I know, I know, those two things in the title really don’t go well together. Or maybe they do, in the sense that when you eat what seems like five thousand brownies within just a couple of days, you really should do some circuit training. Either way, as promised, I have a recipe and some exercise ideas for you today!

First off, the recipe, which couldn’t be easier!

Raspberry Swirl Brownies (E, N)
makes 24 brownies

Ingredients:
– Batter from Classic Brownies, or your other favorite brownie recipe (note: you’ll need enough batter to fill a 9×13-inch baking pan)
– 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Prepare your brownies all the way through the recipe, but stop just before you put them in the oven.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the raspberry jam in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or until it is nicely melted and pour-able.
3. Gently pour the jam over the brownie batter. The goal is not to just dump it over the whole pan – make stripes with the jam so it is easier to marble.
4. Using a butter knife, gently swirl the jam into the batter, moving your knife back and forth, width-wise, or until the batter has a marbled look.
5. Bake as directed.
6. Enjoy!

Notes:
– Throwing in a cup of chocolate chunks probably wouldn’t hurt. Just saying. 😉
– A great variation on this recipe is to use chocolate cake batter instead of brownie. I made a raspberry swirl chocolate cake for Thanksgiving once, and it was a huge hit!

This is so decadent, you won’t even need frosting!

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Well, now that we’re all hungry, how about some circuit training? 🙂

Links:
– Courtney over at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life has an entire tab dedicated to circuits that she made up. It is a great source, and she has plenty of different options, depending on your mood that day!
– Another great way to incorporate some circuits into your workout is by checking out Nutritionella’s “Move Your Booty Monday”. Another favorite site!
– I’m sure there are plenty of other great sites out there waiting to be discovered. If you have a favorite, post the link in the comments section!

Mine:
– Through some Google searches, I found plenty of great exercises for circuit training. With that I managed to put together some circuits of my own. Doing this worked best for me obviously because I customized them, but also because I find them to be the perfect mixture of cardio and strength/endurance. They also don’t leave me too tired out; that way, I can finish up my workout with some running, yoga, etc. without feeling like I’m going to collapse.
Some examples of exercises I might use (alternating cardio with strength/endurance):
– jumping jacks
– mountain climbers
– jumping rope
– pushups (regular, sphynx, walking, etc.)
– sumo squats
– crunches (double crunches, pike crunches, etc.)
– butt kicks
– planks (on my hands or forearms)
– lunges (forward, alternating, + shoulder press, any kind!)
– jump squats
– punches (jab + cross, hook + uppercut, or a combination)
– kicks (forward, back, side, etc.)
– plank extension
– high knees

The list could go on and on, but those are some of my favorites. Again, if you have any more that you love, please share! A lot of the moves I gathered from P90X, 30-Day Shred, and other workout videos I’ve watched, as well as from those Google searches. Make sure to do a good warm up and cool down, too!

Hopefully you’re having a great Saturday so far! I’m thinking that a great way to kick-start your weekend would be with some circuit training followed by a big pan of brownies…. 🙂