I’m going to share with you my ultimate breakfast recipe.
My definition of healthy includes:
1. It’s easy – if you won’t do it nothing else matters
2. It’s based on whole foods and super foods
3. It covers my main macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, fat) needs and micronutrient needs.
Since this is a shake that only takes a few seconds to make, it meets the first requirement. To understand the second and third aspect, let’s take a quick look at superfoods and why you should be including them in your diet.
Why Superfoods Kick Ass
There was a point in time where vitamin supplements were all the rage. Just pop a few pills and then you don’t have to worry about eating a bunch of broccoli to get your nutritional needs met.
The problem with this approach is that research has shown whole foods have health benefits far and above just their vitamin and mineral content. We simply don’t understand all the various co-factors that are present in food which help vitamins and minerals do their job.
That’s not to say multivitamins aren’t beneficial, it’s just that they won’t ever match the power of real foods.
Things get really exciting however when we get into the level of superfoods. These nutritional powerhouses can radically improve your health and restore deficiencies in ways ordinary vitamin and mineral supplements can’t match.
Herbs like the various adaptogens such as ashwagandha, tulsi, resihi, and more have profound health effects such as:
Modulating the immune system so it can be strong enough to fight infection without overreacting to things like allergies
Preventing cancer and other diseases
Balancing hormones naturally including reducing excess cortisol
Reducing inflammation
Providing balance to the body’s systems by raising what is too low and lowering what is too high
More Superfoods = Less Cravings
The biggest benefit of increasing your intake of superfoods and superherbs is that once you restore balance and nutrition to your body, you’ll likely notice a significant decrease in junk food cravings.
For people suffering from constant cravings, this alone can be a life saver. Many people report weight loss as an indirect effect of increasing their superfood intake.
My Ultimate Breakfast Recipe
1 scoop of superfood formula (I use Shakeology) – Provides whole food nutrition, adaptogenic herbs, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and more) Learn more here.
1 tablespoon of coconut oil – Provides healthy fats, helps increase metabolism, good source of calories
2 servings of fruit such as mixed berries
1 scoop of protein powder – Provides additional protein
What you’ll notice about this is that it’s deceptively simple. While I LOVE juicing and will always encourage people to juice fresh fruits/veggies if they want to add that to this formula, at the end of the day I often go with what’s most convenient.
This breakfast will cost you about $5 which is significantly less than what you’d pay to eat out and get the same level of nutrition. For those on a budget, this may be a stretch, but it’s often easy to work out when you factor the money you save by eating less junk.
I am super psyched to announce the release of what I consider to be hands down one of the best health and fitness books for the price you’re ever going to find. My new book “50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew” has just launched and it reveals cutting edge tips you won’t find anywhere else.
Ok, maybe you can find some of these tips elsewhere. I won’t claim to have “invented” everything I share in this book. But it did take me nine years and thousands of hours of research and personal experimentation to distill down all the various insights of psychology, motivation, herbal remedies, body hacks, exercise tips, healthy eating strategies for broke and busy people, end more into one simple to read guide.
Do You Wish You Knew…
• How to get your best night of sleep ever? Tip #5 reveals something that modern research has just discovered in the past couple years and normalize your circadian rhythms and help you sleep like a baby your first night using it – Hint: It’s NOT a supplement!
• The root source of all of your behaviors? Tip #15 reveals what this is so when you change this, your entire life will change!
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• What to do if you have almost no time to exercise? Tip #45 reveals how to cut your exercise time down into half while increasing your fat loss and muscle building results!
The challenges of staying in shape during college can seem daunting. Limited time with classes and possibly working a job. High levels of stress and lack of sleep. Depending on the school, you may not always have access to a great gym either.
Is all of this to blame for the “freshman 15,” or are these merely minor obstacles to be overcome with a little ingenuity?
Despite being pretty busy and broke in college (and my school gym constantly closing for events), I still managed to get in the absolute best shape of my life during that time.
You’re about to discover my “ninja” strategies on how to stay fit in college. Discover which exercises and workout routines will get and keep you in shape even if you’re busy, broke, and don’t have access to a gym.
