Press it Real Good

Anytime I catch myself saying I can’t, I give my self a challenge. When the weather starts to get cold and during hunting season, I stop walking my hiking trails. I normally do my hikes in the mornings before the temperature and humidity levels get to high and before I go into work. Well in the winter I get lazy and do my workouts after work in my home. The other day I caught myself telling some one that I can’t workout before work.

After I said it, I wondered why can’t I. Well the only answer that I could come up with was that I don’t like to wake up early, and I have convinced myself that I get a better workout after I have worked all day. Well that’s not good enough, that’s a weak excuse. So I challenged myself, to wake up an hour earlier and do my cardio in the morning.

So this morning I woke up an hour early and did a 45 minute power walk on the treadmill. I’m so glad I did, I felt great all day. Now I just have to see if I can keep this up. It’s funny getting up in the spring, summer and fall is not a problem for me, like it is in the winter.

Last night I got to work on my weeks menu. So I decided on Tofu Tuesday.

Is it weird to say that I’m in love with my Tofu Press. Well I am. This little press is magical, it presses out the liquid in the tofu then it lets you marinate right in the container. It has a little lid attached to the bottom that seals it up tight while it marinates.

I combed through my tofu cookbooks for a new recipe, but decided to make my favorite, Roasted Lime Marinated Tofu.

When I got home from work I got my workout cloths on and got on my weights workout. Today is arms/shoulders/chest day and I had a plan ready to go.

Workout:

Set #1 (3 Sets of 10) (5 Pound Hand Weights)

• Side Shoulder Raises
• Bicep Curls
• Hinged Row

Set#2 (3 Sets of 10) (5 Pound Hand Weights)

• Front Raises
• Tricep Kickbacks
• Overhead Press

Set#3 (3 Sets of 12) (15 Pound Weight Bar)

• Behind the Neck Shoulder Press
• Chest Press
• Upright Row

This workout got me sweating. I really concentrated on my form and did slow and steady movements. I’m also working on breathing, I noticed that I hold my breath during strenuous lifting. Here’s what the Livestrong Website has to say about breathing during weight lifting.

Breathing is an involuntary act, but when you are lifting weights, you may forget to breathe. Holding the breath, called the Valsalva maneuver after a 17th century Italian physician, is a common reaction to heavy muscular exertion. The Valsalva maneuver can have negative physiological consequences, so even if you aren’t sure if you are breathing correctly, when lifting weights just make sure to breathe.

Rhythm

The fundamental breathing technique during weight-lifting exercises is to inhale on the stretch and exhale on exertion. If you are performing an overhead shoulder press, the exertion phase is when you press the bar overhead. For a bent-over row, the exertion phase is when you are pulling the bar into your upper abs. The stretch phase is the lowering aspect of the movement.

When I got done with my weights I worked on dinner.  Thai noodles are the bomb, and they go great with Tofu. I added a scrambled egg for a protein punch.

I had the Tofu already marinating overnight.

Marinate:

• 1 Tablespoon Oil, I used an Asian Stir Fry Oil, but Sesame Oil works great also
• 1/3 Cup Lime Juice
• 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

After draining the marinating liquids I sliced the tofu into 6 slices and placed them on a cookie sheet. I placed the cauliflower on another cookie sheet and seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil. Then just roast the cauliflower and the tofu on 450 degrees for 35 minutes, each on their own cookie sheet.

Okay, it was not until I took the final picture of this meal that I realized that all the food was the same color. Not the most lively picture, but it sure did taste good and filled me up.

Some-days I just need a piece of chocolate. So for dessert I had a piece of the Rum Chocolate Turtles that my friend sent me.

Question of the day: What’s your favorite type of chocolate?

Check Ya Later.

 

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