Filling

• 2 T. butter
• 5 medium apples peeled and slice 1/4" thick
• 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Crust

• 3 c. blanched almond flour
• 1 c. arrowroot flour + extra for dusting
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. maple sugar or maple syrup
• 1 T. vanilla
• 1/2 c. palm shortening or coconut oil melted
• 2 eggs whisked
• 1 egg white for brushing on the crust before baking

To make filling melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat. Add apples and stir to coat with butter, add lemon juice, maple syrup,  cinnamon and nutmeg and continue to cook stirring as needed until apples start to cook down slightly and soften. Transfer the filling to cool in another container. Once cooled refrigerate until use.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a medium bowl combine arrowroot flour, almond flour, salt, baking soda and maple sugar. Once combined add the vanilla and palm shortening, then add the whisked eggs and stir. Make a ball out of the dough and dust with additional arrowroot flour. Lay out parchment paper dusted with arrowroot flour. Place dough on paper then put another piece on top and roll out to 1/4" thickness. Place a pie plate on top of the crust and gently trim excess dough around plate and reserve for the lattice top. Gently flip the dough and plate upright. If necessary use extra dough to fix any mishaps. Bake the crust for 15 min. While crust is baking roll out the remaining dough the same way as before and cut into 3/4" strips to use as the lattice top.

Remove the crust from oven and fill it with the apple filling. Place lattice on top, brush with egg white and bake 15-20 min. or until golden brown.

Dana Lowe, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

If you’ve ever suffered from shin splints, you know how uncomfortable they can be. Fortunately for most of us, the discomfort and pain can be managed fairly easily.

Causes

Shin splints are caused by excessive force (overload) on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone. The overload is often caused by specific athletic activities, such as:

• Running downhill
• Running on a slanted or tilted surface
• Running in worn-out footwear
• Engaging in sports with frequent starts and stops, such as basketball and tennis

Shin splints can also be caused by training errors, such as engaging in a running program with the "terrible toos" — running too hard, too fast or for too long.

This is something I see repeatedly in the gym.  It’s not a bad problem to have, in that it usually stems from just too much enthusiasm about your new Gold’s membership, or your new workout routine. However, some individuals are more prone to shin splints, no matter what they do with their training.

You're more at risk of shin splints if:

• You're a runner, especially just beginning a running program
• You have flat feet or rigid arches, causing your feet to roll inward when running
• You increase the intensity of your workouts by doing more high-impact activities
• You play sports on hard surfaces, with sudden stops and starts
• You're in military training

Treatments

In most cases, you can treat shin splints with simple self-care steps:

Rest. But, you don't have to give up all physical activity. This is the perfect time to try something new at the gym. If you need some suggestions, ask one of our awesome Gold’s Gym Trainers!

Ice the affected area. Apply ice packs to the affected shin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, four to eight times a day for several days. To protect your skin, wrap the ice packs in a thin towel.

Reduce swelling. Elevate the affected shin above the level of your heart, especially at night. It may also help to compress the area with an elastic bandage or compression sleeve. Loosen the wrap if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling occurs below the wrapped area.

Wear proper shoes. Your doctor may recommend a shoe that's especially suited for your foot type, your stride and your particular sport.

Consider arch supports. Arch supports can help cushion and disperse stress on your shinbones. Off-the-shelf arch supports come in various sizes and can be fitted immediately. More durable arch supports can be custom-made from a plaster cast of your foot.

Resume your usual activities gradually. You’ll know if it’s too soon, if your pain comes right back. Patience, and willingness to adjust your workout routine can be the key.

Darcy West ACSM, Personal Trainer at Gold’s Gyms of Wenatchee 509.884.4965

My "go to" for quick, healthy, simple breakfast that is gluten and dairy free. It's great pre-workout fuel for a long weekend bike ride!!!

• 2 bananas (ripe, mashed)*
• 1 egg white (or whole egg is fine too!)
• 1 T almond butter (or any nut butter - peanut, cashew, etc.)
• Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Mango Yogurt Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. chopped frozen mango
• 2 oz frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
• 3 T honey
• 2 T orange juice or mango nectar
• Sliced, fresh mango or strawberries for garnish

Directions: In a food processor  blend all ingredients together until smooth. Divide sorbet among four bowls.

Serve immediately. Or cover and freeze. To serve after freezing, microwave 30 seconds or until softened.

All sports need power. More power means more strength. More power means you can achieve higher speeds faster. Olympic lifts develop power. They teach you to explode under the bar. Power Cleans are an Olympic Lift.

Olympic lifts are more technical than Squats or Deadlifts. If you want to become an Olympic Lifter, you'll need a coach. If you don't have access to a coach, use this beginner's guide to learn how to Power Clean.

What's a Power Clean? The Clean starts in a position similar as for the Deadlift. Clean the floor from the barbell by pulling it on your shoulders. Catch the bar in the Front Squat starting position.

