Life is a Playground

Life is a playground. Sometimes you fall down and get hurt but most of the time you should be feeling joy and having a lot of fun. Ring Rows, decline push-ups, medicine ball lunges and run. Repeat for 3 rounds. Now that's a recipe for starting the day out right!

Also, check out this link to see an example of our DREAM GYM. It's an all season, all-ages indoor playground! Tempest Academy is located in L.A. but we'd like to one day see something like this in the Pacific Northwest. We are now taking donations in support of this project :-)

New Ideas for Physical Training

As part of our own exercise programming, Laney and I have been working out with long-time physical therapist and good friend Ben Musholt. It's been really fun getting stronger and trying all of the crazy workouts Ben has come up with.

Ben has spent the last few years developing an exercise website called BPMRx specialized in providing top-notch illustrated printouts of exercises. Go to his website and look closely, you may even see a familiar face or two in some of the pictures (hint- hint). While his website is designed for professional therapists and trainers, it has also become popular among individuals seeking fresh ideas for their own workouts. BPMRx's image library is filled with over 800 cutting-edge movements from gymnastics, martial arts, kettlebell training, yoga, and more. These printouts are easily customizable for your personal workouts or sharing them with friends.

To check out Ben's website now, BPMRx go to:

http://www.bpmrx.com/

Come out and play...

It's time to get stronger folks. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that this Saturday is the last class of our FREE March series at Woodlawn Park. If you have yet to come check it out, this weekend is a great time to do so. We'll be at our usual place under the bridge rain or shine at 10am (Saturday).

We are excited to announce that we are adding more classes for the month of April. Look to the right sidebar for our Springs offerings, times, locations, and prices. As always, please feel free to email us with any questions.

Paleo is easy AND delicious

Who says you can't have vegetables for breakfast? Not us! One fantastic way to enjoy brussel sprouts is to ADD BACON. Duh. Bacon makes anything better! I personally like brussel sprouts by themselves, but here is a tasty little dish I whipped up for breakfast this morning. (Sorry, no measurements here- intuitive cooking!)

~Grab about 5 slices of good quality bacon and cut it up into small chunks
~Toss the bacon into a pan (cast iron is always best) on low-medium heat
~Cook the bacon until it is done but not overdone
~While the bacon is cooking, cut up a bunch of brussel sprouts (about 4 slices each)
~(If there is A LOT of grease once the bacon is done, pour some out, but make sure there is enough to cook the veggies in)
~Toss in the brussel sprouts and stir-fry (cover and stir occasionally)
~While the brussel sprouts are cooking, grab some dried figs and chop them up, make sure you get rid of the stems, then toss them in with the bacon and brussel sprouts
~Stir-fry and cover until the brussel sprouts are tender, but not soggy!
~Optional add ins: purple cabbage, onion, garlic, whatever you want
~No need for salt or seasoning here, the bacon does the job :)
ENJOY!

I had mine with an egg on top:

~L

Trip to the Mayan Kingdom

Greetings Rip City Fitness enthusiast! Please click below to see a new video highlighting our recent journey to the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). Not the highest quality footage but not bad considering what we had to work with. We were in Mexico over the holidays--three weeks in paradise. To be honest, it was hard to come back!
~R

Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad

I threw this salad together yesterday and just happened to have all of the perfect ingredients in the fridge. I also didn't measure anything (intuitive cooking!) and it turned out perfectly, so hopefully I can estimate the amounts correctly so that it can be duplicated!

For the salad:
4 cups fresh spinach
2 cups red cabbage
1 carrot
1/2 green pepper
1/4 purple onion
2 green onions
3-4 mushrooms
1 avocado
*Chop it all up and put into two good-sized salad bowls

For the shrimp:
Enough shrimp for two people (it depends on the people!)
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tbs tamari
1 tsp fish sauce
Sriracha chili sauce- however much you want
*Saute it all up until the shrimp are done (I used frozen and thawed, precooked shrimp, so this didn't take very long)

For the dressing:
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
*Put it all in a jar and shake it up

Add the shrimp and dressing to your salad and ENJOY!
~L

Primal Jambalaya

I found this recipe on marksdailyapple.com, a wonderful resource for tips and information on why primal living is the best way to go. This recipe is PACKED with protein and does a very good job of replacing a common comfort food with a healthier, lower glycemic option. Traditional Jambalaya is loaded with rice, and therefore full of tons of unnecessary carbs that leave you with an insulin spike and a confused metabolism. This recipe replaces the rice with cauliflower and,
seriously, you will not even notice the difference. Cauliflower is a cooling food with a good portion of Vitamin C, and it stimulates the liver out of stagnancy. Cauliflower is also a complete protein, with all of the essential amino acids, although you would have to eat A LOT to get a
significant amount.

*Special note: The first time I made this, it was delicious but a bit too “soupy”- so the second time I added one tablespoon of arrowroot powder at the very end to thicken it up. Arrowroot is a thickening agent and is a much better option than cornstarch or flour. Simply sprinkle in one
tablespoon toward the end of cooking and stir, you will notice it thickening up right away.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb andouille sausage, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced crushed
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1.5 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp dried leaf thyme
1 tbsp parsley (fresh is preferable, but dried will do
in a pinch!)
1 tsp chili powder
1 large head of cauliflower
2 cups shelled, deveined and cleaned shrimp
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and lightly cook the sausage and chicken over medium heat. Once golden, add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Transfer items from the frying pan into a large pot. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, parsley and chili powder and bring to a simmer. While the mixture is simmering (you’ll want to let it go for about 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally), place the cauliflower in a food processor and shred or chop finely until it becomes the consistency of rice. Add the cauliflower “rice” to the mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes until tender. Add shrimp and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add arrowroot powder and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust other spices as needed. Serve piping hot. Serves 6.

