Cardio + snack recovery
Afternoon!
I'm about to close my work day and head off to swing dance! The fiance and I love love love to dance and we are kicking things up in full gear for the wedding this July. Swing is as absolute blast! And a bit of a workout if I might add!
Let's get to the important stuff from today..the Insanity workout.
Insanity Cardio Recovery
This workout was a welcomed experience after jumping in to 3 intense days (Fit Test + Plyo Circuit + Cardio Power). My muscles were looking to stretch and rest a bit! The gorgeous Shaun T (have you looked at him lately? It's so lovely to watch someone so adoringly cute as you kick your own butt) led me through about 30+ minutes of deep stretching and some strengthening moves. The warmup today was truly just that: a gentle warmup with lots of deep breathing and stretching. So nice!
Then we jumped into various sets of deep squats and lunges where you hold the move for a solid 30+ seconds or do tiny pulses. Though this wasn't cardio my legs were still burning! I think this was a nice balance after so much high impact cardio the past few days. My body was burning but it was a beautiful change!
To complete the workout there was a solid 8+ minutes of yoga moves and deep static stretches. So unbelievably good for the body! Please don't ever ever skip workouts like this just to up your calorie burn! Give your muscles time to stretch and recover. I can't say that enough. Over training will only get you so far before your body starts screaming at you in multiple ways!
Tomorrow I set out to do Pure Cardio…likely the hardest workout in month 1 of Insanity. I did it last summer and all I remember is falling on the ground at the end of it! I'm excited and scared, very scared. 
Recovery Snacks
I've talked before about the importance of a workout recovery meal. There are so many tasty and nutritious options for you to put in your body after a workout. The key to this meal is actually very simple. Here is what you want to include in a post workout recovery meal/snack:
- a combination of carbohydrates + protein (the suggested ratio is 4:1 but to keep it simple include a complete protein source and serving of a complex carb)
- try to eat within 45-60 minutes of your workout for best results
- hydrate with your meal! drink drink drink!
My recovery meal is usually dictated by what actually sounds good after a workout. Sometimes I have next to NO appetite which is why I will often have a smoothie- goes down easy and always taste delicious! But with a program like Insanity, this meal is more important because I am constantly pushing this body to a new level after every single workout.
Here is a fabulous recipe for easy, homemade recovery protein bars that will not only fuel your body but they will taste absolutely GRAND! Tweak the recipe with your own twist!
Tony Horton's Sticky Bars a la Jenn
1 medium banana
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened granola
2 scoops of isolate whey protein (I use a vanilla flavor by Whole Foods)
Mix n mash all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Spoon onto a sheet of wax paper and spread into roughly a square shape, evenly distributing the mixture. Lightly cut the square in to 4 pieces. Place each piece on it's individual wax paper. Wrap each bar with wax paper and then seal with aluminum foil. Throw into freezer for 90 minutes. This will harden the bars. Eat frozen or pop into microwave (please remove foil :)) for 10-15 seconds.
My recipe is based off of this source.
Here is a quick and dirty list of my favorite recovery meals:
- greek yogurt + banana + walnuts
- green monster: 1 scoop Shakeology + almond milk + spinach + banana + peanut butter
- hard boiled eggs + toast
- toast + peanut butter + fruit
- granola + fruit + greek yogurt
- oatmeal + egg whites
- pro oatmeal pancakes- oats + protein powder + almond milk
Now, share YOUR favorite things to eat after a workout OR your favorite meal/snack that gives you energy!
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