"What do you recommend we do over the weekend?"

That was the question posed to me this morning by one of my fitness boot camp students. Below is the email I sent to the entire class in response to that very question. Let me know what you think!

Ahhh, the weekend.

At the end of this morning's workout I was asked a terrific question: "What do you recommend we do over the weekend?"

The answer is complex, to be sure, as there are a plethora of factors to be considered. But here is some general guidance to get you through the weekend.

1. EXERCISE

I recommend light cardio (i.e. 20-30 min jog) on Saturday, or partake in an activity which you enjoy. Maybe that means you organize a kickball game, or go for a bike ride. Ultimate frisbee with friends is a good time. Maybe flag football is your gig, a round of golf, or a pick-up game of half-pitch soccer. I like to surf Saturday mornings -- a great shoulder workout.

Whatever that looks like for you, just make sure you get out and do something on Saturday. This is a nice way to cap all the work you put in Mon-Fri.

Sunday is your recovery day. Go to church. Go to the beach. Relax by the pool. Do all of the above! But make sure you allow your body a day to recover.

2. SLEEP

We're all guilty of sleeping in. But getting no more than 8 hours of sleep will actually leave you more energized throughout the day. No matter what time you get to bed on Friday, set your alarm for + 8 hours.

Surfing and church get me up in the morning on weekends. Find what helps you get up, and make a habit of it.

3. NUTRITION

Too often we use weekends to throw all good nutritional sense to the wind. *DON'T DO IT* Stick to your nutritional goals -- ESPECIALLY over the weekend. Weekends can really transform the speed of your progress -- if you utilize them properly.

I use ABS DIET POWER as a guideline. Remember: eat a lot less a lot more often. Three small meals + three (healthy) snacks per day = the goal.

Oh, and drink plenty of water. Because you know what Monday morning brings...

Enjoy your weekend. See you Monday at 7!

ABS DIET POWER Tip: Add Almonds to Yogurt

A few weeks ago a Marine buddy of mine (who also abides by ABS DIET POWER) showed me a little trick to stomaching a serving of almonds -- something of which I'm not all too fond in the first place.

Simply adding a handful of almonds to yogurt kills two food groups in one does, and makes for a more filling snack.

I dig it.

Try it out. Let me know what you think.

ABS DIET POWER

Contrary to what the title of my blog may lead you to believe, my intention is not to mirror the information presented in Men's Health Magazine. I don't work for Men's Health Magazine, and I don't have any vested interest in the magazine's success.

However, I do read the magazine and value highly its content.

That said, I have become a huge believer in the magazine's powerfood acronym: ABS DIET POWER.

If you have yet to hear about this, it's quite brilliant. The system encourages you to focus on a generous market basket of food types -- known as the Abs Diet Power 12 -- to fulfill your core nutritional needs.

A - almonds and other nuts
B - beans and other legumes
S - spinach and other greens (broccoli, cucumbers, celery)

D - dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt)
I - instant oatmeal
E - eggs
T - turkey and other lean meats (chicken, fish, lean steak)

P - peanut butter
O - olive oil
W - whole wheat/grain products
E - extra protein (whey)
R - raspberries and other berries

For maximum health benefits, it is recommended that you include two or three of these foods in each of your three major meals and at least one of them in each of your three snacks. If you're like me and graze all day long, these foods are quite easy to incorporate into your 6-8 meals each day.

The Abs Diet Power website has a pretty cool matrix that explaining the benefits of each of these foods.

For me, I dig the guidelines a system like this provides. Grocery shopping is a lot easier when you've got certain parameters. Not eating like crap at the office is a lot easier when you've got an acronym taped to your desk.

I like to think of my body as a machine, and the ABS DIET POWER system as the process by which I abide to turn on, rev up, and keep the engine running efficiently.

Worth it? I think so.

Your thoughts?