The Active Habitat

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A Runner’s Leg Workout for the Gym

Exercises Leg Exercises Resistance Training
 
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Building the leg muscles helps entire body efficiently work together, build joint strength for stability, allows faster recover, and overall muscular strength. Which can overall leads to becoming a better runner and reduce the stress that running puts on the body. So here is a runner’s leg workout that we will be using leading up to the women Nike half marathon.

We have found what works for us in preparing for a running event is a combination of long runs, high intensity interval (HITT) runs, and a solid leg workout.

Because the focus is on endurance rather then strength, its best use moderate weight, higher repetitions and a 30-60 seconds rest time between sets. For warm-up use use a dynamic warm-up like this one on Greatist. Then begin:

Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Barbell Lunges: 4 sets of 15 reps per leg
Good Mornings: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Dumbbell Step-Ups: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Single Leg Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Finish the workout with a tri-set: No weights, 3 sets and no rest between exercise:
Skater Lunges– 10 reps
Jump Squats– 20 reps
Calf Raises-20 reps

Why Are Protein Smoothies Making You Fat? Tips and Recipes

Diet Talk Lifestyle

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Wondering why are protein smoothies making you fat, are still leaving you hungry, or just don’t like the taste. Here is why?

Contains Too Much Sugar – Adding too much sweeteners or high fructose fruits and veggies to your smoothie can do more harm than good. For weight-loss, limit the sugar unless it’s for a pre/post workout meal when your body will actually need it.

Eating Too Much or Too Little – Protein smoothies are a great meal replacement, but you shouldn’t replace all your meals. By not eating enough, you can cause your metabolism too slow down and store fatter. On the other hand, if your eating the same as before in addition to a smoothie then you maybe consuming too many calories.

Lacking Fiber and Fat – If your still hungry after having a smoothie, try including fiber and fat. Adding additional sources of fiber, like flax or chia seeds, will help control your blood sugar levels for longer lasting energy. Also adding good sources of fat, like avocado and nut butters, will keep you fuller longer.

Find the Protein For You – There are many different types of protein powders, such as whey, egg white, plant base, etc. Protein is derived from different sources, which affect you differently. They will also taste different too, so find which protein powder works best for you.

Quality Matters – Not all protein is equal. Some powders will contain artificial colors, fructose, aspartame, and other fillers that can cause weight gain or stomach to bloat. In addition, some protein powder will have a better biological value, which affects the protein absorption. So before selecting a protein powder, check reviews and read labels.

Try Different Recipes – There so many combination of fruit, veggies, liquid base, proteins, and toppings to make protein smoothies. Have fun and experiment to find new ways to enjoy your smoothie. Here are some delicious protein smoothie recipes that I am excited to try:

How to Achieve Goals and Be Successful

Lifestyle Self Improvement
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I have always been intrigued on how someone became successful. Not just people who have money, but those who found a passion, stuck to it and made their dreams happen. Here are some advise that I have gathered on how to achieve goals, rather its fitness goals or career aspirations.

  • Be Aware of What You Want. You can’t get to your destination without knowing where you want to go first. Jack Canfield, says “One of the main reasons why people don’t get what they want is they haven’t decided what they want.” He recommends in his book the “Success Principle” to write goals down. Either in a journal or a vision board. That will allow you to visualize what you want.
  • Be Present. It is a struggle to being “present,” especialy when we’re not where we want to be at in your lives.  Marie Forleo channel has a great tweetable “Showing up fully exactly where you are is the fastest way to get where you want to be (video here).”
  • Have Grit and Work Hard. According to Angela Lee Duckworth TED talk, the key to success is GRIT (video here). This separates those who will achieve goals and those who don’t. It doesn’t matter how high your IQ is or how much money you have, but how hard you work.
  • Challenge Yourself. To be successful, we need to push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Therefore learn to challenge yourself by pushing yourself to run an extra mile or speak in public. Moments like those are when we grow and achieve goals. This article explains seven ways to get comfortable with the being uncomfortable (article here).
  • Avoid Negativity. Pushing away negativity will allow you to focus more clearly. Stop being detracted by other’s negativity or your own self doubts.  Those mental insecurities will slow down your process to success. Shawn Anchor hilarious TED talk revolves around theme that a positive view shapes your reality and not other way around (video here).
  • Be Grateful. We all wrapped up on what we want, we forget what we have. Being thankful for the gifts and blessing we have received will allow us to be aware of our sucess. I love the idea of writing what I’m grateful for in a journal everyday. This “Five Minute Journal,” sets aside a time to reflect.

