Tired of eating raw and cold vegetables?  I had a craving for lemon flavored dish last night; therefore, I decided to roast some zucchinis and bell peppers that were marinated with lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil. On top of my vegetables, I put some fat-free Greek yogurt and sprinkled some roasted sesame seeds for the crunchy texture and great aroma.

Because of the pressure to look lean, thin, and feminine, some women have neglected the importance of strength training. Many athletic coaches have taken the initiative to emphasize strength training to young female athletes. General study has found that female athletes often lack hamstring strength relative to their quadriceps. To improve female athlete’s performance, trainers introduce Olympic lifts (e.g. clean, snatch, jerk, etc) and help women focus on form and techniques before progressive overloading.

Here’s a list of recommended multiple compound exercises by Stephanie Tracey-Simmons, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of University of Kentucky.

• Dumbbell Romanian dead lift
• Dumbbell high pull
• Dumbbell muscle snatch
• Dumbbell squat
• Dumbbell push press

Remember: abs, butt, and PERFORMANCE!

Every Wednesday, The Sweaty Guinea Pig will feature a fresh individual who will share his or her thoughts and experiences on fitness and healthy living.

Name: Deirdre Murphy
Age: 20
Location: Storrs, CT; Staten Island, NY
Occupation: Full Time Student

What is your current routine? How many days do you dedicate to exercising every week?
Currently I am on a hiatus from working out because I have had mono for a little over a month. But, I was doing 5-6 times a week of intense cardio training followed by some light weight training to tone and define. I would do 5 times of cardio and 3 times of weight training a week.

How did you come up with your current routine?
Reggie provides a weekly workout for me that is always awesome and keeps my interest. Also, when I go to the gym with my friends we push each other harder and I’m more incline to stay for an extra 10 or 15 minutes of cardio to keep up with them.

What are your short term (within 6 weeks) and long- term (3 months and beyond) goals?
My new short-term goal is to be toned and sleek, bathing suit time! Spring Break is March 8th, so I want to be ready for that! My Long-term goal is to have really well defined arms. I want to have muscles without being bulky. I was seeing nice definition before I got sick, so I want to get back to that point and then build off of that.

What are other types of training that you’d like to try?
I want to try Cardio-kick boxing. I did it a few summers ago when I was not into working out, but now that I am dedicated I know I would love it. Also, I try spinning classes every now and then, they are awesome - a nice change from just the treadmill.

What is your favorite post-workout meal?
I love peanut butter sandwiches! I usually reach for something high in fiber or protein. Since I’m usually fitting gym time in between classes, I usually grab a bar like a Pria or Fiber One bar to keep myself energized.

What is your ideal “cheat” meal or favorite guilty indulgence?
Anything desert! I love chocolate.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other Sweaty Guinea Pig readers?
Keep on going! It may be hard to get going, but once you do it you will feel soooo great!

According to a report by National Strength and Conditioning Association, by doing free-weight training, an individual can improve strength and balance by more than two times and five times, respectively over an individual who does fixed-ranged training (using machines).

Every Wednesday, The Sweaty Guinea Pig will feature a fresh individual who will share his or her thoughts and experiences on fitness and healthy living.

Name: Peter Kang
Age: 24
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Partner at Barrel, web design and technology firm.

What is your current routine? How many days do you dedicate to exercising every week?
I try to give myself at least four days of exercise a week. I try to hit up my gym three times a week in the morning - I usually do some biking to warm up, three to four different lifts, and then about fifteen minutes of core exercises. When the weather is warm, I go jogging in Prospect Park, where I try to get in at least 3 miles. On weekends I try to play touch football or pickup basketball – nothing gets me exercising as hard as running full speed in a competitive environment.

How did you come up with your current routine?
It’s been a matter of finding what feels good and effective through trial and error. I stopped doing super heavy weights and now focus more on repetitive lower-weight lifting that requires lots of stability training and stamina building. As for running, I should probably get more disciplined about how hard I push myself – sometimes I’ll get too tired and just walk until I feel better.

What are your short term (within 6 weeks) and long term (3 months and beyond) goals?
I definitely want to become a better runner both short-term and long-term. I’m proud to say that I can now run a mile without feeling like I’m going to die. The next step is to run 3, 4, 5-plus miles at a respectable pace and without giving up.

What are other types of training that you’d like to try?
I should really get myself to wake up at 10AM on Sundays to attend cycling class so I can really push myself. I’ll probably have to have a huge pasta dinner the night before.

What is your favorite post-workout meal?
I almost always have yogurt with granola and dried cranberries after my workouts.

