows, I put down 30 g of whey protein isolate powder in about 3/4 C of water along with my supplements.

Optimum Anabolics - Day 65/Supplements

As I mentioned yesterday, Week 10 of Optimum Anabolics requires a switch back to a higher protein diet. I figured this was a good time to introduce some supplements that are considered optional on the program.

Here's a quick peek at what I'm taking, the timing, and what they are taken for:

• Creatine Monohydrate: 5g before and 5g after a workout. Great for providing strength and energy during a workout and for encouraging muscle recovery during the post workout time period.
• L-glutamine: 5g immediately after a workout and 5g before bed. This supplement is for tissue recovery and secondarily boosts your immune system.
• Branch Chain Amino Acids: 15g immediately after workout. BCAA's are the building blocks for protein. The muscles soak these up like a sponge in the recovery mode.
• Fish Oil and Udo's 3-6-9 Oil: Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) sources. I take these throughout the day for so many reasons. There isn't enough room on this post to do justice to what EFA's can do.

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 10, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Concentration Curls, Cable Push Downs
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curls, Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Plank (1 minute hold on stability ball), Hanging Knee Raise (with 5 LB ankle weights)

Total Time => 39:28

Comments:

My biceps felt very strong today.

Stability ball plank holds were tough!


DIET - HIGH PROTEIN (PLUS 1)

For breakfast this morning, I went with a protein fest of eggs and sausage. Mmm...protein. With the eggs, I sauteed up some onion and bell pepper and topped it off with some Louisiana Hot Sauce. Ambition got the best of me so I fired up the grill flame the sausage patties. Wow.

As a mid-day snack, I dug some chocolate protein powder out of the pantry and mixed up a protein bar based on the Muscle Hack's recipe which can be found here. I went with raw almond butter, of course.

Post workout (early) dinner was grilled chicken (raw, dairy free) alfredo. Oh yes. The chicken was marinated for a couple of hours in lemon juice, EVOO, garlic, salt, and pepper then grilled up. If you're scoring at home, I did indeed use the grill *twice* today. :-) We healthied the normal version of this dish up (a little, anyway) with organic brown rice noodles. I also sauteed mini-bella mushrooms with a sliced up onion and coconut oil. This went over the pasta before the alfredo sauce topped it all off. Dinner to die for, kids.

I forgot to mention in my previous post what the deal was with the "Plus 1" in the diet section of the blog. For the next 3 weeks, I'll be taking in 30 grams or so of protein right before bed. Most likely, this will come in the form of whey protein powder but might also include cottage cheese. The main requirement is that this snack should be low fat and low carb to keep from raising insulin levels too high during the night which can inhibit growth hormones. Bad news when you're trying to increase muscle mass.

Optimum Anabolics - Day 61/Product Review

Hello Hump Day!

A product sample of Vitargo S2 by Genr8 was delivered to the homestead a week or so ago courtesy of my (relatively) new favorite internet radio station, SuperHumanRadio. Since this was my heaviest week of training on Optimum Anabolics thus far, it seemed like a good time to try this stuff out.

Vitargo is a molecular carbohydrate in powder form that has zero sugar and comes in 2 flavors (orange, tropical fruit) and unflavored. The sample I tried was unflavored which was nice since it was going in a coffee smoothie. I used half of the packet yesterday and the other half today. This provided 35g of carbs per day.

Vitargo is derived from barley (NOT gluten free) and is designed to replenish your glycogen stores extremely quickly when consumed after exercise. Due to it's molecular composition, it digests and leaves the stomach twice as fast as normal carbohydrates. This leaves you feeling less stuffed or bloated, as well.

Enough background. Here are my thoughts...

PROS:

• No bloating is no joke. I was satisfied but not stuffed for the amount of carbs involved.
• One packet gives you 70g of carbs with no sugar. That's huge. No crashing involved.
• The unflavored option makes this very flexible for adding to any liquid.
• Unflavored also means less chemicals (aka, crap!) are involved.
• Most importantly, it's my opinion that Vitargo did what it said it would. I literally felt like I could work out again and my muscles were pumped up.

CONS:

• Is it possible to work too well? I had so much energy I was ready to jump out of my skin. I could not sit still and I only used half the packet to make my smoothie.
• The powder did not thicken my smoothie as much as I had hoped. Xanthan gum was still required.
• An organic option would be nice.
• Expensive. 10 servings are $37.00 on line. Yikes.

