You know by now that you get access to all four Challenges coming your way this 2024âPLUS you get my ALL NEW Fit in 30 Program this December FOR FREE!!
Got questions? Iâve got answers! ⤾ď¸
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What are the Challenges you will have throughout the year?
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We will have FOUR Challenges + a brand new Fit in 30 Program for the remainder of 2024.Â
I have locked in the dates, and more information about the upcoming Challenges will be available closer to their Start Dates below:
Challenge #1:Â January 15th (REVIVE)
Challenge #2: March 11th (DEFINE & SHINE)
Challenge #3:Â May 6th
Challenge #4:Â TBD
Fit in 30: Available starting December
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How do I get access to each Challenge?
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To protect your account, and to certify exclusivity, you will be sent unique redemption codes to be used when each Challenge is available for purchase. You will NOT be charged for each individual Challenge, as you purchased the VIPQueen Bundle offer.Â
The redemption code, if used solely on the Challenge, will void any additional costs. This code does not void out costs for merchandise, shipping, or other programs available on AnitaHerbert.com.Â
Each code will expire 1 week after the official Challenge start date (see previous section for exact dates).
IMPORTANT! You will not get access to challenges without going through checkout. The next challenge will NOT show up on your app until you have successfully purchased it with your redemption code. Code can only be used once.
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What if I miss the deadline on redeeming my discount code?
If for some reason you are not able to redeem your code before the Challenge commences, please contact me at info@anitaherbert.com.
If you are unable to participate in any Challenge throughout the year that has been paid for as part of the FitQueen Challenge Bundle, you are NOT eligible for a refund valued at the price of a Challenge.
You do have access to each Challenge for 6 months after the start date, and can complete the Challenge at a time that best suits your needs. In order to have access for 6 months, you will need to use your redemption code for the Challenge so it is added to your app to be used at a later date.
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Can I start my Challenge at any time?
You are not able to start the Challenge prior to the start date.
All Challenges run for 6 weeks from the start date, and in order to be eligible for prizes, you will need to complete the Challenge during this time frame.Â
You ARE able to start later than the official start date, and you will have access to each Challenge for 6 months after the official start date.Â
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When will I get access to my Meal Plans?
You will get a Meal Plan for each Challenge (4 total) to use throughout the duration of each individual Challenge.
Once a Challenge is announced and available for purchase on AnitaHerbert.com, you will use your redemption code to void costs and add that Challenge to your app.
This will then provide access to the Meal Plan Questionnaire for that Challenge, for you to utilize as it best suits your goals.
You will NOT be eligible to use Meal Plans for future Challenges prematurely as part of the FitQueen Challenge Bundle. All Meal Plans are subject to specific Challenges only.
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I just purchased the latest Challenge, can I switch to the Bundle offer?
Unfortunately, the VIPQueen Bundle is SOLD OUT for 2024 and no longer available for purchase.
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Sign Ups are officially open for my next FitQueen Challenge - Hot QUEEN Summer! The Challenge starts on July 11th. If you're thinking of joining, but aren't sure if this Challenge is right for you - check out my Frequently Asked Questions below!Â
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What is a FitQueen Challenge?
My FitQueen Challenge is a 6-week journey where I welcome women from all over the world to join our FitQueen Army and achieve a total mind and body transformation.
Each Challenge includes a 6-week Training Plan and Meal Plan designed for fast and maintainable results. My Challenges are designed to teach you the tools and techniques that I have refined over many years of training - so you too can become the best version of yourself!
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Is this a one-time charge or a monthly charge?
Your sign up fee is a one-time charge! The $79 USD fee covers the Challenge and you will not be charged again. You will receive 6 months access to our online platform, plus you can download and keep your PDF programs forever.
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What is included for $79 USD?
Youâll receive all the tools you need to succeed - your Challenge package is extensive and Iâve put together everything you need to know to achieve great results in our 6 weeks of working together.
The package includes:
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What sort of training can I expect in this Challenge?
 Whether you want to train at home or would prefer to train in the gym, this program will be perfect for you.Â
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I have taken the feedback from my FitQueen Community Group and created an incredible program that includes the best of both worlds - home and gym training.
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There will be a comprehensive home guide with brand new and dynamic exercises. There will also be a full gym guide which will utilize some machines, plus dumbbells, barbells and cables.
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How long will it take for me to get my meal plan?
Once youâve signed up for the Challenge, youâll receive an email confirmation and a link to submit your Meal Plan Questionnaire. After you submit your Questionnaire, youâll sit tight and I will deliver your customized meal plan to you via email. You will not receive your meal plan immediately after purchase. Meal plans are delivered in order the Questionnaires are received - so the sooner you join, the sooner youâll receive your start up package! If you haven't received your meal plan 72 hours before the challenge starts please email me. Remember to always check your junk folder.
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Do I have to be in the United States to join?
No! My Challenge is available worldwide and you can join from anywhere. My FitQueen Army has ladies from over 100 countries and Iâd love to have you too! Since your Meal Plan is personalized, I can take into account where you are located and what food you have available to you.
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Can you access the plan from your phone?
Absolutely! The program is delivered via an online training platform (that you can save as a bookmark on your home screen like an app) with PDF files that you can download and keep. This means you can access the program from your phone, tablet or computer.
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Is this Challenge for Beginners or Advanced?
The Challenge is designed for ALL ladies, regardless of your fitness ability or age. The great thing about my program is that it allows you to push yourself to your limits - so youâll choose weights that are suitable to your ability level. Plus, youâre provided with videos of me performing each exercise along with written exercise cues, so youâll feel confident in what youâre doing. I also include alternatives for exercises that I think are super challenging - so if you're a beginner you can opt for the alternative exercise.
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Can I workout at home?
You certainly can! I have lots of Queens doing the Challenge who prefer to train at home. Donât be fooled though; my home workouts are super effective and sure to burn
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What equipment will I need to train from home?
Youâll need some dumbbells, a set of resistance bands, a booty band, and something raised like a chair. I recommend you order your Home Gym Bundle so that you've got everything you need for your home workouts. Plus you'll receive free domestic shipping if you're in the USA.
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What if I donât know how to perform an exercise?
Within your Challenge platform, I include video demonstrations and written descriptions for every single movement. This way you can see me perform the movements to ensure youâve got it right.
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What are the different meal plan options?Â
You will have the option to choose (1) of the following options that suits your goals: fat loss, lean gains or maintenance. This Challenge can be personalized to suit either of these goals. The Training Program will remain the same regardless of your goal, itâs your Meal Plan that will change. Not sure which plan is right for you? Click here to read more!
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Is this plan customized?
It is! After your register, youâll receive an email to complete your Pre-Challenge Questionnaire. This is where you submit all the information I require to customize your Meal Plan to suit you, your body type, goals, and requirements. The Training Plan is not customized; it is a set program for all participating in the Challenge.