Nutrition Analysis:
Calories: 590 calories
Fat: 36.7 grams (56% calories from fat)
Carbs: 16.1 grams (10% calories from carbs)
~L

Almond Maple Brownies

This brownie recipe is a go-to whenever we have a craving for something sweet and rich. Made with almond butter instead of flour, these brownies are higher in healthy fats and lower in refined carbs, which make them a healthier option than your traditional brownies. Plus, they are the best tasting brownies we have EVER had, and many people we've made them for say the same thing!

The original recipe is from Elana Amsterdam at www.elanaspantry.com. Her Almond Butter Brownies are made with with 1 1/4 cup of agave nectar, a little too sweet for our taste, plus we can’t get enough maple syrup, so we changed that part of the recipe and decreased the amount. If you love brownies, give this recipe a try, you will never look at regular brownies the same way!

Almond Maple Brownies

Ingredients:

1 16 oz jar of almond butter (Trader Joe's creamy with sea salt is the best)

1 scant cup real maple syrup

2 eggs

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bar

oil or butter for greasing the pan

Method:

· Preheat oven to 325 degrees

· Empty the jar of almond butter (including the oil that may have separated!) into a large mixing bowl

· Using a handheld mixer, mix almond butter until creamy

· Add the eggs and mix

· Add the maple syrup and mix

· Add the cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and mix

· Using a spoon, mix in about 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips

· Grease an 8x11 cake pan

· Pour brownie mix into pan (the batter will be very thick and heavy)

· Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup) on top

· Bake at 325 degrees, on the middle rack, for 30-40 minutes, check at about 25 minutes to make sure the edges aren't burning

· Check the middle with a toothpick or knife

· Cool, cut, and serve!

· Makes about 15 brownies

~L

Carob Apricot Trail Mix

This month’s recipe is a great go-to snack. I learned the method for making trail mix on MarksDailyApple.com, he has some great recipes on there; this one is inspired by his ‘Sweet and Salty Primal Trail Mix’. Once you start making trail mix, you’ll want to mix and match the ingredients you use to get different flavors.

Carob Apricot Trail Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts (chopped or whole)

2 cups pecans (chopped or whole)

½ cup carob chips

½ cup dried apricots, chopped into small chunks

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2-3 tbsp honey

Sea Salt for sprinkling

Method:

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

· Mix the nuts with the coconut oil and honey

· Spread nuts onto a large cookie sheet and

sprinkle with sea salt

· Toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes, watching

carefully so the nuts don’t burn, stir at

least once

· Remove from oven and let cool

· When cool, add carob chips and apricots,

sprinkle with a little more salt if needed

· Mix and ENJOY!

~L

Listening to Your Body

What is the difference between being sore and being injured? How do you know when to push through pain and when to stop? What is pain compared to discomfort? The answers to these kinds of questions come in time, once you start to reconnect with your body through movement. Sometimes it is hard to tell when a certain movement is causing damage or doing good, for the novice boot camper as well as the experienced athlete. In fact, often the novice can have a better gauge for when to stop than the competitively programmed athlete. On the other hand, for someone with experience, pushing past your threshold during training can become second nature whereas for someone who is just getting back into exercise it may difficult to recognize the difference between muscle fatigue and damage.

This is where "listening to your body" comes in. The ability to tell the difference between true pain and "discomfort" or "soreness" is very important to your success. It's a fine balance: we don't want you to hurt yourself, but in order to give your body enough stimulus to change for the better, you will need to approach the workouts with a certain degree of intensity. Intensity cannot be measured in absolute terms. It is something subjective and relative to the individual. Thus we can see that learning how to listen to your body is also a process of being honest with yourself.
Whether you are just beginning to get back into shape or you are a weathered fitness veteran, one thing applies to everyone: If it doesn’t feel hard, it’s not hard enough. Now, your 80 year old grandma’s ‘hard’ is most likely going to be quite different from your 20 year old brother’s ‘hard’, but one thing that you learn as you set out on your movement journey is how to modify any and every workout and exercise. For example, if a workout has a total of 50 push-ups involved, some people might have to do them from their knees or with an assistance band, while others might need to strap on a 20-pound weight vest to make it more challenging. To each his or her own. Just because Joey is slamming the workout with a weight vest on the entire time, doesn’t discredit Tom’s slower, modified movements. The important thing is that each person is working at an intensity that is fitting to where they themselves are in their quest for optimum fitness.
A lot of people ask us the ‘heart rate’ question, “What should my heart rate be during exercise?” Our answer is always this: (unless you have some sort of heart condition which needs close monitoring) If you use a heart rate monitor, stop. For the love of all things sacred, don’t base how you FEEL during a workout on some digital reading on your wrist (or on the godforsaken screen of the machine you are riding). Exercise and movement is something that should be and ultimately is intuitive. All of these fancy doo-hickeys like heart rate monitors and the corresponding charts that tell you what “Zone” you should be in based on your age, are taking us further away from being connected with our bodies. So, forget about your heart rate and ask yourself how you feel while you are training. Take your heart rate to all different levels during your workout; push yourself to YOUR threshold (not the person’s next to you in class) and then back off and rest. Then do it again. Get to know your own body at all different levels of intensity. It will take some time, but it makes training a lot more fun when you aren’t dependent on some technological gismo to tell you how hard to work.

We have trained hundreds of people from 9 years old to 90, overweight and underweight, with various illnesses and without, and the same rule applies to all of them, if it doesn’t feel challenging, you need to make it harder. We do ourselves absolutely zero favors when we go easy on ourselves, whether it is in learning a language, practicing a skill for sport or art, or in physical training. Simply going through the motions will not heed progress.

In anything.
~R