BOTTOM LINE:

• I would purchase this ONLY if I was looking to build muscle for a show or contest or if I was some sort of extreme distance/endurance athlete like a marathoner or a tri-athlete.
• It was too high-powered for casual use by guys like me. No Cadillac required here.

WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS

2 supersets of the Week 9 Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work

Superset 1: Incline DB Flye, Dips - Chest version (I had to do some assisted reps here...phew!)
Superset 2: DB Front Lateral Raises (palms up), Regular Push Ups
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers w/ ankle weights, Stability Ball Roll Outs w/ weight

Total Time => 42:27

Comments:

I finished off the week very strong with plenty of focus and good strength.

Legs were crazy sore today. I was walking funny. (~:

I went with 5 LB weights on my ankles today while doing mountain climbers and then had to drop down due to short rest periods.

The end of the Progressive Loading cycle is TOUGH! Lighter sets and longer rest periods will be more than welcome next week.

I was generally sore from head to toe after these 5 days. Incredibly intense workouts.

DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

Breakfast, post-workout, was a repeat of yesterday. Asian Fusion oatgurt. One big bowl of oatgurt, 1 TBS tahini, 2 tsp raw honey, and 2 tsp of miso paste. Originally I had planned on going with apple and cinnamon but had to go back and do yesterday's recipe again. So good.

To get my post workout protein requirement taken care of, I had a coffee smoothie with the following:

• 1 C of chilled coffee (Cafe Brioso, of course!)
• 1 C of almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop of plain whey protein isolate powder
• 1 tsp chocolate extract
• 2 TBS of cocoa powder
• 2,000 shakes of cinnamon powder
• 3 TBS of coconut milk
• 1/2 packet of Vitargo Muscle Fuel & Recovery

Morning snack today was two home-grown apples from the farmer's market and raw brazil, walnuts, cashews, and almonds.

For lunch, I polished off the last of the first (repeat that a few times fast...hehe) batch of 3 bean chili along with a few slices of left over almond flour crust pizza. Warmed my tummy on a chilly (no pun intended) day.

As an afternoon snack, hummus was spread on (the other) half a tomato and a yellow bell pepper from the farmer's market.

Dinner consisted of eggplant parmesan that Christina slaved over with raw zucchini "noodles". I'll be sad to see the eggplant disappear until next summer. They have been phenomenal. It never hurts to have the chef prepare them well, either. (~;

My muscles were glad to hear that tomorrow is cardio only. (~:

Optimum Anabolics - Day 58/An Inside Look

This afternoon, we did some re-arranging of the master bedroom. It's amazing what a difference just the slightest change can make.

While in the switch-a-roo mood and having just purchased a stationary bike, it seemed like a good time to change up the home gym space, too.

I snapped a photo while things were all nice and organized. Here is the new and improved look all set up to kick my glutes (butt) tomorrow on leg day....
















The new (to me) stationary recumbent bike is over to the left along with the Body Solid dip stand. The incline/decline bench is set for leg curls while the rack is locked and loaded for squats. Behind the squat bar is a high/low pulley system that is great for tricep pushdowns and rowing exercises. On the floor to the right are dumb bells ranging in weight from 3 LB to 40 LB. Tomorrow morning I'll be using those for lunges which will be done right in front of the leg curl attachment.

It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done!

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 9, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: Incline DB Curls, Overhead Rope Extensions
Superset 2: Close Grip Chin Up (assisted), Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Bent Leg Crunch (with towel roll under back), Ab Slide (with 10 LB on my back)

Total Time => 47:15

Comments:

Shoulders got worked very hard yesterday and were letting me know today.

My arms respond very well to the "pump" sets during Week 9.

My abs are getting stronger at doing crunches with the towel and correct form.

The pump set of abs was done in the fully contracted position. Brutal.

DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

As a post-workout meal today, we met my friend Luke out and treated ourselves to First Watch. Love that place. Their service is amazingly quick no matter how busy they are. Most importantly they have a gluten free menu and go to great lengths in their kitchen to make sure the food is prepared without cross-contamination. Christina is a happy camper there for sure.

I managed to chow down on 3 big blueberry pancakes and a turkey sausage patty. I think I drank about a 20 cups of coffee, too. Whoops!

Lunch time came around mid-afternoon. It seemed like a good day to finish off the leftover lentil taco "meat" along with some homemade guacamole. I also had some baked blue corn tortilla chips to scoop up the escapees from the romaine lettuce "shells".
