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However, with your Challenge program you also receive "My Day, My Way Workouts (MDMW)". MDMW workouts give you the freedom to personalize your 6th workout day each week - so you can work on a muscle group of your choice. This could be somewhere you're lacking, or just something you love to train! It allows you customization in your Training Plan too.
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Do you cater for my dietary requirements?
Of course! Thatâs the beauty of my customized Meal Plan. I can cater to your requirements - including likes and dislikes, and dietary restrictions such as Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Red Meat Free and the like. To succeed on your plan, ADHERENCE is key! The best way to ensure adherence is to design a Meal Plan that you actually enjoy.
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Are there Vegan options too?
Absolutely. I have lots of Vegan Queens, and I am more than happy to provide you with a Vegan Meal Plan that suits your goals while still maintaining your values.
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What does the Mindset Guide include?
The Mindset Guide includes the tools you need to laser focus your mindset for success throughout this Challenge. I educate you on topics such as: early rising, social media breaks, affirmations, gratitude writing, goal setting, visualization, meditation, and more. Thereâs something for everyone in this eBook; itâs an unsung hero of my FitQueen Challenge.
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What is the process after signing up?
Once youâve registered, youâll receive an email confirmation of your place in the Challenge plus an email inviting you to create your training platform login. Youâll also receive a link to complete your Pre-Challenge Questionnaire. Next, youâll join my FitQueen Community Group on Facebook - then sit tight! Everything else will be communicated with you directly via email throughout the lead up to the Challenge. It's important that you check your emails regularly so you don't miss important updates.
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Are there prizes with this Challenge?Â
Sure are! There is a huge $5000 USD cash and prize pool for the winners of this Challenge. At the end of the 6 weeks there will be 3 winners and these ladies will receive $1,500 USD cash each PLUS supplement prize packs from Onest Health. Getting in the best shape of your life AND getting paid for it? Incredible!
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I have a medical condition/injury, can I take part in your Challenge?
The Training Guide within the Challenge is not personalized - it is a set plan. Therefore, I cannot accommodate injuries. If you have a medical condition, it is essential that you seek a physician's clearance before participating. Remember that your health is always the first priority.
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Do I get Check-Ins?
Certainly! Half way through the Challenge (end of week 3), you will have a Check-In with me. This is your chance to show me your progress and have me update your Meal Guide accordingly.
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How will I be supported throughout this Challenge?
Youâll feel supported at every step of your FitQueen journey! I provide email support, a Private Facebook Group for support and guidance, as well as weekly email updates so you continue learning and staying motivated throughout the Challenge. You are guaranteed to succeed when you join my FitQueen Challenge.
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Are you ready to join my FitQueen Army and get in the best shape of your life? Register for your place now.
Hungry Tip 1ď¸âŁ. Ensure you arenât skipping meals earlier
Skipping meals earlier in the day can lead to low energy and dips in blood sugar which causes hunger later on. Aim to eat 2-3 meals/day and some snacks too. If you are currently intermittent fasting and are hungry at night try moving your meal times to later in the day and extending the time you stop eating at night.Â
Hungry Tip 2ď¸âŁ. Ensure you are consuming protein at every meal
Consuming protein can actually reduce the level of your hunger hormone, ghrelin which is why it is considered the most satiating macronutrient. Your protein needs will be specific to your goals and body weight, but I recommend a range of 1.2g-2.2 g protein per kg (2.2lb) of body weight. Structure your eating schedule so that after your workout youâre consuming at least ~20 grams of protein. This is especially important if you havenât eaten a balanced meal for several hours prior to your workout.
If your appetite is low after your workout, this is a perfect time for a shake as it's easier to drink down calories when you arenât hungry. Fueling your body after your workout will help to then stabilize your hunger later on.Â
Hungry Tip 3ď¸âŁ. Fill up on fiber
Fiber takes longer to pass through the digestive system and can help keep you feeling fuller for longer. It's recommended to consume 25-35 grams of fiber each day. The best food sources to help you achieve this are non-starchy veggies (leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc.) fruits with seeds/skin (apples, berries, pears), legumes (lentils, beans, peas), and whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, farro).
Hungry Tip 4ď¸âŁ. Ensure you are getting adequate sleep
Lack of sleep can actually lead to impaired glucose metabolism which can cause increased feelings of hunger. Sleep deprivation can also negatively impact the choices you make around food. Ideally aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep. If you struggle falling asleep try developing a night time routine including stretching and/or meditation practices.Â
Hungry Tip 5ď¸âŁ. Consume more no or low-calorie beveragesÂ
If youâve had balanced meals and snacks all day and still feel hungry, try filling up on low or no calorie beverages. For example, have seltzer with meals or try herbal tea after dinner.Â
Now, if you arenât truly hungry, but still are reaching for food that's a sign your eating is more emotional. If you fall into this category consider these tips:
Tip 1ď¸âŁ. Identify the emotion
Once youâre aware of what's going on, you can change it. Common emotions that may cause you to want to eat are boredom, loneliness and stress.
Tip 2ď¸âŁ. Expand your self-care tool box
Once you know what emotion youâre feeling, think of other coping tools to help you deal with it besides food. It can be helpful to keep a list on your phone to read over before going into the kitchen. For example, when youâre bored you can call a friend, go on a walk, listen to a podcast or do some cleaning. When youâre stressed you can journal, meditate, call a family member or friend, or spend time in nature. It will take some trial and error to figure out what coping tools support you best.Â
Tip 3ď¸âŁ. Develop a night time routine to help you de-stress
If youâre often stressed at night after a busy day and this leads you to stress eat, consider developing a routine to help you navigate this. Take 10-15 minutes to stretch, diffuse some essential oils or read a book you enjoy.Â
Tip 4ď¸âŁ. If you find yourself seeking out trigger foods when stressed, keep them out of the house if possible.
If other people you live with want to have these foods in the house, put them somewhere that isnât right in your line of view and instead set out healthier snacks first. You can also find healthy alternatives for your trigger foods. For example, make a protein ice cream instead of Ben & Jerrys. Or popcorn instead of chips!Â
Just remember, itâs NORMAL to have cravings, we all do, but with some strategic planning, you can stay on track, while also satisfying that craving. Healthy food swapping is all about making little tweaks that make a big difference to your health & achieving your fitness goals.Â
When starting your nutrition and fitness journey, hunger can be a normal part of the process.Â
As fat loss requires that you expend more energy than you consume, your body will release certain hormones to signal hunger and try to get you to consume more food (energy). That might sound cruel, but our bodies donât want us to lose body-fat, as doing so provides no advantage from a survival standpoint. The severity of hunger will differ from person to person.Â
However, by implementing these tips, you can reduce the chance your hunger ruins your progress.
â¨KEY TAKEAWAYSâ¨
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]]>It means you're pushing hard in your workouts and testing your body with new movements and intensity.Â
If youâre feeling sore, here are my top tips for recovery:
FLUIDS: Â It seems obvious, but keeping your body hydrated is the best way to combat muscle soreness. Make sure youâre consuming plenty of water to replace what youâve lost while pushing yourself through these tough workouts.
