The Perfect Playlist for Running

• Atlas – Battles
• Party and Bullshit – Ratatat remix of Biggie Smalls
• For Whom the Bell Tolls – Metallica
• Six Day – DJ Shadow featuring Mos Def
• Stomp – Ratatat remix of Young Buck, T.I. and Ludacris
• Kids – Sleigh Bells
• Shorty Wanna Ride – Ratatat remix of Young Buck
• Master of Puppets – Metallica
• Riot Rhythm – Sleigh Bells
• Alright – Ratatat remix of Memphis Bleek
• Blackened – Metallica

Luscious Local Eats Part I: Salads

Houston isn’t exactly known for having a variety of healthy restaurant options. Sure, we have a few outstanding spots, like Ruggles Green, A Moveable Feast, Ziggy’s, Field of Greens, and a handful of others, BUT! There are some fantastic places that have little hidden treasures of healthy, delicious noms for those of us trying to eat well when we’re out. These are a few of my favorite inner loop salads.

El Rey‘s Grilled Chicken Salad

Go ahead, click it. You'll fall in love.

Grilled chicken; grilled zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell pepper; fresh tomatoes and avocado; pico de gallo with mango; all on a bed of fresh field greens. If you’re pesce (like me), you can sub grilled fish or shrimp for the chicken. This amazing salad is only $7.99. Seriously. That makes this salad the least expensive (with meat) on my list.

Chatter’s Salmon Nicoise

Yes, that salmon is exquisitely rare on the inside

This is a great blend of a classic and modern Nicoise, except it is topped with seared salmon instead of canned tuna. Also included are a boiled egg, raw tomatoes, artichoke hearts, blanched green beans, boiled new potatoes, kalamata olives, and raw red bell pepper, all on a bed of crisp romaine. Their balsamic vinaigrette is almost drinkable. This gorgeous girl is $12.95. If you’re watching carbs, ask them not to bring out the soft…. warm… homemade pita that comes with it.

Ruggles Green Texas Goat Cheese Salad – baby greens, arugula, toasted almonds, sliced Granny Smith apples, and warm Texas goat and parmesan cheeses tossed with a homemade sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing. I literally dream about this salad while I sleep, and I will let nothing stand between it and me. Do you see that? Warm goat cheese covered in toasted, thinly sliced almonds. The only reason I don’t have a photo is that I cannot abide this salad just taunting me while I photograph it. This fantasy of a salad is 10.95 as is. You can add grilled chicken for $3.95 or grilled shrimp/Atlantic salmon for $5.95.

Star Pizza‘s Greek Salad – romaine, artichoke hearts, feta, capers, Roma tomatoes, red onions, and kalamata olives, comes with another great vinaigrette. I know it’s risky to walk into a pizza joint when you’re trying to watch what you eat, but this salad is worth it. Let’s call it a test of wills, or do like I do, and order it delivered. You can get this baby for $6.50. Yes, I said SIX EFFIN FIFTY! Add rosemary and garlic chicken for $2.75, and you’re still under $10!

What are some of YOUR favorite salads around town?

An Indoor Day

Even though I train most of my clients in the studio, I almost always exercise outdoors, use my own body weight to challenge myself, lots of cardio, etc. I also almost always work out with a friend or two or ten. I wouldn’t say that I actually dislike working out alone, but I definitely prefer to have company. Today my workout partner had family obligations (Kills’ sister just had a baby! Congrats, yo!), so I stuck around the studio for a change and did a gym (gasp!) workout… all. by. my. self (double gasp!).

So. This is how it went down…

warm up – 6pmh on the treadmill for 10 min, no incline

10 pullups with 40 lbs. assistance

__________________________________

12 butterflies – pec flies w/ 12 lbs each hand while simultaneously doing straight-leg reverse crunch w/ ballast ball between ankles

alternating w/

Squat side kicks – 12 each side

3 sets of each

__________________________________

Hanging knee tucks – 10 each side

alternating w/

10 broad jump burpees

3 sets of each

______________________________

15 hip thrusts with leg raises

alternating w/

30 walking lunges while w/ 10 lbs each hand doing hammer curl to overhead press

3 sets of each

It was a perfect, not-too-intense morning routine to start the day, but not annihilate me so that I’ll have reserves for parkour training tonight at Rice.

Everyone has time for exercise…

This is my first article written for HouFit! Think you don’t have time for exercise? Everyone does. Don’t believe me? Read on!

Exercise by Sneak Attack, aka “…but I don’t have time!”

What’s the most commonly given excuse for not exercising? Time. Why do so few people have time for exercise? For the self-motivated, it’s a non-issue, but for the 70% of American adults who do not exercise regularly, it has to be chalked up to the simple idea that people have time for what is important to them. They go to work from 8 to 5 because the work (or the income, or both) is important to them. They manage to leave early for work in time to stop at Starbuck’s because it’s important to them. They watch American Idol because that hour of entertainment is important to them. They play catch in the yard with their kids because that quality time is important to them.

Unless the power of a personal epiphany has struck you squarely between the eyes, chances are you won’t be rearranging your routine to make precious time for something new, even if it will prolong your life, make you look great, feel better, etc. So, how can exercise manage to squirm its way into the category of Important Things to Do?

By sneak attack. Yes, exercise can be had stealthily, and for many, this is the key that needs to be turned to open the door to a healthier, longer life.

If you, like most people, spend some time in front of the TV in the evenings (or mornings), and you can’t remember the last time you exercised, this is your new assignment: Every time a commercial comes on, do 10 pushups (on your knees is okay!) and 20 jumping jacks.

That’s it for this week. Next week, you’ll add a few more reps, and we’re going to play it like you played drinking games in college. If you watch the Simpsons, every time Homer says, “Doh!” that’s 15 mountain climbers. If Weeds is your bag, then every time someone says “Nancy,” it’s 15 tricep dips. Get where I’m going with this?

If you spend more time in front of the computer than the TV, then you’re doing reps every time you have to wait for something to load, every time you refresh your Facebook page, etc.

If you like to game, you don’t go to the next level until you’ve pumped out 20 squats and 15 crunches.

Once you have accomplished these for a few weeks, you’ll see some results and you’ll want more, but none of that matters right now. Just get started. Do something, because something, no matter how small, is better than nothing, every single time.

If this isn’t your first rodeo with exercise, if you’re already on that train, then this is all just “greasing the groove,” a way for you to get better at the things you’re already good at. If you want a better pushup, stronger pecs, do more pushups when you’re not in the midst of your workout. If you can only do 10 chin-ups now, and you want to do more, set a goal for yourself to do 50 a day, but break it up into sets of 5 and 10 throughout your day. Before you know it, you’ll be doing them one-handed with the remote control in the other.

Now, before you click to the next article or go to the next website, drop and give me 10!