Kombucha in the background to drink. Ahhhh!

I had been craving veggie burgers since we first made them a couple weeks back. We brought back the copycat recipe from Houston's Restaurant and once again it did not disappoint. Of course, we had to make the non-dairy coleslaw again, too. Also on the side was a sweet corn and bean salad from our favorite cookbook that Christina had put together earlier in the day. Definitely could make a meal out of that alone!

Optimum Anabolics - Day 54/BOO-cha

I assure you this post has nothing to do with Stewart Scott from ESPN who is known for hollering out "BOO-YEAH!" during highlight clips. :)

There have been several posts in the blogosphere recently that have mentioned one of my favorite beverages. Kombucha! Correct pronunciation (as far as I know) = com-BOO-chah. Around the Overall Fitness household, it's just known as "bucha".

Since I make/brew my own and drink 4-6 oz of the stuff after nearly every meal, I thought I might join the trend and do a little post of my own.

First, with a little help from www.kombucha.org, here is what it is...

The Kombucha Culture, sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mushroom, is a symbiotic, probiotic colony of yeast and bacteria (the friendly type). Kombucha Tea is made by combining the culture, with a mixture of black tea, and sugar. The ingredients are allowed to "ferment", usually from 7-10 days. The resulting beverage contains dozens of elements, many of which are known to promote healing for a variety of conditions.

Now, with assistance from www.getkombucha.com, here's why I drink it...

Top 10 Noticeable Benefits of Drinking Kombucha Tea Daily

+ Prevents Acid Reflux

+ Assists With Weight Loss

+ Aids in Digestion of Heavy Meals

+ Strengthens Hair, Restores Hair

+ More Energy in the Morning

+ Helps With Sleep

+ Relives Constipation

+ Post Work Out Recovery Drink (Cardiovascular and Resistance Training)

+ Reduces Severity of Hangovers

+ Better Skin Complexion, Tighter Skin Tone

Not too shabby, eh?

Now to my brewing process. My ingredients are as follows:

• 3 quarts (96 oz) of fresh, filtered water
• 1 C sugar (I use cheap white sugar)
• 6 tea bags (any tea will do EXCEPT herbal teas)
• 1 Kombucha culture
• 1 C or so of previously brewed kombucha

Starting out, I boil a quart (32 oz) of water and then dissolve one cup (or a little more) of sugar in the boiling water.

Next, I brew the tea with 6 bags for 10 minutes (or longer).

Starting out...















After the tea has brewed it's time to add it to the jar where it will be fermenting for 7-10 days (or more if it's cooler in the house).

I pour one quart of water into the freshly brewed tea to cool it off. We now have 2 quarts of liquid.

The 3rd quart gets poured directly into the fermenting jar.

















The 2 quarts of cooled tea then get added to the fermenting jar. I put a paper towel over the jar and secure it with a rubber band.

All set to hang out for a few days...


















Flash forward to tonight and we're all set to bottle it up!
















Bottled and ready for drinking...




























WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS

2 supersets of the Week 8 Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work

Superset 1: Incline DB Flye, Dips - Chest version (I had to do some assisted reps here...phew!)
Superset 2: DB Front Lateral Raises (palms up), Incline Push Ups (I got creative and used 2 chairs and ladder!)
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers w/ ankle weights, Reverse Ball Crunches

Total Time => 46:13

Comments:

I have to admit, I just did not have it in the home gym today. My strength was lacking; particularly on the dumbbell flyes. Good thing tomorrow is cardio work only.

Legs were not sore but stiff for sure. They got worked well.

I went with 8 LB weights on my ankles today while doing mountain climbers. Abs...done.

It was a good week in the home gym even though today was somewhat disappointing.

Strict form continues to be a point of focus.

DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

My post-workout meal this morning was delicious. I cooked up 2 eggs sunny-side up with half a red pepper and a few slices of red onion in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil. I put them on a piece of Ezekiel bread along side 2 oz of homemade grass fed beef meatloaf. The eggies were followed up by 2 of Polly's oaty cakes with a TBS of organic butter and 2 TBS of pure Ohio maple syrup.

Mid-morning snack was 3 carob energy cubes along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts).

Lunch was a fantastic cashew salad with cabbage cole slaw mix, red peppers, carrots, and scallions dressed with an almond butter, rice vinegar, lemon juice dressing. The recipe was from our favorite Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook by Dr. Mark Hyman. This salad is really, really good.

