Broccoli and Spinach soup

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Malin

Twice a week I eat less than 500 cal/day (will write more about it later) so this is the first low-calorie recipes I am posting…The soup is really delicious, full of vitamins, it will fill you up and only has 198 cal!!!

1 liter/ 34 oz water

1 cube vegetables bouillon

500 grams/ 1 lbs Broccoli

100 grams/ 3.5 oz Spinach

1-2 cloves of chopped garlic

app. 5 tablespoons shallots

Salt, Pepper and Chili flakes

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese/ person (120kal)

Bring the water to a boil and add the broccoli for about 10 minutes together with the vegetable bouillon. Meanwhile fry the onion and garlic in a frying pan. Add the spinach together with the onion mix. Mix everything together till a smooth soup and seasoning with salt, pepper and chili flakes.

Enjoy!

A little bit of abs…

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Malin

Yesterday morning Knut had his first session of conditioning before the tryout get starting and I guess there is no different for a child having time off as it is for an adult…it hurts! (the difference is it takes longer for us to get it back). So when Knut’s hour was over I had that in mind when I made it over to Lifestyle fitness for my own session.

We started with warming up the abs with 20 crunches and 30 second plank from the Pilates ball (no pics but arms on the ball) it is important to keep the elbows in front of you as much as you can to get the abs engaged to its max.

After the warmup kept on working the abs on the mat with 15 leg raisers with the Pilates ball between our feet. Taking them slow and let the abs contract at every single rep.

This movement was accompanied by 15 push ups from the Pilates ball, now every single rep your chest is supposed to touch the ball and you’ll use the bounce to push yourself up again. You might think this sounds simple when you can actually use the bounce but try it and you probably change your mind…lol

So it was a relief as soon as the 15 reps were completed and we moved into the last movement in this circuit…15 squat with lifting the Pilates ball overhead.

At the second circuit we exchanged the Pilates ball to a heavier ball, a 14 pound medicine ball and this routine was longer than the previous two as well as the intensity. So with 10 walking lunges with the ball overhead we traveled across the gym and at every rep we paused in the leap focusing on holding the abdominal.

Leaving the ball behind we made our back doing the inch worm. This was done from out toes and making sure that we had a nice stretch going in our hamstrings before we moved forward with our hands holding the “plank” for a few seconds.

When the 10 inch worms was completed we finished out with 50 bicycle crunched before we jumped back to our medicine ball and lunged back. At the other end of the gym we finished with 10 side lunges and 20 wood chops.

With the high intensity over and done with it was nice being able to bring the heart rate back down again but still focusing on the abs. So with 15 leg raisers from the Romanian chair, 15 chops…

…15 roll out…

…15 weighted side bend completed ( I thought) our day was over. To do the side bend correctly it is important to get a good stretch of the obliques and then contract them as you breathing out in a big belly breath. I found that after 10 reps it was hard to get a good contraction but I guess that was because I was getting tired 😉

So like I said the hour was over and both me and my companion was getting tired when Jonathan asked us we were up for some intervals and how can we turn that down…I wish I had as soon as I started…lol

We finished out on the bike with 30 second high residence as fast possible with a sufficient rest in-between to be able to crank out every single interval. The first five we were seated leaning over the handles and standing for the final 5. It took around 15 minutes and after every completed interval I thought of Knut and how hard he work…and at thought the only thing I could do was just keep on going even if it hurt…

A week of pain finally came to it’s end…

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Malin

The first week of pain was completed on friday and the last thing we did was making the arms work (the only thing that is not sore) and Jonathan had put together another intense program. We started out with a quick warm up for the shoulders and arms with 20 scarecrows, 10 hands to push ups and 10 push ups.