For those who find the healthy eating aspect of college to be the biggest challenge, I highly recommend you check out my other article on eating healthy with a busy schedule as well as my free fitness survival guide which has tips for eating healthy on a budget.
Workout Routines For Busy College Students
High Intensity Resistance Training Workouts
I highly recommend everyone, guys and girls, do some form of heavy resistance training. The reason being is that more muscle helps keep your metabolism high and body fat low.
While some women (and a few guys) shy away from heavy training for fear it will make them “bulky,” it is very difficult to get too bulky from resistance training without eating a lot of extra calories on a consistent basis. Just look at how many guys try to bulk up and struggle to do so despite their best efforts.
For busy college students, I recommend following a program that only requires you to workout 2-3 times a week at most. Even if you think you have more time, I’ve found there are so many unexpected things that can come up in college that it’s better to be cautious.
I also recommended full body routines or upper / lower body splits instead of working out each body part on its own day. While each way is effective, full body or upper/lower routines seem to maintain fitness better if you happen to miss days at the gym.
Finally, a weekend only weight training routine works great for college students who may be too busy with classes during the week.
Let’s say you’ve already got an exercise plan you’re following, but you’d like to cut it down from 45-60 minutes to something under 30 minutes.
A great way to do this is alternate between exercises for different muscles in a “super-set” fashion.
For instance, if your plan calls for 3 sets of squats, with 2 minutes rest between sets, followed by 3 sets of calf raises with 2 minutes rest between sets, you can simply go back and fourth between squats and calf raises in a circuit fashion only resting momentarily between each set.
Another way to think of this is “active rest.” Rather than resting between sets, always be doing some exercise. This works particularly well with smaller muscle groups likes calves, abs, and forearms which are easy to incorporate between sets for larger muscle groups.
Rather than spending 20 minutes at the beginning or end of a workout working your abs (keep in mind six pack abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym), simply mix in your sets of ab exercises while resting up between your exercises for other muscles.
As a bonus, by cutting down rest time, you’re taxing your cardiovascular system and are getting cardio benefits as well.
Complexes
Complexes are similar to circuit training in that you’re doing multiple exercises in succession with no rest between them. The difference is complexes utilize the same barbell or dumbbell weight throughout.
For instance, you may take a 45 pounds barbell and do a set of 6 reps for squats, then go to overhead presses for 6 reps, to lunges for 6 reps, and then finish with rows for 6 reps. Each exercise is done one right after the other with no rest between each exercise. Each cycle through the exercises is one “complex.”
Complexes allow you to burn fat, enhance your conditioning, and even can spur on a little extra muscle growth all around the body. This makes them the perfect option for time crunched students who need to get in and out of the gym in 20 minutes and want to get everything taken care of. The downside is… they’re brutal.
Do you need to spend hours on the treadmill punishing yourself for a weekend of partying and desparately hoping to prevent the after effects from showing up on your midsection?
Not at all!
From both a fat loss and conditioning standpoint, shorter and more intense workouts tend to be more effective so long as they don’t interfere with recovery from other activities.
Here are a few simple things you can do to keep your body fat down and conditioning high. Note, you only need to do a total of 2-3 cardio sessions a week when they’re high intensity. So pick one of these things and do it 2-3 times a week, or pick 2-3 different workouts and do each one once a week.
Kettlebell Swings
If you only had 10 minutes to spare a week to exercise and could only do one thing, just do these. 10-20 minutes a week is all you need when done right. Kettlebell swings are on of the best exercises for a better butt, and more power for men in sports. Plus, they can even be done in a dorm room.
Aim for 75 total reps in a session. Rest around 60 seconds between sets. Do this 2-3 times a week.
You can do intervals by either sprinting on land, using a treadmill, or cycling on a bike.
After a 5-10 minute warmup, apply all out effort for 30 seconds. Then go at a low intensity slower pace for 1:30 to catch your breathe, then do another 30 seconds of high intensity. Repeat the cycle of high intensity and low intensity for 4-6 cycles total. Do this 2-3 times per week.
Walking As Fast As Possible
Believe it or not, this is how some of the world’s elite athletes keep their conditioning high. One problem with aerobics is that as your body becomes more efficient at doing the movements. Over time they are less challenging and don’t burn as many calories.
