Viking Food List 2010
Dec/090
So with the new year coming, I thought I would do everyone a favor and post some foods that you should throw on your shopping lists. The easiest and most effective way to get the body you want is by changing the foods you eat. It makes sense right? If you put organic, whole, unprocessed foods into your body… your body has nothing left to store as fat because it can use the foods for energy and sustainment. Try weeding out the processed foods in your diet for 2010 and watch the difference in the way you look and feel.
Protein
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
- Tuna (water packed)
- Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut, sushi, mahi mahi, Orange roughi, tilapia, Sardines)
- Shrimp
- Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
- Venison
- Buffalo
- Ostrich
- Protein Powder (Whey, Casein, Soy, Egg)
- Eggs
- Low or Non-Fat Cottage cheese, Ricotta
- Low fat or Non fat Yogurt
- Ribeye Steaks or Roast
- Top Round Steaks or Roast (stew meat, London broil, Stir fry)
- Top Sirloin (Sirloin Top Butt)
- Beef Tenderloin (filet mignon)
- Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
- Flank Steak (Stir Fry, Fajitas)
- Eye of Round (Cube meat, Stew meat, Bottom Round)
- Ground Turkey
- Turkey Breast slices or cutlets (*no processed deli or sandwich meats)
Complex Carbs
- Oatmeal (Old fashioned, Quick oats, Irish steal cut)
- Sweet Potatoes, Yams
- Brown rice
- Ezekial bread
- Whole wheat bread
Fibrous Carbs
- Green Leafy lettuce (red, green, romaine)
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- String Beans
- Spinach
- Bell Peppers (Green or Red)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Eggplant
- Onions
- Pumpkin
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Fruit
- bananas, oranges, apples, grapefruit,
- peaches, strawberries, blueberries,
- rasberries, lemons or limes
Healthy Fats
- Natural Style Peanut Butter
- Olive oil, Safflower oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Fish Oil
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
- Avocado
Dairy
- Eggs
- Low of Non-Fat cottage cheese, Ricotta
- Low or non-fat milk
- Low fat or non-fat yogurt
Misc
- Mustard
- Garlic
- Iced tea
- Mushrooms
- Herbal tea
- Onions
- Dry seasonings (Herbal, etc.)
- Scallions
- Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
The Viking Workout!
Oct/091
While reading through recent crossfit excersices, I stumbled upon one I just had to post. I give you the Viking battle workout: 
- Row to shore: 1000m
- Run to battle: 800m
- Scale Walls: 50 Pull-ups
- Heave over ramparts: 50 Wall Balls (20#)
- Throw Blows: 100 Push-ups
- Run Back to boat: 800m
- Row Home with booty: 1000m
Do these exercises in sequence with as little rest as possible. Try to see how fast you can finish using correct form. Post a comment with your time, let’s see who’s battle ready!
Creatine: It Works!
Jul/090
I don’t use too many supplements these days, it’s easy to believe the hype and spend loads of money on supplements that don’t really produce results. However there are a few that are definitely worth your hard earned money, Creatine is one of them. Take a look at this study:
Creatine Prevents Losses In Strength And Muscle Size During Immobilization:
Muscle mass, strength and endurance decrease rapidly during immobilization following an injury or surgery. Creatine monohydrate boosts muscle size and strength in athletes, older adults and people suffering from degenerative diseases. Canadian researchers, led by Adam Johnson, found that creatine supplements (5 grams, four times per day) prevented muscle deterioration in young men with arms immobilized in plaster casts for two seven-day periods. Casting without creatine caused a 3.7 percent decrease in muscle mass, a 21.5 percent decrease in strength and a 43 percent decrease in muscle endurance. During creatine supplementation, muscle mass actually increased slightly, while strength and muscle endurance decreased by only 4.1 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. Creatine monohydrate supplements prevent large losses in muscle mass, strength, and endurance in cast-immobilized limbs in young men. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, in press; published online in January 2009)
Now you can bank on those kind of results! Don’t bother wasting your money on the expensive stuff loaded with sugar either, a 500g tub should only cost you $15 bucks or so.
In Fighting Shape: for the working man
Jul/092
A fighters workout regime is dedicated, intense, and disciplined. It demands a full commitment from the fighter and allows for little to no leeway. Here is what a traditional Maui Thai fighters day looks like:
- Wake up at 6:00 a.m. and stretch for approximately 30 minutes.
