Badass Fitness

Give me 30 minutes, and I'll kick your (Bad)ass!

I recently started training a client who prefers half-hour sessions vs. my normal 45- to 60-minutes because, as she put it: "If I know I have to go longer than that I will just hate it."

Well, as the personal trainer I aim to please my clients. So I said sure, let's go in 30-minute sessions, with one caveat: Those 30 minutes will be intense, fast-moving, and challenging. We will use every minute to the fullest, and we'll push hard.

Three sessions in, she knows I wasn't kidding. You CAN get a good workout in 30 minutes, which is yet another reason why the "I don't have time" excuse doesn't cut it - at least not with the Badass CEO.

And as you'll see from the workout below, you also can't use the "But I don't belong to a gym" excuse because this routine calls for simple and inexpensive fitness "toys" you can buy at your local sporting goods/athletic store or Wal-Mart/Target and store at home.

So block out 30 minutes three times a week and bust out this puppy. Then feel those pants get looser as your Badass gets tighter!

Cardio Start: 10 minutes on Spinning or RealRyder bike (Alternative: Use the treadmill, and play with the speed and incline as directed below. Or run/bike outside!)

Warmup: At a light tension with a fast pace, about 50 percent of effort. Suggested music: California Gurls - Katy Perry (feat. Snoop Dogg)

Inclined road: Add tension, a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, and pedal at 60 percent of maximum speed. Every minute, add tension but try to maintain the speed. End tension should be a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. Suggested music: Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & The Boyz

Steep climb: From the previous song's tension level, move into a steep climb. Every 30 seconds, add a little tension. And alternate with 30 seconds seated, 30 seconds out of the saddle climbing in position 3 through increasing tension. Suggested music: The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson

Strength, High-Tempo Style

This circuit is to be done quickly, without resting in between

25 pushups

25 triceps dips: Do these off of a bench. Extra challenge: Do them with a medicine ball in your lap.

20 lateral squats with resistance tube (10 steps in each direction): Put a small tube around your ankles, and step your feet apart until there is resistance. From here, step out further to the right. Keep stepping to the right, for a total of 10 steps, never allowing the tube resistance to get lighter than your starting point. Now step back 10 times to the left, the same way.

 

30 seconds of high knees, 30 seconds of mountain climbers

Repeat the circuit 2 times.

Strength, Part Two

20 biceps side curls with long resistance band: Step on the center of the band with right foot, and grab one end of the band in each hand. Rotate your hands out to the sides and, starting with arms at about 90 degrees, curl up.

 
 
20 hammer curls with resistance band: Rotate your arms to the front, still holding the ends of the band in each hand. With palms facing each other, curl up.

 
 
20 wide pull-ups with resistance band: With your foot still stepping on the center of the band, turn the handles of the band so that your palms are facing your legs. With your arms wide, pull up, leading with your elbows and squeezing your upper back together as you come up.

 
 
20 lateral squats with resistance tube (10 steps in each direction)

40 walking twisting lunges with a medicine ball: Lunge forward with the right foot, and as you lunge, twist the medicine ball (I used 8-pound ball) to the right. Come up and lunge forward with the left, and twist the medicine ball. Keep lunging, twisting and walking for a total of 40 (20 on each side).

 
 
Repeat the circuit 2 times.

Six-pack Builder

25 regular crunches  

25 crunches with legs at 90 degrees

25 crunches with right leg at 90 degrees, the left extended. Repeat on the other side for another 25.

25 bicycles crunches

Repeat the abs circuit one more time. STRETCH!

Tuesday Food Log

• Sweet-Ass smoothie. Coffee. 1 egg, 1 egg white
• 6 graham bunnies. 3/4 cup greek yogurt w 1/2 scoop protein powder
• Sugar free nips. 10 cashews
• 2 slices deli turkey, with tomato and lettuce and mustard. 5 reduced fat potato chips. 10 carrots, 2 Tbsp hummus. 6 dark chocolate chips.
• 1 grilled chicken breast, plain. Two sugar-free Werther's. Handful of trail mix.
• 15 small pita chips, 3 tablespoons hummus. 1/3 cup chicken salad.
• 10 Aunt Annie's Cinnamon bunnies

Coming tomorrow: Bread is not the enemy. But think 'thin' and 'flat' when shopping for your sandwich builder...A Badass Bread Guide!

Badass Foodie: Sinful-tasting sweet bread packed with your daily 5

On the whole, I love eating vegetables. There are days when I really CRAVE a crunchy salad, crispy asparagus or satisfying roasted broccoli.

But let’s get real here. There are some days when you want to flip being “Badass” the bird, hunker down in your pajamas, turn on reality TV and bake something sinful. (Oh, wait, am I projecting again?)

