Badass Fitness

'Cuz Sweaty Boredom Sucks: 5 Exercises, 5 Ways, Endless Workouts!

What's worse than boredom? Sweaty boredom! If you've ever been there - the class where the instructor is using the SAME playlist as every other week, for the SAME exercises and SAME number of reps - you know this can feel a little like a military camp. We just keep checking the clock, hoping the misery will end soon. Shoot me now, shoot me now, shoot me now....

But workouts don't have to be, nor should they be, dull. In fact, when it gets even the slightest bit comfortable, it is time to switch things up. Yet we don't necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. We can just change the reps, the order of the moves, the method of doing the moves, etc. to make it feel like an entirely new routine.

By taking the same 5 exercises and smashing them up in different ways, we can go weeks and weeks without ever getting bored. The sweat will pour off in buckets, but we will be exhilarated as opposed to snoozing through it!

Here's the skinny:

The 5 Moves

1. Burpees

 

2. Leap Frogs: Leap forward like a frog, landing on your heels softly as you lower into a squat and then leap forward again.

 

3. Waist Cinchers

 

4. Tricep Dips

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Walking Pushups

 

The 5 Options

1. Traditional Timed: Do each exercise for 30 to 60 seconds, in order, without stopping (or with very brief rest). Cycle through two to three more times, depending on schedule and fitness level.

2. Race the Clock: Do 10 reps of each exercise, without stopping, in this order: Burpees, Walking Pushups, Leap Frogs, Waist Cinchers, Tricep Dips. Go through as many cycles as you can in 15 minutes.

3. Pyramid Reps: Do the exercises in reps of 50, 25, 15, 25, 50 corresponding to this order: Leap Frogs, Tricep Dips, Burpees, Walking Pushups, Waist Cinchers. Cycle through two to three times.

4. Race Yourself Reps: Do 15 reps of each exercise in this order as quickly as you can, timing yourself: Leap Frogs, Tricep Dips, Burpees, Walking Pushups, Waist Cinchers. Next time, try to beat your own PR!

5. Shuffle the Deck: Create two sets of cards. One set has each of the 5 exercises on them. The other has the following numbers, indicating reps: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. Pick from each of the decks to determine what your workout will be - and pray to the Burpee Gods that you don't get the 50 Burpees combo! It can be done, but it will not tickle ;)

Coming up: Hydration Matters...A cycling profile with playlist to roll through!..and I try Energy Bits for extra mojo!

 

 

Hey Shawty, It's Ya' Birthday...A Hip Hop Ride with Playlist

It's never too early for a hip hop party, especially one that starts with Notorious BIG and ends with Eminem!

And my kinda party happens in the cycling room at the gym, bright and early to kick off the day strong. I put together this "Hip Hop Hooray Birthday" playlist as a fun way to celebrate the Big 3-5 Birthday Week. It was challenging but fun, with three climbs and speed work in between. Students loved it and asked me to share. So here it is: 

