The Exercise Coach - Libertyville Personal Training

01/28/2026

(Recipe of the Week) When you’re short on time and dinner ideas, this Sheet Pan Baked Salmon with Vegetables is fast, balanced, and delicious!

Sheet Pan Baked Salmon with Vegetables

(via: https://bit.ly/4jcgPnI)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about ¼ cup)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill (or ½ teaspoon dried dill)
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ¼ pound salmon fillets
1 pound sweet potato (1 large or 2 small), thinly sliced
12 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the marinade by whisking together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade to use later.
Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish and pour half of the remaining marinade (not the 2 tablespoons you just set aside), over the salmon. Place the salmon in the fridge to marinate while you prep the veggies.
Wash and peel the sweet potato. Using a knife or mandolin slicer, thinly slice the sweet potato into rounds about ⅛-inch thick.
Place the sweet potato slices on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the other half of the marinade that you used for the salmon. Toss the sweet potato slices with the marinade then spread them into an even layer on the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan and move the sweet potatoes to one side of the pan to make room for the green beans and onion.
Drizzle the green beans and onion with the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Give them a little toss with your hands or a spoon then spread them evenly into a thin layer next to the sweet potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and make a space in the center of the pan for the marinated salmon fillets. Top off each salmon fillet with a lemon slice or two and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Place the baking sheet back into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is no longer opaque. The sweet potato slices should be tender and the green beans crisp-tender.
Serve the salmon and vegetables with additional lemon slices and salt and pepper, if desired.

Note: This dish is approved for the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge. Find all recipes of the week on our Pinterest boards: https://bit.ly/3VhrcuT

01/28/2026

"I love the coaching. The trainers are encouraging and knowledgeable. They quickly adjust the machines or alter the exercises if needed. I leave feeling like I had a complete workout and it only took about 20-minutes. I am encouraged by the results of this program."

-Janet H., Boise ID

01/27/2026

The Exercise Coach in the News! How to Actually Achieve Your Health and Fitness Goals in 2026 . . .

We’re just over three weeks into the new year and resolutions are already being tested! Many of us start strong but often find ourselves shifting gears or tr...

01/23/2026

https://bit.ly/4sQvXMQ (NEW EPISODE) How 2-5 minutes of "concentrated cardio" beats an hour of steady-state activity. Tune in to learn more!

01/22/2026

(Recipe of the Week) Grass-fed beef, tender vegetables, and fragrant herbs simmer together to create rich depth without heaviness. It’s a simple, nourishing meal that proves classic cooking never goes out of style, especially when it’s made with ingredients that love you back.

Bistro Beef and Vegetable Stew

(via: https://bit.ly/4sORXI9)

Ingredients
2 pounds top sirloin, trimmed of excess fat to 1½ pounds
2 tablespoons grass fed butter or olive oil, divided use
1 small onion
3 celery ribs
1 fennel bulb
1 leek
2 medium carrots
2 ½ teaspoons dried Herbs de Provence or dried thyme
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
I can (15-ounce) diced no salt added tomatoes, drained
2 ½ cups low-to no-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons cold filtered water
¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Method

Step 1
Place the meat on a cutting board and with a sharp, heavy knife, trim off the extra fat. From a 2-pound piece you should get about 1½ pounds trimmed. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Dice the onion into small pieces. Split the celery lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into small pieces.

Step 2
For the fennel, chop off the top ribs and a small slice from the bottom, then cut the bulb in half top to bottom. Cut out the pyramid shaped core with a sharp knife. Next, chop the bulb into small pieces.

Step 3
For the leek, cut off the dark green top and the root end. Slice the leek in half lengthwise and run under cold water to remove any grit or sand. Pat dry lay flat on a cutting board. Chop crosswise into thick pieces. Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces. If the carrots are fat, cut them in half lengthwise first.

Step 4
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven (5 ½ quart), melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. When hot, add the meat. Brown on all sides for about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat and juices to a bowl and set aside.

Step 5
Add the remaining butter to the pot and allow to melt. Add the onions, celery, fennel, leek, and Herbs de Provence. Cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning heat down if they start to brown. Add the salt and pepper. Add the meat back into the pot, then the carrots, tomatoes and broth. Simmer on medium-low to low heat with the lid on until the carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. The stew can be enjoyed as is or you can thicken the broth for more of a gravy consistency.

Step 6
To make a gravy, whisk together the arrowroot starch and the cold water until smooth in a small bowl. With the stew at a simmer, add the arrowroot to the pot while stirring. Stir well and bring the pot back to almost a boil for a minute to cook off the raw taste of the arrowroot and thicken the broth.

