Cheesy Tuna Burgers and a Deadlift Workout

Max is not a seafood person.


He will happily eat beef and chicken all day long, but lately we have both been looking for ways to trim our grocery bill.


And guess what is cheap, high in protein and easy to prepare?


Tuna!


Cheesy BBQ Tuna Burgers

I found this recipe for cheesy tuna burgers and made some changes to suit Max's tastebuds and macros.


2 cans tuna in water, drained well
1 heaping tablespoon BBQ seasoning
2 ounces / 56 grams shredded cheese or nondairy cheese substitute (cheddar and American are best!)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs 
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup diced onions
1 large egg yolk or 1/2 tablespoon olive oil


Place all the tuna in a medium bowl; put a nonstick or greased skillet on medium heat. Add the dry ingredients (all except the egg yolk or olive oil) and incorporate well. Stir in the yolk or olive oil: it should be similar in thickness to cake batter. If it's too thick or dry, add olive oil a teaspoon at a time. Form the mixture into small balls and cook approximately 4 minutes per side, or until firm. The outside should be just a bit crunchy :)


Remove from heat and serve with BBQ sauce and ketchup -- or whatever condiments you fancy! :) 


Nutrition stats for the whole recipe using egg yolk (10-12 slider-size burgers): 630 calories / 22g carbs / 20.5 g fat / 89.5g protein.


And if you want to need that much protein (and then some), I have an awesome deadlift workout for you :D Weights are my own; calculate your one-rep max here!


Warm-up: 5 minutes self-myofascial release ("foam rolling"); ~3 minutes mobility work (check out mobilitywod.com for some good ideas); Conventional Deadlifts: just the bar x 5, 115 (50% of one-rep max) x 5, 135 (60% of one-rep max) x 3.


Conventional Deadlifts: 
No straps, only use chalk for your last set! :) Bring up that grip strength! It's important for real life! :)


65% of one-rep max (150) x 5
70% of one-rep max (160) x 5
80% of one-rep max (185) x max reps -- 8 for me!


Romanian Deadlifts:
Since this is an assistance lift, you should choose a challenging weight but stop at least 4 reps prior to failure


135 x 8 -> no straps, no chalk
165 x 9 -> decided to add straps since my grip was SHOT from conventional deadlifts
165 x 10
165 x 11
165 x 11


Hyperextensions:
Again, this is an assistance lift, so don't kill yourself! Be careful not to lock out your knees.


25# plate x 10 x 5 sets


Conditioning: Farmer's walk (strengthens grip, core, back)


Choose a heavy set of dumbbells. I picked 40s. Pick them up and carry them (carefully, and stopping if you're too tired!) for either a certain distance - the length of your gym and back, maybe - or for a certain period of time, like a minute and a half. Record your speed or how far/long you can carry them, rest until you can breathe again, and repeat.  I did this a total of 5 times, walking for 90 seconds and resting for 30.


When you're performing a farmer's carry, your arms should be completely extended: like in a deadlift, your arms are just holding the weight. You should be upright with good posture -- don't jut your head forward, hunch over or lean forward or back. It may be difficult to maintain good posture if you let yourself get too tired. 

If you have any doubts, reservations, or confusion about how to perform this exercise, play it safe and do 12 minutes of HIIT!

As always, honor your body and your injuries and don't begin a fitness program or regimen without consulting a doctor. A professional should observe your form.