Recipes

This Chicken Pad Thai offers a creamy taste and will delight any peanut butter fan. It provides slightly more carbohydrates and calories and is therefore best suited for the muscle-building phase

Preparation time: 25 min

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat spaghetti
• 300 grams of chicken breast cut into cubes
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup diced yellow bell bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• ¼ cup culantro
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon splenda
• 1 tablespoon crushed chili flakes

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Then heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
3. Add the chicken and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Mix the fish sauce, peanut butter, splenda and chili flakes.
5. Pour this mixture over the chicken, cover the pan and leave to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Garnish with culantro before serving.

Nutritional values:

• Calories: 441 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 53 g
• Protein: 37 g
• Fat: 9 g

Source: https://www.bodybuilding.com/recipes/chicken-pad-thai

Did you know that the tomato stuff you buy in the supermarket and pour over everything isn't real ketchup, it's just the ugly, sugary junk food stepchild of real ketchup? This stuff doesn't even come close to what you'd call real ketchup and it's not particularly good for you either.

The good news is that you can make your own ketchup in less than 3 minutes. This version is healthy and packed with healthy ingredients like lycopene, which could reduce the risk of prostate cancer, among other things.

This homemade version has twice the flavor of the supermarket junk and is free of high fructose corn syrup and other questionable ingredients.

Homemade healthy ketchup

Ingredients

• 200 grams organic tomato puree
• 2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of calorie-free sweetener

Preparation

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Try these variations

1. Add more or less water if you want a thinner or thicker consistency.
2. Change the vinegar used to vary the flavor. Balsamic vinegar tastes very good.
3. Change the spice mix for endless variations. Garlic and onion powder work well. Chopped peppers can give the ketchup the necessary kick.

Tip: Don't do sit-ups on the reverse incline bench

The potential for injury outweighs the benefits, plus there's a much better exercise for the abs.

By Dr. John Rusin

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-ditch-the-decline-sit-up

What epic workout is complete until you've wedged your knees under the pads of the reverse incline bench and hammered your back against the pads for so long that your spine has lost the ability to move your hip flexors?

Sit-ups on the reverse incline bench may have their value for experienced exercisers when performed correctly, but once ego and extra weights come into play, this old-school basic exercise can quickly turn quite ugly and leave you in a world of pain.

The problem: shear forces and destabilization

To the average exerciser, sit-ups on the reverse incline bench seem quite similar to the traditional horizontal version: same muscle group and a similar movement. However, if you look a little closer at the intricacies of both movements, they can be surprisingly different and potentially harmful if not treated as two different exercises.

Where things get a little more complicated is when you look at the forces and range of motion produced during sit-ups on the reverse incline bench due to an increase in the angle of the incline compared to a flat on the back position. Due to the downward incline, the lever arm becomes significantly larger, which increases potentially damaging shear forces acting on the middle and lower segments of the spine.

The angle of the bench also creates a greater range of motion for the spine during the upward movement. More range of motion means more time spent in extreme ranges - especially lumbar and cervical flexion. If you repeatedly bring your spine into end flexion, this can potentially cause structural damage and damage to the soft tissue of the posterior and lateral structures of the spine and trunk.

Sit-ups on the reverse incline bench can be risky enough when using perfect mechanics, but the risks get out of control when people manipulate the following variables without thinking:

• Increasing the speed of the movement
• Increasing the load (holding a weight plate)
• Twisting or bending during the end range of spinal flexion

If you want to continue using sit-ups on the reverse incline bench as part of your training program, then you should perfect your movements using controlled muscle contractions and stay as close to a neutral spine position as possible, if you don't, sooner or later you will pay the price.

A better exercise: Vertical disc press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phn72o1qbRU

This exercise can target the abs to produce some serious results for the core.

1. Position your hips and knees in a 90-degree bent position to avoid hip flexor involvement.
2. Hold a weight plate directly in front of your chest with your arms straight and press vertically in a controlled manner

The rectus abdominis muscle is the primary spinal flexor that runs from the lower part of the sternum to the pubic bone. Because of these anatomical insertion points, this muscle can still be highly active even when the spine remains in a relatively neutral position during vertical disk presses.