Step 7
To serve, ladle about 1½ cups stew into serving bowls and garnish with the parsley. Pair with a tossed green salad with a full fat dressing, olive oil vinaigrette and avocado. Cool and store stew leftovers in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days. To re-heat, place portion in a small pan over low heat with a lid. Cover and heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Note: This dish is approved for the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge. Find all Recipes of the Week on our Pinterest boards: https://bit.ly/3VhrcuT

01/20/2026

(NEW EPISODE) https://bit.ly/45VxLKD What is the difference between "concentrated cardio" and long-duration steady-state cardio? Which is better and why?

01/20/2026

"The 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge has been life changing for me and I am so happy to be the winner! I wanted to do it to feel better mentally, physically, and emotionally. I now have better skin, more energy, my health has improved, and I feel amazing. This challenge taught me how to eat healthy; I can live without sugar for the first time and my food tastes amazing now without salt. My exercise performance has also improved since I started the challenge.

The Exercise Coach has had such a positive influence in my life. The coaches are so encouraging and supportive. They motivate, challenge, and push me during my workouts. Now that the challenge is over, I will not go back to eating the way I did before. The Exercise Coach is the way to go!"

-Maria M., Dedham, MA

01/19/2026

(NEW STUDIO ALERT!) Congratulations to Franchise Partners Shawn & Rex Chou on the opening of their 2ND LOCATION in Redwood City, CA! 💫

01/19/2026

01/14/2026

(Recipe of the Week) These pesto chicken meatballs are loaded with flavor, easy to make and packed with protein and healthy fats. A great weeknight meal served over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

Paleo Pesto Chicken Meatballs

(via: https://bit.ly/3Lhy5fQ)

Ingredients

Paleo Pesto:
1/2 cup raw walnuts or pine nuts, or a combo
3 cloves garlic
4 oz fresh basil leaves packed (you can sub in baby spinach for some of the basil if preferred - about 4 cups)
1/2 cup light flavored olive oil or avocado oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for flavor, optional

Chicken Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken (or preferred ground meat - not too lean)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp pesto
1 egg
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

For the Pesto:
Combine walnuts or pine nuts, garlic, basil leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and nutritional yeast in a blender or food processor. Blend or process/pulse until a paste forms (not too smooth, scraping sides as needed.

For the Meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and drizzle a large baking sheet with oil or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of the pesto, egg, almond flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix with clean hands until well combined, the mixture will be sticky, especially with ground chicken!
Tip - when forming the mixture into balls, wet your hands periodically to make them easy to handle. Chicken meatballs are very sticky! Form the mixture into 12-14 meatballs, lightly wetting your hands as necessary.
Place on the prepared baking sheet 2” apart and bake for 15-18 mins, or until just cooked through.
Serve over cooked Spaghetti squash, Zucchini Noodles, Cauliflower Rice or Roasted Sweet Potatoes, topping with the remaining pesto. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Note: This dish is approved for the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge. Find all Recipes of the Week on our Pinterest boards: https://bit.ly/3VhrcuT

01/13/2026

"My last year working out at the Exercise Coach has changed my Life!! I’m in my late 50’s and 10 years ago I had my left accessory nerve severed during surgery and my trapezius muscle completely atrophied. In addition to constant pain, I had lost most of the ability to move my shoulder blade and had no mobility to participate in any type of strength training. Over the last decade, I lost most of my upper body muscle tone.

I was highly skeptical at first, but after sitting down with my coach and discussing my situation, I decided to give it a try.

The results were nothing short of miraculous!! Not only has my shoulder pain totally dissipated, but I have also regained muscle tone in my shoulder with a dramatic increase in mobility. Prior to joining The Exercise Coach I’d given up on not only strength training but much of a very active lifestyle that involved use of my left arm/shoulder.

In addition, I have seen a dramatic increase in strength overall and believe I am now stronger than I was 30 years ago (both upper and lower body)! In addition, I just had my annual physical and was able to do 40 sit-ups in one minute. That’s 6 above the max for my age!

I highly recommend The Exercise Coach for anyone at any level of physical fitness. If you give it a try, I promise you will be impressed with the results you achieve!"

- Dave F., Southlake, TX

01/11/2026

(NEW PODCAST) A re-frame to shape how you approach exercise and metabolic health this year. Tune in to hear the whole conversation here https://bit.ly/4qFq2bw