Well, what if I told you that there is a wonderful world of compromise waiting ahead? That you could have some healthy, fibrous vegetables and also a bit of sinful baking? Today I give you a recipe that squeezes yummy vegetables and satisfying whole grains into a delicious bread recipe that feels more decadent than it actually is.

And, bonus points – you can use up some of those pesky zucchini and squash you have lying around your kitchen in the process. Score!

Now, this ingredient list may seem a little… odd… at first. But give it a chance. Zucchini, carrots, applesauce and prune puree combine not only for a great nutritional boost, but to provide stellar moisture within the bread. That way you don’t need a lot of oil.

I realize that the words “prune puree” may have a few of you running for the hills, but hear me out: Prunes are a great low-fat substitute in baking, and I swear on my Badass Trio t-shirt that you will never taste the prunes. (Keep a few containers of prune baby food on hand for this reason. Baby food is some of the least processed stuff around – it is simply prunes blended to a pulp with a little water!)

Play with the spices on this recipe – I think the combo of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg really bring out the richness of this bread and ensures that it tastes great without extra sugar. I love cinnamon, and recommend shopping around to find true Vietnamese Cinnamon if you can – it’s got the highest levels of essential oil and has a much stronger, sweeter flavor than generic cinnamon.

Load up on cinnamon, as its got some of the highest antioxidant levels on earth! Plus, the polyphenols found in cinnamon have been proven to mimic the function of insulin in your body and regulate your blood sugar levels. (Translation: It helps to give you a tighter, leaner Badass!)

Badass Foodie’s “Secret Garden" Veggie Bread

Ingredients

Wet team:

• 1 cup summer squash (I used green zucchini)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
• ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup of prune puree (I used a 2 oz container of prune baby food)
• ½ of a medium banana, mashed
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup agave nectar (OR equal amounts honey or brown sugar)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons healthy baking fat – I used coconut oil but you can use canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil or another healthy fat

Dry Team:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon (I go heavy on the cinnamon, because I love it, you can dial back if you’d like)
• ½ teaspoon of ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together grated squash and carrot. Use a paper towel or sieve to squeeze out any excess moisture. Don’t squeeze too hard – just get out the extra water, if you can.
3. To the veggies, add the applesauce, prune puree, mashed banana, egg, agave nectar, vanilla and oil. Stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, gently mix all the dry ingredients together – including the spices.
5. Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overbeat!

Note: I like to taste the batter here (What, like you don’t  lick the bowl? Come on, lick with me!) and adjust the sweetness with some extra agave, sugar or Splenda if needed.

6. Pour into single large loaf pan – or two mini loaf pans - and place into preheated oven.  This could also be made into muffins!
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 – 30 minutes, depending on your type of pan. I always recommend going on the lower side of baking, especially with lowfat breads, as you don’t want it to dry out and be a crumbly mess!
8. Slice and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Values – 1 generous slice: (approximately 1/12 of recipe): Calories: 123,  Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 17 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 1 g

And here is Shannon's food log for Monday:

Exercise: Taught hourlong RealRyder and abs class at 5:45 a.m., did 45 minutes of upper-body weight training in the evening before dinner.

• Coffee. Sweet-Ass Smoothie
• Small peach, 1 egg and 1 egg white
• Mint lifesaver
• 10 baby carrots. Green salad w pecans, cranberries, 1 can light tuna and light balsamic.
• Sugar-free Werther's, 5 gum balls
• Small handful trail mix, green tea with 1 Splenda
• 10 baby carrots w 2 tablespoons hummus.  One EAS low-carb chocolate shake.
• Sauteed snapper with vegetables. Salad. 1/2 cup Mexican rice.
• Two Carr's crackers, 3 thin slices cheese and 20 grapes 
• One glass red wine
• 1 sugar cookie

Coming tomorrow: Give the Badass CEO 30 minutes, and she'll kick your Badass!

Monday, the Music Edition (and a not-so-impressive Badass Food Log!)

Don't you just have days when you don't feel like it? When you know you SHOULD work out like a Badass, but you don't want to.

That was me Sunday afternoon. By the time I got to my Sunday RealRyder class, an hour of cycling and 15 minutes of abs, I was sore and tired from the previous few days of other cycling classes, Badass Boot Camp, hot yoga, and weight training.

But 14 people were there, expecting a Shannon Basdass-kickin. So I turned to the music that I knew would push ME through the 75 minutes as much as them. We have to find motivation where we can get it, Badasses. And this weekend, I found mine in my iPod. So here's the mix I used Sunday, and another latest fave. If these don't make you want to MOVE that Badass, then I suggest you ease off the Valium ;)

Summon motivation wherever you can get it this week ahead. Be a Badass. Work it. Get stronger. I'll be right there with you, doing the same!

