Into smoothies and protein shakes? So am I! When I started to do my first couple smoothies, I wasn’t exactly sure how to start. I have always been one to do a traditional protein shake consisting of a scoop of protein and milk. So when I tried to wrap my head around putting spinach in that, the thought wasn’t making me jump with joy at first.
My mom and dad got me a ninja blender for smoothies a couple Christmas’ ago and that’s where I started to learn more about it. I tried a bunch of fruit and handful of greens in the first smoothie. I was so excited that I forgot to add any milk or water. Rookie mistake, I know. As I took my 1st sip and spit it all back out, I decided at that moment to learn more about the art of making a smoothie.
I tried a lot of different recipes and tried my own. Be ready for a bunch of failures if you try it yourself. Nothing wrong with it, don’t get discouraged at first. Just takes some time to learn how to properly mix up a solid smoothie.
As you start to get it all down, you can really spice it up with different ingredients.
I was looking through my social media feed today and saw a post from Precision Nutrition and loved it enough to want to share with you today! It was perfect for this article and really adds a visual to help you out!
One of my favorite ones to do is almond milk, chocolate protein powder, spinach, banana and peanut butter.
This post is from @precisionnutrition I love their content for nutrition 🥦
What’s a shake recipe you are thinking of trying out?
Like this content? Follow my gym page @Ironstrengthandconditioning for more health related tips! I post a lot of exercises, breakdowns, fitness/nutrition content as well as mental health content and plenty of helpful stuff for the athletes!
Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! I had a little bit of a busier weekend with it being more of a birthday weekend, woot woot. I finished an ab workout on Sunday and wanted something with a little carbs but not too many, I opened up Instagram and saw a recipe on my guy Dustin Myers page (go follow him @coachmyers_gutcheck). Great guy and amazing strength and conditioning coach. Anyway, it was a little different than this but not by much so I threw my own thing together and it turned out amazing! Full of nutrients and nothing that was going to leave me “too full” whatever that means.
Here’s a quick throw together recipe you can do within 5 minutes! All you need is:
These are the ingredients I used here above in the picture
Oats (half cup)
Almond milk (about a half cup or full cup depending on preference)
Almond butter (1 tablespoon)
Chia seeds (1 teaspoon)
Blueberries (I did a mini handful)
First you can take care of the oats and milk by mixing them and throwing them in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. After you take them out, let it cool for just a moment then place a tablespoon of almond butter on top. Afterwards, I threw the blueberries in on one side, then came the chia seeds to top it off.
This snack is full of vitamins, minerals and many other nutrients to kickstart your day and give you some energy! This was delicious and only took a few minutes to put together. Try it out and let me know how you like it!! Also feel free to throw in different fruits and toppings to match what you are craving!
I took some questions I got about strengtha dn put them into a Q&A video so you can learn from them! We talk about bench, vertical jumps and more! Hope you like the video and hopefully it helps you out!!
I am releasing the 3rd and final video to this mini series for speed ladder drills! I hope you are getting the beginning and intermediate ones down so you can move to these. Try them out and let me know what you think! See you tomorrow for another video!
Throw all of these drills into a full workout with the beginning speed ladder drills and intermediate as well. You will have a speed ladder workout you can do through the week! Run through each drill down and back twice then move to the next one.
Having trouble picking out gifts for your fitness lovers? Imagine knocking their gifts out of the park! Let me help with todays article and video!
I am traveling to 3 popular stores to show you the top 15 Christmas gifts to get for your secret Santa! We’re not stopping there, I am guiding you through online gift shopping for this holiday season!
I took a poll on the gym’s social media page (@Ironstrengthandconditioning) and in the gym with my clients to come up with the top 15 gift ideas they desire for this Christmas!
Let’s get to the real reason you came here; the 15 items!
#1 Massage guns
Massage guns are an amazing gift idea that can help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness from sitting all day or working out. Here’s the only downfall… They get EXPENSIVE. This is why I take you to TJ Maxx to help you find the best bang for your buck!
#2 Workout bands
This is a great option because it is very versatile. You can use bands for stretching, strength training and much more! It is worth noting that closed bands were more asked for than bands with handles.