Again this was still ok although at the third set I had a nice burning going for me in the shoulders. It was at the following circuit the real workout started and with no rest in between the exercises the burn that was tingling in my shoulders turned into a full on fire after 15 upright rows with the barbell, 15 shoulder raise…

and 15 Arnold press…as you might have realized I haven’t been to active for the last month lifting weight I wanted to be sensitive so my first set I picked up the 12 pound dumbbell to complete my 15 but I realized fast that it was a little light for me so the second and third set I changed it into 15 pounds instead…

and finally burn out on high rows on the TRX until exhaustion before we could take a quick breather before we got going again.

When we moved into a different muscle group (still working the arms) I was very glad because I don’t think my shoulders could have taken anymore at that point and the following circuit was a fun one. We started with 15 chest flies, now this was supposed to very heavy and at the end every rep we were coming into a nice stretch for the pecks…

…and when the 15 was completed without setting the dumbbell down we finished with 15 presses. Again taking the dumbbells down deep to get the most out of the exercise.

The next three exercises in this circuit was very straight forward…15 pulldown (heavy) 15 biceps curls and 15 triceps extension.

And what is a “armday” with out the big ropes so the last 10 minutes we completed the friday workout with intervals. I will admit that at this point I wasn’t going at my fastest pace and I thought my arms was going to fall off but never the less I finished every second of every interval.

It’s painfully truthful!

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Malin

Ok, now I am back in business for real! After we came back from Sweden Freddie and I hung out a few days in here in “Chicago” before we took our 10 years anniversary honeymoon to the British Virgin Island and what a week…heaven!

So yesterday was my second workout being back for real and being back in my normal routines but today I am suffering from lying in a sun chair reading “Gone with the wind” not doing to many other things except for throwing myself in the crystal clear ocean every other 30 minutes. It is also a great reminder of how painful it is to lay on coach for to long and as panful it is so it’s great to be back to my old routines and Jonathan had set up a great leg day Wednesday for us.

First out for the workout was 20 leg abductor from the TRX followed by 10 single leg squat touching our hands to the ground to be finished off with a step up with a high knee thrust. At the time being it didn’t felt so bad but this was just the beginning and I know one of the reasons why I can’t walk like a normal person today is because of the single leg squats for a starter 🙂

But there was no time to complain because as soon as the three sets was completed we moved into the seconds circuit that contained of 20 lateral lunges with a reach, 20 forward lunged with the medicine ball static overhead.

These two exercises alone gets your hart rate up to a decant level so when we finally made it back to our mats starting with 15 “peeing dogs” and leg extension from the knees squeezing the glut at every rep was some kind of relief!

The problem was that it didn’t last for long as we finished out this circuit with 15 weighted squats. The trick to it was to squat slowly pause at the bottom come right up but not all the way and go right back down again. It was at this point my legs started to feel a little wobbly…loll

So the workout was coming to an end but we were not quite there. It was a beautiful day and not to hot so we took it outside for some drills with the agility ladder working both cardio and speed as well our coordination. So with this my conclusion from my vacation is that is painfully truthful living like a slacker…haha

A date night with File mignon and a Moroccan Salsa

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Malin

Last christmas I got a book called perfect pairings by Evan Goldstein. I love wine but I don’t know too much about it but last night I picked up the book and started to flip through it when I thought I would carefully make my choice of wine to compliment the food…

Goldstein mentions that Merlot goes well with grilled food as well as citrus and green vegetables, tomatoes and garlic and fresh herbs.

So I went to Fresh Food Market and picket out a nice cut of filet mignon and a bottle of Merlot from Chateau St Jean and started to prepare our dinner.

Moroccan Salsa (recipe by Jonas Brossen) 2 servings

1 Big Chopped Tomato

2 tablespoons of Chopped Red onion

1 clove of chopped garlic

1/4 chopped Jalapeño

1 teaspoon Cumin

2 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro

lemon juice

2 tablespoons of a good Olive oil

Mix the ingredient together and store in a cool place until serving.

I love my meat medium raw and Freddie grilled the it to perfection so when it was time to eat I served the meat and the salsa on a bed of Arugula and roasted fennel, red onion and asparagus topped of with a balsamic glaze.

