15 Min is All You Need To Look and Feel Amazing!

15 MIN TO FEEL AMAZING | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Busy? 15 Min is All You Need To Look and Feel Amazing! 

Last night’s dinners was a hearty meal of grass-fed steak, broccoli, a green leafy salad, and a half glass of red wine. I posted pics of the food I eat in earlier posts if you’d like to check them out.

15 min to look and feel amazing | https://www.4hourbodygirl.com

I usually have 30grams of protein within 30 min. of waking (this is what Tim Ferriss recommends in the 4-Hour BODY) but every once in a while after a long, good sleep, I’ll only have a piece of fruit.
 
Last night I slept 9 hours. I went for a little walk in the sun for about 10 minutes to get some fresh air and Vitamin D, and to get my neurotransmitters firing, before sitting down to my laptop with a big jug of ice water and a steaming cup of hot matcha green tea, plus as always, my Athletic Greens
 
I have been cutting down my intake of caffeine steadily the last week, with a big cup of green tea being the stand in for coffee this morning. I am not against coffee, ok ok, I love coffee, but at the same time, I am well aware of how much better I start to feel and the impact on my sleep quality when I get my caffeine intake right down every day, and get it in early. I’ll be doing a future post about having more energy without caffeine.
 
One and a half liters of water (a few trips to the bathroom) and two excellent blocks of work later… it was getting close to food time. 
 
I decided to exercise briefly before eating for a host of reasons, but I wanted it to be short, fast, and not too stressful, plus I was running out of time to get the workout in, my lunch in, then continue with my day’s work.

Enter a Minimum Effective Dose Workout

 
2 minutes of foam roller (self myofascial release) with 30 seconds on each of quad/hip flexor, and IT band). Grrrrr this one is so painful sometimes.

Goal: Remove Restrictions, Improve Mobility, Improve Tissue Quality

 

3 minutes of activation/mobility/dynamic warm up

 

Goal: Use some of that improved tissue work to immediately perform a series of activation and mobility exercises to improve movement patterns.

Glute Bridges x 10 with adduction (5 second squeeze at the top) I clamped the foam roller between my knees for the adduction part to save time.

glute-bridge | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Reverse lunges with rotation (arms overhead) x 6 each side – one of the BEST hip flexor

mobilizers on the planet.

reverse-lunges| www.4hourbodygirl.com
 
Hand walks x 6 (also called Inch Worms) out as far as sore shoulder was happy
Inch worm from skinny mom| www.4hourbodygirl.com

Image from skinny mom.com

 
Walking quad stretch x 6 each leg with glute squeeze for 2 seconds 
Best-Quad-Stretches | www.4hourbodygirl.com
 

3 minutes of neural activation and full body warm up

 

Goal: ahhh, neural activation and full body warm up

For this today I skipped rope, 30 seconds flat out, 30 seconds very slow, for 3 “rounds”, totaling 3 minutes. (This is soon hard to do after having kids! I make sure my bladder is empty before doing these! TMI? Sorry….

30 seconds fast I tried to move my feet and the rope as fast as I could. I included shuffles, butt kicks and for the last 5 seconds, & high knees.
 
30 seconds slow, I keep the rope moving at a steady pace, but wasn’t cranking it, the goal is to keep moving and have an active recovery. 

3 minutes (and 19 seconds) of Kettlebell swings 

 

kettlebell-swing  | www.4hourbodygirl.com

 

Goal: The “work” part of the workout – metabolic conditioning and

Hamstring/Glutes Strength Endurance | www.4hourbodygirl.com

100 x two handed swings with a 70lb bell without stopping. 
Why 3 minutes and 19 seconds? Just before I grabbed the bell I hit play on my chosen workout song of the day, which happened to be 2 minutes and 49 seconds, and thought I would cruise to complete this in time…. Almost didn’t make it. 
 
3 minutes of medium paced skipping without stopping

Goal: extend the “work” part of the workout with further metabolic conditioning, while forcing active recovery.

This one was the most elective of all of them, and would be the first to go if I wanted to shorten it further, but I wasn’t happy with my swings performance, so decided to add this in.

1 minute for 100 reps of band “pull aparts” with arms straight and done out in front of chest. 
Start with arms straight out in front of you, gripping your band (they vary greatly in strength/tension) about should width apart with an overhand grip. 
Starting the movement by pulling your shoulder blades together, finish the movement by pulling your arms away from each other. Your arms will end up out to the sides then slightly behind you, the band will hit your chest. That is 1 rep.
 

You can maintain tension on your shoulder blades by never returning the bands all the

way in, or you can go all the way in all the way out, play with it. 

Goal: try and counter the day’s sitting by working some volume in to my upper back, specifically aiming at rear delts and mid trap.

You can mix up the focus of this and add in other muscles by adjusting hand position and arm angle, but assuming you are doing these with your arms straight out in front of you, this is what is going to be getting the bulk of the loading. 

As I am recovering from a shoulder injury, these were done with the little pink band. Since we tend to sit a lot during the day in a shoulders rounded position, this causes what is called stretch-weakness in the scapular retractors (and frequently external rotator) muscles. Add to this that most people have vastly stronger internal rotators of the shoulder than the internal rotators, and we have a need for corrective exercise. (You could also try NEVER SITTING, always walking with good posture and doing three or four pulling reps for your upper back for every one you do for your chest). 

This is a phenomenally useful exercise and I highly recommend you start asap. They can be done throughout the day or at the end of workouts, and intensity can be modified by adjusting your hand position on the band and the band tension.

Great for posture. 

I got my bands at Elite FTS, but you can also get them at amazon.com or any local sporting goods store. 
 
