Meal and fitness plan

 

Image taken from < http://paindoesnthurt.com/eating-big-meals-at-night/ >

 

‘Summer bodies are made in winter’ – a classic varsity philosophy spread around campus on a daily basis. It’s true though!

Most of us, including myself, sit on the couch during winter, watching rugby or football, eating potato chips and drinking Coca-Cola. I’m guilty of this. However, this year I’ve decided to take a different approach to winter.

I won’t be giving up my spot on the couch while Liverpool and the Stormers are playing, but I won’t, however, be eating chips and drinking Coke anymore. Hopefully my willpower can help me stick to my balanced diet. My diet should fuel me enough to last me the whole game without me getting up for ‘Junk’ food. That’s easier said than done I guess. The good thing is I will be posting results of my routine, and if I do slip up, I’ll make sure to post about it. This week I’ll be focusing on a healthy eating and a fitness routine. Below is a meal plan and a gym workout for everyday of the week.

 

You may be asking yourself “why should I be reading this guy’s blog?” Well, that’s because I can promise you that through my blogs, I will be covering fun and interesting material, as well as helping you lose those extra kilo’s while gaining muscle.

We are entering winter now and a lot of us won’t be ‘hitting up’ the cold beaches anymore. So, instead of sitting at home doing ‘bugger all’, go to the gym and follow my guide to train yourself into shape for next summer.

Unfortunately I have a hip injury at present, which leaves me very limited fitness wise. However, for those of you wanting a bigger upper body, that will be our main focus for the next 7 weeks, as we travel together as ‘The Waist Removals’.

 

Below is the plan for the week. I’ve recently got into my cooking and it’s really awesome what meals you can make when you try. Have fun this week and work hard!

Monday

• Breakfast

Avocado Toast with eggs:

Monday’s are always a struggle. So start your week off with something yummy that will keep you going for the morning.

• Ingredients:

2 wholegrain pieces of toast with smashed avocado, with sunny-side-up eggs on top to give you that highly needed protein boost.

Have this with water. Click on the link below to calculate how much water you should be consuming every day: www.medindia.net/patients/calculators/daily-water-requirement.asp

Try to get hold of some vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and Berocca Boost. Take these supplements every morning to give your body the extra help it’ll need for the day ahead.

• Lunch

6-8 Provita’s with cottage cheese on top + homemade juice:

• Juice ingredients:

-2 carrots

-2 apples

-1 beetroot

-½ cucumber

-A handful of spinach leaves

-¼ lemon

• Supper

Tuna burger:

• Ingredients:

-1 tin of tuna

-1 clove of garlic

-1 egg

-Lime juice

-1 tsp of soy sauce

-1 tsp of olive oil

-Salt & pepper

-4 tsps of almond flour

• Instructions:

-Mix all these ingredients together and place on a baking tray in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes

-Flip patty and leave in for another 10 minutes

Fitness:

Arms

Start your session off with a 10 minute run/ walk / cycle

• Standing bicep cable curl

• Do 5 sets of 15 repetitions on a suitable weight for yourself. Take a sort break between each set.

 

• Overhead cable curl

• Do 5 sets of 10 repetitions on a suitable weight. Make sure you feel it in your muscle. Flex your bicep slowly so that you can feel the tension in your bicep.

 

• Triceps pushdown

• 2 sets of heavy weight (10 reps), 2 sets on medium weight (15 reps) and 1 set on low weight (20 reps)

 

• Cable One Arm Tricep Extension

• 3 sets of 10 reps on each arm.

 

• Dip machine

• 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cross body hammer curl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Do 5 sets of 10 repetitions with a suitable weight.

 

• EZ-bar curl

• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions with a suitable weight.

 

• Preacher curl

• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions with a suitable weight.

 

• Concentration curl

• Do 4 sets of 10 with a suitable weight. Make sure the weight isn’t too heavy. You really want to take this concentration curl slowly so that you focus on flexing and getting lots of blood into the area.

 

• EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

• 4 sets of 12 repetitions

Tuesday

• Breakfast

Jungle Oats porridge:

This is a great start to your day as porridge is a slow-release food that will give you enough energy for those early lectures you have.

• Ingredients:

-½ cup of jungle oats

-1 cup of milk

-1 teaspoon of sugar/xylitol

• Cooking instructions:

-Place ingredients in a mixing bowl.

-Stir well

-Place mixing bowl in the microwave for 4 minutes.

