STRENGTH

"Physical strength is the most important thing in life. This is true whether you want it to be or not. As humanity has developed throughout history, physical strength has become less critical to our daily existence, but no less important to our lives. Our strength, more then any other thing we possess, still determines the quality and quantity of our time here in these bodies. Whereas previously our physical strength determined how much food we ate and how warm and dry we stayed, it now merely determines how well we function in these new surroundings we have crafted for ourselves as our culture has accumulated. But we are still animals- our physical existence is, in the final analysis, the only one that actually matters."

Mark Rippletoe

So bottom line strength is a super important and only becomes more and more important as we age. Having a 400 pound deadlift is awesome but having the strength to climb stairs and carry loads and pick up your grandchildren is even more awesome. We all get old and we all lose strength so the higher you level of strength when you are young the better you will be able to function when you are old.

WOD

Heavy Deadlifts

sets of 5,5,3,3,3,1,1,1.......find your max....rest a few minutes between each set.

then....

5 Ball Slams

10 Push Ups               6 rounds

15 KB Swings

POST TIMES/Weights used to comments for tracking progress

MORE ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL LUNCHES

So while I was doing the back to school grocery shopping on the weekend I spent some time in the cookie isle reading labels. Honestly I wanted to run screaming from the isle in terror at what I found. High carbs, high caloric content, high fat no protein, no nutritional value......YIKES....my insulin was spiking just reading the labels. This left me with a dilema....what to pack as a snack without having my teenagers hate me.

I stumbled accross this recipe some time ago. They aren't as pretty as oreo cakesters but they taste darn good!!!

 This recipe makes 24 cookies, each cookie has 1 block of protein and carbohydrates and 1/2 block of fat. You can increase the fat blocks by sprinkling ground or slivered almonds on top of the cookies.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup Almond Butter 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Fructose, powdered 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract (optional) 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder (I used Whey Protein) 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Water (optional) 1 1/2 cups Oatmeal

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix with an electric mixer or food processor Almond Butter and Fructose until somewhat smooth.

• Mix in the egg whites, vanilla and Almond Extract if using In a second bowl mix Protein Powder, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Salt Add the water to the powders (if using) and mix.

• Add the powder mixture to the Almond Butter/Fructose bowl, stir well Stir in the Oatmeal

• Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.

• Place parchment paper on cookie sheets (this is because the cookies have little fat in them, fat keeps cookies from sticking).

• Divide the batter into 24 cookies in several batches, 9 to 12 is good per sheet depending on the cookie sheet size, the cookies can spread.

• Bake for 8 minutes, take off sheet and let them cool.

Why the optional ingredients?
The almond extract is for those that like almond in cookies a lot. The water is for the texture of the cookie itself. If you use no water the batter will be very sticky and the cookies will be very dry (like biscotti). With 1/2 cup water the cookies will be more cake like and moist. You decide, I like the moister version myself.