Weight Room Newbie
Confession time: I have been attending the same university for the past three years, and I had never set foot in the gym’s weight room…until today. As part of my “Health, Fitness, and Wellness” class, I was required to assemble a strength training program for myself and subsequently show a few of its exercises to my peers. I was quite apprehensive about the whole assignment due to my limited negligible knowledge about strength training. I do a few exercises 3 times a week in an attempt to bulk up my toothpick arms and prevent osteoporosis, but otherwise I loathe lifting weights and hence don’t do it any more than necessary. Anyway, all my nervousness was for nought, because I was assigned to a group with two lovely ladies (including Allie, who is far more experienced than I). Ultimately, I learned a few new moves and discovered that I really enjoy the assisted pull-up machine:) How do you feel about strength training? Love it? Hate it?
Although my strength training endeavors were far from arduous, I still managed to eat like a champ:
Thursday
My berry HempShake arrived yesterday afternoon after being on back order. It didn’t take long for me to bust open that canister of hemp-y joy.
pineapple-peach smoothie with soymilk, berry HempShake, & Pumpking Flax granola
Friday
As per usual, my Friday morning was rushed. Freezer waffles to the rescue.
Van's whole grain waffles with cottage cheese, pumpkin, & banana; almonds
Have you ever tried BBQ sauce and avocado together? If you haven’t you need to get on it. It’s such a perfect combination of creamy cool and smoky spice. (Sorry, last alliterative phrase, I promise).
BBQ Tofu Sandwich with avocado; kiwi; salad
oozing with deliciousness
Look, Ma! Purple soup! Tonight I made the Pureed Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Chickpeas from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. The recipe calls for regular sweet potatoes and white onions, but I had only the purple versions of each…so I ended up with a pot of tasty purple goop. The recipe requires using a hand blender, and let’s just say that my kitchen now looks an awful lot like it did after the pomegranate crime scene incident. I have a feeling that I will be finding random purple splatter stains for the next 6 months.
The Heat Is On peanut butter
Pureed Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew with Chickpeas (ED&BV); snap peas; nuked apples with cinnamon & raisins
Take a look at what arrived on my doorstep this afternoon:
POM Light Teas
POM tea! Can’t wait to give these a try. Reviews to follow.
Alanna and I are off to watch a movie. Enjoy your weekend!
Filed under: Meals
Hello and welcome! I have created this blog for people who love food, especially healthful, vegetarian food.
I have just graduated from Duke University with degrees in English and psychology. I plan to pursue a master's degree in nutrition starting in Fall 2010. Ideally, I would like to combine my love of food and the written word someday as a health writer.
I hate to admit it but I stay away from the weight room, too. I do a series of core arms and stomach exercises but it’s really not as effective as those machines would be, but they’re so intimidating!
” I do a few exercises 3 times a week in an attempt to bulk up my toothpick arms ”
Speaking from experience, it does NOT fix that problem, haha
Thanks for the follow up you wrote me re Vega/hemp/nast/not all are like that. Whew!
Weights…no, not for me. I do yoga. People laugh and think oh…yoga. Til they see me balancing my whole body on my right forearm and stuff like that. I put it on my bloggie. That’s enough strength training for me. I just hate the meathead mentality that goes along with weight rooms, sorry to sound stereotypical
Your purple kitchen vibe…ummm, I had the same thing once happen with red cabbage and a blender. Say no more. Not only was it red everywhere, I never did get the cabbage stench completely gone from that house. Good thing it was a rental.
I generally don’t touch machines, though… just free weights/body weight exercises, and mostly compound movements (pushups, pullups, squats, deadlifts, dips….)
I’m kinda the opposite of you — I need to push myself a little to do cardio, but I’m pretty happy lifting heavy stuff any time!
YAY for classes with Allie! I remain jealous ;p
peanut stew looks awesome
It was pretty nice seeing you at grace’s today (I’m guessing you were on dusdac business and that was what your recent tweet about the grace’s menu was about…) even if it was a quick “wave”….I hope you have a good weekend, dear
good job getting into the weight room! i LOVE weight training, so much more than cardio. i love the burn i feel while working out and the DOMS that comes after. and the fact that more muscle=more calories burned throughout the day doesnt hurt. props for pumping iron! i did just type pumpkin instead of pumping.. oops.. haha. i love BBQ with avocado! there is a salad i get at a restaurant, the bbq chicken and it comes with huge hunks of avocado slathered in bbq. mm. enjoy the movie! xo
I love strength training but only in class-form. I take body pump and I love it but you could not get me in a weight room of my own accord – I need the group atmosphere to get me going!!
Avocado and BBQ sauce? Why haven’t I tried it? I don’t know but I will!
amazing
i am not sure how I feel about weight training.. I would rather work out out on my own routine, in my own envrionment!
I like using dumbbells or pilate-like strengthening moves. Some of the exercises I hate (and thus don’t do) and some I enjoy.
