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You don’t know squat… Yet!

Enjoy! Coach Derrick

The squat is a great way to improve athletic performance and total-body strength. Because of its ability to incorporate the body’s largest muscle groups it can also be as good for fat burning as it is for muscle building. Here are two ways to improve your squat performance.

• Drop it like it’s hot: Recent studies have shown that a full range of motion (ROM) squat can increase strength by 25.7% over a 12 week period compared to only 16% for those using partial squats over the same 12 week time period. A full ROM squat is defined as a squat in which your thighs go just beyond parallel. The key take away here is to never sacrifice depth for weight. You are much better off doing 12 full reps with 10lbs less than using that heavier weight and only performing half reps. An added benefit is your back will thank you as your glutes get stronger and take pressure off the lower back.

• Train one leg at a time: Every BODY is created differently and we all have imbalances. I’m sure many of you can relate to being stronger in an exercise on one side of your body than the other. Step-ups, Lunges, and pistol squats are a great way to correct any imbalances in the posterior chain. Be sure to not over compensate on one side however any asymmetrical exercise performed should be performed with the same weight for the same number of reps on each side. Never train one side heavier or with more reps then the other.

So this week I heard one of our amazing coaches, no names mentioned…eh hem DERRICK… talking about eating oatmeal raisin cookies pre workout…I had to come up with an alternative. So here ya go buddy! lol

Enjoy! xo Jen

3 INGREDIENT COOKIES!

They take literally 5 minutes to make, use only 3 ingredients (ok so plus extras IF wanted), and take just 15-20 minutes to bake.. they are the ideal pre workout go to!

Ingredients

60-90g (~1 cup) oats* – more if your bananas are large!
2 ripe bananas**
1 scoop (~25-30g) protein powder***
Optional: 2 tsp peanut butter & 70g (~1/2 cup) dark chocolate chips or dried fruit & seeds

***I used My Isagenix Isapro Vanilla Whey Protein

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 350

Step 2

Mash your bananas with a fork

Step 3

Add your protein powder and mix

Step 4

Mix in your oats (and any optional ingredients)

Step 5

Dollop your cookie mixture onto baking paper or a greased baking tray

Step 6

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Ever notice it takes much effort to get going and moving? On the flip side when it comes to sitting and getting comfortable there is little to no effort needed… Our mind likes comfort. It likes keeping our bodies under the warm cozy covers on a chilly morning and will put off and resist strain.

Self talking in this situation goes a long way. Tell yourself, “I am ready to do this! Get Up! Let’s Go!”
When your body and mind are in sync, tackling a task seems effortless. In your workout, Will and Intension is POWERFUL! You not only experience gains in strength more rapidly, but, the feeling of accomplishment is PRICELESS!

No get ready, We have work to DO!!

xo Coach Harriet

These are an easy and delicious summer grill favorite!

Enjoy xo Jen

Beef, okra and potato kabobs

8 fingerling potatoes, each cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup (1-inch-square) cut red bell pepper
16 small okra pods
8 shallots, peeled and halved
1 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 2 cups)
Cooking spray
Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Cool.

Combine parsley and the next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring well; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes, bell pepper, okra, shallots, beef, and squash; toss well to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Prepare grill.

Thread vegetables and beef alternately onto each of 8 (10-inch) skewers. Sprinkle kebabs evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning occasionally.

Even my veggie friends will like this one!!! These are so good!!!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Mini Portobello mushroom burgers!!!!

Ingredients
12 medium portobello mushrooms
2 small Italian eggplants
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
½ tsp. Sea Salt
12 mini brioche buns or dinner rolls
1½ tsp. sesame oil
½ tsp. sesame seeds

1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Trim the stems from the mushrooms. Slice the eggplant, squash, and zucchini into
1/4-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with canola oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill
until softened and grill marks have formed — about 10 minutes each side. (Brush with
oil as needed to prevent sticking.)

2. Transfer to a baking pan. Heat broiler to low. Split the buns, brush the tops with the
sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Layer the squash, zucchini, eggplant,
and mushroom on the bottom bun halves. Top with remaining seeded bun tops and serve hot.