Badass CEO's Old, New and In Between Mix

• Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
• California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Katy Perry California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)
• Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & The Boyz & Aaron Hall III
• Love Left to Lose - Sons of Sylvia
• The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson 
• Bulletproof - La Roux La Roux 
• Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
• Pump Up the Jam (Star Sweeper Club Mix) - GG
• Gonna Make You Sweat (Power Remix) - J Rae
• Starstrukk - 3OH!3
• Rock That Body - Black Eyed Peas
• 'Till I Collapse - Eminem & Nate Dogg
• Shake That - Eminem Curtain Call - The Hits
• My First Kiss (feat. Ke$ha) - 3OH!3
• Rock With You (Single Version) - Michael Jackson

The Mixed Genre Mix

• Get Down Tonight - KC & The Sunshine Band
• Mr. Brightside - The Killers 
• Everlong - Foo Fighters
• I'm In Miami Trick  - LMFAO
• Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z
• Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot
• Run This Town (feat. Rihanna & Kanye West) - Jay-Z
• Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas
• Feel It (feat. Tiësto) [with Sean Kingston & Flo Rida] - Three 6 Mafia
• Lose Yourself - Eminem
• The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson
• My Moon My Man - Feist

And, as promised last week, I have been keeping a food log - even through a weekend of hanging out (i.e. eating and drinking) with friends. Soooo here it is, the dirty truth. Here's hoping the weekdays ahead are better!

Friday

Exercise: Taught an hourlong cycle and abs class, and spent a lazy afternoon by the pool with the Badass Trio, which included a Fresh Market munchies field trip and vino!

• Sweet-Ass Smoothie, and 1 Power Crunch protein bar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt with half-scoop protein powder
• Leftover chicken shawarma
• Handful trail mix and 1egg, egg white
• 3 Triscuit wheat flatbreads with Greek yogurt dip (poolside!)
• 3 sugar free mints
• 1 slice bacon, 1 bite filet mignon, 3 bites watermelon salad (Oh, Fresh Market and your samples!)
• 1/2 cup chicken salad, 3 flatbreads. 1/2 cup spinach dip. 1 square of focaccia. 3/4 cup cranberry slaw
• 2 ample glasses red wine
• 1 harvest cookie, 6 yogurt raisins.

Saturday

Exercise: Taught an hourlong Boot Camp at Doak (12 sets of stadiums, running, abs), then took 90-minute hot yoga class. Afternoon spent running errands, then a cookout with friends.

• 1 Sweet-Ass Smoothie
• 1 string cheese and 1 egg, 1 egg white
• 1 no-bake Protein Bar
• 1 Sweet-Ass Smoothie
• 1 DumDum, 1 sugar-free Nips (Sweet tooth much?!?!)
• 3 gum balls
• 2 yogurt pretzels and 2 olives, 12 cashews (Damn you, Fresh Market!!!)
• 3 ribs, one small BBQ chicken thigh. Roasted asparagus and 20 small sweet potato fries. Pecan-feta salad with light balsamic.
• 12 pita chips, 12 baby carrots with hummus. One slice cheddar cheese, 3 olives and 4 quarters roasted red peppers
• Peach-raspberry cobbler
• 1 glass of red wine

Sunday

Exercise: Trained with a client for one hour, followed by a 75-minute cycling and abs class.

• 1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with half scoop protein powder. Coffee.
• 1 Sweet-Ass Smoothie
• 2 sugar-free Werther's
• 5 gumballs
• 1 No-Bake Protein Bar
• 1 piece Mom's homemade beef jerky, 5 strawberries
• "Breakfast for Dinner": Egg, egg white scramble with spinach, feta, mushrooms, and green peppers. One 100-calorie multigrain English muffin with a smidge of butter, 2 links of organic maple turkey breakfast sausage

Coming tomorrow: Give me half an hour, and I'll kick your Badass!

Full Friday Confessional and disclosure from the Badass CEO

 My Friday Confessional: I have not been practicing what I preach.

I have been eating like crap. Too many handfuls of chips (Have I mentioned I can eat my weight in Cheetos if given the chance?!), bites of brownies, and not enough good stuff like fish. My (biased) friends tell me it doesn't show in my Badass, but the fact is I FEEL like crap. More lame-ass and Doritos-ass than Badass. Ugh.

So I am turning to you, the Badass Army, for support. In the same way that many of you have turned to me for advice and motivation.

The best way to be accountable is to be open and honest. And this blog is as much about support and acceptance as it is about drill-sergeant pushing. So I'm turning to this forum, to all of you, for support mixed with plenty of "Why the hell are you eating that?!? Put.It. Down!"

