Superb Owl LVI (56) Workout Challenge with Bonus Baked Taco Bowl Recipe!

*Clears throat* I mean… this is my Super Bowl LVI Workout Challenge. IYKYK*

First of all, 56 is a great number for a theme workout – it’s divisible by 4, and with a very usable quotient of 14. TOO FUN. For my friends who train with kettlebells and/or calisthenics who may have a 56th birthday coming up, please send me a message as I have so many ideas with this particular theme number. For theme workouts with higher numbers (>40), ones that are divisible by 3, 4, and 5 tend to be the most fun–in my opinion. I have several “theories” and mental formulas for theme workouts rolling around in my head at any given time… would you want them to be written up at some point? Let me know in the comments!

Without further ado, I am proud to share the…

Superb Owl LVI Workout Challenge

As per usual, we began with Joint Mobility, and since I knew my workout partner had had to spend more time on Zoom meetings this past week (extra stress + extra sitting = tight or angry hip flexors) we added a few reps of the old favorite “Shinbox” move** to our mobility warmup today.

Warmup Circuit 3x:

• 10x Kettlebell swings
• 3x Goblet Squats (first one “prying” if desired)
• 3/3 “round the worlds”

Superb Owl Circuit 4x:

• 14x Kettlebell Swings (go heavy if you wish!)
• 7/7 Kettlebell Presses (again, moderately heavy, but not near max – for me this week that meant 20kg, since I knew I’d be able to hit all the reps in unbroken sets each round, but I’d need to be mindful about it)
• 14 Pushups (yes, this is basically active rest)
• 7/7 Floor Tap, Knee-Raise Lunges (are we a little obsessed with these? Yes.)
• 7/7 Single kettlebell thrusters (with RKC snatch-test weight kettlebell or lighter)
• 7/7 Kettlebell snatches (yes, it was mean of me to put this after thrusters, I did it in the name of mental toughness.)

ABS Finisher 3x:

• 5x Power Breathing Crunches (these are magic, more on this in a future post)
• 30 Seconds Scissor Kicks
• 30 Seconds Star Crunches
• 30 Seconds Bridges (this is a break – hip bridges or full bridges or both)

Joint mobility moves to cool down further…

Joint circling, and favorite moves from the Cal Poly Hip Flow as time allowed

Make Your Own Tasty “Super Bowl”

Of course that workout made me hungry – and with the collective consciousness out there strongly churning with football-watching snacks I kept thinking about “taco dip” on my way home.

Fortunately I had most of the ingredients already at home, but stopped on the way back to pick up a few of the things I was missing (thawed ground chicken being the main thing). In my mind I kept picturing Mom’s amazing 7-layer dip, but I also knew I was probably going to eat half the pan – so I came up with the leaner version below. It’s basically a baked version of half the ingredients — then you add the cool items (guacamole, etc.) after scooping it into a bowl. Alternately you could scoop some into a tortilla for an excellent start of an epic burrito. In other words, this is going to be great leftover too.

Here’s a recipe I made up for a home made “Super Bowl”:

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Lean and Protein Packed Baked Taco Dip

Sure, you can eat this with chips, but it's also great to eat in a bowl with a spoon - or wrapped in a tortilla with any favorite topings

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: American, High Protein, Tex-Mex or Taco Inspired!

Keyword: high protein, lower fat, taco bowl, Taco Dip, taco meat

Servings: 4

Equipment

• 1 Skillet
• 1 Deep baking dish Baking time below is for 9" Square. A large cast iron skillet would work well with this too - I just didn't feel like cleaning melted cheese off of mine today.

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lb Ground chicken or turkey Really, any good quality lean meat. I choose to go ultra lean on this because I will be adding so much cheese, guacamole, and sour cream later. For my plant-based pals, this would be really great with Quorn crumbles, seitan crumbles, TVP, etc.
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 tsp Taijn Seasoning I love the "Clásico Seasoning with Lime"
• 1 can Refried beans
• 1 cup Shredded medium cheddar, colby-jack, or pepper-jack Or your favorite cheese or cheese substitute (will check with a friend to see how this goes with Daiya)
• 1 cup Salsa Your favorite brand or homemade
• 1-2 cups Guacamole This is personal preference, I love guac, so I added a LOT. Use your favorite brand or homemade - https://giryagirl.com/guacamole-day/
• 1 cup Sour cream (optional)
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
• Sliced black olives (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit
• Brown your choice of ground meat or crumbles until not-raw, add taco seasoning as per the package instructions
• Transfer the seasoned meat to the baking dish, spread it evenly in the pan.
• Add the refried beans in spoonfuls evenly across the top of the seasoned meat before smoothing it out into a single layer. Top with an even sprinkling of the Tajin seasoning.
• Add shredded cheese evenly over the top.
• Bake for about 20 minutes
• Optional Bonus Step: Broil the top for a few minutes to brown the cheese slightly.
• To serve, scoop the mixture into bowls and add large dollops of guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and any of your favorite toppings (cilantro, black olives, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños etc.)

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**Super Short Video with Shinbox Move – more on this soon!

Stay safe and wise out there!