Are You Spring Break Ready?

Hello people. So, in honor of the super bowl and the ridiculous amount of wings and beer you all consumed on that given Sunday, I am going to start my spring break diet/workout with y’all. It’s NEVER too early for beach season.

Now, this spring break segment is not going to be covered all in 1 shot. It’s a process. Each section will be written as you progress and keep up with my plan. It’s supposed to get harder and harder as the segments go on, so keep up, if you can.

 

Let’s get started.

It is SOO important to have a workout and food schedule. You want to be organized and aware of what you’re doing each and every day. Try and write out a schedule each and every Monday. Kind of like a food/workout log. Record what you eat and do at the gym. Keep the same workouts for a few weeks and then switch them up to confuse your muscles. Record what you eat at every meal. Make up a points system and set a goal for the day/week. Make a game out of it.

No one said this couldn’t be fun!

Try and be consistent with your meal plan. Stick to a light breakfast (fruits, yogurt, egg white, protein shakes) and take your vitamins. Then have a nice snack in between meals (fruit, nuts). For lunch you want to also keep it light. A salad or fruit platter. Maybe even some greek yogurt and granola. Mix it up so you don’t get bored but keep it within your limits. You can cheat here and there but if you’re dedicated on that “spring break body” then id think twice before engulfing that chipotle burrito. Between lunch and dinner, I like to sip on some coffee and nibble on a banana. Both are filling and give me energy to workout and last me until dinner. You can also sip on a protein shake and blend the fruit in it if that floats your boat. Protein bars are not my favorite for this time. They hold too many calories and carbs. Most of them aren’t great for snacks. They make for good meal replacements if that’s what you want, but not snacks. But that’s just my opinion. Dinner is my favorite. I usually start off with a protein shake on my way back from the gym and enjoy things like turkey burgers (no bun; 1 piece of whole wheat or rye bread, if that), roasted chicken, london broil, and salmon. Try some variations, and get on a consistent schedule with your meats. Try to stay away from red meats. You can have them from time to time because you need the iron, but I’d limit it to about 2-3 per month. It’s sometimes very high in fat.

That’s just a general diet plan. I’ll get into more depth another time.

For this blog I’m only going to start to go into the workout routine and give you some pointers in order to get the best results. Like I said before, this is the first of many spring break workout blogs. You need to build up and earn the next level of this blog.

First off, the name of the game is CARDIO. I’ve said this before. If you want to shed some lbs, the only way you’re going to do that is by stepping up your cardio game. And NO I don’t mean the elliptical or stair master, I

mean HIIT (high intensity interval training) and cross-fit. Mix in some of those routines into your everyday workout. You want to keep your heart rate up because that’s the only way you’re going to burn fat. Yes you can run on the treadmill, but mix it up. Play with the speed and incline and don’t just run at the same incline for 20-30 minutes; Jog uphill, then run. Alternate the speeds. Mix in some jump rope as well. I like to jump rope in between sets sometimes. It keeps my heart rate going and feels incredible!

Next you want to focus on strength and interval training. It’s the best if you want to see long term results. It will help make your muscles and bones stronger while increasing your metabolism. If you need help figuring out which strength and interval trainings are good for you, then look them up. I’m no guru. (Lazy piece of ^#*@)

Don’t waste your time doing ineffective moves. You don’t need to do 100 crunches in order to get rock hard abs. That only works 1 section of your abs. You need to focus on your abs as a whole, this goes for every muscle group, in order to get the best results. Mix up your exercises. Confuse your muscles, but allow them the proper rest.

For your abs, try the stability ball plank, woodchoppers, bicycle, and mountain climbers. These will help target your entire mid section. But don’t just limit your routine to these. For arms try triceps dips, overhead press, bicep curls and lateral raises.

Want more? Your gonna have to wait….

Try group classes like Soul cycle, Billy’s Boot Camp, yoga, CrossFit. They all have their pros (and con$). Exercising with a group can be fun and motivating. Its something new and different from what your usually use to. Don’t be a baby, try them out. I guarantee you’ll have fun

Before I go, I want to share another recipe with you guys. It’s amazing. I’m going to attempt to cook it this week.

Its Mac and Cheese style Cauliflower! Only 273 calories, 16g of protein, 16g of fat, 18g of carbs and 6g of sugar. When prepared the right way, it’s a great post workout meal.

8 cups of cauliflower florets

2 tbs of butter or margarine

3 tbs of flour

2 cups of low-fat milk

1 garlic clove minced (1 tsp)

2 cups of reduced fat Cheddar cheese (or any cheese you want. I recommend Edam cheese)

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

2 egg yolks

1 ½ of fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflowers and boil 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Mix in the milk, garlic, and reserved cooking liquid and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper and eggs until cheese is melted. Fold in cauliflower.

Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the cauliflower mixture in dish, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes until crisp and brown. AND THEN ENJOY! If you get a chance to make it be  sure to upload it on facebook or twitter and tag @campusprotein and @andrewbrauny!

Well, I’m done,

Until next time…

Peace. Love. Protein. @CP

@AndrewBrauny

Sources: AndrewBrauny, YogaJournal, HerCampus