structuRECIPE: The Inside-Out Turco (Turkey Taco Salad)

This meal is a staple of the Structure household! It's a delicious combination of lean protein, awesome vegetables and healthy, fiber-filled complex carbohydrates. It's a meal that is delicious and light on the waistline and on the wallet.

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 medium-size yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 packet of reduced sodium taco seasoning
• Garlic Powder
• 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups lowfat shredded cheese or soy cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 5oz. bag of organic mixed greens
• 1 can of sweet corn kernels
• 1 avocado (sliced)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package low-fat baked tortilla chips
• Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Multigrain Chips (French Onion)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Preparing the Taco Meat:
2. 
   
3. 1. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat
4. 2. Place chopped onions in skillet and saute until soft and lightly browned (about 7 minutes)
5. Place turkey in skillet with onions and cook until fully cooked, chopping and stirring often.
6. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix in taco seasoning
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, mix in the beans (red or black) and stir until water and seasoning is mostly absorbed (about 5 - 10 minutes)
8. 
   
9. Preparing the Salad Ingredients:
10. 1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together greens, olives, chopped peppers, tomatoes, corn and avocado. Add olive oil and salt & pepper for desired flavor

Assembly:

1. 1. Place salad ingredients in individual bowls
2. 2. Place a layer of Trader Joe's French Onion Chips over each of the individual bowls
3. 3. Evenly distribute cheese atop the layer of chips
4. 4. Place a desired amount of taco meat over the layer of cheese
5. 5. Serve it while it's hot!

Boot Camp Workout of the Week

What an incredible workout! Boot Campers worked their butts off through this awesome leg circuit!

Warm Up: Light Jog & Sprint to Finish

Stretch: Movement & Dynamic Stretching

Core Work: 5 - 7 Minutes of Ab Work

Boot Camp Circuit Training: (1 Minute Each Exercise, 10 - 15 sec. rest between exercises: Completed 3x - AWESOME!!!)

1. Ladder In & Outs (Overall Legs)

2. Resistance Band Kickbacks (Hamstrings)

3. TRX Pistols (Quads)

4. Resistance Band Assisted Squats (Hamstrings & Butt)

5. Balance Disc Lunges

6. Kettlebell Calf Raises (Calves)

7. Resistance Band Abductor Side-steps (Outer Thigh)

Email bryan@structurepft.com if you have questions about this workout or about any of our training programs.

Why I'm Walking Funny Today: The Secret to Soreness

They're not very happy with me right now. See the nasty
looks they're giving me???

Now, I realize that some of you reading this will be thinking, "Why would I want to be sore? Why would I want to walk funny?" You must understand that, after nearly a decade of exercise and martial arts training, it's exciting when I do something that makes my muscles sore.

You see...

Muscle soreness, although not very pleasant, is a good indication of an awesome workout. That doesn't mean that I don't normally work hard, but I am often limited by equipment available or by time.

Wait...

Some of you are probably still not convinced that being sore is a good thing.

Let's look at it another way:

How many of you are dissatisfied with your results? How many of you have been looking to make some more changes to your body composition? Have you been taking class after class and spending hours on the elliptical only to find that you're going nowhere?

Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, tone up or increase your endurance, you're clearly not satisfied with your current level of fitness.

I'm relatively happy with my current level, but I know I still have a little room for improvement. I'm always looking for those workouts that create visible changes.

We're ALL looking for workouts that will create these changes!

So, when I can work out for 10 minutes and have the type of soreness that I had when I got out of bed this morning, it's exciting. It's the type of soreness that you don't feel while you're lying down. It's the kind that hits you when your foot hits the ground for the first time in the morning.

It's exciting! It's thrilling! It's funny to watch me walk around!

Now you're probably wondering what I did that inspired me to write this blog. I sprinted!

Yep! That's it! All I did was a 10 minute sprinting workout. I had a nostalgic workout (high school sprinting shoes and all) which took less time than my warmup.

I ran 100 meters 4 times with my rest time being the walk back to the starting line. The super special secret success formula is as follows:

1. Run

2. Recover

3. Repeat

Write that down - You'll need to know that.

I realize that running/sprinting may not be for everybody. Some of you may not be ready to just get out and start sprinting. However, it doesn't mean that you can't take something from this important lesson.

The bottom line is that if you do something brand new or something you're used to at a more intense level, you will benefit greatly. Make sure you do it safely and don't overdo it. I initially wanted to do 6 sprints. Yeah...no. That wasn't happening yesterday. Later in the week? Sure. Not yesterday. It was my first time sprinting like that in years. AND I FEEL IT!

I base all of my fitness boot camp classes and personal training workouts on this principle. Take something simple or routine and change some variables. Make it more intense. Use a heavier weight load. Do it on one leg. If you want changes in your body, make changes in your workout. Where else is it going to come from?

Ready for boot camp tonight, Jersey City? ;-)

Exercise of the Week: Single-Leg Bicep Curl

The Single-Leg Bicep Curl is a tremendously effective bicep exercise that adds a twist to the traditional bicep curl. Normally a bicep curl isolates the muscles of the bicep. However, during this version of the bicep curl, your legs and core naturally work harder to keep you balanced.


Try the bicep curls for a set while both feet are on the ground. Notice how the resistance feels. Then, try the same exercise on one foot (as pictured) and notice any difference in how the weight load feels.


For an added challenge, try the exercise while standing on a balance disc.


Instructions:


Start Position
1. Stand on one leg, foot straight and knee slightly bent.
2. Extend both arms down side of body, dumbbells in hand.

Movement
1. Draw-in belly button and curl dumbbells toward shoulder.
2. Reverse movement to return to start position; repeat.

structuRECIPE: Greek-Style Pizza with Ricotta and Feta

Using reduced-fat (or part-skim) ricotta helps keep the fat and cholesterol in check, while tangy feta adds a pungent kick.