Double Dose Of Fitness .8

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Can’t believe that this our 8th fitness post of this year. We feel like it gets so receptive each week, but a lot of you all say you love these, so we promise to keep them coming! In case you missed some of the previous posts, you can check out some of them here and here! Below, you will find videos, several of our workouts from the week, as well as a breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipe that we have tried or are planning on making soon!

As far as cardio goes,we will do anywhere from 30-45 minutes of cardio, usually on the stair master, followed by weight training (each muscle group a different day). Every body is different, and you definitely don’t need to do that much cardio each day, just whatever you feel up to, or feel like you can handle at this time! We used to do ZERO, so just find what works best for you! 

This week, we are sharing a leg workout and an elliptical workout!

This is the leg workout one of us did this past weekend:

Here is the elliptical workout!

Below are some workout pieces we are loving this week [click each item to shop it directly!]:

Jump Squats:

Weighted Donkey Kicks:

Bulgarian Split Squat:

Single Leg Glute Bridge:

In case you all did miss it in this post, we have did a post on what we eat in a day here! We do eat mostly paleo due to our hypothyroidism condition. In case you missed it, we shared why we avoid certain foods. 

 As far as cooking and meal prepping, we like to have some kind of protein prepped for the week, like grilled chicken or salmon baked in the oven. That way, we can just add it to salads or veggies for lunch or dinner in 5 minutes! Nobody wants to have to come home and make a full meal, right?

 

As far as meals go, we have gotten a few requests for some paleo meal ideas. We actually created a new Paleo Meal Ideas board on pinterest, in case you want more ideas!

 

These banana chocolate-chip muffin are perfect for you sweets lovers, like us;) And, who doesn’t love banana and chocolate chips?!

Skinny Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins

Serves: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3 medium bananas)
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon-optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat)
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (you can substitute with chopped nuts)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and spray 12 cup standard muffin tin or 24 cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. I used mini muffin tin.
2. In a bowl whisk dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a large bowl mash bananas, add honey, oil, vanilla, milk, Greek yogurt and egg. Mix until well combined and smooth. You can use electric mixer or whisk by hand.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix (or whisk) until combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Fill muffin tin with batter almost to the top. Bake until the toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out almost clean (with a few crumbs attached). It takes about 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins or 14-16 minutes for mini muffins. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    
   Recipe + photos via Pinterest

www.omgchocolatedesserts.com

This avocado chicken salad is the great lunch meal and can be eaten with lettuce wraps, on bread, or with some extra veggies.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Serves: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
• 1 ripe avocado, seeded and peeled (see How to Cut and Peel an Avocado)
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley
• 2 tsp lime juice or a tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the chicken, avocado, apple, celery, and red onion in a medium bowl.
2. Gently mash the avocado with a fork and stir it around so that everything gets well mixed.
3. Add the cilantro or parsley, lime juice or lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. Add more lime juice or salt to taste. If the mixture seems a little dry, you can stir in a teaspoon or two of olive oil.
5. To store, place in a bowl and cover completely with plastic wrap so that no part of the chicken salad is exposed to air. Will keep a couple of days in the fridge.
6. Serve on sandwich bread, toasted bread, or salad greens (I recommend arugula or watercress for extra zing).

Recipe + photos via Pinterest

www.simplyrecipes.com

This grilled chicken sounds like it has amazing flavor and who doesn’t love salsa?!
Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Serves: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (6 oz) chicken boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 Tbsp lime zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 medium avocados (ripe but semi-firm), diced
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion, rinsed under cool water to remove harsh bite
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place chicken on a cutting board, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound thicker parts of chicken to an even thickness. Transfer chicken to a gallon size resealable plastic bag.
2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, cilantro, 3 cloves minced garlic and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Pour marinade mixture over chicken in bag. Seal bag while pressing air out, then rub marinade over chicken. Allow to rest in refrigerator 2 – 4 hours (rotating bag to opposite side and moving chicken around halfway through if possible to ensure it’s evenly marinating).
3. Preheat a grill over medium-high heat (to about 425 – 450 degrees). Brush grill grates lightly with oil then grill chicken until center registers 160 – 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl toss together avocado, tomato, onion, garlic and lime and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon a generous amount over chicken and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve warm.
    

   Recipe + photos via Pinterest 

www.cookingclassy.com

Also, be sure to check our Pinterest to see more healthy recipes + workouts!