Attempting to walk as fast as possible is by its very nature inefficient. This makes it very demanding without adding stress to the joints like running. The other benefit is that it only takes 15 to 20 minutes to achieve maximum benefits.
How to do it? Just walk as fast as possible for 15-20 minutes. Next time, attempt to beat the distance covered in the previous session in the same time period. Repeat 2-3 times a week.
Incline Walking
Incline walking is a low impact way to get in a great cardio workout while also working the calves and glutes extra hard.
Set a treadmill incline to 15-30 degrees, and walk at 2-4mph for 15-20 minutes 2-3x per week.
Rebounding
Rebounding, more commonly known as jumping on a trampoline, is considered by many to be the best form of exercise. NASA even uses rebounding to train their astronauts.
The reason? Rebounding increases gravitational forces on each cell of the body causeing a flush in the lymph system and a literal strengthening of every cell in the body. Your lymph system requires movement to keep it flowing (perhaps one reason why exercise is needed for good health) and nothing I’ve come across does a better job of this than rebounding.
It also burns more calories per hour than jogging making it very time efficient. Not only that, but you can rebound in a dorm room (even while watching TV) on a mini-trampoline making this quite possibly the perfect exercise for college students.
Rebound for 20-45 minutes as many times per week as you want. Great to do while watching tv, listening to audio lecture notes, or just when you want to clear your mind.
Dorm Room Friendly Exercises
If you can’t get to a gym, that doesn’t mean you can’t get in a good workout. Your bodyweight, and perhaps a few accessories are all you need to get a great workout in the comfort of a dorm room.
Here are some great bodyweight exercises.
Pushing Exercises
Pushups – Hands against the wall as the easiest variation all the way up to handstand pushups as one of the hardest variations.
Pulling Exercises
Pullups – An inexpensive pull-up bar can be purchased that doesn’t need to screw into your door. If you’re not strong enough to do pullups, you can use a chair or a partner for assistance. If you want to make pullups more difficult, try adding a backpack with some books for extra resistance.
For the really hardcore, you can add some gymnastic rings to the pullup bar for the best upper body workout of your life. Even if you’re one of the strongest guys in the gym, the various bodyweight exercises that can be done on rings provide endless challenge.
Lower Body Exercises
Squats
Single Leg Squats
High Step Ups
Lunges
Sprints
Inexpensive Dorm Room Exercise Equipment
Water Jugs
If I had virtually no budget, than just getting a couple 1 and 2.5 gallon water containers would be all I need to get in a good workout. Water jugs make the perfect alternative to dumbbells. You can simply buy a handful and fill them up to various weights.
1/2 gallon = 4 pounds
1 gallon = 8 pounds
2 gallons = 16 pounds
2.5 gallons = 20 pounds
3+ gallons = You’re the college student, figure it out.
Resistance Bands
Just about every single exercise can be done with resistance bands making these perfect for getting a total body workout in a dorm room. Resistance bands with door anchors also allow you to set up resistance bands at various heights using your door to keep them in place.
Ab Wheel
As far as I’m concerned, this is the only piece of exercise you equipment you need for your abs. They are brutal, but that’s what makes them effective.
Mini Workouts
You don’t have to have 30-60 minute blocks of time to get in a good workout. 2-3 minutes here and there is all you really need to drop down and do a set of pushups or bodyweight squats. You can carry a set of resistance bands in your backpack and whip them out on breaks to do a few band rows and arm exercises.
These “mini workouts” start to add up throughout the day and week. Remember, something is better than nothing. So don’t let a busy schedule keep you from keeping active and keeping yourself in great shape.
Further Reading
These tips are only scratching the surace of how to work out on a busy schedule or without a gym in college. Be sure to check out the Excuse Proof Fitness Survival Guide and newsletter where I share tons more healthy living fitness tips for people on a busy schedule and budget as well as the other things I did to stay in great shape in college. Also be sure to check out my youtube channel for quick healthy recipes perfect for college students.
Reader Comments
What are you favorite ways to stay fit in college?
One of the biggest challenges I hear people face is genuinely being motivated to eat a healthier diet, but struggling because they’re so busy with work, family, school, or other commitments.