 Do what makes you feel amazing
 
So there you have it! 15 Min is All You Need To Look and Feel Amazing! Do you have 15 min.? Do you have a quick go to 15 min routine? I would love to here about it in the comment below. 
 
Here’s to your health, wealth and happiness!
 
 
 

Originally Published on: Aug 21, 2011 @ 11:04

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Top 10 Healthy & Tasty Low Carb Breakfasts

Top 10 Healthy & Tasty Low Carb Breakfasts | www.4hourbodygirl.com

These Top 10 Healthy & Tasty Low Carb Breakfasts are easy & quick too

Good Morning!

Take a look at these “Must-Try” breakfasts, and then tell me if you think this is an excellent reference to refer to over and over again for delicious breakfast ideas that will keep you in perfect shape and make you feel good. 

Enough chitchat….let’s get to it right away.

 1. CINNAMON BUN PANCAKES from The Big Man’s World

cinnamon_bun_pancakes | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Breakfast, lunch, and brinner: we’re talking about high protein/low carb goodness that meets the completely fluffy, golden brown, cozy deliciousness of cinnamon bun pancakes. Both the healthy and the good, together in one.  OH MY GOSH, yes!  Nuff said…Here’s the recipe.

2. COWBOY BREAKFAST SKILLET form Health Bent.

cowboyskillet | www.4hourbodygirl.com

If there’s one thing that can make me like eggs, it’s combining them with sweet potatoes that got crispy in sausage grease. I’m not a huge hot sauce fan, but I do like a little and I know a lot of you are, so if you’re in to hot spice flavourful yum…this dish is for you. Get the recipe here.

3. Harissa Chorizo Egg Crepes form Primal Britain

harissa_chorizo_omelette  | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Here is the recipe for this incredibly tasty omelet. Get more creative than just bacon and eggs. The bold flavors of the chorizo burst into your mouth, which is very satisfying. Avocado is a must with this dish too and you could also top it with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, but it doesn’t really need it. I would probably add spinach to this too. I like color in my food, it would go nicely and it adds some health benefits. 

4. SMOKED SALMON EGG STUFFED AVOCADOS from Grok & Grub

Smoked-Salmon-Egg-Stuffed-Avocados  | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Have I told you how much I like avocados? I wrote an article on how good avocados are for you and all of the benefits. They’re amazing for weight loss, and keeping colds at bay. So many reasons to eat them.  

Go ahead and make these EGG STUFFED AVOCADOS with smoked salmon, like the fish. The pink one. But it’s smoky and rustic and making me feel all moutainy and wild. Who am I right now? I love it!  Something about the salty/smokey combo gets me every time. 

 

5. SUPER GREEN SMOOTHIE BOWL from Minimalist Baker

AMAZING-Green-Smoothie-Bowls-Change-the-color-with-shade-of-berry.-The-BEST-way-to-make-a-smoothie-a-meal-vegan-glutenfree | www.4hourbodygirl.com

I make these often and my toddler really enjoys them too. You can whip them up in the blender in no time! Packed full of nutrients, you will have ridiculous energy to start your day. Get the recipe here.

6. Skinny Greek Omelet from www.skinnymom.com

Low Carb Greek Omelet | www.4hourbodygirl.com

This greek omelet “recipe” is so incredibly simple, quick and  delicious! I love feta and if you do too, you will love this. According to the 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, you’re not supposed to eat dairy, but this is so little and makes such an impact, it’s worth it! I also like to add avocado. 

I’ve never been the kind of person who is good at self-pacing, so when I find a savory, creamy, egg  breakfast that I really, really enjoy…. OH HELLO I’m going to eat it all year. And this is that breakfast. You can find the recipe here.

7. Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs from Every Last Bite

Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach and spicy chorizo make up the flavours of this scrumptious comforts of heavenly dish. Serve it with a side salad instead of bread and you have yourself a beautiful, and impressive brunch for your friends. Get the recipe here.

8. Farm Veggies with Romesco Sauce {and Poached Eggs} from lexiscleankitchen.com

FarmVeggiesEggsRomesco | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Do you love roasted veggies? Meee tooooo. This is a little different for breakfast, but it works. It’s a great low carb option for breakfast. Clean eating at it’s best! Get the recipe here.

9.100-CALORIE CHEESE, VEGETABLE AND EGG MUFFINS

 from averiecooks.comCheese & Veg Egg Muffins | www.4hourbodygirl.com

EGGS! EGGS! EGGS! and veggies, okay, and a bit of cheese…Done! Freeze them and pop them in the microwave for 30 second breakfasts. Here’s the recipe. 

10. “NEVER GET SICK AGAIN” – SMOOTHIE RECIPE

“NEVER GET SICK AGAIN” – SMOOTHIE RECIPE

You won’t even believe this right now: You can prevent getting sick or recover really fast by drinking this smoothie. I’ve tested it and it works! THIS RECIPE IS FILLING AND SATISFYING TOO. Just try getting all of the healthy ingredients into your system without blending them into this delicious concoction. I dare you! 

It’s hard to stay healthy, especially during the holidays… so my idea with this smoothie was to make something that would give me the healthy stuff I wanted (I SEE YOU SPINACH) while still tasting GREAT (BECAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE IN WASTING CALORIES) and leaving me room for the next holiday feast.

Get this recipe here.

I hope you found this round up of Top 10 Healthy & Tasty Low Carb Breakfasts helpful. If you’d like Click here for more great breakfast recipes. Let me know if you make any and how they turn out for you. I would love to here about it in the comments below. 

Here’s the link to my Pinterest Low Carb Breakfast board as well: Pinterest Breakfast Board

This is what I drink every day before my morning green tea or coffee for maximum energy. Drink This! 

 

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com
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