At snack time, I had a green bell pepper with lemony hummus.

Dinner was eggplant parm from Day 51 along with some roasted, organic spaghetti squash from the farmer's market. Delicious is an understatement. (~:

Optimum Anabolics - Day 51/Sunday Cheffing

It seems that lately Sunday's have been all about food prep. Today was no exception. Thankfully, eating is involved as well. :)

After breakfast, I headed out and picked up some fill-in items at the grocery store that could not be purchased at the farmer's market.

Once I got home and put the goodies away, it was time to hit the home gym. I followed that up with lunch, a shower, and some computer work.

As dinner time rolled around, it was non-stop kitchen fun. We roasted our spaghetti squash, fried up 2 eggplants, baked one eggplant parm, ate dinner, cleaned up, and then I made a batch of hummus for my daily snacks during the upcoming week.

Phew!

Anyone else feel like they spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else in their house??

The meals we nourish ourselves with is more than worth it, though, so I should not complain. We eat pretty well around here...healthy (most of the time) and delicious (nearly all the time).

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 8, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: Incline DB Curls, Overhead Rope Extensions
Superset 2: Close Grip Chin Up (assisted), Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Bent Leg Crunch (with towel roll under back), Ab Slide (with 5 LB on my back)

Total Time => 39:46

Comments:

Shoulders sore but not killing me today.

My arms were exercised well today...particularly on the incline curls.

My abs are getting stronger at doing crunches with the towel and correct form.

Core muscles are getting strong as well. Tomorrow will be a good test with squats and dead lifts on the schedule.

DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

This morning was nice and cool which put me in the mood for a nice bowl of oatmeal.

Pre-cooking...















This was an excellent oatmeal that cooked up real nice with about a cup of boiling water. I loaded my bowl up with a chopped apple, a ton of cinnamon (seriously need to get a photo of that...hehe), and 2 TBS of almond butter.

My metabolism must've been in high gear this morning, because I burnt through that oatmeal breakfast fairly quickly. A snack of an apple and raw nuts was necessary before heading off to the grocery store. Hungry grocery shopping = bad news for the wallet. :)

Lunch (post workout) was a stroganoff-type concoction of leftover grass-fed meatloaf along side the following sauteed in coconut oil:

• red onion
• garlic
• mini-bella mushrooms
• salt

Gluten-free rice noodles were mixed into the saute. The whole plate turned out like this...















I'm not gonna lie and tell you these noodles are just like their gluten-laden counterparts, but they were darn good!

For dessert, Christina made up a most excellent gluten-free almond flour cinnamon coffee cake from THE Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. Another winner!















How sweet is that?

As mentioned earlier, dinner was eggplant parm from that same cookbook (yeah, okay, the book is awesome) along with some roasted, organic spaghetti squash from the farmer's market yesterday. The best squash I've ever had!

Din-din...
















Spaghetti squash before the oven roasting....















Told you it was a day of cheffing 'round here!

Optimum Anabolics - Day 47/Motiv8

Not to worry, this post is not about personalized license plates. (`:

I typically watch very little TV but for the past couple of years, Christina and I have been faithfully watching The Biggest Loser. Last night was the first episode of Season 8 and it was a bit of an eye-opener.

My quick highlights:

• Heaviest contestant ever at 476 LBS(!!)
• Four guys over 400 LBS
• Two contestants ended up in the hospital after a mile run/walk
• One dude lost 28 LBS during the 1st week
• A 29 year old contestant was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes...didn't even know he had it!

The final highlight I'll mention was, however, not at all about the physical state of this season's contestants. It was something that several of them said about their motivation to be on the show that made an impression on me.

They realized they must first help themselves to truly be able to help others. It's an inside-out job.

There is a firefighter who realized he can't save people due to his weight.

There is a youth pastor who wants to live to be a positive influence on as many kids as possible, including his own.

There is a track coach teaching athletes to be stronger and faster yet he was hospitalized after walking only a mile.

How often do we put the happiness and well-being of others ahead of our own only to suffer ourselves?

To be motivational, first motivate the person that matters most...you. Be an example for people.