The Power Clean Movement. The Power Clean consists of 2 pulls. You'll spend most time working on the technique of the 2nd pull which is trickiest to learn.

1st Pull. Pull the barbell from the floor to your knees. The 1st pull is similar to a Deadlift and is a slow movement.

2nd Pull. Pull the barbell from your mid-thighs to your shoulders by extending your hips. The 2nd pull is an explosive movement.

Power Clean Setup. The setup is always the same, whether you're doing Romanian Deadlifts, Hang Power Cleans or Power Cleans.

Shoulder-width Stance. Keep the weight on your heels. Curl your toes up if necessary. Jump up a few times, use that stance for Power Cleans.

Hook Grip. Use the hook grip so you can relax your forearms and avoid pulling with your arms. Grip width should be about 54cm/21".

Chest Up, Shoulder-blades Back & Down. Prevents your back to round. Make a big chest, lift it up. Keep your shoulder-blades back & down.

Hang Power Clean. Start in the Romanian Deadlift position with the bar at mid-thigh level. Arms stay straight, hips back. This is your starting position.

Jump. Catch the bar in the rack position. If you hesitate, just jump up. Your body will figure out how to rack the bar.

Stomp. Your body coordinates stomping with racking. The harder you stomp, the faster you'll rack. Stomp your feet back into your footprints.

Elbows High. Racking with low elbows will hurt your elbows and wrists. Rack the bar by throwing your elbows as high as possible

Power Cleans. Practice Hang Power Cleans a lot before switching to Power Cleans. 2 tips.

Pull Slowly from The Floor. Jerking the weight causes bad technique in the 2nd pull. Pull slowly from the floor. Accelerate once above the knees.

Put Your Hips Higher. Hips are higher on Power Cleans than Deadlifts. You'll feel tension in your hamstrings when putting your hips correctly

Copyright © 2013 StrongLifts.com All Rights Reserved

This last weekend we held our first ever Signature Launch!  This event was to showcase our Sig Memberships that include Personal Training, Small Groups, TRX, HIIT, Kinesis, Yoga, and MORE!!!  We love our training staff and want to thank everyone who participated!  Here's a little video recap!

Exercise Review by Travis Girard

The dreaded burpee!! One of the most feared exercises by clients, and one of the most utilized bodyweight exercises used by trainers. This challenging exercise uses almost every muscle in the body, making it a calorie incinerator! Are you doing it correctly to get the most calorie burn for your buck?

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see where this exercise got its roots:

The burpee, also known as the squat thrust, is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps, and was originally known as a "four-count Burpee":

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee test. He earned a PhD in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in 1940 and created the "Burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple way to assess fitness. The exercise was popularized when the United States Armed Services adopted it as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered WWII. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to be a quick measure of agility, coordination and strength. 

Now you know!

How do I perform a Burpee?

1. Begin in a standing position.

2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. (count 1)

3. Extend your feet back in one quick motion to assume the push-up position. (count 2)

4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion. (count 3)

5. Return to standing position. (count 4)

Variations:

A common CrossFit variation is to require your pelvis to touch the ground or the Burpee does not count.  Another common variation is to add a maximum vertical jump as you return to standing position.

Application:

Start with 3 sets of 10 Burpees to build cardiovascular tolerance.

Extreme: One of the grueling original applications the military used with the Burpee was the “Burpee Mile” where the participant would perform a Burpee followed by a broad jump, until the person traveled one mile.

Will this be your best day ever? Or your beastliest? What you put in your mouth will have a lot to do with the answer. Food can help fuel body and mind to ensure that you perform at the peak of your abilities. Or it can sabotage your best efforts, leaving you panicked, drained, and floundering. Are you eating your way to disaster, or triumph? Let's go through your daily menu of foods and tasks to help you snack, slurp, and sup your way to success.

6:43am -

You've just rolled out of bed. You need to be on the road by 7:20. Big day of work ahead.

Eat This: Bacon or ham and fried eggs
Benefit 1: Fullness and energy
The protein in this power meal will keep you feeling full throughout the morning. A University of Illinois study found that people who eat more protein and less carbs than in conventional meals find it easier to stick to a diet. Protein is satiating and may also boost calorie burn, the study authors say.

Benefit 2: Relaxed blood vessels
When you digest eggs, protein fragments are produced that can prevent your blood vessels from narrowing—which may help keep your blood pressure from rising. In fact, Canadian scientists found in a lab study that the hotter the eggs, the more potent the proteins, and frying them sends their temps soaring.

Not That: Pancakes, or a bagel with cream cheese
These carbohydrate-loaded options will send your blood glucose skyward, and you may feel ready to tackle anything. But don't be fooled: That soaring blood sugar will lead to a crash, and you're bound to feel hungry again before lunch. Resist the tempting ease of most high-carb breakfasts, and go find some protein.