SLEEP: Â Sleep is crucial when it comes to immune function, recovery, mood, metabolism, and everything in between - itâs especially important while youâre pushing your body and recovering from these tough workouts. Make sure youâre getting enough sleep; at least 7 hours works best for me.
REST:Â Make sure you take your full rest day at least once per week. Itâs essential that you give your body time to recuperate.
STRETCH:Â If youâre feeling tight and tender, a gentle stretch session is great to improve mobility. I have filmed a full stretch routine which you can find in the âExtrasâ section of the online platform.
FOAM ROLL: Â A great alternative to a massage is a foam roller! If you donât have one, you can find one for cheap on Amazon. Use this device to stretch and roll your muscles - it's especially great along your legs and hip flexors. If youâre new to foam rolling, jump on YouTube to look up a tutorial.
EPSOM SALTS:Â Epsom salts are full of magnesium, which is beneficial for muscle recovery. Run yourself a nice warm bath and then pop in a handful or two of Epsom salts. Soak for at least 20 minutes for best results.
WALK IT OUT: Â If youâre really stiff, moving to warm up your muscles can greatly help. Go for a light walk; just 20 or 30 minutes will get your blood flowing.
PRIORITIZE PROTEIN: Â Protein is essential for muscle recovery - if youâre struggling to finish all of your meals, please prioritize protein! What do I mean? If you canât eat your whole meal, start with your protein, then eat until youâre full. This is the best option for you until your hunger increases as we progress through the challenge.
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]]>Fat and muscle were not created equal. Just to maintain that muscle takes a lot of calories. Of course, muscle is also what gives your body its shape.Â
If you put a pound of muscle and a pound of fat side by side, they of course move the scale the same amount, but they take up VERY different spaces. Muscle is way more dense than fat, meaning that that pound of fat takes up more space than the pound of muscle.
This is why a lot of women who do strength training donât see the scale move, but they do see the results in their toned physique.Â
Just look at these real results! This Queen barely lost any weight at all, but you can see the cuts and definition in her muscles. Wow!! đđ˝
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvK0xKJtjT/?igshid=xshkw1qs10p4Â
Muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older. Once we pass 50, we have a natural decline from 5 to 10% of muscle mass every decade. As a result, we lose strength. Working out with weights will counter that natural loss and allow us to combat many of the ailments that are traditionally associated with aging.
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When you work out with weights, your muscles develop both their fast twitch and their slow twitch fibers. The composite effect of this is that they get stronger and develop endurance, allowing them to do more for longer. In addition, when you use such equipment as kettle-bells, you develop functional fitness, which makes it easier for you to carry out your everyday physical activities.
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Cardio isnât the only way to burn calories -- weights do a pretty good job too! Donât believe it? Try squatting for 3 sets of 15 reps and youâll be a believer for life.Â
Compound movements that work multiple body parts will tax your cardiovascular system while shaping and sculpting your body.
When you lift weights, you trigger whatâs known as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect. Basically, this means that youâre not only going to churn through a ton of calories while lifting, but your metabolism is going to be boosted for the next 24-48 hours, allowing you to burn more calories after your training -- yes, even in your sleep!Â
When you workout with weights, you are actually creating micro-tears in your muscle cells. Repairing those tears takes energy. And thereâs more â muscle takes five times as much energy to maintain as fat does. So, every ounce of muscle that you add through weight training is going to have you burning more energy to maintain what youâve got.
Weight training allows you to be the sculptor of your own living work of art. My whole FitQueen program is about taking charge of your health and wellness -- resistance training puts you in control and allows you to do something good for your body. Â
The type of weight training youâll be doing will make you functionally strong. Strength training is also the best way to offset the natural strength loss that occurs with aging.
In one study, a 30 percent loss of strength that had accumulated over 12 years was restored with one year of strength training. Most people, when they follow an optimized strength training program, will actually be able to improve their strength levels by as much as 300 percent in a 12 month period!
The intense muscular contraction involved in strength training enhances venous blood flow to the right side of the heart. This increases the blood volume that is pumped in and out of the heart.
The stronger the muscles, the greater the amount of blood that will be pumped around the body. This makes your heart work a whole lot more efficiently.Â
As a result of weight training, you will be less susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, and a whole shopping list of other cardiovascular illnesses.Â
When you exercise with weights, your chances of developing osteoporosis declines dramatically. Weight training also strengthens your joints. A recent study out of Tufts University showed that resistance training slows down bone loss while stimulating new bone growth. The study also showed that regular weight training lubricates the joints as well as making the muscles around your joints stronger. As millions of people can attest, the effect is a reduction in arthritic symptoms.
Regular, progressive strength training will help you develop many of the qualities we generally associate with success in life. Working out isnât easy - it requires determination, focus, goal setting, resilience, guts, and old fashioned hard work. Once you take on the resistance training habit, those qualities will be strengthened without even realizing it!Â
Youâll also be a far more positive person - studies show that regular strength training can produce similar effects to over the counter medicines in terms of combatting depression, with none of the side effects.
Are you ready to add resistance training to your routine? Your body will thank you! Get started with my Cuts and Curves Workout Guide today - the perfect program to implement resistance training to your daily routine. It includes both home and gym workouts too - get started today.
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The two secrets are . . .Â
đ Diet smartÂ
đď¸ Workout smarter!Â
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When it comes to your health and fitness journey, there can be a lot of noise: social media fads, crazy supplements, new workout programs, and so much more. The key is to hone in on what works for YOU.
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Letâs take a look at some common things women SHOULDNâT do when it comes to working out!
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1. Easy does it on the cardio
Is cardio essential for wellness? Absolutely. Is it great for your heart? Hell yeah! Just make sure you arenât walking on the treadmill 7 days a week as your only form of exercise. In order to change and sculpt your body, you need to bring on the weighted sessions too! đď¸
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Weights are incredible for building lean muscle and helping with metabolic and hormone function, bone density, cognitive function, and posture, as well as making us feel strong and empowered. Talk about bang for your buck!
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There is a real misconception among women that weight training will make you bulky. Real talk â it doesnât! What weights do is strengthen and tone your muscles and give you definition.
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2. Baby weights
Tiny pink weights may be cute, but are they going to give us the results we are looking for? Probably not!Â
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If you are truly looking to grow your glutes, build beautiful shoulders, and bring in the waist (every girlâs dream đ¤), you need to push those big girl weights! Start evaluating your training critically: can you push harder? If the answer is yes, increase your weight!
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To increase strength and build beautifully feminine muscle, you want to aim for rep range of 8-15. Remember, ladies, âtoneâ only comes from having muscle, and the best way to make muscle is to lift weights!Â
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An extra incentive: the harder you challenge yourself with weights, the more calories your body will burn both during your sessions and as you recover. Hello, fat burn!