What is your ideal “cheat” meal or favorite guilty indulgence?
A big plate of greasy fried pork belly with a huge pile of kimchi and rice – I never get tired of eating this, but I’m glad I don’t live near a Korean market anymore or else I’d be carrying an extra 15 pounds.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other Sweaty Guinea Pig readers?
Try making your own lunch! It gives you an excuse to walk outside to get groceries, helps you save money, and is a great way to keep the fat off.

Last weekend, I cooked up some seafood dishes to pair with Albariňo, a Spanish white wine, for some friends and myself as a reward for my hard training.

After teaching spinning in the morning, I headed to a farmer market in Brooklyn, NY, to pick up some fresh produce. Going to farmer market is a great way to keep your lifestyle active!

Shaking a pan-ful of mussels with Noilly Prat.

Pouring the aromatic coconut broth onto freshly steamed mussels.

Mussels with Aromatic Coconut Broth - inspired by Gordon Ramsay

Roasted Vegetable Galette with Olives. First time baking!

Serving Fresh Pasta with Smoked Trout.

Here it is - Fresh Pasta with Smoked Trout, another dish inspired by Gordon Ramsay

BAM - Emeril’s “Hilda’s Stew“, Cajun style.

At the end of the week, I always like to experiment new recipes and enjoy a glass of great wine.

Been training hard lately? Take a break and treat yourself, and make others be your guinea pig for your culinary skills!

We all know that eating later at night will make us gain weight, simply because most of us are not active enough to burn off the calories we consume. However, there are some great choices of food that you can eat later (even before going to bed) and not worry about gaining the extra layer around your waist. How can I prove it? I eat these foods every night and haven’t gained fats.

1. Old fashion plain oatmeal - provides great amount of fibers to digest dinner
2. Fat-free/1% fat plain yogurt - provides adequate amount of protein for muscle recovery while you are snoring away
3. Broccoli - vitamins, fibers, anti-oxidant, you name it, it has it.
4. Fat-free/1 % fat cottage cheese - provides adequate amount of proteins and fills you up even more comparing to yogurt because of its dense texture
5. Cucumber - besides the obvious (vitamins, fibers, etc), contains large amount of water, which fills you up.
6. Mixed steamed vegetables - simply healthy and heart-warming

These are my top choices for snacking later at night when I am either stuck at work or can’t fall asleep because of hunger.

This exercise helps you to build glute (butt) strength and stabilize core muscles. You can also work on your running form, which is very important for injury prevention and performance improvement.

New York Times’ article on fat people’s struggle to gain social acceptance has reminded me my childhood when I had constantly tried to fit in among the kids. I was not fat or “full-figured”, but I was often the last one picked for backyard football or basketball games. I was disappointed and felt discriminated because I thought I was a better athlete than other kids. But I played hard and gained acceptance with occasional heroic touchdown catches or three-point baskets. My childhood struggle to gain acceptance has made me feel sympathetic with people who are considered obese or overweight. However, the “full-bodied-figure” advocates quoted in New York Times makes me wonder if they are in the state of denial that their health is in jeopardy. I never judge overweights as long as the individual makes the effort to be healthy. I agree that people should cherish and love the way they look. But when an individual has gained weight from bad eating habit or lack of exercising, they have no one to blame but themselves if they are targeted as lazy and unmotivated. Had I not tried my hardest in the backyard pickup games, I would had had only myself to blame when I was neglected at the playground. Please, don’t get me wrong; I work in the fitness industry and my job is to promote healthy living but not deprivation. My job is to help people become an efficient human being - slow aging process, staying flexible and not getting hurt, and being energetic day in and day out. Let’s be honest to ourselves, are we eating healthy and having the minimal amount of exercises (30 minutes of moderate intensity) everyday? If you can look at yourself in the mirror and answer yes to those two questions, then you can blog all you want about fatosphere. Otherwise, don’t hate when you are the last one to be picked for the pickup game.

I hate cold. I complain about cold even in a room temperature, 71.6 F. I give myself all sort of excuses not to exercise, including the possibility of getting injured, when outside temperature drops to around 45 F. According to John W. Castellani, an exercise physiologist at the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, people actually get injured more often when exercising in the heat. In addition, we shouldn’t be afraid of induced asthma attack from being in the cold because the air will be in body temperature by the time it reaches our lungs. With my hectic schedule, I often can’t go to my gym and do my cardio workout. I toughened up and ran 8 miles this morning after my personal training session in 31 F. I felt great during and after my run. To prevent injuries, I spent 20 minutes stretching in my office. Too cold?…try another excuse, Guinea Pig.