Lately I’ve really taken to hitting the weight room at the gym.  I like some of the circuit machines, but when I’m feeling particularly hard core, I head for what I call the “boy section.”  The area with the free weights and all the intense large weight racks for squats and bench presses, etc.  I call it the “boy section” for obvious reasons, it’s typically populated by the gorilla juice heads as Snooki would say.  I learned some legitimate weight lifting routines when I played water polo in college, so I try to channel my former identity as a college athelete.

From what I’ve learned, the best way to follow up a heavy duty weight workout is to fuel your body.  This brings me to my recent use of protein powder and making protein shakes.  I try to be strategic and only make a protein shake if I’ve just finished a workout, because otherwise I feel like the shake sort of goes to waste.  While hopefully nutitionally beneficial, protein shakes are not usually low cal, so I try to be a little cautious.

I try to keep it simple, here’s what I’ve been mixing up lately

Banana Cream Protien Shake

yeilds one serving

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 banana
• splash of almond milk (or non-dairy/dairy equivilant of your choice)
• 3 ice cubes
• handful of spinach (you won’t taste it but it might make the shake green, and you gotta eat your spinach baby)

Method

Throw all the ingredients into a blender, blend, enjoy.

Not only is it delicious but it’s nice and filling.  If I’m having a particularly healthy day all I really need for lunch is this shake and an apple, then I’m set until my mid afternoon snack.  Not to mention I feel that much closer to qualifying for the Jersey Shore.