It just takes some experimenting, see what feels good, and really.. I do see improved lean muscle definition, even though I don’t do “hardcore” weights.
Mmm…ED&BV.
I made the enchiladas and they were a HUGE hit, so you must try them! I didn’t change a thing and even the 2 and 4 year olds ate them! Thanks for the input!!!
Pureed Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Chickpeas! Sounds amazing! I wish I had that book so I can try the recipe…
Oh, and totally dislike strength-training. I am a cardio-lover myself!
AH I feel like I wrote the whole thing about weight training. Same feelings as you–and I also had to give it a try for a Health and Wellness class… I’ve found that I do like trying it out, but I never really stick with a strength routine
-Sarah
I need to try that cooked apple idea
And thank a bunch for the tofu recipe, I can’t wait to try it!!
*Waiting for the tofu to be on sale (50% off!)* Yeah, I’m cheap, but hey…:p
I love your eats, I have been eating some ”Broccoli Hut’s inspired” meal lately :p
xxx
Vanilla
I love your eats, you have got great taste!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
I LOVE weight training – always have. But, I’m pretty muscular for a short girl so it’s easy for me to see results. Cardio on the other hand….blech.
Your tofu sandwich is to die for!
I like strength training, but not in the weighting room.. that’s boring for me. I do strength training with yoga series, that’s a great workout for my muscles and my mind!
I’m a biiig fan of weights- i actually had a personal trainer this summer for 6 weeks, so we trained at his private gym, then I felt like I totally knew what to do once I went back to my reg gym! I just walk over to the weights and keep a tough look on my face, act like I know what I’m doin….and everyone leaves me alone ;D I just love the noodly arm and leg feeling when I leave!
I LOVE strength training. It’s weird because most girls prefer cardio.. but I definitely prefer lifting weights!
I love the sound of those waffles! I’m going to try that pumpkin topping!
I love weights!! I would much rather to weights than cardio – I like feeling strong. However, I can’t stand the meat heads who lift to their max and then drop the weights on the ground. So obnoxious!
LOVE the purple soup
I definitely prefer cardio to weightlifting, but I always feel so strong and accomplished after the weights…
I have been looking for that PB all summer! So jealous that you have it. And I would so be down for purple soup, it looks really intriguing!
I sort of like strength training (well, because I, too, want to help out my toothpick arms), but it doesn’t really give me the rush that running does. I am super intimidated by the huge guys that hog the mirrors at the gym, though.
I don’t dislike doing weights, but I have a hard time motivating myself to do them. I really need to though!!! I have shoulder issues and my PT told me a few years ago that I would have problems the rest of my life if I didn’t do weights and I stopped…problems back.
So, I had a similar experience as you. Last week I used my university’s weight room for the first time. It is the beginning of my junior year and I had never entered it before and on top of that I didn’t even know where it was.
I LOVE WEIGHT LIFTING. A billion times more than Cardio.
the pom teas are delishhhhhhhhhh
HAPPY SUNDAY CAROLINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I LOVE it when I’m in a good strength training routine. When my time is limited, though, all I really want to do is run! I’m trying to be better about incorporating the weights though. And yoga. Not enough hours in the day…
Oh, I want to try the spicy pb! It’s on my Whole Foods list.
I’m drooling over that bbq tofu sandwich!! Yum. And ahhh, “the heat is on” pb has always intrigued me…..but I can never figure out what i’d eat it with!!!! Of course you figured out it’s perfect match! A savory dish!
Yeah, after my first coconut-cracking, I knew I’d be finding little coconut shards around the kitchen for months to come. Oh well, all for the love of food, right? Maybe you should get your hands on a purple cauliflower too and create a dish from all purple foods. And then eat it before your next big test. Purple foods are supposed to be good for the brain! You must be very smart.
yay for strength training
love it so much and I’m so excited you’re getting into it now!
you’re smoothie makes me want to go to the beach and avacads and bbq sauce are so. good. together.
I love weight training too. I have a routine that I do on my own which consists of free weights and a medicine ball. Upper body weight training is very addictive. Strengthening the muscles in my back chest and arms make me stand taller and give me more confidences.
I also enjoy Body Pump, the class atmosphere helps me push my limits and feel the burn!
We should hit up a Body Tone class together!! It makes strength training rather mindless and you can learn some cool moves!
I LOVE weight training and do it about 3 times a week! I do Group Power which is an hour long weight lifting class. It’s awesome!
-A
P.S. I’m loving the oozing barbecue tofu sandwich!
[...] initiated into the world of yoga, representing yet another fitness first for me (in addition to my weight room adventures last week). I’ve been toying with the idea of practicing yoga for quite some time, [...]
Oddly enough, I actually just ate some avocado with bbq sauce inadvertantly. Of course, there was also salsa involved, so it’s hard to say if I could even detect the bbq sauce.
I think I need to make that soup/stew. Full of things I like. If only I could find purple sweet potatoes…