Yoga and Balsamic Vinegar OVERLOAD

Today's theme is taking some basic stuff and putting them in overdrive - my yoga class trial and a recipe!

Let's start off with what got thrown down in "Yoga Sculpt" today. I signed up for a free week at Corepower Yoga, where my colleague Maryhope takes classes. She warned me about the sculpt classes, but I thought she was exaggerating - NOT! Unfortunately, Maryhope had a doctor's appointment last minute, so I had to fly solo for this class. Everyone in the class seemed to know what was up and had done it several times before, and they were very nice about telling me how to set up before class.

So what is Yoga Sculpt? Basically, it's doing yoga poses but with weights. And the music is more upbeat. If I thought the intro yoga class yesterday wasn't calming, this was even LESS calming. This class was a mix of strength training, cardio, and core work. I had 2.5# dumbbells for each hand (I'm grimacing as I write this - 2.5#?!?!?), but I couldn't go any higher because we 50 reps of EVERYTHING. The movements were also things my body wasn't used to - bicep curls, flys, tricep extensions. All those small muscles that I never in heavy Olympic lifting. Also, everything was done in a 98'F room, which really just drained me.

So...what's the verdict on the sculpt class? Once I opened my mind more to different forms of activity (i.e., the bicep curls and tricep extensions), I actually thought it was a pretty decent workout. I definitely felt tired at the end of it all and more energized. I think it is a great class for people who want to do yoga for fitness, not simply stress-relief and relaxation. And that's just not me right now.

After the yoga, I came home to shower the stink off and then headed to CFSP for an Olympic lifting skills session with our month-long visitor, Jake. He's a fresh out of high school student from Georgia, but he comes up to visit his grandparents in Wisconsin over the summer. He's an excellent coach and athlete, and tonight we worked on the clean and jerk. I kept the weight low and just worked on honing the technique - gotta start prepping for the Olympic Open in October!

Now...I have to share my surprisingly wonderful chicken recipe! I think the chicken is excellent on it's own, but it's adapted from a salad recipe I got from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals. Note: it's heavy on the balsamic vinegar, which tends to be pretty sweet. If you're sensitive to BV sweetness, use less than what the recipe calls for.

Grilled Balsamic Chicken over Spinach Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette
Chicken
1 pound chicken breast
2 Tb balsamic vingar
3 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp (roughly) steak seasoning blend (aka McCormick; I used my homemade "seriously simple" seasoning salt...recipe to be posted eventually) OR salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Spinach Salad
1 pound center-cut bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and cleaned
*8 radishes, thinly sliced
*4 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
*8 gourmet white stuffing mushrooms, thinly sliced
*the recipe called for these items, but I didn't have them so I didn't use them. I bet you could use any salad topping veggies here

Shallot Vinaigrette
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
3 tsp dijon mustard
3 Tb balsamic vinegar

First, mix the chicken marinade ingredients (vinegar, oil, rosemary, salt) and then pour the marinade over the chicken breasts in a ziptop freezer bag. Let it sit on the counter to warm up while you prep everything else.

I cut the bacon first and threw it in the nonstick skillet over medium heat to get that cooking while I prepared everything else (like mincing shallot or measuring out the dressing in a bowl). Keep an eye on the bacon though, so it doesn't overcook. When it's done, drain it on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Heat a different nonstick skillet on medium heat. Cook the chicken roughly 4 minutes on each side. While that's going, get rid of the bacon fat that's in the first skillet (save for later or just toss it). Saute the shallot in the olive oil for about 3 minutes, essentially creating a shallot olive oil. To make the dressing, slowly combine the shallot oil with the balsamic vinegar and mustard. Whisk to emulsify.

Put spinach in bowl with salad toppings. Toss with warm salad dressing. Top with bacon and chicken. ENJOY!