I'll borrow a Gandhi quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS

2 supersets of the Week 7 Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work

Superset 1: Incline DB Flye, Dips - Chest version (I had to do some assisted reps here...phew!)
Superset 2: DB Front Lateral Raises (palms up), Incline Push Ups (I got creative and used 2 chairs and ladder!)
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers w/ ankle weights, Hanging knee raises

Total Time => 35:29

Comments:

This was a great workout but I didn't feel as if I hit my chest all that hard. We'll see if it gets sore in the next day or so.

Legs were sore but not as bad as expected. Love those lunges!

The mountain climbers did a serious number on my abs today.

It was a good week in the home gym. Taking sets to failure worked my body over!

Strict form continues to be a point of focus. I'm feeling more in control of my body now as I lift.

DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

My post-workout meal this morning was a repeat of Day 45. I cooked up 2 eggs sunny-side up with half a poblano pepper in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil. I put them on a piece of Ezekiel bread along side 2 oz of homemade grass fed beef sausage. The eggies were followed up by 2 of Polly's whole-wheat pancakes with a TBS of organic butter and 2 TBS of pure Ohio maple syrup.

Mid-morning snack was an energy bar from The Cookie Cop along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts).

Lunch was gluten free, dairy free eggplant parmesan. Spiral cut zucchini and yellow squash were used as the "noodles". Fantastic!

As a mid-afternoon snack, I polished off the remaining half of the poblano and a tomato with a few TBS of lemony hummus.















Pretty good snack, yes? The paper towel plate is a critical component. (~:

Dinner was a little late tonight since I had a massage/reiki appointment after work. We had leftover veggie burgers and raw, dairy-free cole slaw from Day 44. I snuck in two handfuls of potato chips, too, for a touch of crunch.

Tomorrow it's HIIT cardio. I'm ready!

Optimum Anabolics - Day 44/A Day To Regroup

After staying up way too late to watch the Bucks lose in the waning moments of the ball game, it seemed fitting that today should be a time to take a breath and then forge forward to the next week.

For starters, we slept in today until about 8:30 ish...late for us, for sure.

Once we were out of bed, properly re-hydrated and refueled, and caffeinated (at least I had to be), we sat down and planned out meals for the week.

That pretty much wore me out (hehe), so I basted in the sun for about 45 minutes before strapping on the gym shoes for a workout.

Post-workout, I got cleaned up, had lunch and then headed off to the grocery.

By the time I got back and we got all the goods put away, it was meal prep time. We spent the rest of the evening chopping, dicing, stirring, processing, slicing, sauteing, and baking. There was lots of work involved but a good bit of the weeks meals and snacks got prepped for easy picking out of the fridge.

As much as I love a fresh meal, sometimes it's nice to just grab a container out of the fridge and eat.

Thanks to my lovely wife for all her help in the kitchen. ;-) It was definitely a team effort tonight!

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Week 7, Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: Incline DB Curls, Overhead Rope Extensions
Superset 2: Close Grip Chin Up (assisted), Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Bent Leg Crunch (with towel roll under back), Ab Slide (resurrected from the garage sale!)

Total Time => 39:46

Comments:

Shoulders sore but not killing me today.

My arms were definitely worked over and rubbery.

Doing crunches with the towel and correct form totally burnt my abs. I could only get 6 reps on the last set.


DIET - PROTEIN DEPRIVATION

I got things started right today with what's known in the blog world as a Green Monster. Cram all the ingredients you see below into a blender, crank it up, pour it out, and enjoy!

• 1 C Almond Milk
• 1 banana (frozen...there is no other way!)
• 1/2 C blueberries
• 1 tsp Carlson's Lemon Flavored Fish Oil
• handful of raw nuts (cashews, Brazils, walnuts, almonds)
  
• Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach (the green in the Green Monster!)

Lunch was post-workout and shaped up much like last night's dinner. I polished off the remainder of the lo mein and 4oz. of leftover chicken cacciatore. This combination is better known as Italianese. Or is it Chintalian? Hmmm...

Chicken...














Lo Mein...














I followed up the meal with another big bowl of oatmeal raisin cookies crumbled into a good sized portion of PJ Madison's ice cream. Considering there is still a nice serving left in the pint-size container after two desserts, I'll be bold and say I didn't go *too* overboard. What about the cookies? Well, that's another story... (~:

At dinner time, Christina and I partnered up, as I mentioned earlier, to create quite the All-American summer meal. On the menu was homemade veggie burgers (thanks to Heather for inspiring this burger) and dairy-free, mayo-free cole slaw.