• Hypnotize, The Notorious B.I.G., 3:50: Warm up and get ready for the fun. Easy with a light, quick pace for 2 minutes, then gradually add resistance to finish the song at moderate intensity
• Move, Shake, Drop (Workout Mix) Dynamix Music Top Trax Workout, Vol. 4, 4:22: Speed drills, alternating between moderate and hard intensity. Keep resistance and pace moderate, about a 5 or 6 of 10, and on the "move, shake, drop" chorus pick it up into a sprint.
• So What'cha Want, Beastie Boys, 3:37: The steep climb begins! Add resistance to get to that "hard" intensity, and on the chorus add a half turn while pickup up the pace and powering out of the saddle.
• Wobble, V.I.C., 5:24: Start at hard level and add a bump of resistance every 30 seconds, finishing the last 2 minutes out of the saddle in position 3.
• It Takes Two, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, 5:00: Speed downhill! Back off some of the resistance until you're at easy-moderate. Recover for one minute. For the last 4 minutes, add a little resistance to get to moderate effort. Sprint for 30 seconds to get to breathless, back off for 30 seconds of recovery, and repeat for 4 loops.
• Walk This Way, Run-DMC, 5:10: Back uphill for climb #2! This one is steeper than the last. Find resistance and strong pace to get to that hard level. On the chorus, pick up the pace to get to breathless.
• The Wonton Song (Reconstruction Remix), Sen Dog, 3:58: Start at hard again with a steep incline, but enough room to get even higher at the end of the 4 minutes. Every 30 seconds, add resistance, trying to maintain the same pace (which means you've got to push harder!)
• Tko (Mama Said Knock You Out) [Remastered Original Mix], The Octopus, LJ MTX & Ciconte Tko, 5:11: More speedwork before the final climb. Recover at an easy flat for one minute. Add a light amount of resistance and, for 2 minutes, do 15-second sprints alternating with 15 seconds of recovery. For the last 2 minutes, add a little more resistance to get to moderate and do 30 seconds of speed alternating with 30 seconds of recovery.
• Run This Town / Posthumus Zone (Medley), Jay-Z, Rihanna & E.S., 2:54: Big final push! Start at moderate resistance and pace, and every minute add a big turn, coming out of the saddle for the final minute and ending at "hard" effort/intensity.
• 'Till I Collapse, Eminem, 4:58: This is it! One more song, one more chance to get stronger. Your goal: Get higher and add more resistance than you think you can. Even if it's just a quarter turn! Starting where you left off the previous song, add resistance every minute, coming out of the saddle for the last 2 minutes. Maintain your pace, get breathless, and get to the finish line first.
• In da Club, 50 Cent, 3:13: Victory lap! Back off the resistance and cool it down, letting the heart rate come down gradually.
• Hello Good Morning (feat. T.I.), Diddy, 4:32: Come off the bike and stretch!

Badass Eats: Birthday Amaze-Bites!

 There are certain things a girl should never have to give up, especially on her birthday. These include: chocolate, peanut butter, coffee, cinnamon, and carbs.

Which brings me to Birthday Amaze-Bites. If given the choice between cake or cookie, I'd rather have a cookie any day. And when enjoying said cookie, I want it packed with "stuff," from coconut and raisins to chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, oats, etc. The Kitchen Sink cookie from Fresh Market? My idea of heaven in edible disc form.

So on Sunday, kicking off my 35th Birthday Week and hit with the urge to bake, I threw together some of my "can't live without treat" ingredients and put a healthy spin on them. The result: Birthday Amaze-Bites.These are kind of like a chocolate covered cherry in healthy cookie ball form. They are Amaze-balls delish!!!

The base is fresh ground almond butter, oats and 2 scoops of EAS chocolate whey protein powder -- plus the mix-in treats of coconut, unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips (antioxidants!), espresso powder (caffeine!), cinnamon, agave nectar, and dried cranberries soaked in pomegranate juice. I baked a few of them, but these are just as yummy "raw" and enjoyed after a rest in the freezer.

Nutritionally speaking, these are close to the no-bake protein bars I eat for breakfast and are an ideal mix of carbs, fat, and protein. So yes, you could totally eat these for breakfast and not guilt over it AT ALL. ;)

Birthday Amaze-Bites

Ingredients

• 2 scoops chocolate whey EAS powder
• 1/2 cup fresh ground almond butter
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup Craisins (pomegranate juice soaked variety)
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 Tbsp cold water

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients together in a big bowl. Use your hands to mix and blend everything together. The dough will be thick, sticky.

2. Divide into 9 balls, rolling each to make them uniform and placing on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

3. Two options: Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and enjoy these throughout the week as is, like raw chilled cookie dough. Or bake on a nonstick cookie sheet for 15 minutes or so at 350 degrees. (This will melt the chocolate chips into gooey awesomeness!

Nutritional info (when serving 9 Amaze-Bites from the batch; you can also divide this into 12 servings)

• Calories: 235
• Fat: 3.4 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Sugar: 10 grams
• Carbs: 12 grams

Coming next week: A new cycling profile and playlist that rolls steep and low, big and fast, for a big challenge; and 5 exercises, 5 ways, for endless workouts!...

 

First FitFluential Blog: 5 Badass Truths I Wish I'd Known When I Was 25

One of the best things about turning 35? Having just been named a FitFluential Ambassador, a great network of fellow fitness enthusiasts who are spreading health, exercise and overall encouragement worldwide. Here's my first guest blog for FitFluential, which ran yesterday:

Holy crapsticks, I am about to turn 35. How did that happen?! 

