Have you ever been so sore that you can barely lift your arms to cook? That was me this week. My Whole Health Members are entering the hypertrophy (muscle gain) phase of my program, and my body is feeling the results of all the workout videos to say the least.
I wanted to share my favorite workout and recipe for the month of April because of the way each made me feel. Obviously, the workout left me feeling much more sore than I had anticipated, but it felt so good to start identifying some gains in my strength at 5 months postpartum. As for the recipe, a Spaghetti Squash Dinner, I felt so accomplished after completing the recipe, and I was delightfully surprised at how full I was after dinner.
Here are my tips and specifics for the Full Body 7 Minute EMOM:
This workout is meant for muscle gain, which means heavier weights are needed.
Again, I am 5 months postpartum and slowly increasing my weights to reduce risk of injury and unwanted over-soreness (I need to be able to lift my kids). Therefore, you see me use 5-10 lbs dumbbells per arm for the Renegade Rows and my barbell is 45 lbs for the Deadlifts.
The Renegade Rows are meant to be in the full Push-up position; however, I am still in need of a modification to knees as I continue to gain my strength back. When performing your Push-up, you should maintain a straight posture all the way down and back up without shifting your hips up and down.
When pulling the dumbbell for the Row after the Push-up, try your best to maintain good posture by not allowing your hips to shift side to side. Engage your core and pull the dumbbell! Note: one Row per Push-up.
The Deadlift we perform is the standard Deadlift. Barbell (or dumbbells) in the front, back stays straight, bend at the hips and knees as you grab your weight and keep it close to the body as you come to standing.
EMOM: Every minute on the minute you will perform 5 Deadlifts and 10 Renegade Rows. Any time that you have left within the minute, you can rest, but as soon as the next minute starts, you have to start your next set! Basically, you have 7 sets with limited rests.
You can watch and follow along as I coach you through the entire workout here:
Here are my tips and specifics for the Spaghetti Squash Dinner:
You definitely don't want to be wearing a baby while making this dish; however, I am living proof that you can, in fact, do so. Note when I am scraping out the "noodles", you can see my sweet Abe, and I'm having to bounce to keep him calm...
Be sure not to overcook your squash. Keep an eye on it. Otherwise, you'll lose the noodle effect of the squash (it turns too mushy).
The goat cheese and lemon are what make this recipe, in my opinion. Feel free to increase the amount and/or add garlic for even more flavor!
I used kale because it's what I had available. You could use spinach instead; however, watch as it cooks. Spinach cooks down much more quickly.
MEAL PREP TIP: I used leftover shredded chicken from the previous night's dinner. You could do the same by planning out your meals for the week with a Baked Whole Chicken with Kale and Carrots. Save some of the leftover chicken for this dish, and any other leftover shredded chicken can go in a chicken salad for sandwiches!
I had a glass of 2021 Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Sauvignon Blanc from Winc with this meal (you can get $30 off your first box here).
You can watch me make this meal here:
It's really easy to make meal prep for the week simple when you line up your meals this way. One day of cooking can lead to multiple days of easy meals. I provide easy recipes like this that can line up for quick meals at home for my Whole Health Members, and I am extending this blog for even more convenience (more instruction on how to pair certain meals for the week to make meal prep and planning EASY). My Whole Health Members will have access to my weekly posts for free (at least 5 recipes per month); otherwise, there is a small fee to gain access to these blog posts.
I would love to hear from you if you give this workout or recipe a try. Be sure to post and tag @wholehealthwithlana on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your results!
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