Even if someone does have the time, unless they absolutely love cooking, chances are they’d rather be spending that time elsewhere. This is a big reason so many people end up giving up on a healthy lifestyle and settle for fast food meals, microwave dinners, and all forms of processed foods.
Luckily, when you know the right strategies, eating whole food meals can actually be faster, cheaper, and even better tasting than the processed “fast food” options. In college, I developed some super secret “ninja” strategies for eating healthy on a busy schedule.
You’re about to discover some of my favorite techniques for eating well when you have little to no spare time, but the key thing is not to get too caught up in the specific recipes. Rather, take the concepts and apply them in your own way with the foods and recipes you personally enjoy. I encourage you to mix it up, try new things, and then leave a comment at the bottom with some of your favorite quick and healthy recipes.
The “Secret Weapon” For Fast Meals
The most effective way I’ve found for eating healthy on a busy schedule is to use a slow-cooker, also known as a crock-pot. This handy kitchen device is largely responsible for getting me all through college without needing to rely on fast food.
I know the idea of using a slow cooker, which takes 4-8 hours to cook a meal, seems like the exact opposite thing you’d want to use when in a hurry. But bear with me and you’ll see why this is exactly what you need.
A slow cooker is great for busy people because it allows you to:
Cook in bulk so you can prepare several days worth of food at a time.
Set it and forget it so you can cook while you’re asleep, at work, or just going on about your day.
Make just about any kind of great tasting healthy recipe.
Watch and learn how to prepare meals fast (in only 5 minutes) in a slow-cooker.
Fast and Healthy Slow Cooker Curry
1-2 pounds of chicken breast
2 cups bagged mixed vegetables
2 cups of kale
1 can of unsweetened canned coconut milk (available in ethnic food section)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 onion
Add chicken and vegetables to slow cooker. Chop onion and then blend onion with coconut milk and spices in a blender. Top chicken and vegetables with sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Here’s another tasty crock-pot recipe:
Quick Crockpot Beef Stew
2lbs of stew beef
1 peeled onion
1 1/2 cups beef broth or water
1 cup baby carrots
5 small red potatoes halved
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning or Onion soup mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Combine ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
The real take home point here is that you can come home, toss a few things in a crock-pot, go to sleep, and then not have to worry about cooking anything more for the next couple of days because you have so much food leftover. Obviously if you’re cooking for a family (or have roomates that eat your food) it may not last as long. But even with only 5 minutes invested for a days worth of food, that beats out a drive-thru in terms of speed.
It goes without saying, but the one draw-back of using a slow-cooker is that you have to be prepared. It doesn’t work as well for situations where you’re in a pinch and need something now, so keep reading to find out my strategies for that.
Healthier Quick Meal Ideas
Let’s say you don’t have any food prepared and you need to eat something ASAP. Here are a few healthy meals that can be made in 3-5 minutes.
Cottage cheese or kefir with berries
Canned black beans and salsa
Protein powder plus almond flour – For on the go. Add these to a shaker cup and add water when ready to eat.
Eggs with curry powder, salsa, and coconut oil
Pre-cooked Rice and Tuna – Top with whatever dressing you want. No cook time makes this super fast.
Snack Ideas
Don’t need a full meal or watching your calorie intake? Try these quick fix healthy snacks.
Fruit and dried fruit
Nuts and seeds like almonds, pistachios, or walnuts
So you want to build more muscle and are getting tired of chicken breasts and brown rice? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with 3 super quick and easy recipes that are not only going to help pack on slabs of muscle, but they taste absolutely frickin’ amazing. They are also fairly “idiot-proof,” so even if you don’t know much about cooking, you’ll find it pretty hard to screw these up.
Recipe #1 – Bodybuilder’s Slow Cooker Pineapple Chili
Directions:
Why It’s Awesome:
A quick and easy chili recipe is essential for any bodybuilder. Whereas many chili recipes may call for 15-20 minutes of prep time, this can be made in around 5 minutes. I usually just toss the ingredients in a slow cooker before bed, let it cook while I sleep, and then wake up to several days worth of chili.
