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Upper Body by Matthew McConaughey

posted in: Core Recipe, Fitness Tips, Training (Tags: , , ) - No Comments

6:24 PM 6:24 PM

I’m back! It has been almost a month since my last post about fitness, which funny enough, was about motivation. For me, the summer is my season to relax and enjoy the weather (especially being in NYC) and thus, I don’t make it to the gym more than 2-3 times per week. I do ride my bike, run along the Hudson, and walk a lot from place to place, but I don’t do a lot of weight training and heavy workouts until the fall rolls around. Except for the most obvious reason of wanting to be outside, I haven’t put my finger on really why the summer isn’t my prime time, but c’est la vie.

Realizing my slacker tendencies with the warm weather, I have kicked myself in the ass and out of my rut. Yay! I recently went to the gym with a guy friend of mine who wanted to do an arm workout. I quickly said, okay, but really, I don’t know a good arm workout for men?! I got on the computer to do some research on men’s fitness and came upon workouts by Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon and Jason Statham. I went with Matthew McConaughey for now, but I will try the other two one of these days. Apparently it was a good arm workout…my friend was sufficiently sore. Try it for yourself!

Complete each exercise below with 3 sets of 12-15 reps. The weight you choose should be difficult to lift toward your last rep.

Lat Pulldowns
For: Back & biceps
Tip: Make sure legs are secure under the padded bar

latpulldown2

Bench press
Works: Triceps, deltoids & pectorals
Tip: Always use a spotter for traditional bench press

abs_benchpress_300x300

Biceps Curl
Works: Biceps, elbow flexors
Tip: Keep your elbows against your body in lift in a controlled motion with palms facing up

bicepcurl2

Incline Dumbbell Press
Works: Pectoralis major & clavicular
Tip: Press dumbbells up with elbows until arms are extended – you want to feel a slight stretch

inclinedumb

Triceps Rope Pushdown
Works: Triceps
Tip: Keep arms bent 90 degrees at both start and finish of each rep

tricep-pushdown1

Dumbbell press
Works: Pectorals, deltoids, triceps and biceps
Tip: Keep palms facing your feet, don’t click the dumbbells and finish the exercise with dumbbells directly over your shoulders.

dumbbellpress1

After you try this workout, let me know the results or one of your favorite workouts! Matthew has a few more workouts that I have to try, so stay tuned for more!

Pasta di Farro

posted in: Recipes & Eats - No Comments

1:50 PM 1:50 PM

For all of the pasta lovers out there, this quick and easy homemade pasta dish with farro (see About Farro below) is a healthy alternative to regular pasta. I learned about farro through my friend Alexi, who spent a couple years in Italy. Don’t mind the spoon in the photo below, there were no forks in my office. ;)

 

pasta1Ingredients
½ container of farro spaghetti (about 4oz)
3 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves chopped (garlic lovers: add more)
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 large on-the-vine tomatoes (or tomato of your choice), chopped
1 t sea salt
Fresh black pepper (to taste)
Red pepper flakes
1 T fresh basil or ½ T dried
Fresh parmesan

Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add farro and cook according to instructions on package, about 6-8 minutes. While pasta is boiling, in a small saucepan, on low to medium heat, warm the olive oil (about 30 seconds) and add chopped garlic and onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until garlic is browned and add the tomatoes and sea salt. Stir. Sprinkle the black pepper, red pepper and basil and bring mixture to a boil. Cook on low to  medium heat for about 20 minutes or until sauce is to your desired thickness. Stir every couple of minutes to mix the flavors around. Serves 2-4, depending on your appetite. :)

About Farro
Farro is an ancestor of modern wheat that closely resembles spelt, which has been grown throughout Europe for centuries. With the increasing interest in healthy and organic foods in the US, farro is starting to show up in more and more restaurants and grocery stores – I buy mine at a local Italian shop near my apartment: Rafetto’s.

Farro is an unhybridized form of wheat that closely resembles spelt, but has a hearty and nutty flavor that last throughout the next day’s leftovers. A great alternative for people who are sensitive to hybridized wheat, the type of gluten in farro is easily digested.

What is Spaghetti?
“A long, thin form of pasta. Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning thin string or twine. The word spaghetti can be literally translated as little strings.“ – cubemarketplace.com