Random Thought

After a repetitive workout of push-ups, pull-ups and listening to Tony Horton I sat in the locker room tired but bored and unfulfilled. Sure Tony gave me a run for my money on the push-ups but the repetitive nature of the workouts has really gotten to me. I sat there and thought about the enjoyable time I had over the weekend playing with my kids. On Saturday we went to the local middle school and played soccer and Frisbee. I hung up my suspension straps and we did pull ups and other various forms of upper body movements. To top it off we did sprints up and down the football field. On Monday, after a great walk we decided to let the kids play at the playground. I have never been one to sit buy and watch my kids have all the fun so I joined them. We did the monkey bars, climbed some poles and held onto the zip lines. Now that is working out should be about!

My point here is that you don't have to be at a gym to get a workout. By incorporating simple movies into daily activities, you can achieve your goals and not be subject to the monotonous nature of gyms or 60 minutes workout videos. Get out of the gym and enjoy life!

Protein Bar Recipe

3 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups dried milk

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup syrup

2 scoops protein powder

2 large egg whites or 1 egg

1 1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup raisins or dried fruit and chopped

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Spread onto sheet, press cutting lines in to make 10 pieces. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown, cut apart, then cool and wrap. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Gym Ettiquette

• You don't need to use 4 different machines at the same time. If someone wants to use one, don't give them the "How dare you interrupt my workout" look. Most gyms only have 1 or 2 pieces of a specific type of equipment…please share.


• Clean up After Yourself - I really hate it when people leave their power drink cups/cans all over the place. Most gyms have garbage cans. Please use them. Almost every gym I have ever been to has rules around carrying a towel with you to wipe up sweat yet I seem to be the only one that ever follows that. I know we all sweat but we don’t have to all share the same pool of sweat. Gyms are also starting to have cleaning supplies on hand just in case you "forgot" your towel. Please use them.


• Leave no trace - One of my biggest pet peeves is the guy/girl that has to leave all their weights on the machine. We know you are huge and can squat 600 pounds but I shouldn't have to be the one that removes it. It’s not my job and it also interrupts my flow at the gym. Please put all weight away when done. If you are physically unable to do so after working out, then maybe you should take it down a notch.


• Don't hog the treadmill - Many gyms have time limits on cardio machines during busy hours. There is a reason for that, and you should obey it.


• Cover up - I respect the confidence that allows some people to walk around the locker room naked. Know what else I respect? Seeing you wearing a towel after your shower to keep the locker room a comfortable place for everyone. You also dont need to stand in front of the one full length mirror admiring yourself for 20 minutes. Tuck in your shirt, comb your hair and walk away.

Buffalo Stew

I ran across this recipe on my computer yesterday and thought I would share it with everyone.  I made it many months ago using turkey and it turned out really good. I was even able to freeze a lot of it and eat it later on.  Best of all; Its healthy!  If you end up making it for yourself, drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Buffalo Stew

You can use ground beef or turkey instead of buffalo if you'd like.

2lbs of ground buffalo meat

1 large (29oz) can of diced tomatoes (don't drain, will need the juice)

1 can (15oz) beef broth

1 medium carrot

2 celery stalks

1 small onion

1c of sliced mushrooms

1 c. of Red Wine

1 tsp of black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tsp of garlic

1/2 tbsp of red pepper (optional)

Brown your buffalo in a skillet. You don't need to have the temperature very high, buffalo meat is VERY lean. Watch while prepping your vegetables to make sure you don't burn the meat. Slice the carrot, celery and onion into small pieces, and set aside. Once your meat is browned, combine the meat, vegetables, spices and wine into a Crock Pot. Stir all the ingredients together, so everything will cook evenly. Cover and set your Crock Pot on high, and let it cook for 4-6 hours, until veggies are tender. (Because buffalo is so lean, its nice to slow cook like this.) Makes 6 servings at 36g of protein per serving.

Fun Facts

• There are 1,040 calories in two slices of regular size Pizza Hut Meat Lovers stuffed crust pizza. You would have to do 2,862 jumping jacks in order to burn off that many calories!
• There is a 40% boost in antioxidants when produce is grown organically.

• You risk a 17% lose in muscle power after just 4 weeks of inactivity.

• You can gain as much as a 10% increase in power output just by listening to your favorite tunes while working out!

Battling the Aftermath of the Flu

I am still feeling the after effects of the flu from 2 weeks ago. I finally went to the Doctor this afternoon and turns out that I have a sinus infection.  They gave me some medicine and I hope to be 100% better in a few days. Why am I telling everyone this?  I am hoping that once I feel better, I can get into this fitness blogging big time. My goal is to create some video's of different exercises as well as some pretty cool fitness articles. I just don't feel like doing much right now. So please don't lose faith in me. It will get better from here on out. Promise!

On a bright note; I did manage to get a workout in today. Biceps and Triceps. The Black Powder definitely overcomes the effects of this sinus infection.  My arms are still pretty sore.

On a sour note; when I went to the Doctor office today, I weighed in at 190lbs.  That is about 10 pounds over what I thought I would be. I did have on some heavy shoes and clothes but still seems really high.  Might have to reevaluate my diet and cardio program.  I got a wedding to get ready for!

Worst Healthy Drink

Glaceau VitaminWater (any flavor 20oz bottle)

130 calories, 33 grams of sugar.

Vitamins and water might seem like a good idea but what they don’t advertise is that this water contains nearly as much calories and sugar as a can of soda. It should be no surprise that this stuff is made by The Coca-Cola Company.