And it is something that you have complete control over…it’s the intensity with which you exercise.

Intensity is something that’s difficult for the outside observer to measure but is felt within your body as you go through the motions of an exercise.

• It’s how hard you push yourself to go as heavy and as quickly as possible.
• It’s picking up a weight that feels hard to handle.
• It’s putting a boost behind each stride as you run.
• It’s resisting the urge to simply go through the motions.
• It’s outdoing your efforts from last time.

Now I understand the urge to put out token effort in your workout, going through the motions while cutting corners along the way. We all have days when the weights feel extra heavy and our energy stores feel depleted, and those days will naturally be less intense.

However, when low intensity workouts are your norm, you simply won’t ever achieve the results that you’re hoping for. And this is something that you completely control.

So, as you go into your next workout, think about the intensity that you’re bringing. Are you pushing yourself with each rep? Could you go heavier? Could you be faster?

Fight the urge to be comfortable while you exercise. There’s plenty of time throughout your day to feel comfortable, just not while you’re working out.

Does this make sense?

Attack your next workout with 100% intensity and set a new standard for yourself to continuously push to become stronger, faster, leaner and more fit.

You’ve got this!

And if you’re not yet one of my awesome clients then call or email today to join the family. Together we will get you into your best shape yet!

Are you coming up with a myriad of reasons why you aren’t able to exercise with intensity today? Don’t let the feeling of being tired keep you from an invigorating workout. Just think of how fantastic you’ll feel afterwards with all the feel good endorphins flowing through your body.

No excuses! Get going! You’ve got this!

Here’s a recipe for all of you who tell me that you don’t know how to cook. With this simple technique of folding ingredients in a parchment paper packet and baking it in the oven, anyone can make this delicious, nutritious, fitness meal.

This recipe combines tender salmon fillets with fresh kale, savory lentils, tangy cherry tomatoes in a refreshing cilantro dressing. It’s refreshingly delicious, especially considering how healthy all of the ingredients are. Give it a try and let me know what you think…

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or white grape juice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ cup fresh cilantro
1 lemon, tested and juiced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces cooked lentils
4 cups kale, steamed and chopped
20 cherry tomatoes (various colors, halved)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a blender combine the olive oil, wine, cumin, paprika, cilantro, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic.

3. Season the salmon fillets with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Cut four 12-by-16-inch pieces of parchment paper and fold each in half. Open the parchment paper and arrange ¼ of the lentils and of the chopped kale in the center of the top half of each parchment. Top with a salmon fillet, 10 tomato halves and ¼ of the cilantro dressing.

5. Fold the bottom half of the parchment paper over the salmon and veggies. Start folding and crimping the parchment paper ends together from one end all the way around to the other end, creating a sealed envelope. Fold the end under the packet. The packet should be fully encased, with no breaks in the parchment paper for steam to escape – we need that steam as part of the cooking process! Place the packets on a pan.

6. Bake the salmon packets for 25 minutes and remove from the oven. Serve the packets on plates, tearing them open just before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh cilantro, lemon zest and more cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals: 535 calories, 26g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 5g sugar, 389mg sodium, 7g fiber, and 46g protein.