I'm going to, starting today and throughout next week, be totally honest about everything I put in my mouth. The eyes of all you Badasses will serve as my daily food "diary."

My hope is that after a couple of days of very publicly airing my dirty snacking laundry, so to speak, the accountability will get me eating cleaner - if only to spare myself the humiliation of the entire Badass Army learning how much I like candy. I also hope it serves as a reminder that no matter how Badass we are, we all have weaknesses. But it doesn't make us weak. It makes us real.

Ok, here is the rundown of my Wednesday and Thursday. It's kinda ugly, but it's me. It's real. And I AM going to clean it up! 'Cuz that's how Badasses DO!

Wednesday

Exercise: Taught 45-minute RealRyder class at Sweat Therapy at 5:45 am, plus 15 minutes of abs.

• 5:30 a.m.: Smoothie (1 cup almond milk, 1/4 avocado, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1 Tbsp. flax seed). Coffee
• 8:30 a.m.: Green tea with a no-bake protein bar
• 10 a.m.: Coffee with Splenda, fat-free creamer
• 10:45 a.m.: 15 honey-roasted almonds
• 11 a.m.: 2 Baked Sour Cream Lay's Chips
• 12: Butterscotch candy
• 12:45 p.m.: Big green salad with grilled chicken, light balsamic dressing
• 1:30 p.m.: 5 gumballs (Seriously!?! Eff.)
• 3:15 p.m. 2 hardboiled egg whites, handful of trail mix
• 3:30 p.m.: DumDum lollipop, 5 more gumballs (Argh....)
• 5 p.m.: Handful of trail mix
• 6:30 p.m.: (Work happy hour) Vodka soda with lime, 15 sweet potato fries, 1 cube cheese, 2 thin apple slices, 1/4 slice flatbread, 3 bites filet mignon.
• 9 p.m.: 10 Annie's Organics Cinnamon Bunnies

Thursday

Exercise: 30 minutes of weight training (shoulders, cardio bursts) and 45-minute RealRyder class followed by 15 mins of abs at 6:45 a.m./Another 60-minute RealRyder and abs class at 5:45 p.m.

• 6 a.m.: Almond milk smoothie (same as Wednesday). Coffee
• 9 a.m.: 1 hardboiled egg, 1 egg white
• 10 a.m.: 1 sugar-free Coffee Nip, hot tea, 5 cherries
• 10:30 a.m.: 5 gumballs
• 11:30 a.m.: 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 scoop Muscle Milk light protein powder
• 1 p.m.: Big green salad with grilled chicken, light balsamic. 15 almonds.
• 2 p.m.: 5 gumballs (Clearly, these are going in the trash!!!)
• 3:30 p.m.: 1 stick string cheese, 5 cherries
• 5 p.m.: 1 EAS Myoplex chocolate protein shake, 5 mini chocolate rice cakes (they just looked tasty!)
• 7 p.m.: 2 pieces of Mom's homemade beef jerky,  6 Annie's Organics Cinnamon Bunnies (don't ask!)
• 8 p.m.: 3 small triangles of pita bread with hummus, 1/2 of Chicken Shawarma salad from local Lebanese restaurant
• 9 p.m.: 6 yogurt raisins

Man, that hurt! But ya know what? It's out, and it was sort of therapeutic. Now excuse me while I clean out my pantry of those friggin' gumballs!

TGIF! Go enjoy your weekends.

Drop sets, super sets, pyramid sets, giant sets...Shock and awe, baby!

 
It's not always good to be shocked and confused. This can lead to heartburn, stomachache, heartbreak, etc.

But when it comes to your muscles, aim for a little bit of shock and awe. The worst thing for a weight routine and strengthening regimen is static predictability.

If you're sleepwalking through the same three sets of 15 reps of the same biceps exercises you have done every Tuesday for the past two years, it's time for a change. Hell, it's time for a change if you've been doing that for two months!

Muscles adapt quickly. They get lazy. It's up to us to keep them alert and working. Shock and awe, baby! Shock and awe!

By varying the types of sets you do, you will see better results as you push to build muscle, boost your metabolism and sculpt a Badass physique.

So here's a quick guide to what's what in sets. Use this to mix up your weight routines. If you REALLY like those three biceps moves, fine. But why not do them as pyramid sets or giant sets? Cuz' news flash: Popeye did NOT get those biceps just from eating spinach!

Sets 101

Super Sets: These are consecutive sets, no rest in between. You can do them for the same muscle, like biceps or triceps, or for opposing muscles like back and chest. You can also do them for unrelated muscle groups like quads and shoulders - a surefire way to get your blood pumping from one end of your Badass to the other.