The other key benefit of this exercise is that it can be periodized for progressive overload. Over time, you will be able to stabilize more and more weight as your strength increases.

Tip: Eat more white potatoes

Based on some study you've read, do you think potatoes are a bad source of carbs? Here's the truth.

From TC Luoma

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-eat-more-white-potatoes

A team of Harvard scientists once put together a study that looked at a large population and their disease rates. This study linked the consumption of potatoes to obesity and blamed potatoes for the resulting increase in blood sugar levels.

The fact is, however, that there are numerous other foods that cause similar increases in blood sugar levels but still correlate with a healthy body weight. As is often the case with scientists, the authors of this study ignored the big picture. As it turns out, they mixed up their results on potatoes and didn't differentiate between things like boiled potatoes, potato chips and French fries. With this in mind, it's no wonder that potatoes correlated strongly with obesity rates!

Other, much more elegantly designed studies, however, were unable to establish a correlation between potatoes and weight gain or an increased risk of disease. The potato is actually one of the good guys - provided you enjoy it in boiled or baked form.

Despite their lack of color, which is often indicative of a variety of phytochemicals, potatoes contain a number of carotenoids and flavenoids, as well as a useful amount and range of vitamins. There is therefore absolutely no need to eliminate them from your diet.

Incidentally, the old wives' tale that most of the nutrients are in the skin is not true - only 20% of the nutrients are found there. The rest is inside the potato, even though the skin contains a remarkable amount of fiber.

Tip: Perform Nordic leg curls (Nordic ham curls)

You don't even need any equipment for one of the best leg curl exercises

By Bret Contreras

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-nordic-ham-curl

Nordic leg curls have been studied extensively in the scientific literature - and for good reason: it's a highly effective exercise for the hamstrings. It can help prevent injuries to the hamstrings due to the emphasis on the eccentric phase, which potentially shifts the maximum strength of the hamstrings to a longer muscle length.

Nordic leg curls (Nordic Ham Curl)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO47AQuYphE)

This is an amazing exercise for the hamstrings and you will get much better at controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement the longer you use this exercise.

Are you advanced?

Advanced exercisers can perform this exercise without using their hands to reverse the direction of movement at the lowest point of the movement. However, there are very few exercisers who can perform 5 repetitions of this exercise without using their hands. Are you one of them?

Nordic leg curls with bands

Most exercisers are not even close to being able to control the entire lowering movement of the exercise. You will typically see people lowering their body in a controlled manner during the first half of the movement, but this is usually followed by a rapid movement towards the floor.

This rapid downward movement is accompanied by a sharp drop in muscle activation of the leg flexors, which is not what we really want. Instead, we want the hamstrings to be activated through the full range of motion. And this is where band-assisted Nordic leg curls come into play.

Using a band will help you control the eccentric portion of the movement, which will make your hamstrings stronger through the full range of motion and lead to greater growth.

Tip: Try 21 front squats

Build up your legs with this brutal combo.

By Ben Bruno | 01/18/16

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-front-squat-21s

Arnold popularized the 21-rep method for biceps curls: 7 partial reps at the bottom of the movement, 7 partial reps at the top of the movement, and then 7 reps through the full range of motion. This is the same thing, but with front squats. Yes, front squats. Your favorite exercise, right?

You will need to use a lighter weight than normal, which is especially true if you are using this exercise as a finishing exercise after heavier training. For this reason, holding the bar should not be a problem.

21-bar front squat

1. Start by performing 7 repetitions from the lowest point of the movement halfway up.
2. Without putting the weight down, perform 7 reps from the highest point of the movement to halfway down (you know, like most people do their regular squats).
3. Finish with 7 full front squats. The whole thing counts as one set.

Tip: Push presses for massive strength

Get strong at push presses and you'll get strong at everything else.

By Chris Shugart

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-push-press-for-massive-strength

Olympic weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay put it best: "Show me a guy who can move heavy weights on push presses (standing barbell shoulder presses with momentum from the legs) and he'll be able to excel at any other pressing exercise, even if he's never done it before. Push presses have a stronger carryover to presses in general than any other upper body exercise."