Birthdays always tend to make me a bit reflective, but this year moreso than others. The big 3-5 feels more significant than other years not because it feels old, but because I finally feel comfortable and confident as me. And isn't that what fitness is really all about, learning to love and embrace ourselves for better and for worse?

Society makes 30 and beyond seem like the period when we start to shrivel up like prunes, yet turning 35 feels like a renewal. Finally, after the awkward teens and still-awkward 20s, I have figured out enough about my Badass Journey to enjoy where I am, the lessons that got me here, and where I am headed. 

I know I am supposed to help others through fitness. I know I am fortunate to have supportive and inspiring mentors and examples, many of them fellow FitFluential Ambassadors. I know that fitness -- living it, breathing it, teaching it, writing about it -- feels more right than anything ever has.

"Shannon, Age 25" had a lot to learn and struggle through. I see some of my fitness clients that age dealing with it right now. No doubt, "Shannon at 45" will say the same thing in 10 years. But I believe in sharing knowledge and truths to help others, even when it means being brutally honest. 

So here are 5 Badass Truths I Wish I'd Known When I was 25, published on the FitFluential blog.

 

Badass Journey: From Uncertain Student to Confident Fitness Blogger

I don't hand out diplomas at the end of my boot camps or cycling classes, but sometimes I think I should. Tammy Means surely would get a Ph.D. in Badass.

Almost a year ago, Tammy sent me a hesitant email. She wanted to know more about Badass Fitness boot camps and TRX classes. She wondered about the intensity. She asked me if I thought she could get through it. Her self-doubt radiated through the computer screen.

I reassured her that we would make the classes work for her level, and that no matter where she began, I would work with her to help her get stronger. So she came to that first class. And then another. And another.

She pushed through when her arthritis kicked in. She learned to cook healthier for herself and husband Harley, and to make better food choices outside the house. She started cutting back her alcohol. She joined a group of us for the Warrior Dash race here in North Florida. She nailed a similar obstacle course race here in Tallahassee. (There she is rocking the kettlebell walk, left)

And then, one day not too long ago, she told me she was thinking about starting her own blog - to share her fitness triumphs and struggles with others, particularly others with arthritis.

That's when I knew Tammy had "graduated." Sure, she has lost pounds and inches. But her victory is bigger than her smaller jeans. The self-doubt of her first email has been replaced by a stronger, more confident Tammy. She has found the healthy lifestyle that worked for her. She has found her voice. It is called GingerMantra.

As a fitness instructor, everything is about getting to these moments. It is about getting students to become independently Badass, so to speak. I want them to get to the point where they don't depend on me or any other instructor for their fitness. I want them to find what works for them, and to embrace it and own it. Yes, I will always be there welcoming students to class and cheering them on, but I love knowing they have the tools to keep going on their own.

Tammy is at that place. It is beyond awesome and inspiring. Enough from me. Here's Tammy, sharing her Badass Journey (and here she is, with Harley last year before she started coming to class, and earlier this month):

To start, I just want to say thank you to Shannon for encouraging me to start my weekly blog as a way to reach out to others that may be going through the same motions that I found myself going through.  Reading her weekly blog really also helped me find my inner writer and desire to help others.  The reinforcement that I could do it, not only from her, but from my husband and family, have made me strive to help others through words and encouragement.

In recent months I have put myself on a path of making changes, positive changes, in my daily living. I’ve changed the entire way I eat. I found through the process of elimination that a lot of the foods  I previously consumed, like pasta dishes and heavy carbs, do not agree with my body. So I have reduced them to no more than once a week and a single portion as a side instead of as an entire meal. You have to figure out what works for you. I went to a nutritionist and started receiving guidance on what I needed to put more focus on. I have incorporated more fresh vegetables and eliminated the frozen vegetable　section all together at the grocery store. If it is not fresh or available in the produce section, it does not go in my cart. I also reduced the amount of red meat I was consuming and replaced it with chicken and turkey.