Success is liking yourself, liking what you are doing and liking how how you do it- Maya Angelou

Preparing For SF Nike Women Marathon

Lifestyle
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We will be running in the Nike Women’s SF Half Marathon this upcoming October, which is super exciting for us. My sister and I have ran in a few 10K and half marathons, but we are particularly excited about this one. For two reasons, San Francisco is our favorite city and we LOVE NIKE! In August we started our training and preparing for SF Nike Women Marathon

We started with a 5K and will be increasing our mileage as we get closer to the date. We are also incorporating HITT runs to increase our speed and uphill runs to get accustom to the course.
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Denise’s Outfit: Lululemon Run Speed Shorts, Nike Running Tank, Sports Bra, Saucony Running Shoe.
Danni Outfit: Nike Dri Fit Tee, Nike Pro 5′ Training Shorts, Nike Fuel Band, New Balance Running Sneakers (similar)

Healthy Protein Coconut Waffles

Breakfast High Protein Recipes
DSC 0254 - Healthy Protein Coconut Waffles

Most Saturday mornings we walk to our favorite coffee shop and eat breakfast. Although I love this ritual, every once in a while we like to switch it up and try a new breakfast recipe. This last weekend, Danni made waffles and I loved every bite. These are gluten free, diary free, and all protein coconut waffles. Made with whole natural food and not artificial ingredients. Enjoy!

Dry Ingredients
1 cup of grounded oatmeal
1 pinch of cinnamon
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of natural or pea protein powder (best with MRM veggie protein)
1/2 tsp of pink himalayan salt
1/8 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

DSC 0220 - Healthy Protein Coconut Waffles

Wet Ingredients
2 egg
2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or any natural milk substitute)

1: Mix the dry ingredients and in a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients
2: Combine the wet and dry ingredients than stir
3: Spray the waffle iron with coconut oil and cook as instructed
4: Top waffles as desired.

Nutrition: Recipe makes 6 servings. 195 calories per serving. Macros: 12g carbs, 7g of protein, 14g of fat, and 2g of fiber.

Print
All-Natural Protein Coconut Waffles

Yield: 6 Waffles

Serving Size: 1 Waffle

Calories per serving: 195

DSC 0254 - Healthy Protein Coconut Waffles

Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of grounded oatmeal
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon
  • 2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/2 cup of natural or pea protein powder (best with MRM veggie protein)
  • 1/2 tsp of pink himalayan salt
  • 1/8 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
    • Wet Ingredients:
  • 2 egg
  • 2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
  • 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or any natural milk substitute)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients and in a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients
  2. Combine the wet and dry ingredients than stir
  3. Spray the waffle iron with coconut oil and cook as instructed
  4. Top waffles as desired.

Notes

Macros: 12g carbs, 7g of protein, 14g of fat, and 2g of fiber.

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20 Minute Bikini HITT Workout

Cardio Circuit Training Exercises

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Summer time calls for beach days, pool parties and vacations, a quick workout before we throw on the bikini will make us feel good and look even better! Here’s a bikini HITT workout, that is quick, high intense, and can be done just about anywhere.

First a warm-up to prevent injury, For 5 minutes do these light exercise and stretch for 2 minutes:
Jumping Jacks
Arm Circles
Lateral Bounds

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Perform all the exercise back-to-back for a total of 5 sets or however many sets you can perform in 20 minutes:
Push-ups or Knee Push-ups for 10 reps
Mountain Climbers for 20 reps each leg
Burpees for 10 reps or Front to Back Lunges for 10 reps each leg
Jump Squats of 10 reps
Plank to Elbow for 10 reps
Rest till heart rate goes down and begin again.

If it starts to become too easy, increase the total sets or speed up the workout. And always remember to have fun with the workout so add music or find a location with a great view.  Just enjoy the fact that it’s summer!

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Must Try Healthy Summer Recipes

Diet Talk Lifestyle
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There are always new recipes my sister and I are testing or are dying to try. Here are a few healthy summer recipes that make the list.

Fish Plates

Something about hot summer days makes us crave seafood. So for those seafood lovers, here are meal prep recipes to try:

BBQ Dishes

With summer BBQ occurring every week, here are a few recipes to include among the various, but yummy, BBQ staples:

Refreshing Treats

Hot days require treats that keep us cool and refresh. Here are recipes that keep our sweet tooth satisfied without the guilt.

Build Will Power: The Future You

Lifestyle Self Improvement
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An awesome concept I recently read in “The WillPower Instinct” by Kelly McGonigal, is to build will power by increasing your sense of future self.

How many times do we catch ourselves saying, “I will start my diet next week,” or  “I will study later.” We have this internal need to delay responsibilities or hardships. We view our future self as more discipline, not as busy, and less distracted. Some how we believe our future self is a better version of our current self. Therefore, it’s best putting things off.

By postponing our commitments, the future self has the additional five extra pounds to shed, pay the unused gym memberships fees, or have health issues that never existed.

Here are a few tips to increasing your sense of future self

  • Put yourself in the mindset of the future self. Will the future self be glad that you lost those two pounds? That you aced your exam?  You can even write a letter or note to your future self, thanking your self for having the will power to get started.
  • Be aware of what is causing the delay of gratification. By knowing the root cause, you can make adjustments. For example, if you can’t seem commit a workout, maybe you need to get more sleep or prioritize your workload.

By being in touch with our future self, it can be a step closer to building will power. I know it has helped me and hope these tips help you.

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