Great bench press strength doesn't have the same carryover, according to Pendlay: "I don't want to have a 200 kilo bench press guy who can't do anything else. The guy who can do heavy push presses won't have that problem. And this can't be achieved with strict barbell shoulder presses either. It's too hard to get the weight moving. You have a weak point at the beginning of the movement, which limits the amount of weight you can use."

With Push Presses, you can push 10 to 20% more weight up over your head. You're forced to develop the ability to recruit those muscle fibers very quickly because you're pushing the bar off your shoulders with your legs and then your arms have to come into play quickly to prevent the weight from stalling. "The ability to do this is very, very valuable," says Pendlay.

With push presses, there's a lot of overload at the highest point. The last 15 centimeters at the top are almost like a partial repetition. This has a powerful effect on the body.

Do it right

Pendlay's tips for push presses:

1. Place the weight correctly on your shoulders. Most people let the bar rest on their shoulder blades, but what you need to do is pull your shoulders up and move your elbows slightly forward so that the bar rests on your shoulder muscles.
2. At the end of the swing from your legs, immediately push with your arms. Think about the rate of force development. At the highest point of the movement, it is very important to end with the weight behind your head and not in front of it. At the very least, a vertical line pointing down from the bar should run behind your ears.
3. Pause briefly at the highest point of the movement for each repetition.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-make-your-own-healthy-ketchup

From Chris Shugart

Here's a quick overview...

1. Turn raspberry cheesecake into cookies using just 3 ingredients.
2. Eat your coffee - in the form of mocha cheesecake cookies. They are low in carbohydrates and high in caffeine.
3. How about banana cookies made with rolled oats, bananas and banana protein powder?
4. Prepare a delicious protein cream to pour over all your sweet treats.
5. Protein poppers are bite-sized balls - without the honey and dried fruit of their commercial counterparts. Leave out most of the fat and all the sugar and you'll have a better snack.

Beyond the shaker

If your goal is to lose fat or even just stay lean and defined, most people think there are only two options: either avoid dessert completely or eat only tiny, unsatisfying portions of delicious things. That's about as much fun as having to choose between a cavity in your tooth or an ingrown toenail.

But there's another choice: make your own healthy dessert and eat as much as you want (trust me, if desserts are as filling as the following, you won't eat that much). Here are five delicious recipes:

1 - Banana Cookies

A plate full of soft, sweet banana cookies doesn't have to be overloaded with sugar, butter and flour - and the preparation doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming either. All you need are a few bananas, banana protein powder, rolled oats and a few other ingredients. You don't need a blender or food processor.

Ingredients:

• 4 large bananas
• 4 scoops of protein powder
• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• Generous amounts of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or other spices as desired

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl. If you have a potato masher, you can use this, otherwise a fork will also work.
3. Add all the other ingredients and mix with your hands.
4. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray or spray a baking tray with coconut oil.
5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough so that you have roughly the same size cookies. Using a medium cookie scoop, the dough should make about 20 to 22 cookies.
6. Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes depending on your oven and how big your cookies are.
7. If in doubt, use a shorter baking time and then check the oven to see if the cookies are done. You can also prick the cookies with a toothpick. If no more dough sticks to it when you pull it out, then your cookies are ready.

Tips: Invest in a cookie scoop. Look for one with a curve that resembles the shape of an ice cream scoop. Using unconventional ingredients means you won't be able to shape the cookies by hand. Use the scoop to ensure a uniform size so that the cookies bake evenly.

Nutritional value: One banana cookie provides about 77 kcal, 5 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fat.

Note: These figures are for guidance only. They will not be exact due to different cookie sizes, the brands of ingredients used, the optional changes you make to the recipe and minor measurement errors.

2 - Raspberry cheesecake cookies

Cheesecakes usually take quite a long time to prepare. Eating more than one piece is generally frowned upon by body-conscious people. And you're only allowed to eat it on special occasions. That's all nonsense.

So let's simplify the recipe, remove the unnecessary fat, preserve the flavor and bake it in cookie form that can be mixed together in a few minutes. Oh yes, depending on the type of cream cheese you use, you can eat half the cookies in one go without feeling guilty.

Ingredients

• 250 grams of cream cheese (your choice: low-fat, fat-free or full-fat)
• 3 scoops of chocolate or vanilla flavored protein powder (whey protein or a mix of whey protein and casein)
• 1 heaped cup of frozen raspberries or blueberries.