Extra tip: Eat now at home, not later on the road. A University of Massachusetts study found that eating breakfast out instead of at home more than doubles your odds of obesity. Not only are restaurant meals often bigger than home-cooked ones, but you're also vulnerable to an impulse buy at a drive-thru or convenience store.
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Quick!  Let’s do a little word association: When I say, ‘health food’ what’s the first thought that comes to mind?  Does the very notion conjure up images of huge grocery bills or tearful children?  Fear not!  Though a lot of people think that eating healthier would necessarily require a complete diet overhaul, just a few tweaks and sneaks can make a huge difference.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

• Chop up fresh spinach and toss it in with your tomato sauce.  It’s an easy way to sneak in one of nature’s super foods and your kids won’t likely notice.  Plus, they might even develop a taste for spinach!  Imagine that!  Oh, and speaking of tomato sauce, what kind are you using?  A little label reading goes a long way here.  Some have a ton of added junk–sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fats, sodium–and can be rather high in calories.  So take a peak at that marinara label.  Look for one that has maybe 50 or so calories or less per serving, which is typically 1/2 cup.  Or!  If you are really feeling wild, try making your *own* marinara sauce.  Sounds like a lot of work, but you can actually whip up a batch with little time and effort.  All you need is a drizzle of olive oil, some minced garlic, a healthy splosh of white wine, a big can of crushed tomatoes, and your favorite Italian herbs and spices (e.g. basil, oregano, marjoram, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.).  Toss in a couple handfuls of that chopped, fresh spinach and you’ll have an easy dinner with huge nutritional value.
• Keep a bag of blueberries in the freezer.   Not only will you get all those lovely health-protective antioxidants, but you’ll also get a much needed taste of summer when the pickings are slim.  Try a handful in your yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, desserts–whatever you can think of!
• Try using low-fat Greek-style yogurt in place of sour cream or cream in all sorts of recipes.  Über thick and creamy, this stuff lends itself ever so well to dips, salad dressings, desserts, creamy sauces, and more, and yet packs a nutritional wallop.  It’s high in complete protein and immune-enhancing probiotics while being generally low in calories and fat–if you choose a low-fat variety; be warned that full-fat versions are anything but low-cal.  (If you are needing a boost in protein and calories, however, go for those full-fat varieties!)  Ditto if there’s a bunch of added sugar.
• Swap your regular pasta for a whole grain variety, like Barilla Plus.  Made with lentils, chickpeas, spelt, barley, flax seed, oats, and wheat, Barilla Plus is higher in fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and folate…oh, and my husband likes it!  Though many will choke down any horrid bit of cardboard in the name of health, I’ve always believed that good nutrition and good taste don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Visit Maureen Boswell's Blog at Maureen Fraîche - Mixing Business and Pleasure in the Kitchen

Almost never will a day go by and you will not see some sort of infomercial or advertisement selling you a DVD for the latest and greatest workout to get you into the best shape of you life, especially around the New Year. It’s simply overwhelming, and most of them don’t hold up to their claims. I have seen almost all of them from P90X to 6 minute abs, and had everyone from clients, friends, and family members try them, even I have dabbled in P90X, and enjoyed it. This portion of our blog is usually designated for reviewing one exercise DVD and telling you from a trainers stand point whether I think it’s worth its rocks. After some thought I came to what I think is a more helpful conclusion. I don’t like being ripped off, just ripped, so I’m going to go over 5 key components that an at home exercise DVD should have to be effective and hold up to its claim to truly get you into the best shape of your life.

1. Diet- This in my opinion is the first thing you should look at when buying one of these products. If it does not come with some sort of meal plan then it simply is going to be mediocre AT BEST. It needs to come with a diet that is not only easy, but something that has tempting enough food that you will stick to it. Without diet you will fall short of your goals. PERIOD.
2. Sufficient exercise time- I’m sorry to be the barer of bad news but you will not get fit from exercising for 6 minutes, 3x times a week. It just will not burn enough calories to make a difference. It has to make you sweat, and it has to take some time. The program needs to call for at least 30 minutes multiple times per week.
3. Weights-the program has to have some kind of resistance training. I do not like exercise programs that are solely cardio. This in my opinion will allow you to drop weight, but some or most of it will be muscle. With some resistance training you can retain muscle, strength, raise your metabolism and make faster progress.
4. Cardio-with that said it also has to have some sort of cardiovascular balance to assist in the weight loss and blast through fat. Whether this be intervals, circuits or plyometrics.
5. Progression-This might be the one that annoys me the most when I see TV exercise programs. If your body does not have a way to keep progressing it will stop making changes and you will plateau. This has to be either in the way of weights, cardiovascular stress or just overall difficulty. Look for a program that progressively gets harder as the weeks go on.

In my opinion, still to this day p90x holds the crown as the best at home exercise DVD. It includes all of the above factors and also has things like yoga and kenpo boxing. At times Tony Horton can get a little cheesy but that’s easy to look past when you start seeing results.