#3 Workout belts
A good workout belt is vital in any serious lifters bag! These in the video are great options but if you have a serious powerlifter then you may want to look at 11mm or 13mm powerlifting belts. Belts may be a good one to ask them about because some people are picky.
#4 Subscription Boxes
These are such fun gifts! I get a monthly box from Iron Crate , It feels like Christmas every month when my subscription box comes in! They always bring great items I can use in the gym such as wrist wraps, shaker bottles, protein snacks, workouts and more! They even make cool themes each month! Use code “IRON30” at checkout for 30% off your 1st subscription box!
#5 Wrist wraps
I have a lot of younger athletes that ask about these in the gym. I think they can be a useful tool to help do more weight on certain exercises when your grip starts to give. It can be found in most lifters bags!
#6 Dip belts
If you have someone that likes to do pull ups, dips and other body weight exercises then you can’t go wrong with a dip belt to add more weight. If they cant do pull ups or dips yet then this may not be a useful gift right away.
#7 Knee sleeves
These are such a great gift for serious lifters. Powerlifters, CrossFit and anyone that does a lot of leg days will love them! These will keep the joint warm through their leg day to help increase performance!
#8 Yoga mat
Great for those who do a lot of home workouts, ab workouts and yoga! You may want to get a slightly thicker mat if they are using it for exercise. If they are doing yoga then you can use more of a thin mat!
#9 Dumbbells
This is a great piece of equipment to have in the house. If you have a home gym then people typically like to get adjustable dumbbells to save space unless they have enough space for more.
#10 Fitness trackers
The amount of people that have these now are crazy! If you are looking for one for your loved ones or friends then this can be a great tool to help them track some of their journey and keep them accountable.
#11 Supplements
This is a tricky one but if you know what brand and what supplements they use then you should be all good! If they are a beginner and wanting to try something for the 1st time then you may want to reach out to someone for guidance. A good starting point is typically a good protein powder, BCAAs, creatine and a good multivitamin.
#12 Meal prep container
This is good for the fitness lovers that really track their meals and always take food with them. It can also be a motivator if they don’t because it’s a new gift and people want to use new gifts!
#13 Bottles
Bottles are a necessity for fitness and nutrition. Shaker bottles, blenders and water bottles all play a big role. In the video, I explain in further detail about what bottle may be the best fit for you!
#14 Bluetooth headphones
These are a game changer and I was late to the party when I invested in bluetooth headphones. With normal headphones, the cord is cold at first if you put it in your shirt and if you leave it out and dangling, it’s always getting caught on stuff in the gym. Having cordless bluetooth headphones will save frustrations and those embarrassing moments when your headphones unplug and your Taylor Swift starts playing out loud.
#15 Fitness games
This was a unique one and really has caught on in the last few years. When I first saw these, I wasn’t impressed but now I have them on my wish list to switch it up and have some fun!
Well, that’s a wrap on our Top 15 Christmas Gifts For Fitness Lovers! I hope this helps! If you have questions, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help!
Grab a timer and some water! Complete 4-5 rounds of this with 1 minute rest after each time through. If you are a beginner, throw in rest when needed but try pushing yourself a little here!
Give this one a try and your core will be on FIRE 🔥
Comment below which one you thought was the toughest ⬇️⬇️
Wether you are a beginner or advanced athlete, you can see benefits from performing these agility drills. For beginners, I want you to really focus on controlling your body and getting some coordination down. This will benefit you in SO many ways. As you practice this and become smoother, you can speed it up.
If you are more advanced, don’t neglect these just yet. This is where you can really add more speed to the field or court. When you go through these, I want you to not only make sure you are staying balanced but I want you to try going as fast as you can without losing control of each rep. This will apply a lot of carry over to things such as:
-Cross overs and side movements in basketball
-Clean breaks on the football field
-Power for baseball swings and base running
-Increased movement in tennis and soccer I would do 3 sets each exercise.
I want 12 seconds for advanced athletes. If you are a beginner, do 10 reps each to get the work in and focus on clean form.
I hope this helps! Best of luck to you in your sport!
I was at a football game this past week and noticed a lot of athletes cramping. The game stopped every couple minutes because of it. It made me want to make some content on it to help the student athletes during the hot / humid days of summer.