Probably my hardest thing, even harder than changing my diet, was finding the right exercise program for my body. Living with an autoimmune disease that attacks your joints makes physical activity much more difficult, BUT it doesn’t mean that you should cut it out all together. I found that being kinder to my body and my joints has helped me improve my flexibility. Walking, hiking, cycling, swimming and stretching have made so much of a difference. So much so that for the first time in a very long time, I am able to stand upright, grab my foot and do a normal quad stretch. I cannot tell you how long it has been since I have been able to do that.

I also have controlled my consumption of alcohol, which was very hard. Moderation is always the best option. I do not always adhere to this, but I am making an effort. I have changed my consumption of alcohol to weekends only instead of weeknights.

Also key: Rest, rest, rest! My husband and I find it funny that when friends or family invite us places and the time to meet is past 9 pm, that we always get a sideways look when we say that is past our bedtime. Getting up at 4:40 am every morning to fit in exercise means the Means family goes to bed between 8:30 and 9 pm most nights, unless it is a full moon (in which case I get insomnia!).

I say all of this, to say this: YOU are the missing piece of the puzzle to getting on the path that you need to.　Figure it out for you and not for the person that you think you want to be like.　Make changes because you want to make changes, not because you think it is what society thinks you should do.　 Research everything, and I mean everything! You’re worth the time, trust me. So make a plan, for yourself!

I am still on my journey of changes, and I refuse to ever just give up again.

Coming this week: Amaze-Balls Good Amaze-Bites that are guilt-free, healthy chocolatey goodness! And 5 Badass Truths I wish I'd known when I was 25 - the first FitFluential blog post!

Hump Day Got You Down? Conquer it with this Pyramid Workout

Sometimes, the halfway mark is the hardest to conquer. Whether it's mile 13.1 of the marathon, hour 5 of a daylong car trip, or just midway through the work week, knowing there is still halfway to go can seem daunting.

But as I often tell my cycling students, "We just have to get up over the top of this mountain, and then we get to roll on down the other side to the finish." So it goes with Hump Day, aka Wednesday. Once we get through this puppy, it is basically Thursday, which means we're mentally already in weekend mode, right? Woot!

So let's get over Hump Day with a workout that follows a pyramid pattern in its intensity - just like the work week! The reps start in the low range, build up in intensity, and then descend back down. The exercises are simple, familiar, and all told this won't take more than 20, 25 minutes MAX if you take breaks. It's the high reps that will have you sucking a little wind and feeling those muscles burning. And if you can go all the way through with only a brief breather or two, all the more #Badass!

The burn makes us stronger. So we push through. Yes? Hell yes! Now let's go...

Hump-Day Pyramid Workout

• 5 Burpees

 

• 10 Frog Pushups (work those shoulders!)

 

• 15 Squat Jacks
• 20 Tricep Dips
• 25 Jump Squats
• 30 Burpees - The summit! Yes, you can!
• 25 Jump Squats
• 20 Tricep Dips
• 15 Squat Jacks
• 10 Frog Pushups
• 5 Burpees

Coming up: A new cycling profile and mix, and Olympic Inspiration from the Badass Bookshelf...

 

Ode to the Avocado: 5 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Nature's Finest Fat!

Repeat after me: Fat does not make us fat. Fat does not make us fat. Fat does not make us fat.

I don't like the f-word any more than the d-word, but in this case, it bears repeating.

Thanks to all sorts of conflicting messages brought to us by the latest and greatest "lose weight fast" diets, we have come to fear fat. Even the good kind. Therein lies the problem.

To be clear: This is not me telling you to go out in search of high-fat everything as the answer to staying lean, strong and healthy. Fast food, fried food, trans fat-filled processed food -- we should not be eating any of that regularly. But moderate doses of the healthy fats that come from real food like plant-based oils, nuts, etc., are our lean physique friends.

Which brings me to the grand-daddy of healthy fat for foodies like myself: The Avocado. Creamy, versatile, and packed with the monounsaturated fats we need to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins, avocados are a truly Badass piece of produce. They're like the green version of peanut butter. They make so many things better.

By the way, if you're wrinkling your nose at avocados right now, keep reading. Because some of the best ways to use avocados are all about adding creamy texture to dishes, as opposed to the slices of avocado or bowls of guacamole you might be sure you hate. Here's the skinny on avocados' nutritional benefits, as well as 5 ways to use avocados as part of your healthy eating habits. Mangia!

