Weekend Recap

So this weekend tturned out to be a pretty eventful one. Saturday morning I went into work to see a few clients before heading down to my hometown to visit my two friends and their daughter - my Goddaughter. I honestly think it's been a year since I've seen her and she has grown so much from what I remembered. It turned out to be a nice afternoon spending time with them and I even got to cook for them - baked skinless chicken with peppers and onions, sweet potato fries and green beans. I keep forgetting to take a picture of my plates recently so you'll just have to take my word!

On Sunday, my cousin and I went down to Six Flags Great Adventure. The last time we went was back on August 14, 2003. You may be asking yourself, "how the heck can he remember that date?" Well it's easy...remember that really big power outage? Yeah, we were at Six Flags that day. Needless to say, we were hoping for a better trip than the last time and thankfully we got it. We covered all the major attractions and my top five rides (counting down) are:

5. The Green Lantern
4. Nitro
3. Superman
2. Kingda Ka
1. Bizarro

 This next picture cracks me up every time I look at it. Of course I had to throw out a free pass tot he gun show, but the death grip my cousin has going on is hilarious!

Song of the Week

Hope everyone had a great weekend! My Weekend Musings will be up later today.

This week's Song of the Week: Atlas Genius - Trojans

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Tatt-2s

So, yes - over the weekend I got two new tattoos bringing the total up to eight, but these two are different - they have meaning to me. My other pieces are more on the artistic side and I honestly got them because I liked the images. My skull, St. Michael and sword were all custom drawn from a friend so I'm happy to say, I'm the only person with them. The Superman S I have on my right arm was the first tattoo I got when I was 21 - become of legal drinking age, get tattoo...It seemed logical at the time.

The first tattoo I got over the weekend was for my brother who is possibly the smartest person I know. He graduated Penn State (proudly) with a major in Chemical Engineering and a double minor in Chemistry and Environmental Engineering. From there he got a free ride from NJIT to receive his Masters in Chemical Engineering and Doctorate in Material Sciences. Don't ask me what he that all means - he tried explaining it once and lost me about three words in.

A couple years ago, when the new Star Wars movies came out, Burger King was selling Star Wars toys in its happy meals (or whatever they are called). I tried to collect as many of those toys as I could thinking they may be worth something someday. Instead I gave them to my brother one Christmas since I figured he would appreciate them more being a HUGE Star Wars fan. Ever since I gave them to him, whenever I pay a visit I hide one in his room. It only made sense that his tattoo would represent the smartest Jedi master...

The second tattoo I got this weekend was for my parents. My dad busted his ass for us. He worked as a postal delivery man for 31 years - in the Bronx. For 18 of those 31 years he commuted from NJ six days a week. He worked his ass off so we can have a happy life and I'm incredibly grateful for that.

My mother is very artistic and excellent with a needle....sewing needle that is. I've been spoiled to have her make so many hats and scarfs for me (and the occasional gift for a friend when in a pinch :)) My mother has been the glue that has kept us all together and she's the voice of reason in my head.

So the next tattoo I thought of and called Rob at Times of Grace and he drew it up perfectly! I couldn't be happier with the piece. Here is is...

Weekend Recap

This past weekend turned out to be a very eventful one... unexpectedly. Saturday I had to work a few hours and see a couple of clients. Once I saw everyone I needed to I sped down to Times of Grace in Rahway and got some new artwork done! I'll post about them later tonight and give the thought behind each one (yes, there's more than one \m/ ).

After I got the tattoos, my roommate, his coworker and my coworker met up at PNC Bank Arts Center for Summerland 2012 featuring Marcy Playground, Lit, Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray and Everclear. A true throwback to the late 90s for sure! Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray were very entertaining on stage. All I needed to see was "Found Out About You" by the Gin Blossoms and my night was made.

Sunday was a day of recovery, relaxation and cardio of course!

Now Playing - Thrice - Firebreather

Song of the Week

In light of the impromptu concert this weekend (Summerland 2012), this week's Song of the Week:

Sugar Ray - Answer the Phone

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Mid Week Musings

Hope all is well with everyone out there. Today seemed to be a very long day - started at 5:30 am and just ending now (11:40 PM). I had some really great clients today who brought their best to each session. I'm very happy with their progress and know they will all continue to do great work.