I love Super Sets for their efficiency. By working these muscles in a bam-bam, no-rest pattern, you can blow through a challenging, butt-kicking routine pretty quickly. It also keeps your heart rate up and boosts growth hormone levels by boosting lactic acid production. And depending which muscle groups you superset, you can activate a lot of muscles in a short period of time. Remember: More muscle = higher metabolism = a leaner Badass.

Example: 1 set of tricep dips, 1 set of tricep extensions with a dumbbell. Repeat two more rounds. Or 1 set of tricep dips followed by 1 set of bicep hammer curls. Or 1 set of deadlifts, followed by shoulder presses. Burn, baby, burn.

Drop Sets: This is when you perform an exercise to failure, then quickly reduce the amount of weight and push out as many more reps as you can with the lighter weight. You can start really heavy, do just 4 to 6 reps, strip some weight, do as many reps as you can, and then strip more weight off and push out more reps.

Example: Do 4-6 reps of leg presses at the heaviest weight you can manage. Quickly take off some of the weight, then bang out as many as you can. Take off more weight, and bang out more until your legs reach total fatigue. Ouch, but it hurts so good!

Pyramid Sets: These are similar to drop sets, except you start light and build up to heavy, then drop the weight back to light. A typical pyramid is five sets of one exercise, with reps usually at 12, 10, 8, 10 and 12 (give or take a couple - 10, 8, 6, 8, 10 works too if the weight is heavier). The first two sets are meant to warm up the muscles worked, so the weight is light to medium. The 3rd, or middle, set is the working set so your weight should be the maximum you can do for those 6 to 8 reps. Then you drop back down in weight for the final two sets.

I like pyramids because you really can isolate and work a muscle group to fatigue, and you get not just intensity with that middle heavy set but endurance and high repetitions with the other sets.

Giant Sets: These sets target one muscle group by doing three exercises quickly, one right after the other, to failure/fatigue using challenging weights and high reps. You don't have to do these often, but give them a try. They are intense and truly shock the muscles.

Example: Bicep curls using a weighted bar, 25 to 30 reps. Immediately move to hammer curls using dumbbells, 25 to 30 reps (you might need to drop the weight back midway to finish, which is fine. Quickly bust out 25 to 30 side bicep curls using dumbbells.

And remember, as it burns: Pain is weakness leaving the body!

Coming tomorrow: The Badass CEO confesses, and lays it all out in the open...

Badass Foodie: It's summer. Get squashed! Get lean!

Summer is here! And with it, comes a foodie’s dream – summer produce! Fresh berries, corn, ripe tomatoes, zucchini, squash and beans make up some of the plentiful vegetables blooming out of gardens and in farmers markets.

I’m lucky enough to have been roped into the aforementioned local produce co-op with the Badass CEO – and this means that weekly I get a box of fresh, seasonal vegetables ready for my attempts at culinary mastery.

I love this process, as it creates an almost “Iron Chef”-meets-“24” situation – I only have so much time to create recipes using this box of vegetable goodness in my humble kitchen!  There are few things that this Badass Foodie despises more than letting good produce go to waste.

One of the most plentiful summer vegetables is the summer squash. Summer squash comes in several different varieties, including zucchini, crookneck and pattypan. Most of what we see as “yellow squash” in our local markets is the yellow crookneck variety, and zucchini is green in color and somewhat resembles a cucumber. 

Even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a vestibule of veggies, I hope you will incorporate yellow summer squash and zucchini into your summer cooking arsenal. Why?

Well, first of all, remember one of the cardinal rules of healthy, fit, lean people: Incorporate veggies into every meal – and lots of them! Vegetables, on the whole, fill you up, improve your overall health and help you to eat less calorically dense foods during mealtime. So, aim for 50%!

Until I started researching it, I often assumed summer squash was one of the “lesser” vegetables on the scale of kickass-itude (what, like that’s not a word?) However, squash is a nutritional powerhouse that can definitely aid in your quest to a better badass.

Don’t believe me? Check it out:

• It also contains a significant amount of vitamin A, beta-carotene, manganese and vitamin C.
• It is also a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A (notably through its concentration of carotenoids, including beta-carotene), fiber, potassium, folate, copper, riboflavin, and phosphorus.
• One cup of summer squash (yellow or green zucchini) gives you more than three times the amount of potassium in the typcical potassium supplement, which helps maintain metabolism, heart health and regulates internal water processes.
• Forget carrots, squash has them beat – squash contains more than 4,000 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin, two members of the carotenoid family that have been proven to protein the eyes against macular degeneration and other vision problems
• Summer squash is a great weapon in your battle against the bulge, as it is extremely low in calories and high in fiber. Also, squash has a high water content, so it will fill you up for very few calories – only 36 calories in a cup!