Benefits of Hydration:
– Reduces fatigue
-Reduces the chances of cramps
-Helps you to think more clearly during games
-Increases performance
-Lubricates joints for high impact activities
-so much more
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—How much water should I drink?—
I always went with the rule of half your bodyweight in ounces. So if you weigh 200 pounds, I like to shoot for an estimated 100 ounces on average.
If you are losing water weight, or a bunch of weight after a workout/practice on a hot day then you need to ensure you are replacing that lost fluid to keep from being dehydrated. You should get about 16-24 ounces per pound that is lost from exercise.
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Here is some of my favorite tips on keeping hydrated:
Carry water with you everywhere.
It’s simple and typically when we get bored, we will sip on the water.
Drink a glass of water after every meal. If you want to lose weight, try drinking the water before to help fill the belly so you consume less calories. If you want to gain weight, eat first and only sip then finish the water after your meal.
Eat foods higher in water.
Eat watermelon/ strawberries/cantaloupe. These are a high percentage of water so it will aid in hydration.
Mark your bottles with times and try to be at the mark by that time. This can be a huge help to keep you on pace through the day to ensure you are meeting your hydration goals.
Take frequent water breaks during workouts and training sessions.
I always would give my team a lot of water breaks during practice and I give all of my clients time to sip on water through the workout.
Supplement to help.
Pedialyte and liquid IV are my go to hydration supplement on extremely hot days or if I know I am going to struggle with water intake. If I don’t have those, I like getting something with carbs, sodium, magnesium, and potassium if possible. This will help increase your electrolyte levels.
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At the end of the day, make sure you are getting enough water and good things will come from it. Increase in performance, your body and mind will feel better and operate at a higher level. Joints and muscle aches will decrease. It’s a crucial part of everyday life.
This is super easy and fast to put together! Here’s all you need! You can use as much as desired for any of these but I try to even it out!
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💪Almonds
💪Walnuts
💪String Cheese
💪Cranberries
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I like to use one of the containers that my almonds came in to put all my ingredients in then just shake up and take on the go!
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I put the almonds and walnuts in then just used kitchen scissors to cut the string cheese into smaller pieces then threw my cranberries in! BOOM 💥 You’re done already! This can fuel you up through the day and is great to take on the go if you’re in a hurry.
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🏈Great snack for my football guys in two-a-days. It’s packed with protein, healthy fats for healthier hearts, joints and brain. Then also has calcium with the string cheese for stronger bones. The cranberries are great for blood flow which help with a lot of things but PLEASE watch if you are on any medications like BLOOD THINNERS, STATINS, ETC. please check with the doctor before if you are unsure. Also check for food allergies before eating.
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If you can eat this then I’m sure you will love it! Sweet and salty will really help satisfy your cravings if you want this as a weight loss snack, just use smaller portions. If you want to add some weight, add more ingredients especially the nuts due to the higher caloric count in almonds and walnuts.
Warm up first – jumping jacks 3 x 30 seconds. Mountain climbers 3 x 30 seconds.
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Set a timer for 10 minutes and get as many rounds as possible in! ⏱
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🔸Full Body Pillow Pass
-10 reps
🔸Alternating Cross Body Toe Touch
-10 each side
🔸Russian Twist (elbows touch)
-20 touches each side
🔸 Globetrotters
-20 passes each side
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📺 if you had to leave a show on in the background, what tv show would it be?? I’ve been leaving on Shark Tank 🦈 if I would have unmuted this all you would have heard was “we’ll do $100k for 10% equity” 😂
NEW WORKOUT💥ARMS • 💪Save this post 📲 Turn on my post notifications 👨💻Tag or send to a friend • • Warm up first – at least 10 minutes of slow steady cardio or pre activation work . Barbell Curls ⚡️4 x 15/10/6/4 Superset with
Bodyweight Skull Crushers ⚡️4 x 10-15 . Close Grip Bench Press ⚡️4 x 10-12 Superset with Dumbbell Hammer Curls ⚡️4 x 10-12 . Giant Set (6 – 8rounds) ⚡️Dumbbell Kick Backs – 10 ⚡️Band Tricep Extensions- 15 ⚡️Seated Dumbbell Curls – 15 ⚡️Dumbbell Reverse Curls – 15 • • Follow the gym Instagram- @ironstrengthandconditioning
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