- Perform a five-mile run, partially up hill, at a moderate pace.
- Follow the run with at least 30 minutes of shadow-boxing with three or five pound weights in each hand.
- At least one hour of pad work follows with an instructor.
- After the pad work is complete and each student has had three or four rotations with the instructor, sparring begins.
- Following the morning training a meal is enjoyed and he is free to rest and nap at will.
- At 5:00 p.m., the second session of the day is held.
- This training is usually six days a week, with Saturdays off.
Most of us can’t afford that time or commitment. However that doesn’t mean we cannot train with the intensity and core motions that most fighters swear by. By keeping your workouts focused (STOP CHATTING IN THE GYM!) and intense (Think: survival!) we can see the same results that a ring ready fighter has. These break out into three levels, Mental Fitness, Physical Fitness, and Heart (toughness). Mental and physical fitness can be trained and acquired, heart is one of these thing you either have or you don’t, but that won’t stop us from getting the first two covered!
One way we can beef our mental and Physical fitness is through conditioning. When we train we need to push our body’s to a place we are uncomfortable with, and then go even harder. It’s very easy to start jogging or walking off before the routine is done, you need to force yourself to fight through that wall. Tell yourself that you can go a little longer, believe it, then do it! Try this conditioning program, don’t make excuses, and finish the whole thing!
Do 5 x 5 minute rounds, rest 60 seconds in between (don’t give up):
- 1 min x Kettle bell Swings (at least 55lbs) single or double handed you choose
- 1 min x Jump Rope (sprinting in place style)
- 1 min x Overhead medicine ball slams
- 1 min x Squat jumps
- 1 min x Burpees to finish off the round
Remember, our physical fitness is only as good as our mental fitness, push yourself and enjoy the rewards!
Viking Steak
Jul/091
Its summer, steak is king! Here’s an easy healthy recipe that works with the natural viking diet. It’s a twist on pepper steak that tastes great!
Viking Pepper Steak:
1 pound round steak cut 1/2 inch thick
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1 dash of garlic salt
1/4 cup water
2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
Cut meat in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, then crosswise into thin slices. Brown meat in olive oil, then add onion, pepper, pineapple, and tomato; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in water, and sprinkle on garlic salt, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve on a bed of shredded carrots.
MMA Week: Couture Training
Jul/090
In honor of UFC 100 coming up this weekend, I decided to share a few workouts for those of you interested in getting your body into fighting shape. I will post training tactics this week that will focus on explosive movements and core power, two key factors in getting your body ready for the cage. Today I will discuss a true MMA training staple, The Randy Couture workout.
Randy Couture is an American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, former collegiate wrestler, and the former heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Couture is one of only two UFC fighters to have held a championship title in two different divisions (heavyweight and light heavyweight) while in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the other fighter being BJ Penn), as well as the only five-time champion in UFC history. Couture is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, and many consider him to be the most popular fighter in MMA history. His training techniques are guaranteed to be brutal and whip you into shape in a hurry! One of his most popular routines was a complex series he used to supplement his training. I recommend you try to mix this workout into your routine 3 times a week.
For this workout, do all the reps without letting go of the bar for the best conditioning effect:
I recommend you start with the 45lb empty bar and work up (depending on your base conditioning). Remember this is not a strentgh workout, its about fitness and endurance.
Do the following without stopping, that’s 1 set. Rest one minute, do 3-5 sets.
- Bent rows x8
- Upright rows x8
- Military press x8
- Good morning x8
- Lunges x8 (each leg)
- Squat push press x8
- Deadlift x8
Here is a video showing how this workout is done:
Keep the intensity high, enjoy!
100 pushup challenge
Jun/090
I am a huge advocate for natural body weight training, and there is no exercise better than the push-up. This movement works so much more than just your chest. It’s compound, utilizing muscles from your back, arms, chest, and core. I like to start everyday out with a quick set of push-ups to get your blood moving and your mindset right (see my AM Workout). For those of you who are looking to increase your strength quickly and efficiently I recommend trying the 100 push-up challenge.
This site gives a very straight forward way to increase your strength by outlining a plan of increasing reps each day until you reach 100 consecutive push-ups. There are two main reasons why I like this approach. The first is because its simple, wake up do your routine and go (takes 10-15 minutes tops).
