Week 9/52: Strip the Rack Rows video and Blueberry Oatmeal Bake Recipe

MOTIVATION

TRAINING

This week we are going to explore another exercise – this time for the back. In the video, I use a small cambered bar (the one that has a space cut out in the middle) but you can certainly use a regular straight bar. As you perform a bentover row, keep the pressure pulling into the rack as well.

How to add this into your workout? Well, much of it depends on your program and goals. In a body part split routine (bodybuilding), definitely on back day, sets of 8-10 are good. For powerlifting or a more strength oriented program, I would include it on your bench press day or even your deadlift day. Really be sure to pull the elbows back and squeeze your shoulders – don’t let your biceps and forearms take over.

NUTRITION

If you know me, you might know I’m a bit of a Pinterest freak. And I’ve vowed to actually try the things I pin on Pinterest. I’m in my last week of prep for my show and baking and cooking for others is soothing for me… strange I know.

Decided to whip this up for the kids for dinner. They had a scoop of this, 2 scrambled eggs and a piece of toast. We called it one of our “Power Dinners.”

Blueberry – Banana – Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bake

2 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen, slightly thawed)
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 cup chopped walnuts (just a small amount as I wasn’t sure how much the kids would like it, but I wanted the good fats)
Mix above ingredients together and put in a greased/sprayed 8×8 pan.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and banana slices on top. (Again, I used just a few chocolate chips and only put bananas on half of it.)

Then take:
2 cups almond milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 egg
Splash of vanilla
Mix together and pour that over the oat mix. Gently shake the pan so the liquid settles all around.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. I sprinkled a little brown sugar on top for the last 2 minutes.  (Hubby really liked it too! It wasn’t overly sweet either.)

Here’s the breakdown in case you’re curious: (This 8×8 pan was cut into 9 squares)

155 calories

23 g carbs

6.4 g fat

4 g protein

Optional add-ins – you could mix and match a variety of things:
Strawberries
Flax meal
Craisins
Walnuts
Pecans

(I’m going to work on bringing up the protein in this too.)