Click here for the copycat version of Houston's Restaurant veggie burgers. We even made our own BBQ sauce from a Google search!

The recipe for the cole slaw is located here. NOTE: We would recommend soaking the cashews for a few hours before mixing them up for the slaw dressing.

Here is our delicious dinner. Looks like a burger, huh?

Optimum Anabolics - Day 37/Wanna Beer?

"It's 7:30 in the morning!"

"Scotch?"

If you haven't seen "Mr. Mom", you're missing out! Hilarious.

Anyway, you may have noticed that a few of my posts have included alcohol in the "DIET" section for that given day (typically on a weekend).

How can this be? Aren't you all about fitness and health? Where does alcohol fit into that?

The answer, of course, is "it depends". :~)

Remember, what is your goal? Where are you headed?

If you're looking to get really lean, it's best to reach for the water with a lemon in it. Losing body fat is largely dependent on calorie intake. It's way too easy to take in a whole meals worth of calories in one drink and be left with zero nutrition to show for it. Do you really want to blow a whole days worth of calories on beers at the bar?

Secondly, the body treats alcohol just like any other highly processed grain. It burns it just like sugar which can spike your insulin. Sugary, syrupy drinks like margaritas and daiquiris are also loaded with carbs in addition to the alcohol itself. Double trouble for battling the belly bulge. During a 12 week "cut" phase last spring, I can only remember drinking one time.

If you're looking to maintain your weight, a couple of drinks can be worked into a day pretty easily. It's easier said than done, but removing carbohydrates from the remainder of your meals can help balance out the alcohol.

Regardless of your goals, moderation is key. Can you have a couple of beers while watching a football game on a Saturday night? I think so. Can you do this every night and then workout like a madman to try and stay lean, healthy, and vibrant? I do not think so.

Life is about balance. Results are about consistency. Can you stay consistently balanced and enjoy life and results? Let's try, huh?

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Day 30 workout was a repeat of Day 23 and included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Preacher Curls, Overhead Cable Extensions
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curl (arms braced against wall), Close Grip Push Ups
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers (with 5 LB ankle weights), Hanging Knee Raises

Total Time => 37:36

Comments:

Weights were just about perfect.

Mountain climbers have to be one of the best ab/core exercises ever invented.

Just like yesterday, I did a 15 minute bike ride after I finished up with the iron. Hopefully my cardio engine is appreciative.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN

We had some fun for breakfast (post workout) this morning. Despite the fact it was about 9:00 in the morning, I fired up the grill and flamed some homemade Italian beef sausage patties. These went perfectly with a fresh batch of Polly's whole wheat pancakes. Christina followed her gluten free diet and made her first batch of almond flour pancakes. They were equally as good as the "regular" ones! If you're looking to eliminate or reduce the gluten in your diet, this book is a must.

Here's my plate with a sampling of each type of pancake accompanied by a coating of butter...















How did those grapes get in there? :~)

For lunch, I had some leftover chicken cacciatore from earlier in the week along with some fresh bell pepper and tomato cut up. I was sure to leave room for a "pick me up" dessert smoothie. 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee over ice, half a ton of cinnamon, a few shakes of chili powder (oh yes!), 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, stevia powder, 1 scoop of plain whey protein isolate powder, and xanthum gum all blended up until it's so thick you have to eat it with a spoon. When it reached that point, I tossed in a few each of almonds, cashews, and walnuts and pulsed a few times just to break them up and add a little crunch (and healthy fats) to the mix.

Dinner time was a team effort eggplant parmesan from our new gluten free almond flour cookbook. We also finally gave our vegetable spiral cutter a try. Half a zucchini from the farmer's market yesterday turned into today's "pasta". Take a look...

















This turned out to be a remarkable substitute for traditional pasta. I'm hooked!

Here is dinner all plated up. Check out that fork twirling action on the "pasta"!
















Christina also found a dairy free substitute for grated parm. I love, love the real stuff so this had a lot to live up to. The result? Fantastic!

It's easy to make, too. Here's the recipe...

2 cups of walnuts
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon of salt

Throw all those in the food processor and whirl away until it looks "parm-like".

Try this! Seriously. You will NOT be disappointed!

Optimum Anabolics - Day 30/A Moment To Breathe

Since we ran most of our errands yesterday and last night turned into a late night for this old-timer (haha), we were able to sleep until 8:00+ this morning. That's late for us anymore. The day was spent doing mundane tasks around the house, paying bills, and munching.