Bodybuilders need tons of calories, and there’s no easier way to get those calories than by tossing everything together in a pot and then cooking a delicious meal that can be taken on the go and warmed up whenever you’re ready. If you want to add even more calories, you can add some more meat for additional protein and fat. You can also add some organic red potatoes, additional rice (add water in 1:2 ratio of rice to water), and some more beans.
Recipe #2 – Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Available in ethnic/Asian food section of grocery stores)
1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree (Available in baking section of grocery stores)
1-2 scoops protein powder with either 6-12 oz of water, milk, or almond milk
2 tablespoons of honey and/or blackstrap molasses (or 1 tablespoon of powdered stevia)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 oz chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender. You may use either honey, blackstrap molasses, or a 50/50 mixture of each for a total of 2 tablespoons or desired sweetness.
Why It’s Awesome:
Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie? And what’s the best part of a pumpkin pie? The filling! You’ll swear you’re eating straight pumpkin pie filling with this quick and easy pumpkin pie protein shake.
While a protein shakes’ convenience is a life saver for people in a hurry, but the problem is they’re mostly treated as a supplement rather than a meal in itself. We can add a few things to make an ordinary protein shake an extraordinary muscle building meal.
Pumpkin is one of the most nutritionally rich foods and is very high in fiber. So by adding pumpkin to the protein shake, it will be much more filling and give you a lot more nutritional than just protein powder and water.
The coconut milk is a great source of healthy fat including medium chain triglycerides which actually boosts the metabolism and keep you burning fat. Including coconut fats in your diet is a great way to ensure you’re building muscle without adding too much body fat.
Blackstrap molasses provides tons of minerals including chromium which aids in blood sugar balance. Proper blood sugar regulation is essential for adding muscle and preventing fat gain. Studies have shown cinnamon also aids in promoting blood sugar which resulted in more muscle and less fat.
Want to kick it up with even more calories? Trying adding some applesauce and oats for additional carbohydrates.
Recipe #3 – Homemade Protein Fudge Bars (Non-Cook)
Ingredients:
8 scoops chocolate protein powder
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup 1% milk
3 tbsp crushed peanuts
Directions:
1. Mix together the protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and milk.
2. Form into 5 bars and then roll in the crushed peanuts to finish.
3. Place in the fridge for about 30-45 mins or until solid
Most store bought protein bars are crap. Some low quality protein, a ton of sugar, and the one’s that actually taste good are usually pretty horrible in terms of tons of added crap you probably don’t need to be putting into your body. But this recipe is quick, easy, and affordable.
Dave’s got a ton of great recipes specifically for bodybuilders. He’s compiled them all in both his Anabolic Cooking product which you can check out here:
This is one of my favorite quick and healthy recipes. While you can make this on a stove top if you prefer, the slow-cooker allows you to simply dump the ingredients in, set it for the time you want, and then go on about your business (sleeping, working, etc.) for several hours until the chili is ready.
What You’ll Need For The Chili
Ingredients:
2lbs of ground or “stew” lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, bison, etc.)
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
½ cup of organic brown rice
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup water
3 cups V8 or similar vegetable juice
Spices and Flavors:
Chili Powder 2 tablespoons – Up to you how much
1 tsp of each:
Oregano, Basil, Sage, and Thyme. Or just use an Italian seasoning mix.
Optional: 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
20 oz canned pineapples.
Slow Cooker
I highly recommend using a slow-cooker aka crock-pot with an automatic shut-off for convenience. It is quite literally the best kitchen device you can ever own. Here are some good options if you don’t already own one:
How To Make The Crazy Quick Crockpot Chili Recipe
Recipe:
Add ground lean meat to slow cooker, separate with a fork, and add seasonings. (Don’t worry about chopping up too much, you can separate it easier after cooking)
Add in ½ cup of dry organic brown rice.
Add in 1 cup of water or as much as desired.
Open and drain canned beans, add to mix.
Add in a cup of pre-sliced mushrooms as well as any other desired vegetables from a bag.
Add in various spices and garlic to taste.
Mix in up to 3-4 cups of V8 or similar vegetable juice and stir. Alternative: 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
When finished, taste and add additional spices if desired. You can add 20 oz canned diced pineapples to really kick up the flavor.
