Tilapia Prep

Tilapia is a great source of protein that doesn’t come with the fishy taste.  I think it really doesn’t have a taste at all.  It’s a very lean and relatively cheap.  Pretty much whatever you cook it in will determine the taste.

My favorite way to cook it is just simmer the fillets in lemon juice for a few minutes on each side, and then sprinkle with Lawry’s seasoning and pepper.

Careful when flipping so you don’t splash yourself or shred your dinner into a million pieces.  Tilapia is very delicate.  Pair it with some brown rice and veggies and you have a great tasting, balanced meal!

Firefighter Circuit Training #1

Chicken Prep

Chicken breast is the main item on my menu.  It’s great for building and keeping your lean muscle mass.  I start by cutting off all the excess fat and place them on a baking sheet.  I season them with one of Mrs. Dash’s seasonings.  My personal favorite is the “Extra Spicy” flavor.

• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Bake for 45 minutes. 
• Dice the chicken into cubes. 
• Place cubes into plastic bags and weigh them out to your desired portion size.

Digital Scale

Eat it straight out of the bag on the run or heat it up with a side of veggies for a meal.



6 oz. bags of chicken



9/11

Remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.





West Side Tattoo
Colorado Remembers Wall- 9/11/11



West Side Tattoo
Colorado Remembers Wall- 9/11/11

Cardio

• Morning Cardio

6 AM! It is time to get up and get going.  There are only so many hours in a day.  Before I know it the baby will be up, and anyone that has been around an almost 2 year old knows that cardio is not a possibility if they are awake.  My weapon of choice is the ProForm Cycle trainer.  It’s completely silent which a necessity with my daughter sleeping in the room right new to mine. 

Get Up and Get Going!

The first things I do when waking is grab some water, a serving of BCAA’s and my IPod.  I do cardio on an empty stomach because it’s the best time to burn fat.  Your body has been fasting all night and is glycogen depleted.  So any low intensity cardio you do will burn fat instead of glycogen.  The BCAA’s are to help with muscle catabolism (muscle loss).  I try to keep my heart rate around 140.  This has seemed to work good for me so far.

• After Weights Cardio

My second session of cardio is right after I’m done lifting weights.  Once again this is when the body is glycogen depleted.  Your heavy weights session will cause you to burn up a lot of carbs leaving you depleted. I will do 30 to 45 minutes of cardio after all my weights workout except for my leg day.  I will use the elliptical of the stair mill most often.  Once again I keep my heart rate around 140.  Make sure to get your post workout meal or shake in you when you’re finished with cardio.

1 Year Transformation Pictures

Going through my pictures and I found progress photos from March 2010 and March 2011.  I’ve put them side by side to see the 1 year transformation I had.  Last year I decided to take control of body when everything else in my life seemed out of control…  It worked but it has kind of created a monster out of me J  in a good way!  I started goal setting as a way for me to focus on something other than the custody battle I was going through in 2010.  Sprint tri, half marathon, and then I finally took the plunge into bodybuilding.  I’ve now found something that I’m truly passionate in.  I hope to grow and learn more about myself with each show.

March 2010 / March 2011

Powder Supplements

Now on to some of the powder supplements that I take, and also recommend taking if you’re asking a lot from your body on a daily basis. 

• 

  10lb Dymatize Elite Whey Protein
  

  The first supplement is as basic as it gets.  Whey Protein!  I drink two double serving shakes a day.  I take one in the morning right when I wake up and also one post workout.  I get my post workout shake in me as soon as I get in the locker room.  An hour later I will eat a solid meal as well.  Whey protein helps aid in rebuilding muscle tissue after a strenuous workout.

• Glutamine is an amino acid that helps with muscle repair, reduces soreness, and aids recovery.  Taking glutamine will allow you to get back in the gym sooner.  I take 20g of glutamine throughout the day.  I mix it with a gallon of Crystal Light in the morning and make sure it’s gone by the end of the day.

• Branched Chain Amino Acids BCCA’s are referring to the three essential amino acids; Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.  These are the most import of the 9 essential amino acids to repair and build muscle.  Taking BCAA’s will help speed up muscle recovery, but it will also aid in muscle breakdown when you are dieting down.   I’m also taking 20g of BCAA’s a day.  I take it four times a day; wakeup, before workout, after workout, and before bed.  I find the taste of these AWFUL!!  So I just put a serving of powder right on my tongue and chase it with crystal light.  I found mixing it just doesn’t work for me :P

• The last of my powders arsenal is Casein Protein.  I take this protein at night before bed because it’s very this and It’s slow digesting.  I’ve had a bad track record of waking up in the middle of the night and grabbing not so optimal food choices while I’m half asleep J  I found that a Casein Protein shake helps a little with that.  I will put another shake on my night stand, so if/when I wake up, I’ll drink this and not even head for the kitchen.  My pantry is NOT very bodybuilder friendly, so it makes dieting a struggle at times.