After dinner, we took some time to chill and breathe a little. We didn't even clean up the kitchen!

I had posted a couple high school/early college photos on Facebook so we had a few good laughs at the comments that had come in. Then we went through a box from the basement that contained some old photos from birth through my grade school years and even some high school memorobilia (otherwise known as junk!).

All the high school stuff prompted me to return a call to a good friend from high school. He teaches in the district we graduated from, so he reminded me what a lot of that stuff I had boxed up all these years was about (homecoming trinkets, favors from dances, various award certificates). I figured since I barely had no idea what any of the stuff was, that it should be designated as clutter and was destined for the trash.

Crazy what we hang on to that keeps us from breathing and our spaces so cluttered.

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Day 30 workout was a repeat of Day 23 and included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Preacher Curls, Overhead Cable Extensions
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curl (arms braced against wall), Close Grip Push Ups
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers (with 5 LB ankle weights), Hanging Knee Raises

Total Time => 41:10

Comments:

My shoulders were suprisingly sore from yesterday's workout.

Weights were just about perfect.

Mountain climbers have to be one of the best ab/core exercises ever invented.

Just like yesterday, I did a 15 minute bike ride after finished up with the iron.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN

Breakfast was an omelet consisting of one egg, two egg whites, green and red peppers, white onions and raw milk cheddar cheese. I topped it with a few shakes of the Louisiana hot sauce, too, of course.

Since I had plenty of meat on the menu for today, I opted for a breakfast dessert smoothie we'll call the "pick me up". 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee over ice, half a ton of cinnamon, a few shakes of chili powder (oh yes!), 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, stevia powder, 1 scoop of plain whey protein isolate powder, and xanthum gum all blended up until it's so thick you have to eat it with a spoon. When it reached that point, I tossed in a few each of almonds, cashews, and walnuts and pulsed a few times just to break them up and add a little crunch (and healthy fats) to the mix.

Lunch was a grass-fed beef burger wrapped up in turnip greens "buns" along with some dijon mustard and sliced tomatoes. On the side, I had a heaping portion of steamed green beans mixed up with sauteed onions and garlic.

Come dinner time (post workout), Christina and I made one of our favorite things...pizza! To keep things gluten free, we used Gluten-Free Pantry's French Bread & Pizza Mix for the crust. This got split into two pizzas...one for each of us. I topped my pie first with minced garlic that had been briefly sauteed with EVOO. Next came the homemade Italian sausage, grass-fed organic mozzarella cheese and then the veggies and mushrooms.

Here is a pre-bake pic...

















For dessert, a cut up a banana, sliced kiwi, and a crumbled Cocoa Mole Larabar all went together into a bowl and got topped with cinnamon, steel cut oats, and about a 1/4 cup of almond milk. Not bad, huh?

Needless to say, there was no need for a pre-bed snack tonight. (~:

Optimum Anabolics - Day 26/It CAN Kill You! (A follow up)

Yesterday I expressed my opinion on how I felt in general about eating chemical laden, highly processed meals, snacks, desserts, etc. As it turns out, I underestimated the effects even just one meal can have on your system.

Check this out ==> The Effects of One High Calorie Meal

Can you believe that?!?

One thing that was mentioned near the end is that the effects of that meal can disappear in about 6 hours. I think this is VERY important. If you eat meals similar to the one shown in the video more than once per day, you most likely feel those effects on a continual basis. Not good! Chronic disease, illness, and obesity here we come.

On a positive note, this gives you a little breathing room (no pun intended). If you go overboard at a meal (holidays, parties, vacation, etc.) it's not the end of the world. Pick yourself up and eat well following your indiscretions and your body will forgive you and recover. Remember, it's what we expose ourselves to through our actions AND thoughts 90-95% of the time that determines our physical and mental state.

WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS

2 supersets of the Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work.

Superset 1: DB Pullover, Incline DB Press
Superset 2: Flat DB Flye, Incline DB Press
Superset 3: Weighted Ball Roll-Outs, Knee-Ins On Bench (with weight)

Total Time => 41:26

Comments:

Back and shoulders were a little sore today but not like after a very heavy workout.

This week of Hyper-Adaptive Cylce was quite a change from last week's routine of heavy lifting and very short rest periods. It was a nice break.

I put a lot of focus into keeping strict form this week.