3. Zero intensity
My theory for life is that if you are going to do anything at all, do it with purpose and 100% effort! I take this motto very literally in the gym - the best way to get results is to have a plan and then execute if fully. Donât be that girl who sits on a bench, scrolling her phone, meandering aimlessly from one piece of equipment to the next. That isnât going to serve you!
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When you step into the gym, train like an absolute BEAST so you will feel and look like a BEAUTY!Â
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â¤ď¸ Get your heart rate upÂ
đď¸ Work hard
4. Thinking you can spot reduce
I know, Iâm breaking some hearts with this one: doing seven days of ab workouts isnât going to give you abs! Abs are created in the kitchen. No amount of sit ups and leg raises will give you a tight core - unless you are actively working in the kitchen to burn fat through your diet!
5. Looking for a magical pill
How many of you have tried a fad diet, thinking you will change your body overnight? Iâm sorry to say that there is no such thing as a magic diet pill. There IS magic in the power of consistency, though, and that is exactly how you will achieve long term success!
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If you arenât getting the results you want, itâs likely because you arenât being consistent with diet and training. These two factors - combined with sleep and a reduction of stress - are the only keys we need to change our bodies for the better.
6. Expecting results too soon
This ties in with the point above: nothing worth having happens overnight. Those fast, crazy results you see pushed over your socials arenât usually done in the healthiest manner. As a result, those people tend to fall off the bandwagon faster and end up right back at their starting position.
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Expecting to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks will only lead to disappointment, frustration, and most have you giving up all together. Build resilience! Know that all good things take time. Your progress should be about habit and lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes.Â
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Remember, temporary changes lead to temporary results. Lifestyle changes will lead to a lifetime of results!
7. Poor form
This is easily the most common mistake I see in the gym among both men and women. Poor form is inefficient - by doing the exercise incorrectly, you are recruiting the wrong muscle fibres, and itâs going to take more time to achieve the results you want.Â
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Also, poor form leads to injury! You canât train when youâre injured, so be smart.
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When it comes to the gym, all egos must be left at the door. Donât rush reps or sets; take your time; and execute movements correctly. If you struggle with form, referencing videos from fitness professionals is a GREAT way to ensure your form is on point! You get full video demonstrations of every exercise when you join my FitQueen Challenges đĽ°
8. No structure
I touched on this earlier above, but this is so important that it needs its own point!Â
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To make your workouts efficient in building strength and growing muscle, you must have a plan. Mindlessly machine-hopping is only going to lead to boredom - to be successful in the gym, and in life, you must have a plan!
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The first things you need to know before creating your dream program are:
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These will dictate your exercise selection, intensity, weight, and rep range. From here, you can create a program fit for a QUEEN!Â
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But I understand it can still be hard to create your own well-balanced workout program, even if you know what you want out of it! I spent years on my own trial and error journey, working hard to discover the most effective workouts that create a lean, feminine physique. And now, I share them all with YOU in my FitQueen Challenges! These Challenges take all the guesswork out of your health and fitness lifestyle!
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âď¸ My final challenge of the year - my epic Warrior Challenge! - is open for sign ups! Iâd love to have you as part of my FitQueen Community in an active, transformative way. This Challenge will help you implement everything I talked about here and more! Weâll focus on the best key workouts, personalized meal plans, and building you up to be the FitQueen I know you can be! âď¸
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Remember my key takeaways:
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If you can do these things, I have no doubt that you will achieve your goal physique!
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]]>While we recognize that every woman is different when it comes to her cycle, we can use science to help us better understand how our eating and training schedules should work throughout the month. In todayâs blog I am going to show you how to understand and work with your cycle, instead of against it, to obtain the best possible results in and out of the gym.
There are three main phases in the menstrual cycle that we need to be aware of â the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase.
Letâs take a look at each phase and what it entails.
1. The Follicular Phase (day 1 -11)
The follicular phase starts on the first day of menstruation (your period) and ends when ovulation begins.
During days 1-5 of menstruation you may experience low energy levels, which may lead to you wanting to perform lighter sessions. Listen to your body and go for a moderate weight with a higher rep range. Alternatively, use this time to do restorative sessions such as yoga, Pilates, LISS cardio, or technique and mobilization sessions.
During the course of days 6-16, there is a transition through the Late Follicular Phase and Ovulation, which typically occurs mid cycle. Your estrogen is starting to rise, bringing with it a rise in energy. The late follicular phase is perfect time to bump up the intensity of your training and add in some progression. During this phase, you may notice a higher pain threshold, increased agility and muscular endurance. Estrogen also helps from a recovery standpoint as the hormone release of estrogen has anti-inflammatory effects. During this phase, your blood glucose levels are more stable so youâre more likely to adhere to diet. You also metabolise carbs more efficiently during this phase.
2. Ovulation (day 12-14)
Like the Follicular Phase during Ovulation (around day 14) is when you may experience peaks in performance. If youâre looking to hit some PBâs, now is the time. Unfortunately, however, hunger and sugar cravings accompany the performance progression due to the slight increase in metabolic rate. Stabilise cravings by ensuring youâre eating enough protein, micronutrients and healthy fats.
3. The Luteal Phase (days 15-28)
The Luteal phase is the hardest on women. This is where massive declines of energy occur, irritability increases, cravings are through the roof and you can be left feeling flat both mentally and physically.
In terms of nutrition there is an impaired carbohydrate tolerance during this phase, so try to avoid giving in to those cravings when possible.
This is also the phase of the cycle where you are more likely to store water, so donât be alarmed if the scales change this week or if you look and feel bloated.
Sleep is often interrupted during this phase as well which can make symptoms worse so make sure that you have your night time routine and sleep routine down pat.
Whilst the menstrual cycle has the ability to make fat loss a little harder for women, it doesnât mean itâs impossible. Using this information as a guide will help you make the most out of your training and nutrition during your cycle while reducing the confusion and stress that often comes with it.
Your cycle isnât something that needs to be feared; if you can understand it, you can work with it. Remember that you are always in control; so focus on those factors such as getting enough sleep, eating the right foods, reducing stress and putting maximum effort in to the training sessions that are outside of the luteal phase. Do what you can to be successful, stay consistent as much as you can, and the results will come. Progress over perfection.
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If you believe you are doing everything right and you still arenât getting the results you seek, the fact of the matter is, if you arenât losing body fat, you arenât in a calorie deficit. The reason youâre struggling, whether you know it or not, is that you are ingesting too many calories and expending too little of them.
There are a whole host of reasons as to why you may not be in a true deficit and I am going to explain them below. I have broken these up in to three categories; diet, training and recovery.
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Diet
This is most likely going to be your biggest culprit as there are so many facets that come into play here, the obvious cause being that you arenât actually in a deficit.