My mid-day workout consisted of shoulders, abs and 45 mins of cardio. Everything felt really good and I continue to lift heavier weights while trying to lean out. Tonight I went to my fifth jiu jitsu session at Up Top Martial Arts Academy. Tonight was a rough and tough session. Monday's session was a bit of a confidence boost, but tonight brought me back down to Earth. I got gassed pretty early in practice and felt like I didn't have much energy left when we rolled. I went against some pretty experienced guys who definitely gave me a tough time. They were all great and helped me learn while getting my ass handed to me.

It's easy to get frustrated with this sport, throw my hands up and walk away saying, "forget this; I'll never be good at this," or just simply "this isn't for me." That's where determination and willpower come in. I have a tough time accepting "I can't" and plan on giving every challenge my best effort. Although tonight wasn't what I wanted, I'm still very new to this sport and understand it will take time to level up and become better. So my last words I leave to anyone reading this - don't give up on your goals. Just like your body, you mind needs work and training. Mental toughness comes over time; practice on pushing through the tough times and give every effort your very best attempt. Good luck and goodnight.

Now Playing - Gym Class Heroes - Ass Back Home

Monday Morning Musing

What's up, people? Monday morning and we're back to the grind. This past weekend was a very eventful one with a lot of fun with some good friends.

Friday my roommate and I went to Warped Tour down at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. There were a ton of bands who performed; we ended up seeing Yellowcard, Anti Flag, Senses Fail and Every Time I Die (to name a few).

On Saturday, we went up to Quogue, NY for a awesome time. We started off relaxing on a boat for the early afternoon, followed up by a dance and taco night (this was my cheat day :)). Here's a sunset picture I took while up in NY.

For those of you with a trained eye, yes this is from Instagram - follow me - MikeScic.

Well, that's it for now! Busy day ahead of training clients, and training myself. Have a good day and start the week strong!

Today's Workout: Chest, Abs, Cardio, BJJ
Days Until Tattoos: 6
Days Until New Zealand: 36

Song of the Week

Finally recovered from a long weekend. Back to the grind!

This week's Song of the Week:
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

The Daily Musing

So a little while ago I met with my coach (yes, personal trainers seek help too) to see how my diet has been. Earlier in June I set a goal of getting back down to around 7% body fat. After my last show, I made up for eight months of strict dieting - all in one month. On June 13 I weighed 162 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 13. Today I weighed in at 158 and 9.7% body fat - needless to say, I am pleased with my one-month progress!

In addition to getting back on a regular diet, I changed up my workout to a five-day split and am now working on giant sets for each muscle group. Monday was chest; Tuesday was legs; shoulders today; tomorrow I'll blast my arms; and finish the week with back on Friday.

Some other upcoming events/points-of-mention in my life:

Friday the 13th - Warped Tour with the roommates!
July 21 - New Ink!
August 21 - Depart for New Zealand!

Off to do some abs, then train one more client for the day before I head to jiu jitsu tonight at Up Top.

Now Playing - Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance

Broiled Tilapia With Mustard Sauce

So the other night I made tilapia for a few guests - here's the recipe...my hungry ass ate all the food before grabbing a picture.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:05
Total time: 0:05
Categories: Dinner, Fish & Seafood, Main Dish


Ingredients

• FISH:
• Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
• 4 (5-6 ounce) tilapia filets
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• SAUCE:
• ¼  cup, plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼  cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

For the fish:
Preheat broiler. Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Drizzle the tilapia fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the sauce:
In a small. Owl mix together the yogurt, agave nectar and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the tilapia to a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce.

Song of the Week

Seriously cannot get enough of this song lately...

Brand New - Okay I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't

Set Your Goals

For me to remain physically motivated and driven, I need a challenge. I've been putting challenges and new goals in my own path since 2010 when I ran my first half marathon - the Philly 1/2 in November of that year. Two months later I ran my second half marathon down in Disney and shaved 12 minutes off my time. From there I graduated to my first full marathon in San Diego in June 2011. After that much running I wanted to switch gears and that is how I got into body building. After completing three shows earlier this year, I'm ready for a new challenge and goal to overcome.

After speaking with my boss one random day, he suggested competing in a Brazilian jiu jitsu competition. Learning a martial arts discipline is on my bucket list and what better time to start than now.