Skinny stats:

Calories (per 1/5th avocado): 50

Fat: 4.5 grams (less than one gram of that is saturated; most is monounsaturated)

Carbs: 3 grams

The good nutrients: Vitamins C,E and K, folate, Vitamin B6, potassium, fiber, and more!

Avocado, 5 Ways

In smoothies: Yes. Plop a few slices into that blender along with the fruit and protein powder, and it makes it that much creamier. I put 1/4 of an avocado in a blender with 1 cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk, a scoop of chocolate whey, a spoon of ground flaxseed, a scoop of Amazing Grass powder in chocolate, and a half cup of berries or a half of a banana for an Aaaah-mazing, fuel-me-up smoothie (at right with my fave no-bake protein bars). So good. And the avocado makes it the creamiest.

In place of mayonnaise or mustard: Ripe avocados are soft and creamy. Like green hummus. So why not skip the fatty mayo or the nutrient-less mustard and use smashed avocadon on that turkey sandwich as a healthier condiment alternative?

In chocolate pudding: This is not a typo. That whole creamy texture? Well, it works just as well in dessert pudding as it does in a smoothie. Check out Badass Foodie's recipe from last year here.

In scrambled eggs: Oh, man, this is one of my favorite meals. Mexican Scrambled Eggs for dinner. Scramble an egg and a few egg whites with sauteed onions, green peppers, maybe some jalapenos, and at the end as the eggs are nearly done toss in some diced avocado, Mexican queso and serve with salsa. So. Friggin'. Good.

In my Badass Feta-Guac Recipe: Yes, I have posted this recipe before. But I promise you, if you have not made this or eaten it after someone else made it, you are missing out. So I am posting it again. People lick the bowl at parties, they love it so much. No matter how much I make, it is never enough and runs out halfway through the potluck. So go ahead, use avocadoes in this non-traditional take on the avocado tradition.

Shannon's Badass Feta-Guac

• 3-4 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped
• 5-6 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/1 cup red onion, diced
• 4 ounces crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl. I like this best prepared a few hours ahead of time to let all the flavors come together. Serve with baked tortilla chips or pita chips. Resist the urge to lick the bowl clean!

Coming up: A pyramid workout to summit Hump Day; and 5 Moves, 5 Ways, for Endless Workouts!

 

12 Minutes, 12 Planks... and One Big Badass Movement

We planked in our offices, under our desks, and on sun decks. We planked solo, with friends, and with our children. We planked in the grass, on pickup truck flatbeds, and outside happy hour watering holes where Florida's lawmakers deal their deals. We planked in our pajamas (or less, in one case!), in our dress shirts, and in our workout gear. We planked every hour, for one minute at a time, from dawn until dusk.

And in those 12 hours, I like to think we proved a lot more than "12 one-minute planks are possible." The #12HourBadassPlank Challenge I issued at the start of this week began as a fun way to get us all to fit in a little fitness. But as word spread and tweets multipled and dozens of pictures were emailed to me and posted on the Badass Fitness Facebook page, I saw that we were doing more than we set out to do.

We were proving the power each of us has to start a fitness movement.

With every plank, we got co-workers to join in. We got our normally apathetic teens to join in. Girls who are probably already fretting with insecurities got together at their track meet and planked together. Girl Power, multiplied.

Couples got face to face as they planked together, and then they planked with their kindergartners. Strangers in other states sent in tweets and pictures of their unlikely plank stations - from cubicle desktops to sandy white beaches.

We talk alot on this blog and on Facebook about the "Badass Army." Our T-shirts proclaim, "Building a Badass Army." Thursday, we did just that.

Did we eradicate childhood obesity and a nationwide epidemic of diabetic, deconditioned adults in a single day? No. Did we turn couch potatoes into marathon runners? Of course not. But that's not how the fitness movement will be successful.

Instead, I submit to you all that it will start with these baby steps. It will start with each of us doing our own part to prove that not a single one of us is "too far gone" to get healthier.