So here are some ways you might be hindering your progress:
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Training
There are three factors that come in to play here:
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People greatly overestimate their calorie expenditure. I hate to break it to you, but if you arenât seriously pushing in the gym and progressing (whether thatâs with weights, reps or time, or if you are just dawdling around), you arenât going to be burning calories or in a position to change body composition.
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In the same sense, if you are inconsistent with your workouts how do you expect to see progress? You donât need to be in the gym all day every day, 3-5 times a week is enough for most people as long as you are really working. You canât train hard for a week and then not train at all for two and expect to see results. Movement burns calories, the more you move the greater chance there is for a deficit.
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This also relates to NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) levels. We burn most of our calories throughout the day, not in the gym. A one hour workout is just 4% of your day - what about the rest of the day? If you aim to burn more calories and create a bigger deficit, then you need to be active throughout your day; take the stairs, stand instead of sit, park further away, cook, clean, garden, go for a swim, play with children or your pet... The list is endless, just donât be a couch potato.
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Recovery and Hormones
High levels of stress and poor sleep habits directly effect fat loss. Both of these make you tired, alter hunger and satiety hormones as well as creating insulin and estrogen surges. Essentially, in simple terms, what this leads too is no desire to move and a huge desire to eat, and when I say eat I mean cookies and ice cream. Not only this, but you will have a greater propensity to store fat with your hormones being disrupted and the lack of movement.
Prioritise self-care, sleep and stress reduction, these three things do not get nearly enough credit when it comes to fat loss.
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The major key to fat loss will always be a calorie deficit and you can obtain this by calories alone or combining training and calorie consumption. Try being as accurate as possible for two weeks and see what results occur after the fortnight. If you have lost weight, it is a clear indicator you were in a deficit, if nothing changed youâre hitting maintenance calories and if the scales when up, youâre still eating at a surplus. For these reasons the best thing you can do for yourself is to ensure you have the correct calorie and macro targets for you personally.
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If it all seems too overwhelming and you aren't sure where to start - you should join my FitQueen Challenge. With my 6 Week Challenge, you'll submit a Questionnaire where I get to know you, your body type & goals. From that, I formulate a personalized Meal Plan specifically for you - so you know exactly what you need to eat and what to do in the gym to see SERIOUS RESULTS.
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Iâve coached thousands of girls on their health and wellness journeys, and when it comes to fat loss these are the most common mistakes I see. By avoiding these sins, you will be better equipped to achieve your fat loss goals faster.
NOT BEING IN A DEFICIT
A calorie deficit is required if we want to lose body fat. Unfortunately, so many people underestimate how much they are really eating. This can be due to poor macro knowledge, not tracking food, too large portion sizes, eating calorie dense highly palatable foods, picking at food, âfree weekendsâ, over indulgent cheat meals and binge eating.
If we arenât in a consistent calorie deficit we are hindering our opportunity to lose body fat. My favorite way to stay on track with this is to get macros set for your goals and then be diligent with tracking and weighing your food.
LOW CALORIC EXPENDITURE
Are you over estimating your caloric expenditure? Unfortunately, we tend to overestimate our daily expenditure levels and underestimate our caloric intake. A one-hour gym session is just 4% of your day; yeah, you might burn a decent number of calories during this time but what are you doing for the other 23 hours in the day?
Training is just one part of the movement equation, itâs what we do outside of the gym that really counts and has the greatest opportunity to burn calories. If you are sitting or lying down all day outside of the gym your NEAT will be super low. Your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) levels are calories you are burning in your day through movement such walking, standing, fidgeting, gardening, cooking, cleaning etc. The best way to support fat loss is to have high
NEAT levels.
POOR SLEEP HABITS
The impact of sleep in relation to fat loss doesnât get nearly enough credit. Poor sleep habits lead to an increase of cortisol (our stress hormone), a decrease insulin sensitivity and a disruption of hunger and satiety hormones. This leads to low motivation to train meaning calorie expenditure suffers and it also leads to increase hunger, lack of satiety and high cravings. This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to fat loss. Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep a night. Personally, I find having a sleep schedule and night time routine really improves my sleep quality.
NOT BEING PATIENT
Unfortunately, despite all of our efforts, results do not happen overnight. The key to fat loss is consistency and patience. You didnât gain 20 pounds in a week and you wonât lose 20 pounds in a week either. I see so many girls motivated, ready to achieve their goals and then get disheartened because they didnât drop crazy amounts of body fat in a week or two.
Be patient, trust the process and be consistent. The results will come.
Another important aspect of this is not going too hard too fast. We want results fast, I understand that, however, sustainability is key. If you eat poverty calories and train 4 x times a day just to see progress, you are going to fall off the bandwagon very quickly. Over restriction leads to binge eating, yo-yo dieting and lack of motivation meaning little to no results.
Slow and steady wins the race. Create a moderate calorie deficit through food and training and stick to it, embrace the journey and you will see changes.
MAGIC PILLS
I am sorry to say it ladies but the only magic pill for fat loss or changing your body composition is diet and exercise. Skinny teas, waist trainers and everything else; they arenât going to be what gets you to where you want to be or the results you want, but hard work will.
Consistency, effort and resilience. Donât look for the easy route, donât take short cuts. Do the work required to achieve your goals.
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If you aren't sure how to best balance your training & nutrition to stay on track with your fat loss goals over the holiday period, be sure to check out my FIT IN 30 Guide - it's the ultimate holiday season survival guide. Available now, CLICK HERE.
]]>I promise you, there is no need to panic. Keep reading and you will see how easy it is to get right back on the bandwagon.Â
The most significant thing to remember is that it only took one decision, just one to deviate from your training schedule or macros and thatâs all it will take to get back on track, just a simple decision. A choice that says, âI am starting a freshâ. It is easy as that. See, there is no need to stress.Â
An equally important note is that you do not have to wait until Monday or January to begin. Start the very next meal, hour or morning. You can start over whenever you choose, donât waste your whole life waiting for that perfect moment or the ârightâ time. Thereâs no such thing as the perfect time; decide to jump back on the bandwagon, right this second.Â
If the weekends have you being self mentally and emotionally abusive, self-shaming, threatening yourself with punishment or just giving up, I am here to help.Â
The notion of women feeling like they need to pay penance for having a little indulgence is crazy, there never needs to be any kind of self-punishment; it isnât helpful or productive in any way, shape or form.
So, the question is, how do we get back on track aside from simply deciding that is what we are doing?
1. Take responsibility and move forward.
Take time to reflect on and identify your triggers. By being aware of your triggers, it becomes easier to avoid or manage them should they arise again in the future. If, for example, your group likes to eat out a lot and over-eating in these situations or choosing the wrong foods when eating out is your down fall, pre read the menus before you go and work out the healthiest choice at the restaurant beforehand. When you get to the restaurant on that day, donât deviate from that option. That way you can be social and also be confident in the choices you are making for yourself. As an example, instead of ordering that Belgium Nutella waffle stack you would normally go for, order the egg white omelette and gluten free bread instead. That way youâre still seeing friends, enjoying the experience and the company but your food choices align with more your goals. As simple and obvious as this may seem, this will lay a foundation for the other strategies to help you get back on track and stick with your habits over the long run.