Last week I joined Up Top Martial Arts Academy in Wayne and have gone twice already. Last night was my first time rolling in a gi and boy are those things, hot, heavy and smelly! I fear what our laundry room might smell like today since I didn't get to wash the gi last night. The next few weeks, I'll be getting a beat-down as I learn exactly what to do, but soon enough I'll be giving them out... hopefully!

I haven't found a competition yet, but I'm sure I'll get in one before the end of this year!

Song of this Post - Set Your Goal - This Will Be the Death of Us

Fourth of July Musings

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! I certainly did!

After seeing a few morning clients at work, my roommates and I ventured down to my parents' house for a little rest, relaxation and BBQ. The holidays can be easy way to fall off of diets and miss-manage cheat meals. The key word in that last sentence is "meal" - even though it's a holiday, try to keep the cheating to a minimum. Drinking and snacking on finger foods should be kept to a minimum in a small time frame. One bad day can sidetrack the next few days.

Here's how we treated my parents' grill yesterday...

There's a wide variety on the grill there, but most of our options were on the healthier side. I went with 8 oz of salmon, sweet potatoes and chicken kabobs. I did cheat a little bit and have a sausage - the Italian in me couldn't resist!

Later on in the evening I had the privlidge to cook another meal for dinner - this time I went with tilapia, sweet potatoes and asparagus. I'll write up the recipe in a post later today.

Hope everyone had a nice mid-week break! Now it's back to the grind!

Now playing in the gym: Coldplay & Rihanna - Princess of China

The Daily Musing

Monday means back to work today and with that seeing my Monday regular clients. With summer now upon us, I'm starting to see some of my clients leave for the summer and time is becoming much more available to me. This is both a good and bad thing, but in no time, summer will be over and we'll see members return to us. This morning consisted of five clients, all who have been with me for a considerable amount of time and I am very pleased with their progress.

Today's workout consisted of chest, shoulders, abs and 25 minutes of cardio. Since completing my last show back in April, my strength has improved quite nicely. I'm pressing weights I have never done before and it feels great. My nutrition has been a big part of this progress and I have to thank my coach Warren for supplying me with a great diet plan.

This past weekend's little heat wave has definitely worn me down and was still feeling the effects of the heat. Just goes to show how important it is to be well hydrated in extreme heat. Been pounding water all afternoon trying to get myself back to normal.

Now Playing - Paramore - Careful
Days until NZ - 50

Song of the Week

This week's Song of the Week:

Anberlin - Feel Good Drag

If you're an acoustic fan, be sure to check out this version. 

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango and Avocado

So this weekend I had the pleasure of cooking a real meal (something other than plain grilled chicken, rice and green beans). In an attempt to keep the meal relatively healthy and clean, I searched AllRecipes.com for a new way to prepare chicken - behold, Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa.

Let it be known that I screwed up my grocery shopping and didn't cook the recipe exactly how it's listed...

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fresh red chile pepper, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 teaspoons orange juice
• 5 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
•  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup diced mango
• 1/2 avocado
• chopped fresh cilantro to taste
• chopped fresh parsley to taste

Directions

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place the cumin seeds, garlic, chile pepper, salt, olive oil, orange juice, and lemon juice into the bowl of a blender; grind to a coarse paste. Toss the chicken with the marinade, then place into the refrigerator, and allow to marinate for about 2 1/2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned. Place into the oven, and cook until the juices run clear, about 8 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. While the chicken is in the oven, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime zest, honey, and soy sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until the orange juice has reduced to 1/3 of original volume and is beginning to get thick and syrupy. Once thick, remove from heat, and whisk in the butter pieces one at a time until melted; set aside.
5. To serve, place chicken on the plate and sprinkle with mango and avocado. Drizzle with the sauce, and garnish with cilantro and parsley.   

My Deviations

1.  I couldn't find cumin seed at the store so I "toasted" ground cumin. NOTE - this will make your kitchen stink.
2. I don't think I had enough lime zest, but I think I had enough to have a hint of flavor.
3. I did NOT use butter.

The result is pictured below.

Also pictured, baked asparagus, balsamic roasted red potatoes, a side salad with walnuts, craisins and blueberries. Not pictured - homemade strawberry lemonade, guacamole and a very flavorful mix of shrimp and roasted red peppers.