Fitness, Baby! Fitness!

Let's build muscle, shed fat and achieve that body you've always wanted.

First of all, get rid of the myth: lifting weights will make me look like those manly bodybuilding women. FALSE. Steroids will make you look manly. Get over it. I do figure competitions and I don't look manly. I lift heavy, I push my body. That's the only way to change. YOU MUST COMMAND YOUR BODY TO GROW AND CHANGE.

Weights:
Do not be afraid of weights. Start light. As it gets easier, go up weight. Got it? Aim to lift 5 days a week. One muscle group a session. Push yourself. The last reps should be hard in each set.

Cardio:
Aim for 5 sessions a week for 30-45 minutes. DO NOT GO OVER 45 MINUTES. You want to tap into your fat storage-not your glycogen levels (this fuels your muscles). DO CARDIO FIRST THING IN THE MORNING BEFORE EATING OR RIGHT AFTER WEIGHT TRAINING. When you weight train, your body begins to tap into fat storage, so by cardio time, you are ready to go!

Weight training:
Each day train a different muscle group! Start with 4 sets of 12. Then after a few weeks, try adding weight each set doing 15, 12, 10, 12! Change it up!

Sample weight routine:
Mon- shoulders, abs and cardio
Tues- biceps/triceps and cardio
Wed- back, abs and cardio
Thurs- legs (skip cardio)
Fri- chest, abs and cardio
Sat- your choice or OFF
Sun- your choice or OFF

Sample cardio workouts:
HIIT-high interval training. Example: Sprint for 1 min, walk for 2, sprint for 1 min, walk for 2. Jog for 3, sprint for 1, walk for two. Repeat. Do this for 30 minutes. Mix it up!! Push yourself!!

Elliptical. Vary the resistance and incline. 30-45 minutes.

Stair stepper. 30-45 minutes.

Walk at incline of 10 or more. 30-45 minutes.

Zumba and other group classes

THE KEY IS TO CHANGE UP YOUR WORKOUTS/INTENSITY/WEIGHT EVERY 3-4 WEEKS. VARY THE EXERCISES/MACHINES. YOUR BODY WILL ADAPT, SO YOU MUST CONFUSE YOUR MUSCLES OFTEN!

Do your research and get acquainted with the body and muscle groups. You can find tons of workouts for each of these muscles!

GET IT GIRLS,
Brynlea

Nutrition, Baby! Nutrition!

You girls ready?? Let's do this!!

Nutrition:
Think clean. Think protein. Think complex carbs. Think good fats. Think eating to fuel your body and that's it. FOOD IS NOT A REWARD. It's FUEL.

Proteins:
Eggs
Egg whites
Lean turkey
Chicken breast
Salmon
Tilapia
Lean ground beef
Steak (yes, I said steak)
Whey Isolate Protein shakes

Complex Carbs/Acceptable Carbs:
Brown rice
Oatmeal
Grits
Quinoa
Sweet potato
Red potato
Rice cakes
Ezekial breads
Whole wheat pasta (but I'm not a fan of wheat products)

Fats:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Natural Peanut Butter
Coconut Oil

Meals: THINK PROTEIN/CARB, PROTEIN/CARB, PROTEIN/CARB-REPEAT THIS TO YOURSELF SO YOU CAN GET IN THE RIGHT MINDSET WHEN APPROACHING EATING-EVEN WHEN YOU ARE AT A RESTAURANT. DINNER TIME-VEGGIES ONLY-NO CARBS. ONE-TWO CHEAT MEALS A WEEK

Sample meal:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal or grits, 1 whole egg, 1/3-2/3 cups egg whites
Snack 1: protein shake (2 rice cakes optional with layer of peanut butter)
Lunch: 5 oz protein, carb (sweet potato, brown rice)
Snack 2: protein shake and 2 rice cakes or QuestBar
Dinner: 5oz protein and veggies
Snack 3 (optional): protein shake

Aim for 20-25 grams protein each meal and 20-30 carbs each meal but dinner and snack 3!

Drink a gallon of water a day. No exceptions.

GET IT GIRLS!
Brynlea