Great, so you know you should eat it. But how do you prepare it? For this squash, the simpler the better. You could follow my Badass Foodie rule of roasting vegetables and toss chopped squash with a little olive oil and salt and roast at 425 for about 10 minutes.

However, this week I wanted to try something a bit different, so I turned to my sautee pan and came up with the following “provencale-esque” summer side dish. This is definitely in my summer repertoire from here on out.

Badass Foodie Summer Squash Sautee

(Note: this is what I like to call a “Fake it till you make it” recipe – meaning that I approximate the measurements and encourage you to play around with it.  I have written the recipe as I prepared it, but make it your own… it's hard to screw up!)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion
• ½ teaspoon of grapeseed oil (or another healthy oil)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 medium yellow crookneck squash
• 3 medium zucchini squash
• 2 large tomatoes
• Several leaves fresh basil (dried is fine)
• Sprig of fresh rosemary (dried is fine)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• Optional: Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil over medium heat in large sautee pan or skillet. Add diced onion and minced garlic and sweat over medium heat
2. Dice squash into medium size chunks – I used half moon shapes about 1 inch thick
3. Add squash to pan and sautee for 3 – 4 minutes, or until edges begin to soften.
4. Add diced tomatoes (along with their juices) to the pan.
5. Add herbs, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. (You want the vegetables to be tender but not mushy, so don’t overcook them – the squash should retain some of its crunchy texture.)
6. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Coming tomorrow: Super sets, drops sets, circuit sets, what's the diff? What's best?

Healthy summer snacks for big and kiddie Badasses

The little Badasses are home for summer, and you know what that means: Snack time!

They sure can eat a lot for being mini-sized, and that only gets worse when the toddlers become tots become pre-teens and teens.

I think I was meant to either have kids or be a camp counselor, given how much of a snack connoisseur I am. For now I am neither Mom nor counselor, but I am a Badass Army leader who loves me some snack foods!

I could easily eat my weight in Hint of Lime Tostitos or Fritos, but fortunately for my trunk I have found healthier versions that don't fill my jeans with too much junk. Kids are always watching, even if we think they aren't. And the foods we eat become a lesson to them. Better to start reinforcing healthy eating now than to let them gorge on junk food - a habit that can led to an adulthood of diabetes and weight struggles.

So as you stock the fridge, pack their lunches for camp or plan the summer vacation road trip snacks, consider adding these to your shopping list. And don't judge me for having the snack habits of a 5-year-old! ;)

1. Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies: Annie's is a wonderful line of organic snacks and other foods free of additives, preservatives and Frankenstein ingredients. The company has a great message about loving the earth and our own bodies while we're living on it. The Bunnies taste like Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, and are similarly low in fat, calories (140 calories, 0 sugar and 6 grams of fat for 50 Bunnies). But I love these because the first ingredient is wheat flour, and the remaining several ingredients are all recognizable: salt, aged cheddar, vegetable oil, yeast extract, paprika, etc. Go ahead, sneak a handful of the little guy's snack bowl!

2. Annie's Homegrown Bunny Grahams Friends: These are little graham cracker snacks, but unlike Teddy Grahams and others, these have 8 grams of whole grains per low fat 30-cookie serving and only 8 grahams of sugar and 130 calories. And that sugar comes from organic cane juice and honey, not high fructose corn syrup. The all-natural ingredients begin with whole grain whole wheat flour and end with chocolate chips. I also love the social message of the "Friends" for kids: honey, vanilla with chocolate chip, and chocolate cookies all living in harmony in the mixed box. If only our world were more like that!

3. Annie's Homegrown Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks: The fruit here comes from organic white grape juice, not corn syrup and artificial flavors. Choose these over mainstream gummy fruit snacks if you can.

4. String cheese: When I was little, I would play with my string cheese, trying to pull apart one little string at a time. So it's a fun snack, approved for eating with your fingers, which we know kids love. But it's also low in fat and calories (about 100 calories and no more than 8 grams of fat per string cheese) and a great source of calcium and protein. So give Junior one, and then pair your own with an apple or nuts as an afternoon snack.

5. Crunchitos: I have a Cheetos Crunchy addiction, and these are my solution. If I ever have children, this will be in the pantry at all times! Fruit or low-cal popcorn might be a better choice, but sometimes you just need your crunchy cheese fix. These have real ingredients, and 6 grams of fat per cup compared to 9 grams in Cheetos, plus 140 calories versus 160.

6. Tofutti Cuties ice cream sandwiches: Little kid-sized ice cream treats, they're dairy free but taste like the real cow! And at 130 calories and 6 grams of fat per sandwich, mom and dad can join the ice cream par-tay sans guilt!