 

• Lunch

Meatballs with carrot and cucumber sticks to dip in guacamole:

• Ingredients:

-Lean mince meat

-1 egg

-¼ cup milk

-Salt & pepper

• Instructions:

-Mix the mince, egg, milk, salt and pepper

-Let it rest for 5 minutes

-Take a small handful of the mixture and squeeze tightly into a ball

-Make a few of these balls and place on a moderately hot pan

-Keep turning till brown on the outside

-Cut open one to see if the meat is cooked all the way through

-Have this with you mashed up avocado and vegetable sticks

 

Supper

Chicken stir-fry :

• Ingredients:

-Skinless, boneless chicken breasts

-Wok vegetables of your preference

-Soy sauce

-Salt

• Instructions:

-Cut up the chicken breasts and place in the wok to cook

-Once the chicken is cooked, pour ½ a cup of soy sauce in the wok

-Then place the wok vegetables in as well for approx. 5-7 minutes

-Add salt and serve

 

Fitness:

Chest

Start your session off with a 10 minute run/ walk / cycle

• Leverage chest press

• Do 4 sets of 10 repetitions

 

• Dumbbell bench press

• Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Switch between dumbbell bench press and svend press. Do 3 sets of each exercise.

 

• Svend press

• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Hold either one or two 5kg weights between your hands and push them away from you while flexing your chest muscles.

 

• Single arm cable crossover

• 3 sets of 10 repetitions

 

• Cable crossover

• 3 sets of 10 repetitions

 

• Incline cable flye

• 5 sets of 8 repetitions

 

• Low cable crossover

• 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Wednesday

• Breakfast

Muesli and banana:

This is fantastic to give your tummy a wake-up and stay-up call. Just in the same way porridge does, this will hold off your hunger for the morning.

• Ingredients:

-1 cup Muesli

-½ cup Cornflakes

-1 cut up banana

-add milk to your preference.

N.B! Don’t forget your vitamins.

 

• Lunch

Chicken breast & sides:

• Ingredients:

-1 skinless, boneless chicken breast

-Handful of string beans

-Handful of broccoli

• Cooking instructions:

-Place your chicken breast on a moderately hot pan on the stove and flip until cooked through (not pink inside).

-NB! Don’t cook from frozen

-While your chicken breast is cooking, place your string beans and broccoli in a bowl full of hot water. Make sure the beans and broccoli are full covered in water. Then leave for 5-6 minutes.

• Supper

Beef stew:

<Image taken from site listed below>

I’ve found a great site to use as a beef stew recipe. I don’t have one of my own, so check this one out: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15431/beef-and-vegetable-stew/

Fitness:

Arms

Start your session off with a 10 minute run/ walk / cycle

• Standing bicep cable curl

• Do 5 sets of 15 repetitions on a suitable weight for yourself. Take a sort break between each set

 

• Triceps pushdown

• 2 sets of heavy weight (10 reps), 2 sets on medium weight (15 reps) and 1 set on low weight (20 reps)

 

• Cable One Arm Tricep Extension

• 3 sets of 10 reps on each arm.

 

• Dip machine

• 3 sets of 15 reps

 

• Alternate incline dumbbell curl

• 5 sets of 12 reps

 

• Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press

• Do 4 sets of 12 reps

 

• Wide-grip standing barbell curl

• 4 sets of 20 reps

 

• Zottman curl

 

• 3 sets of 8 reps

 

• Reverse barbell preacher curls

• 3 sets of 10 reps

Thursday

• Breakfast

Fried egg + Banana & peanut butter smoothie + blueberry muffin:

• Ingredients:

-1 egg

-1 whole wheat piece of toast

-1 banana

-1 cup almond milk

-2 teaspoons of peanut butter

-4 ice cubes

-1 cup protein powder (if you don’t have, Futurelife have a great protein powder you can use)

• Instructions:

-Blend the banana, almond milk, peanut butter, ice cubes and protein powder all together and pour into a glass to complement your fried egg on toast and your morning muffin.

• Lunch

Tuna salad:

• Instructions:

-Make a bed of lettuce leaves

-Then place tuna, feta, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, avocado on top

• Supper

Whole wheat pasta:

• Ingredients:

-Whole wheat pasta

-Basil pesto

-Feta

-Peas

-Baby tomatoes

-Pinenuts

-Precooked chicken breast

• Instructions:

-Cook pasta in bowling water for 10-12 minutes

-Cut up the chicken breast into smaller pieces

-Add all the other ingredients and mix them all together

Fitness:

Shoulders & Back:

Start your session off with a 10 minute run/ walk / cycle

• T-Bar row with handle

• Do 4 sets of 15 repetitions

 

• Close grip front lat pull down

• 4 sets of 12 repetitions

 

• Bent over barbell row

• 4 sets of 10 repetitions

 

• Hyperextensions

• 1 set of 12 repetitions (reps), 1 set of 10 reps and 1 set of 8 reps.