A quick summer lunch full of antioxidants

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Malin

After a tough workout I came home and I was starving so I quickly put some chicken tender on the grill, sautéed mushrooms and kale and mixed together a cold fresh chimichurri sauce…yum!

Chicken Tender

Ready made grilling sauce (I normally make my own but I was too hungry)

Kale

Mushroom

Salt and Pepper

Sour Creme

Chimichurri (ready made)

Light weight and high reps

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Malin

Although I had the time for my appointment for my workout on the phone I still manage to mistake the time so my warmup lasted for 25 minutes before the rest of the crew showed up. I do think that was a good thing as I was/am very sore from Wednesdays workout and this gave me an opportunity to loosen up my body.

As soon as every one was warmed up we brought out 5 pound dumbbells and a medicine ball and started with 25 shoulder raise and 25 shoulder press. With the very light weight I say the fist 15 reps are very easy it is the last 10 you really starting to get a burn. The circuit was long so after working with the dumbbell we picked up the medicine ball doing 20 wood shops, 50 russian twists and 50 bicycle crunches before started to skip ropes for 2 minutes. I really try to get the intensity going and giving it my all so the last 15 second I try to double skip.

The second circuit we kept on focusing on upper body starting on the mat in a push up position doing plank to push up, slow climbers and push ups all in 30 seconds intervals followed by 15 leg raises.

2013-07-11 10.18.05

To finish off the arms we picked up the light dumbbells and cranked out 25 kick backs and 25 biceps curls.

After a quick clean up we headed over to the TRX and the big ropes and let me tell you I was reminded why I don’t really take time off because this was just brutal but what can you do then to put your head down and work through the pain 🙂

We started at the TRX doing 10 high rows, 10 low rows, 15 trice extension and 15 pikes. Keep in mind that the at this point my arms had seen the best of me but we walked over to the ropes and started 3 sets of intervals of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off before when went back to the TRX. This was a very intense workout and I know today is going to be as hard!

I am back in town!!

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Malin

After three weeks living out of a suitcase I am back home…for now. It has been three amazing week that I have spent with family and friends and for that reason I have not updated my blog but with that being said I still worked out, mainly running between 6-12 km pretty much 5 days a week. So when the miles where ticking on my knee thought I over did it a bit so the last week I decided to take a break. This is my first break since I started this blog, seven months ago…but now I am back and full of energy!!!

I was so glad being back at Lifestyle Fitness seeing my gals and Jonathan. Like I said I was so full of energy that I could have kept on going for hours just to make every little muscle in my body work.

So after a quick warmup on 15% incline on the treadmill (I realize it’s nothing compare to all the hills I’ve been running up and down in Sweden) while we were catching up it was time to get to work. We started off working the core and hamstring using a mat and a Pilates ball.

15 leg extensions each leg in a plank position and 15 leg raises with the Pilates Ball.

15 Hamstrings curls

This was followed by 15 weighted spilt stand squats (each leg) and two minutes skipping with the old jump rope. So far I was feeling great and I think in my mind I could have squatted with 50 pound dumbbells without a problem but my three weeks without any real weight training was sneaking up upon me fast…

It was the following circuit that reminded me why I don’t really take any time off because three weeks ago this would have been a walk in the park but after completed the first set I thought my arms was going to fall off and I loved it!

We stated with 2 walking lunges and a squat to press (10 steps and 5 squats) down the gym. At the end we did 15 bent over rows before we walked back and finished out on 15 romanian deadlifts.

Meanwhile the other group was giving it all on the bike for about three-ish minutes before we swapped.

When the second circuit was completed three times our “official” hour was over but I have mentioned this before, the hour is not over until Jonathan says so! So all we could do was to bring out the 35 pound kettlebell to complete our last and final circuit. This consisted of 30 seconds jumping lunges, 15 second rest, 30 seconds squat jumps, 15 seconds rest and 30 seconds kettlebell swings. After I completed my third set I was not so cocky anymore but I am looking forward coming back for more later on this morning because I am back in town 😉