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2. Give yourself grace.
If a friend told you she fell off track on vacation would you scream horrible names at her and tell her that sheâs worthless? No, you most certainly would not! So why do you do that to yourself? Think about what you would say to a friend who told you that they had an indulgent weekend. Youâd most likely explain to them that it is not a big deal, that it is just one or two ânot so greatâ days. Once you know how you would treat a friend in this situation, repeat those same things to yourself with love, respect and kindness, then trust that your body will naturally balance itself out.
3. H20.
Hydration is an absolute must after an indulgent weekend. If youâve been drinking, eating foods high in sodium or just not prioritising water intake, youâre likely dehydrated which can lead to increased fatigue, cravings, poor immunity and bad digestion. Our body needs water to flush toxins, cleanse and detoxify - so drink up.Â
4. Cut back on the crap.Â
After a weekend of indulging I like to go back to basics. I choose to eat real, whole, nutrient dense foods. I keep my meals super simple and load up on satiating lean proteins, hormone supporting, healthy fats and energy providing, fibre rich carbs. I steer clear of packaged, pre-made, artificial foods. This just helps me look and feel my best. Give your body the nutrients it has missed and if cravings attack, opt for healthier foods such as fruit, homemade protein or bliss balls, chocolate protein mousse etc. Remember, there are always alternatives and you are always in control.Â
5. Get prepared.
âFailing to prepare is preparing to failâ. Set yourself up for success by planning all you need for a productive week. Write down your goals, your grocery list, plan and prep your meals, sort out your training schedule for the week ahead and book in necessary appointments. Make yourself a priority. Create a clear schedule then stick to it.Â
6. Focus on what you can add in rather than what youâre removing.Â
Instead of trying to overly restrict yourself and creating a scarcity mindset which often leads to binges, focus instead on what you can add to your day. For example, you can add in extra veggies and nutritious meals, add in more water, add in more movement by taking the stairs and so on.Â
 7. Move.
If youâve ever had more than a few days off from the gym, you know how hard it can be to regain that motivation for your training routine. So, when it comes to workouts, the best thing you can do for yourself is to make that conscious decision to just get back to it. Iâm not saying start your Monday with a marathon but get moving, find that structure and discipline of movement again. Youâll feel a million times better afterwards.
8. Sleep it off.
Getting enough sleep after an episode of overindulgence is a good way to reduce the possibility of âpost binge cravingsâ. If you have read my previous blogs, you know that a lack of sleep is associated with increased hunger and cravings, decreased motivation and can affect hormones, gut health and decision making processes. The best thing you can do to start yourself of on the right foot is get enough sleep.
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And there you have it; it isnât as hard as it seems to get back on track, it just takes one decision and then some mindfulness as you move forward. Now it is up to you, jump back on that bandwagon, speak to yourself with love and respect, move your body, eat your veggies, drink your water and donât let boys be mean to you.Â
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]]>I see it all too often, ladies jumping on a low carb or keto diet, thinking it holds the key to all of their body goals. Indeed, they may see progress initially due to a loss in water and glycogen, only to see them struggling shortly after.
 In the short term, it seems like low-carb diets are superior, however this is a fallacy. All diets work, period, assuming the calorie equation is correct (calories in vs calories out). The question is then, why would anyone want to lose weight in a way that can be detrimental to your overall health? Lethargy, insomnia, low libido, decreased physical output and mood issues are all common signs I see in women who chose to undertake this route. I donât know about you, but none of those side effects seem appealing to me.Â
If you are a woman who trains with intensity, frequently, who experiences some stress in daily life and is currently striving for a better body composition, then carbs are your friendâs Queens, not your foe.
Adequate amounts of carbs can work wonders for your mental and physical health whilst including foods you like, so you never feel deprived.
Here are some of the reasons why we should all eat some carbs today:
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Carbs provide the muscles with glycogen, this is the preferred energy source by the body for physical output. Glycogen is also required for muscle building and recovery.
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When cortisol levels are high, and they stay high, it can lead to increased systemic inflammation, poor gut health, low energy, decreased libido, a weakened immune system, insomnia, weight gain and mood disorders - none of these are something we want to happen in the body. Carbohydrates elevate blood sugar more than protein and fat. When blood sugar goes up, cortisol goes down. As you will see below, carbs also raise serotonin, our happiness hormone, the more serotonin we have, the less cortisol we have.
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The connection between carbs and mood lies completely with tryptophan, which is a nonessential amino acid. As more tryptophan enters the brain more serotonin (our happy hormone) is synthesized and mood becomes elevated.
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The key to a proper functioning metabolism is a thriving thyroid function. As we know, our metabolic function is quintessential to weight loss and energy. There a few thyroid hormones, however, T3 is the most active thyroid hormone. When carbs are too low, your T3 levels will drop, which means your metabolic function decreases. By ensuring we get enough carbs, T3 is able to do its job efficiently. If youâre trying to smash goals in the gym, then you need adequate energy and carb intakes for a healthy thyroid function.
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For so long we were told not to eat carbs after dark, so what if I told you eating carbs at dinner or before bed is not only good for you but will help your sleep too? I donât mean sugary carbs like ice-cream and chocolatey cereals, these can actually adversely affect sleep with blood sugar spikes. Iâm talking low gi carbs like oats, rice, sweet potato, lentils etc. Eating slow digesting carbs before bed will increase serotonin synthesis, helping you feel more relaxed and calm. Slow digesting carbs also help regulate your blood sugar whilst you sleep which means a more restful night with less waking periods throughout the night. If you train in the morning, carbs before bed is also a wonderful idea as it means stored glycogen, ready to be utilised for your morning session.
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The key to a flourishing gut microbiome is a vast diversity of nutrients. Healthy carbs like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes are loaded with fibre and nutrients that nourish our guts and overall wellbeing. When we start cutting carbs, we naturally reduce or eliminate these food sources, which means less biodiversity in our guts. The secret to overall optimal wellness is a happy gut so ensure you treat it will.
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To conclude, carbs are not only delicious, but they play an integral role in optimal health and wellness. Most of us will look, feel, and perform our best when we consume a balanced diet including lean protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats. Cutting carbs is not the answer, the calorie equation is, so go eat that pasta girl!
P.SÂ Sign ups for my LAST Fit Queen Challenge of 2019 are opening on MONDAY! Make sure you Pre-Register here, so you don't miss out.
]]>What is Mind to Muscle Connection (MMC)?
Mind to muscle connection is essentially a simple concept; it is the connection between your brain and your muscles when you are lifting. It is the focus we use to ensure that we are more accurately hitting a specific muscle group. It is why we âactivateâ our glutes, before leg days for example, to make sure we are working our glutes more than our quads. Â
The notion behind MMC is simple: When you consciously and deliberately place attention on the contraction of the muscle you are working, the quality of the contraction is enhanced.