This routine looks like this and varies every day, details are on the site:
- Set 1: 10
- Set 2: 12
- Set 3: 7
- Set 4: 7
- Set 5: Max Reps (at least 9)
The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The second reason I like this approach is because it drive results based on goal. I believe the only way to really get the results you want are by setting achievable goals for yourself, like doing 100 push-ups in a row! Try this routine, I guarantee you will see results in strength and definition in your chest.
Now go do your push-ups!
The 300: For Vikings and Spartans alike
Jun/091
Everyone has seen the movie The 300, an amazing and visually stunning movie. One of the things that made the movie so stunning was the amazing physique of the actors… These guys were SHREDDED! This workout was what their trainer had them doing at the end of each month in preparation for the film. Now, I know this movie and work out came out a few years ago but I have just discovered it so I thought it would be worth sharing here.
WARNING: This workout is not for the weak! It will push your body far past the point of exhaustion, but it is a great way to challenge yourself to get to the next level in fitness.
The workout was given its name for the total number of reps you will complete by the time you finish. This workout is not meant to be an every day thing, Instead try it once a month to test yourself and compare how you do each time you complete it. It looks like this:
The folowing are to be completed in order with no rest in between sets (don’t move on until you do every rep).
- 25 pull-ups
- 50 dead lifts at 135 pounds
- 50 push-ups
- 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
- 50 “floor wipers” at 135 pounds
- 50 “clean and press” at 36 pounds
- 25 more pull-ups
That’s 300 reps! Record the time it took you to complete the workout and try to beat it next month!
This workout definitely meets the Viking Muscle standard, brutal!
Natural Viking Diet
Jun/098
First of all understand that this diet will not be optimal for everyone who reads this, but I hate it when people post their diet guidelines but not the actual diet they are using to reach their goals.
For this diet I am trying to cut fat slowly, eat only whole natural foods that adhere to the paleo diet, and eat every 2 – 3 hours depending on hunger. I will not restrict myself to calories however this is what a typical day will look like:
Viking Diet 1:
- Breakfast:
- 2 Egg whites, 1 whole egg (scrambled)
- 2 tbsp Salsa (Green Chili is excellent here too)
- 2 slices of Turkey bacon
- 1 – 2 pieces of fruit (usually a banana or apple)
- Large glass of water (very important)
- Snack:
- 1 large handful of almonds
- 1 piece of fruit
- Lunch:
- Chicken Breast or 1 Can of tuna
- Large Vegetable salad (add carrots, spinach, cucumbers, etc.)
- 2 tbsp Stone ground mustard (trust me here!)
- Snack (pre-workout):
- 2 pieces of fruit
- 1 handful of almonds
- (whey shake, if needed)
- Dinner:
- 1 Chicken breast (marinate in Balsamic Vinegar for 30 min)
- 1 handful carrots (I like baby carrots, no mess)
- 1 handful of grapes
- Small salad (add any veggies you want, dash some balsamic on top)
That’s a typical day for me, I’m never hungry and I have a lot of energy throughout. Find what works for you, the idea is to get back to letting your body let you know when it’s time to eat. When you do eat keep portions in mind, the typical portion sizes these days are way too big, eat what you need (think primal, just enough to sustain!). Once you start eating cleaner, it will be easy to stick to it. Eating every few hours will keep your metabolism burning all throughout the day.
Eat up!
Did Vikings eat peppers?
Jun/090
I don’t know but stuffed peppers are delicious! And it turns out this recipe is pretty darn good for your body as well, give it a try.
Stuffed Peppers
delicious stuffed peppers, fit for a viking.
Ingredients:
- 4-6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green)
- 1 lb ground lean turkey (or lean ground beef)
- 2- 15 oz cans of tomato sauce, or 1 – 30 oz can (Only tomato! No sugar!)
- 2 cups favorite veggies, squash, spinach, diced carrots
- 3 tablespoons of fresh basil (3 tsp dried)
- 3 tablespoons of fresh oregano (2-3 tsp dried)
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 325. Brown the ground turkey with the onion, and the rest of your veggies. Combine the tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds. Combine the ground turkey, veggies, and half of the tomato sauce mixture, and stuff inside the hollowed out peppers.
Pour the other half of the tomato sauce over the top of the peppers. Bake at 325 for about 50-60 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. You can sprinkle a little Parmesan, on top during the last 15-20 minutes.
Eat up… Natural, Healthy, and Lean!