My weight choices were a little off from time to time this week due the introduction of new exercises.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN

Breakfast started off with a one egg, two egg white omelette with peppers and onions for mix-ins. I topped that off with about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce from Saturday's dinner. On the side, I had a homemade Italian sausage patty with a few spoonfuls of sauce (because it was so good!). Carbs were a piece of raw corn bread, a big handful of red grapes, a wilting peach, and an oaty cake (with butter, of course).

Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground white chia seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.

Lunch was a tuna salad stuffed pepper. Who needs bread?! This was a genius idea! On the side, I had a blended zucchini salad. It's "hump day" and this was the first one I had all week! The recipe is here.

Pretty? Eh. Delicious? You bet!















Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts).

On my way home, I stopped at the farmer's market and picked up some (is 3 LBS still considered "some"?) green beans. These went immediately into the oven with some EVOO and salt and roasted for about 25 minutes at 450*. The beans served as a side to some leftover grilled ginger chicken from Day 24. I also had a cucumber-tomato salad with a dressing of almond butter, coconut milk, chili powder, and lime juice. This was loosely based on a recipe from The Ultra Simple Diet book by Dr. Mark Hyman.

As a snack before bed it was a 1/2 scoop of protein powder mixed with a little water.

Optimum Anabolics - Day 23/The Ego Gets A Workout

Today was an interesting day for me. To start off, this week, Week 4, it's back to just 3 sets of each exercise (down from 5 sets last week). Each set stops 2-3 reps from failure. For a guy that's used to pushing things to the max, racking the weight before pushing out one last rep was hard to do!

We also had a scheduled 5K race this morning at 8:10 A.M. My original plan was to workout before the race and use the run as my post-workout cardio. It was tough to get out of bed this morning, though, after such a long day yesterday and a few drinks (whoops!) with dinner. I did manage to get a good workout in (see below) however, to add to my discomfort, my calves and feet still needed some rest time.

Typically on race day, I'm up near the front of the pack at the starting line all fired up and ready to go with my music thumping. Once the race starts, I bolt out to avoid the pack, settle in, and try to beat as a minimum, my previous time. In other words, pushing things to my max. Not so much today. I set my ego aside and walked. It was tough to see some of the familiar faces running by and not be able to be right there with them grinding out the last stretch of the race.

Why did I even bother going you ask? As it turns out, first, it was a fine day for a walk. Second, my ego needs to know it's ok to "take a knee". Third, I got to spend the beautiful morning walking with my wife and sister-in law on a gorgeous trail through the woods. Not a bad way to spend a morning, right?

WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS

The Day 23 workout was a repeat of Day 2 and included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.

Superset 1: DB Preacher Curls, Overhead Cable Extensions
Superset 2: Twisting DB Curl (arms braced against wall), Close Grip Push Ups
Superset 3: Side Planks (30 second hold per side with 15 LB weight raised), Ball Roll Outs

Total Time => 41:10

Comments:

Not much in the way of soreness at all today.

New exercises meant some experimenting with weights again.

Side planks reminded me of doing Yoga. I've been missing it! Love those static holds!

Once out of the gym, I put on a sweatshirt and we headed out to the 5K race. This was my post-workout cardio today. We finished walking in just around 50:00.

DIET - HIGH PROTEIN

Breakfast came today after returning from the 5K race. I had a bowl full of oatgurt, peaches (yes, two), and almond butter sprinkled (ok, loaded) with cinnamon. Out came the blender at that point for a protein smoothie of almond milk, chilled coffee, whey protein isolate powder (plain), a heaping TBS of unsweetened cocoa powder, a frozen banana, and a few peanuts for some crunch. This cleared out any remaining cob webs from the previous night's indiscretions. ;~)

We had some cleanup and prep work to do at one of our rentals so we spent the afternoon getting ready for a tenant to move in next week. I readjusted my meal schedule and just had a snack of 1/2 cup yogurt, 4 tsp ground flax seed, and 1/3 scoop of whey protein isolate powder around 3:30. While snacking, I mixed up the marinade for the chicken we were having for dinner.

Dinner was grilled ginger-herbed chicken from our favorite cook book. Before chowing on the bird, I cut up some tomato and cucumber and had that with some sea salt and Italian spices. Along side the chicken, we roasted up a bunch of fresh green beans with some EVOO and salt. Green bean fries! Awesome!

My pre-bed snack was an exciting 1/2 scoop of whey protein isolate powder mixed with a little water.