So why practice MMC?
Without the MMC practice you cannot be sure you are targeting the right muscle(s). Unfortunately, proper form alone doesnât guarantee mind to muscle connection is evoked. Iâll use the example of a squat and how if executed without MMC you may be targeting muscle groups you donât intend to. When squatting, we can target our core, hamstrings, quads and glutes. When we are focused and practicing MMC we can specifically target glutes or our quads for example, however if you are not utilising MMC you will always be utilizing your strongest and most dominant muscle group.Â
It is this lack of focus and mindfulness in training that contributes to physique imbalances in the body. â When we just flow through the motions mindlessly, our most dominant (strongest) muscle groups will always be used to generate strength first and as a result, the less dominant muscles remain untouched.Â
How do we practice MMC?
In order to learn how to deeply connect to your muscles, you will need to bring focus to every gym session and practice with every rep. Before starting your session, warm up and activate the specific muscle(s) you intend to work. It's all about activating the right muscles to complete the movement you're doing. The most common example, as mentioned above is the glute activation. Before a leg day you see everyone whip out their booty bands and go through their routine. Why are they doing this? They are activating their glutes. They are telling the booty to wake up and that it is time to work. They are connecting with the muscles they want to focus on. You can do this with any muscle whether its shoulders, back, hamstrings etc. If you want to learn more about glute activation, be sure to check out the blog I've written HERE.
There are a couple of things you can do to work on your MMC during your workouts.
Firstly, leave your ego at the door, too heavy a weight selection will ruin your mind to muscle connection. Perform the movement with a light weight choice at first to ensure that your form is correct, and really become aware of the exact movement that makes you feel the best contraction in the muscle you want to work. Play around with it if you arenât feeling it where you want to; change your stance, straighten your wrists, do you need to bend your knees more etc.
Once youâve found your sweet spot, the key to improving MMC in your workouts is by emphasizing the resistance portion of each rep and by utilising time under tension techniques. Slow, controlled reps are the best way to feel the burn and the muscle contracting. Do not rush. Take your time. Donât swing around heavy weights only pushing partial reps, using your whole body to lift the weight. Strip it back. Slow, focused, intentional movements.Â
Whilst we are training we really want to be mindful of our inner environments. We want to silence the chatter that may be floating around our head. Mindfulness is an important aspect of every workout. We need to bring an attitude of respect for ourselves when we are in the gym. Respecting the work that we are about to do and being present in our bodies. We arenât in the gym to chat, to look at other people, to scroll on our phone, to be thinking about work or our partners, sister or dinner. We are in the gym to work on ourselves, to better our health, physique and fitness. By understanding this and by being mindful, it will increase the quality of my workout.
Another trick I like to implement to help with focus in sessions and also for MMC is to visualize. When I am lifting, I really see the muscle working in my mind. I see myself lifting the weight, I see it contract which then in turn, helps me feel it contract so much more. I get such an incredible burn doing this. Research shows that visualization can even strengthen muscles.Â
Mind to muscle connection is about becoming the master of your own body. It is about being in control during your sessions. It is about mindfulness, focus and respect. I challenge you to implement these techniques and see the difference it makes to your future training sessions.
The 3 keys to a tight and toned body are sleep, nutrition and training. You can train all day, every day, eat the most nutritious foods and take all your vitamins, but it wonât offset insufficient rest and sleep. It is my hope that by reading the following you gain important insights into sleep and begin to implement a better sleep schedule for yourselves.Â
THE LOW DOWN:
Why do we need to sleep? Sleep plays an essential role in the following functions:
Metabolism
CNS (central nervous system)
Endocrine (hormones)
Immune
CognitiveÂ
Digestive
Muscle and tissue repair
As well as so many other vital bodily functions. For those of us who are actively trying to change our body composition, sleep plays an integral role in biotransformation via recovery, muscle growth, strength, appetite regulation and protein synthesis, digestion (assimilation of nutrients) and gut health (digestion, bloating and water retention etc). Â
When we are sleeping, our body has some quiet time; it is no longer busy expending energy on the digestive and cognitive functions that need to happen whilst we are awake, so it able to redirect that energy in to repair our muscles, replenishing our immune system, replacing damaged and cells, restoring hormones to normal levels and so on.   Â
A VICIOUS CYCLE FOR BODY COMPOSITION:
Letâs look at the picture as a whole as I am sure some of you arenât yet convinced. Letâs say youâve had one or more bad nights sleep in a row. How do you feel? Tired? Yep. So how is the gym looking to you today? Not as appealing right. I bet those cravings are peaking too⌠so adherence to your diet or macros is questionable. Does a lack of sleep directly make you gain fat overnight? No. But what it does do is biologically make it harder for you to make progress via impacting training and diet.Â
When we donât get adequate sleep our primary hunger hormones; leptin and ghrelin get thrown out of balance. Ghrelin (hunger hormone) increases which makes us want to eat more whilst leptin (satiety hormone) decreases, so we never feel satisfied and our cravings go through the roof. Essentially, what can end up happening is your increased hunger and lack of satiety even when food (calories) is coming in, makes you over consume, thus youâre no longer in a deficit. In order to drop body fat, we must be in a deficit. Lack of sleep also has a dulling effect on our frontal brain cortex which affects our decision-making skills. Mix that with low leptin and thatâs a recipe for disaster. Those donuts you can normally resist? Not today my friends.Â
On top of hunger hormones not being in your favour, a lack of sleep can severely affect energy, mood and motivation. Poor sleep can lead to a large decrease in NEAT levels as you donât have the energy to move as much through the day as well as reduced strength and intensity output in the gym, if you have motivation to go at all.Â
You can now see how over consuming calories, plus a decrease in overall activity for the day can result in a backwards step for that day.Â
Another hormone that is greatly affected by sleep is cortisol. Cortisol is one of our stress hormones and when we donât get enough sleep, our bodies become increasingly stressed. When we experience poor sleep cycles, cortisol stays elevated which can negatively impact body composition in a number of ways. Cortisol can inhibit testosterone (which we need to build muscle) and raise estrogen and insulin levels. All of these can result in us feeling âwateryâ or âpuffyâ, anxious and irritable.Â
SLEEP LIKE A BABY:
I understand that getting enough sleep is hard enough to factor in, let alone getting in good quality sleep. Quality sleep meaning that we are staying asleep and having full sleep cycles each night. I am going to share with you my top tips to sleeping like a baby, below. Â
Set A Sleep Schedule. Having a sleep schedule ensures that your body runs on a proper circadian rhythm. What this means is that your body get used to falling asleep and waking up at the same time each day. To start your body off on the right foot, you want to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. As a result, youâll fall asleep faster and rise with more energy.Â
Bedtime Ritual. Each night complete a âwind downâ routine that you find calming. Each person's evening routine will vary; some people read, meditate or journal, others have an evening skin routine which relaxes them, other people stretch or bath. Whatever appeals to you, create a 30-60-minute pre bed routine so your body begins to form the habit, soon enough it will begin to know that when you start this routine, it is time to get tired and youâll sleep like a baby.Â
Avoid caffeine after 12pm.Â
Sleep Space. The look and feel of your bedroom plays a greater role in your sleep cycles than you may assume. For a perfect night's sleep, keep your room reasonably cool and have it as dark as possible. White noise also helps so have a fan or aircon going.Â
Blue Light Blues. No screen time 1 hour before bed; that means phones, laptops and tvs out of the bedroom. Â
Write it down. You know that feeling when you are all relaxed, ready for bed but as soon as you jump in the sheets your mind starts racing? You are not alone. What I find really helpful is making lists and journaling before bed. Before I put my phone away for the night I organise everything I need to do for the next day and write down and pressing thoughts or troubling emotions I have. This way I feel like it's on paper so it doesnât need to be trapped in my head. I donât have that anxiety of potentially forgetting anything either as it is all laid out for me. I also like to jot down some gratitude points that occurred over the day do I end my day with a positive, grateful and open heart.