Preparation

1. preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
2. mix the protein powder with the cream cheese. Then add the berries and mix well.
3. place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and form 9 cookies with a spoon.
4. bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes.
5. if in doubt, use a shorter baking time and then check the oven to see if the cookies are done. If no more dough sticks to the toothpick when you pull it out, the cookies are ready.

Nutritional value: When using fat-free cream cheese, each cookie provides about 59 kcal, 4 grams of carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of fat.

3 - Mocha cheesecake cookies

Need a low-carb sweet treat? This recipe is ideal. And it's loaded with some caffeine.

Ingredients

• 250 grams cream cheese
• 3 measuring spoons of chocolate-flavored protein powder
• One tablespoon of instant coffee
• ¼ cup of water
• ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
2. Mix the protein powder with the instant coffee and water.
3. Add the cream cheese and optionally the chocolate chips and stir the mixture until there are no visible lumps.
4. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and form 9 cookies from the dough.
5. Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes.
6. If in doubt, use a shorter baking time and then check in the oven to see if the cookies are done by breaking open a cookie - or use the toothpick test.

Nutritional value: When using fat-free cream cheese, each cookie provides about 59 kcal, 4 grams of carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of fat. (Slightly more if you add the chocolate chips)

4 - The best "frosting" ever

Spread this sugar-free frosting on anything you want. Add it to protein cakes, pancakes, cupcakes, brownies or whatever. Dip East in this deliciousness, stick your finger in it or eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients

• 2 scoops of protein powder in any flavor of your choice
• 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
• A generous amount of cinnamon if desired.

Preparation

Mix the ingredients together. Put the mixture in the fridge. Pour over anything you like.

Nutritional value: Half a portion of this delicacy provides around 158 kcal, 21 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fat.

5 - Protein Poppers

When it comes to bite-sized balls, other recipes often use dried fruit, molasses or honey and a lot of nut butter or coconut oil. These ingredients act as the 'glue' that holds the balls together. Of course, these ingredients are not necessarily unhealthy, but they are high in calories - especially when combined. If your Paleo friend prepares a portion of delicious balls that contain dates, honey, coconut oil, macadamia nuts and almond butter, prepare to eat three of them and feel sh...eid afterwards, as these three delicious balls contained around 700 kcal.

I'm not trying to tell you to go on a low calorie diet or count calories. I just want to tell you that you can add volume to what you eat so that it becomes much harder to eat 700 kcal in one sitting. This is the art of "volumizing": choose foods that take up more space in your stomach but don't make you gain weight. You'll feel like you've eaten a ton because you're full, but in reality you've consumed a reasonable amount of calories.

And by replacing all the sugary ingredients with something else, you can eat your fill while avoiding the molasses induced carbohydrate coma.

Ingredients

• 2 scoops of vanilla flavored protein powder
• 1 cup PB2 (powdered defatted peanut butter or low-fat peanut flour)
• 1 cup Splenda (calorie-free sugar substitute powder)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cashew or almond milk
• A dash of vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• Generous amounts of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or other spices as desired
• Optional garnish: chopped nuts, coconut flakes, dark chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Place the rolled oats and ½ cup of unsweetened cashew or almond milk in a bowl. Mix everything well and then leave the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
2. Place all the other dry ingredients in a food processor and blend: Protein powder, salt, spices.
3. Add the oats soaked in milk to the food processor and blend until you have a uniform mixture. It should look like small sandy lumps
4. Add the three tablespoons of unsweetened cashew or almond milk and blend again. Run the food processor until a large round lump of dough forms. If there are any leftover dry ingredients at the bottom of the mixing bowl, spread them evenly into the dough.
5. Moisten your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking and roll bite-sized balls about 1.2 centimetres in diameter out of the dough.
6. Roll the balls in coconut flakes, chopped nuts or chocolate chips. It may be necessary to brush the balls with a little water to make them sticky.
7. Put the balls in the fridge and leave to cool.

This quantity makes about 25 balls.

Nutritional value: Without garnish, each ball provides about 45 kcal, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of fiber.

By Dani Shugart | 08/19/15
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/5-cool-things-to-make-with-protein-powder