These are so easy  to make and absolutely delicious! Enjoy! xo Jen

Ingredients
1banana, mashed
2 eggs, whisked
½ cup Vanilla Isagenix Isalean

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (optional – or whatever else you want in the pancakes)
1 tablespoon coconut oil to grease pan
Instructions
Mix together bananas, eggs, and protein powder until well combined.
Place a pan over medium heat. Grease the pan with a bit of oil. Once pan is hot, add a large spoonful of the pancake mixture to the pan, about 3-5 inches wide.
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the pancakes.
Once the pancakes begin to bubble, flip them. Cook for about 1 minute each side, depending how hot the pan is.
Regrease the pan, as needed.

These are my new obsession!!! A must try!

Enjoy! xo jen

Garlic Roasted Purple Potatoes

Ingredients

5 to 8 cloves garlic
2 lb. purple sweet potatoes, rinsed but not peeled
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 large lemon
Ground black pepper, to taste
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mince or press garlic and put in a large bowl. While garlic “rests,” chop sweet potatoes into a medium dice, making sure pieces are similar size for even cooking. Be sure to leave the skin on—it is very thin and is packed with nutrients.

Add Italian seasoning and fresh lemon juice to the bowl with garlic to make a paste. Toss sweet potatoes into the bowl and mix well to ensure all pieces are well-coated. If mixture is too dry, add more lemon juice.

Sprinkle with pepper and roast until tender—check after approximately 35 minutes and then every 10 minutes until ready, Season with additional pepper and a sprinkle of salt, to taste.

TFS Cocoa Protein Cheesecake

This recipe is courtesy of Jenn Looney at The Fitness Studio in Dudley. She owns the gym that houses the other NV site in Dudley MA!

Totally Fudgy Sensational Power Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 Cup plus 1 TBSP low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat organic chocolate milk or chocolate almond milk (no high fructose corn syrup)
4 scoops chocolate protein powder (no artificial flavors/colors/sweeteners)
2 TBSP natural peanut butter (Due to allergy issues, I used almond butter and it worked great. Use what you prefer.)
2 TBSP powdered unsweetened baking cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In blender mix cottage cheese and chocolate milk until creamy and smooth. Add in protein powder, coco powder, and peanut butter mix well until thoroughly combined and mixture has an even color and there are no lumps. (4 min) Pour mixture into 4 – 6 small ramekins and place ramekins in a 9×13 pan. Fill 9×13 pan with water so that the water comes half way up the outside of the ramekins. Place entire pan in oven and bake about 30 minutes. ( on my first try I baked them too long… found them a little too dry, my second try 30 min made them very creamy.) Remove from oven and cool. When cool cover and refridgerate overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Makes 4-6 servings. (And usually get 6)

*Substitute the chocolate milk for chocolate coconut or almond milk! *

Spring is right around the corner, crush that sweet tooth with delicious grilled fruit!

To make this delicious treat, oil your grill rack with a paper towel dampened with a healthy oil. Then prepare the fruit, cut into chunks and place on a skewer. Grill until the fruit is just lightly marked and warmed through.

Enjoy! xo Jen

Salmon Quinoa Patties

These protein packed salmon quinoa burgers are simple to make, full of flavor and bursting with nutrition. Delicious over a bed of greens or with a side of roasted vegetables (like lemon roasted asparagus!
Double or triple the recipe and freeze for later!

Enjoy! Julie
Ingredients
• 1-1.5 pounds wild caught salmon, cooked
(Could substitute 3 6oz cans of canned salmon, recommend wild caught vs farm raised)
• 4 green onions, chopped (whites and greens)
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped (reserve about 1 tablespoon for garnish if desired)
• Zest of a small lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, completely cooled
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
1. Add salmon, along with the liquid in the can, to a large bowl and flake with fork. Mix in the green onion,parsley, lemon zest, and eggs. using your hands combine. Add cooked quinoa, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat olive oil, in a large nonstick skillet, over medium to medium high heat.
3. Form into salmon mixture into 8 patties. Working in batches fry the patties on one side until golden brown, flip and repeat.