7. Edy's All Natural Fruit Bars: These weigh in at less than 100 calories, have zero fat and big chunks of real fruit. Better than a popsicle made w corn syrup and fruit "flavorings." And what beats a hot day like a cool popsicle? 

8. Applesauce and peanut butter: Every pantry should have these staples, which are cheap, nutritious and versatile. Stick with unsweetened applesauce and add in raisins or cinnamon for flavor. Look for organic or no-sugar-added peanut butter, and if the kids will eat it, the best bet is the peanut butter you can grind fresh from peanuts in the grocery store. Peanut butter makes everything taste better, whether you're 5 or 45. So spread it on celery, bananas and sliced apples. Even better: Swirl a tablespoon into applesauce, and consider that sweet tooth satisfied!

Coming tomorrow: Badass Foodie returns, and she wants to Squash you and lean you out..!

That 'hydrating energy drink' is a load of Krispy Kremes! BAD, not Badass!

 You're sweaty and thirsty after a long, hard workout and you're feeling all Badass, so you reach for a tall, cool can of Rockstar Energy Drink.

FAIL.

That can of "energy" is packed with the same amount of sugar (62 grams!) you'd get by eating six Krispy Kreme donuts in one sitting.

FAIL. And GROSS.

There are loads of "sports drinks," healthy-sounding "herbal teas" and "energy drinks" on the market. When the summer heat turns up and we're working on our Badass Fitness, it's tempting to guzzle them down.

But the quickest way to negate all that hard work and muscle-burning sweat is by drinking in empty, sugary calories. Rockstar and many of its liquid peers are little more than Kool-Aid or Mountain Dew with some vitamins and antioxidants pumped in.

The reality is, water will do just fine to keep you hydrated. Coconut water is also ideal. Beyond those two, it's all crap, OK?. No matter how many times it says "antioxidant" on the label, your Badass doesn't need it.

If you don't believe me, just scroll through the Men's Health list of 20 Worst Drinks in America for 2010 and try not to be, frankly, mortified.

One 20-ounce Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water has 150 calories and 33 grams of sugar - the same as eating 2 Good Humor Chocolate Eclair Bars. A 20-ounce SoBe Green Tea sounds healthy enough, but it's more sugar cane than green tea: 240 calories, 61 grams of sugar! You'd get the same amount of sugar eating...wait for it... FOUR SLICES of Sara Lee Cherry Pie, and at least with pie you're getting a little fiber from the fruit!

If we wouldn't fuel our workouts with donuts and pie, why are we guzzling down the equivalent?

Even Gatorade is sugar-filled. A one-cup serving has 14 grams of sugar and about 50 calories, but how many of us stop at one cup when it's 90 degrees out and humid after a long run? 

So we give ourselves these sugar comas, and then we wonder why diabetes and pre-diabetes is on the rise in adults and kids (to the tune of some 90-million Americans). And gee, I wonder why so many children and adults struggle with obesity.

Ok, that's my rant. Now here are my suggestions for the best way to keep your Badass hydrated but sugar-free:

1. Ice cold water: Self-explanatory, and when you're hot and just worked up a good sweat, there is often nothing better than that first long guzzle.

2. Coconut water: Brands like Zico make varieties flavored with small amounts of REAL juice for flavor without the Frankenstein ingredients and high-fructose corn syrup of other "sports drinks.

3. Crystal Light or other sugar-free flavor packets: Water can get boring, monotonous. Add flavor and less than 10 calories with these packets. Bonus - Crystal Light now makes a Pure Fitness variety with stevia instead of Splenda, and no other added artificial ingredients.

4. Lemons and mint: Add squeezed lemon slices into your water, and not only does it help reduce bloat but it adds a nice tart flavor. Throw in a little fresh mint, and you've got a refreshing hydrator.

5. Be a Sugar-Free Rockstar: If you must, and if he list of unpronouncable "ingredients" doesn't bother you, go for sugar-free varieties of Rockstar, Red Bull, Snapple, etc. Pick G2 over regular Gatorade.

6. Golden Rule - Read: Always, always, read the label and serving sizes. Add up the sugar and calories, and think twice about whether you really want to drink down the 250 calories you just burned up in the first half of that cycling class.

Coming next week: Skinny happy hour, Badass Foodie, Badass Buster leg routine, and healthy snacks for the little Badasses who are home for summer. Lots of good stuff!!!

Summer heat = tank tops = more shoulders, biceps, triceps

There's no more hiding. Sorry, Badasses, but summer is here and it is too hot to hibernate under long sleeves and bulky layers.

Yes, Badass ladies and Badass dudes, your shoulders and biceps and triceps are out there for a full public viewing these days. You can make like a hermit and avoid all public events, or you can make like a Badass and work on improving your shoulders, back, biceps and triceps.

