Light Leg Day Workout Routine and an Awesome Spirulina Smoothie!
Wow, my back is sore from the workout last night. YES!! Grow, lats, grow! I love being ‘good’ sore. You know, the sore where you can really tell that you accomplished something with your workout.
It’s hard for me to get sore now, because my antioxidant intake is so high that my recovery is immediate and soreness generally doesn’t set in. If I get sore, I know I really killed it in my workout! If you take in Mona Vie, for example, which is crazy high in antioxidants, after your workout, it neutralizes the free radicals, oxidation and lactic acid created by the workout and the soreness is dramatically lessened.
That’s a big topic—post-workout nutrition. I won’t go into it too deep now, but I will address it fully later. Basically, you have about 30 minutes after you finish your workout where your body is looking to uptake nutrients to repair the muscle tissue damage that the workout created. In this window of time is where you can really make quantum leaps in your fitness progress. You need a mix of carbs, protein and good fats. The carbs and protein should be very quickly and easily absorbed. My favorites are the Sun Warrior protein, of course, and raw unfiltered honey & bananas for the carbs. And the fats should be from a source like UDO’s oil or raw unrefined coconut oil, which is a medium chain triglyceride and helps you to burn body fat!
For example, my post-workout shake tonight was: 12 ounces almond milk (I make my own), 1 scoop chocolate Sun Warrior protein, 1 banana, 1 tbsp raw carob powder, 1 tbsp UDO’s, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp raw tahini, 2 tbsp raw honey, and a dash of cayenne pepper. I know–that sounds weird, but it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate, plus it helps with circulation and fat-burning. Yum! It was delicious. And it was well-balanced for what my body needs to build muscle after a tough workout.
Tonight was a light leg routine. Meaning I did lower weights and higher reps, instead of really heavy. Bear in mind, I want my legs to GROW! So I am trying to gain muscle. This routine I did tonight would be just as appropriate for someone wanting to slim their legs down. Remember, it’s not the workout that ’slims’ you down–that’s 90% diet. The workouts help you burn off bodyfat and build solid muscle, that is a living tissue that burns lots of calories. All the leg presses in the world won’t help unless your nutrition is working for you, leading you to better health and helping your body release the excess fat.
Notice I never say ‘lose weight’? I don’t want to ‘lose’ anything. That’s a negative term, and implies that you just ‘found’ the weight to begin with. What you want to do is release the burden of the excess fat that your body is carrying. As you nurture your cells with excellent nutrition, your body will release the fat because it no longer needs it to store the toxins from the processed food and junk that most people eat. The goal is to get as much nutrition per calorie as possible. That way, you take in the appropriate caloric load and get the optimal nutrition you need.
Tonight’s leg routine was:
- Warmup on recumbent bike
- 3 sets of 20 leg presses, really deep–knees almost touching shoulders. (tough!)
- 3 sets of 12 stiff-legged deadlifts with 95 lbs on bar
- 3 sets of 15 kettlebell squats with overhead swing, 25 lb bell
- Ab work with medicine ball between kettlebell sets
- Step-ups on high bench, 3 sets of 15 per leg, 25 lb dumbbell in each hand, supersetted with hamstring bridge on exercise ball
I was ready for the post-workout shake after that routine! I moved quickly with little rest between sets (or another exercise between sets) so I would get a cardio workout at the same time.
I am continuing the spirulina addiction. I made the BEST smoothie this afternoon. It was almond milk, several dates, 1 tbsp spirulina, 1/4 tsp blue-green algae, 1 banana, 1 tbsp honey, and 2 tbsp coconut oil. Wow! I tried to make that one last and savor every sip.
I swear that the spirulina has really helped my skin. I had been suffering from crazy breakouts on my face for a while now. I mean bad ones, like a teenager’s nightmare. I figured I was going through another detox phase and was patiently working through it. Detoxing from over 30 years of eating cooked, processed food takes some time, and isn’t always pleasant. I had read where the marine algaes could really help with detoxing, as they help remove toxins and heavy metals like lead and mercury from the body, and provide intense nutritional support. It must be true. My face has completely cleared up, and I noticed the difference within a couple of days of starting the spirulina. And it has just kept getting better and better. I am not saying that spirulina heals or cures anything, and it may not have that effect on someone else, but I sure am happy about it!
I think that’s why I immediately went into this incredible spirulina addiction. My body needed something that is in that spirulina and is telling me to send it more and more. I have a feeling the intense craving will subside as the need is fulfilled. That’s why vitamins just aren’t the answer. Every body is different, and your body will pull what it needs from the whole foods that you eat. There’s no way I could figure out which mineral or vitamin or phytonutrient in the spirulina was what my body needed. And why would I? Why not give your body the whole food? Your infinitely intelligent body will glean what it needs from the food, and customize it to your situation. Why try to guess by sending only woefully inadequate singular vitamins?
Defy nutritional deficiencies! Eat whole foods, in their natural raw state, and incorporate some superfoods like spirulina into your nutritional program. Defy the reliance on vitamins for nutrition. You can’t pop a pill and expect it to be as good as a whole food!
Be Defiant!
Christy
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