 

• Barbell shrug

• 3 sets of 10 reps

Friday

• Breakfast

Chicken & broccoli omelette:

This omelette will make you feel satisfied at breakfast without eating too many calories.

• Ingredients:

-2 eggs

-4 heads of precooked broccoli

-½ cut up precooked chicken breast

-Avocado (to put on after cooking)

-Don’t be afraid to drop some tabasco sauce on your omelette to help speed up your metabolism

• Instructions:

-Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and stir well

-Pour into pan and cook for a bit

-Place your filling on one side of the omelette

-Flip the non-filled side of the omelette over and voila!

-Sprinkle salt and pepper to add flavour.

• Lunch

Baked sweet potato:

• Ingredients:

-Sweet potato

-Feta

-Raw red onions

-Cooked bacon bits

• Instructions:

-Peel you sweet potato and baked in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes (feel to see if it’s soft all the way through)

-Put your toppings on and sprinkle some salt and pepper for extra flavour

• Supper

Homemade burger patty (no bun)

• Ingredients:

-Mince

-Lettuce

-Tomato

-Cucumber

• Instructions:

-Put water and spices with your mince and mix well

-Let the mince settle and then form a burger patty shape

-Pan Fry it until cooked through

-Place toppings on and enjoy!

Fitness:

Chest

Start your session off with a 10 minute run/ walk / cycle

• Barbell bench press

• 3 sets of 15 reps, 2 sets of 10 reps and then finally 1 last set on a very low weight which you do until you feel as if you can’t do any more repetitions.

 

• Push-ups

• Do these in between your svend presses. So do 3 sets of 10 push-ups and 3 sets of 10 svend presses.

 

• Svend press

• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

 

• Cable crossover

• 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

 

• Low cable crossover

• 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

 

• Butterfly (use the cables for the same workout if they don’t have the machine at your gym)

• 3 sets of 10 reps.

Saturday

• Breakfast

Scrambled eggs + berry smoothie + muffin:

• Ingredients:

-2 eggs

– ½ cup of milk

-1 whole wheat piece of toast

-1 banana

-1 cup of fat free milk

-¼ cup frozen blueberries

-¼ cup strawberries

-2 teaspoons peanut butter

• Instructions:

-Blend the banana, milk, blueberries, strawberries and peanut butter all together and enjoy your smoothie with your muffin and scrambled egg on toast. Cook the eggs by mixing the ½ cup of milk and the 2 eggs together. Throw it in a small pot and stir till cooked.

•  Lunch

6-8 Provita’s with cottage cheese on top + homemade juice:

• Juice ingredients:

-2 carrots

-2 apples

-1 beetroot

-½ cucumber

-A handful of spinach leaves

-¼ lemon

• Supper

Zucchini lasagne:

<Image taken from link below>

I’ve never made this dish, but I’ve hear great things about it. Trying new tastes is always pleasing to the senses. Here’s the link for it: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html

Fitness:

zZZ…Rest…ZZz

 

Sunday

• Breakfast

Egg & bacon:

Ingredients:

-2 eggs

-2 whole wheat pieces of toast

-3 pieces of bacon

• Lunch

Wrap:

Here is a video of how to make a chicken wrap. The video has been made by an American body builder, so a few of the ingredients won’t be sold in South Africa, but you can still purchase the substitute good in SA. The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXSvc2QB8gs

• Supper

Cauliflower based pizza:

• Ingredients:

-1 Bunch of fresh basil,

-350 g raw cauliflower

-2 tsp garlic

-½ tsp dried oregano

-1 Egg

-¾ cup of tomato paste

-Salt & pepper

-100g of grated mozzarella cheese

• Instructions:

-Blend the cauliflower (but don’t blend for too long)

-Place the cauliflower crumbs in the microwave for 5 minutes

-Place the cauliflower crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper

-Transfer dough onto a tray

-Flatten and shape it with your hands

-Bake for 15-20 minutes at 220 degrees

-Spread the tomato paste and cheese on top

-Place back in oven for 5-10 minutes until crisp and the cheese has melted

Fitness:

20 minute Incline walk & 10 minute cycle

— — —                                             — — —                                                — — —

The images for our fitness routine have been taken from: <http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises>

I suggest you go to the link above to find the videos of these exercises as well in order for you to see the correct form and style of the exercises.

I also advise you to click this link <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmPgYsb1jX0> to give you some blood pumping motivation for the start of your challenge. GOOD LUCK!