It sounds cheesy, maybe, but it really does start one step at a time.  If we could each get up every hour and do one minute of exercise as we did Thursday, and most importantly get gym-phobes to join in, why can't we do that every day?

What if a healthier U.S. starts with a healthier "us," in less time every day than it takes to hard boil an egg? What if it really does just start with one exercise for one minute?

What if it starts with the Badass Army? I think it can. I think it did. And I know it's just the beginning.

Coming up: Ode to the Avocado, and Olympic inspiration!

10 Moves, 10 Minutes, for a 'Perfect 10' Day

That whole "getting out on the wrong side of the bed" thing? It really can happen. And we all know how much longer the day can seem to drag on when those first minutes of the day play out poorly!

But we don't have to be at the whim of random events. Spilling coffee on the white shirt, dropping a wet glob of toothpaste on that favorite black suit, stubbing our toe on the way to the shower. None of it has to matter. Not if we start the day in control, in charge, in power. Not if we start the day like the Badasses we are.

This 10-minute wake-up routine is meant to make the rest of the day your beyotch, basically. You will own it, because you will have pushed out this little workout while the rest of the world was just stumbling around bleary-eyed in search of a caffeine I.V.

So get on it. Ten moves, 10 minutes, and done. Boom.

Make the Morning Your Beyotch...in 10!

Minute 1: Pogo hops side to side

Minute 2: Jumping Jacks

Minute 3: Jumping Jacks with a squat in the center

Minute 4: Pushups

Minute 5: Tricep Dips off a chair or bench (or the floor, with fingers facing forward toward your toes)

 

 

Minute 6: Burpees

 

Minute 7: Skaters

Minute 8: Jump Lunges

 

Minute 9: Mountain Climbers

Minute 10: Bicycle Crunches or Starfish Crunches

 

Done! Now go run the world!

Coming Up: Ode to the Avocado ...and Olympic Inspiration.

Badass Eats: The Perfect July 4 Feast

Flags, fireworks, and food. It's the Fourth of July Trifecta, right?  All of it, typically, done in grand excessive fashion. American flags everywhere of all sizes, huge blooming fireworks that are louder than cannons, and of course a huge spread of food enjoyed at cookouts, beach parties, etc.

Well, the Badass Journey isn't meant to be boring or lacking enjoyment. We get to enjoy good food, too. The best of both worlds is great food that also tastes great. These three recipes below pack a powerful punch of flavor, texture, crunch and all-around tastebud happiness.

Enjoy these - today or any sunny afternoon - and have a wonderful day! Now Mangia!

Watermelon-Tomato-Basil Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped watermelon
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes 
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fig balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp thinly sliced basil
• Cracked pepper and sea salt, to taste
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preparation:

1. Toast the pine nuts a few minutes in toaster oven, or at 375 degrees in the oven on a baking sheet.

2. Combine the watermelon, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper.

4. Gently toss. Top with basil, feta and pine nuts. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy!

 

 

Shannon's Blue Cheese-Apple Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 2 bags pre-shredded coleslaw
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 2 Gala apples, cored and diced
• 4 stalks celery, sliced thin
• 1/2 bottle Bolthouse Farms Creamy Blue Cheese dressing (all real ingredients, Greek yogurt-based and low in fat)
• 4 ounces crumbled, reduced-fat blue cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Mix it all together an hour ahead of time in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Turkey-Bison Confetti Surprise Burgers

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground 93/7 or 90/10 lean turkey
• 1/2 lb ground bison
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 ounces goat cheese, divided into 4
• 4 Sandwich Thins
• Lettuce and sliced tomato (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine the meat in a large bowl with egg, bread crumbs, mixing with (washed) hands.

2. Toss in the onion, peppers, spinach, salt and pepper and mix again.

3. Divide the meat into four, and to form the patties take one portion of the meat, top with a dollop of the goat cheese, and then form the patty around the cheese so that it is encased in the center. Repeat for the other three patties.

4. Grill outside or on the George Foreman, then dress it up with the Sandwich Thin, lettuce, tomato. Enjoy!

Coming up: A Wake-up Energizer that takes 10 minutes and sets the tone for an anything-is-possible day...and fitness conference lessons and other nuggets from IDEA Fit in San Diego!