You know my preference: Make like a Badass and get to work!

Today I give you a roundup of my favorite upper-body strengthening and sculpting moves. Mix these up to create your own Summer Tank Top routines. Do two to three sessions a week, combined with clean eating and plenty of cardio, and you'll be saying "Hello, biceps!" before you know it...

Shannon's Favorite Tank Top Hottie Moves

  Regular pushups: Hands are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Do these on your knees or "army-style" with knees off the floor, lowering yourself in four counts toward the floor and four counts back up. The back stays straight.

Tricep pushups: This time, move your hands closer together, elbows at your sides, as you lower down. You'll feel this in your triceps. Hence, the name.

Tricep dips: Do these off a bench, a chair, any hard elevated surface you can find, depending where you are. (Pictured, at right, inside Doak Campbell Stadium)

Pushup row: Hold 5-, 8-, or 10-lb dumbbells in each hand. Get into a pushup position, and do a row with the right arm as you maintain that pushup position. Bring the right hand to the floor, and row with the left.

Shoulder pullup: Use a kettlebell or weighted straight bar. Grip the kettlebell/bar with both hands, so that your hands are close together. Start with the kettlebell/bar lowered, your arms straight. Leading with your elbows, pull up until your hands reach your chin. Lower back down.

 


Shoulder presses, with dumbbells or a machine: If using a machine, as pictured below, grip the handles wth palms facing out. If using dumbbells, sit up straight on the edge of a flat bench or do it standing while you grip challenging dumbbells with palms facing out. (For even more of a challenge, stand on a Bosu ball). With control, raise the machine bars/dumbbells up over your head in counts of four, and lower in counts of four. If using dumbbells, you can also twist your palms toward each other at the top for extra sculpting.

Shoulder raises: Stand with feet hip width apart. Holding challenging weights or plates in each hand, raise your arms out to the side and up. Keep the arms straight, and bring them up to shoulder height with control before lowering them back down. Extra challenge: Do these on a Bosu ball, with the Bosu flipped onto its rounded size.

   

Hammer curls with a weight plate: Grab a weight plate (I use 2 10-lb plates or a 25-lb plate), hands at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Start with the plate lowered, not curl it up toward your chest slowly and with control. Lower back down. That's one rep.

Coming tomorrow: Reconsider that energy drink or flavored water - unless you intend to chug the equivalent of six Krispy Kremes!

Zucchini for dessert? Hell yes! Just add dark chocolate...

It's Veggie Wednesday here in my little Badass Universe, and I can't wait to see what the veggie man delivers as part of my organic co-op share! Last week he mentioned heirloom tomatoes, which would be a great Hump Day mood (and tastebud) booster.

In the meantime, my co-workers and I who are participating in the co-op are still trying to get over - and eat our way through - the gigantic zucchinis that came with last Wednesday's delivery. First we had to turn them into Mr. Zucchini Heads (there's one version, at left), because why not?

Then we had to figure out what to do with them. So. Much. Zucchini!!! Seriously, Badasses, these zucchinis must have weighed 5 pounds each. If Shaquille O'Neal were to come back as a zucchini, he'd be one of these zucchinis. I roasted half of mine (the other half went to the Badass Foodie) with olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper and pecorino-romano cheese and was eating it for like three days.

Zucchini coming out of the ears! So frankly, I'm kind of over the zucchini presented as a veggie. I'm ready for something sweet. And the zucchini is just the thing.

The great thing about many veggies is their versatility. Zucchini, much like carrots or even beets, transform themselves when added to cakes, muffins, and breads.

I mean, is there anything more decadent than a reaaalllyyy good carrot cake? And have you ever tried a  beet cake recipe? Don't knock it until you have! Zucchini is just as amazing as carrots and beets when used for muffins and sweet breads.

The proof for me came Monday, when a co-worker brought in dark chocolate zucchini bread that his wife had made over the weekend. It was so moist, I thought for sure it must be packed with excessive amounts of butter and oil.

But the zucchini, plus applesauce, are the secret moisteners in this recipe. A small amount of dark chocolate (antioxidants!), plus Egg Beaters, whole wheat flour and Splenda, combine to make this bread feel far more indulgent than it actually is.

Try it for yourself, and if there's more zucchini in today's delivery, you know what this Badass will be baking!!!

Deb's (Not So) Decadent Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• ½ cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, melted with 4 Tbsp butter 
• 3/4 cup Egg Beaters
• 1 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
• ¼ cup Canola or Smart Balance Oil
• ½ cup of applesauce
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour (1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans.
2. Combine melted chocolate, eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 -70 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. 

Coming tomorrow: Tank top season, ladies and gentlemen, calls for a focused upper-body workout!