So there you have it, if you want to improve your body composition we need to be hitting each 3 sectors of diet, sleep and training with equal amounts of love. Getting between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night is optimal for wellbeing, immune function, hormonal support, cognitive function and body composition changes.
The number one topic I am asked about is glutes. Ladies want to know the ins and the outs of glute training and I can completely understand that, especially if your glutes seem to be lagging behind in the growth department. Unfortunately, we are often hindering our glute growth potential and we donât even know that we are doing it.Â
Today, I am going to discuss some very important reasons for a lack of glute growth and share with you some easy fixes to these problems!
I like to spend 5-10 minutes activating my glutes before I do any sort of leg work. Activating your glutes ensures that they are switched on and ready for the task at hand. By sending blood directly to the glutes and firing up the muscle, you are able to feel your glutes so much more intensely throughout your entire session. This enables us to be able to feel when our feet stance, bar positioning, posture etc, needs readjusting throughout our session to ensure load stays constantly in the booty and not in our other muscles that may try to compensate, like our quads for example.
Compound movements like deadlifts and squats are incredible for strength, torching calories and building your entire leg. However, compound movements utilise multiple muscles at once and unfortunately, when it comes to legs, this means our quads load first, hamstrings second and glutes last.
If you want to see some serious gains in the glutes, you need to couple compounds with isolation movements, as these target your glutes directly. Make sure you are incorporating a multitude of thrust, kickback and abductor variations to your sessions.
If you want to grow, you have to move some weight. Unfortunately, as women, we can tend to under lift or get complacent with our strength in the gym. This doesnât do our body composition any favours. If you want to grow you need to challenge yourself every single session.
If your primary focus is glute growth, you want to be hitting them at least 2-3 times per week. For the best results, mix your glute sessions up. Have one or two compound and heavier days, with other days of purely sculpting and isolation work.
The difference between sprinters and endurance athletes, is that sprinters preserve muscle, and endurance athletes chew through it. Cardio definitely has its place in the fitness world; it is great for fat loss, NEAT levels, mental clarity, cardiovascular health and general wellbeing. Just be mindful that you arenât over doing it. We want to preserve muscle mass, not burn it all off. Prioritise weight training over cardio if your goal is a bigger booty. The stepper, plyometric leg movements, the sled, bike and incline walks are great cardio option. HIIT training is the most effective way to do cardio whilst preserving muscle so swap long cardio sessions for sprints.
You want to be eating at maintenance calories or a slight surplus if your goal is growth. A deficit is not going to get you a big perky peachy. Ensure you are eating enough carbohydrates to fuel your sessions and recover properly, and prioritize protein.
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More is not necessarily more when it comes to training. Know when to work and know when to rest. You can only train as hard as you can recover. People often assume that we grow in the gym. We donât. We grow when we sleep and when we rest. It is absolutely essential that you prioritize recovery if you want to see changes to muscle development. Ensure you are getting your 8 hours of sleep every night and take at least one rest day a week. Smashing yourself in the gym 7 days a week for 2 hours a day isnât helping you as much as you think it is.
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Still not sure whatâs the best path in the gym, and with your nutrition, to sculpt the body you desire? Join me for my 8 Week Bikini Body Transformation Program, where I can personalise your Meal Plan and Training Plan and design them to the results you desire. CLICK HERE to learn more.
]]>To get a lean, sculpted shape that holds beautiful curves in the form of the all elusive âhour glassâ, it takes a total body workout and the correct nutrition.
While genetics largely determine the basic structure (bones) of a personâs body shape, fortunately, there are specific things that we can do to enhance attributes of the body which help it look more tight and curvy.
In order to achieve the perfect hourglass shape, we need to target the shoulders and back, the waist and then of course, build the booty.
Letâs get started shall weâŚ
NUTRITION
What many people fail to understand about the waist, is that diet is absolutely paramount when it comes to a having lean core and tight midsection. Abs, and your waist are built in the kitchen more so than the gym. There is no way around it unfortunately; nutrition is the fundamental key to success. It fuels your sessions, feeds your muscles, aids in recovery and will also be the difference between having a small, tight core, or not.
In order to create a small waist, we need to ensure your diet is in check. Too often women mistake this for the notion that they just shouldnât eat or eat as little as possible. How wrong they are. The key is to simply eat the correct macros for your goal. Being relatively lean is essential for a tight waist so for most women this may mean being in a slight caloric deficit at first until they are able to maintain a physique there happy with.
Key points:
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BUILD YOUR BACK, SCULPT YOUR SHOULDERS
By training your back and shoulders, this will give them a beautifully strong, structured shape which will naturally create width across the top of your body. This causes a tapered down triangle shape down to our waists. This width across the top of our body creates a lovely illusion of an even smaller waist.
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WAIST TRAINING OR WAIST TRAINERS?
Letâs skip the waist trainerâs girls and train the waist instead. Once we have created some width in our shoulders, we need to ensure our waist and core is nice and tight so that it appears small. In order to do this, we need to strength our core and oblique muscles. My favourite exercises for this are vacuums, planks and plank rocks.
Try not to load the obliques with too much weight when you train them, as this can cause a slightly thicker waist for some women. Try to keep all abdominal work to body weight or lightly weighted movements if your goal is to keep everything tight.
As mentioned above, nutrition key in ensuring that youâre working on reducing body fat to show your hard work. HIIT training is perfect for accelerating fat loss.
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BUILD THE BOOTY
Now our upper bodies are covered, in order to not look like an inverted Dorito chip, we need to create some curves. By targeting the glutes and thighs we are able to design them in all the right places.
You should focus your effort toward glute-dominant lower-body work. This is going to give you the rounded backside you look for without too much quad development, which would increase the overall width of the thighs.
Start with good glute-oriented exercises: abductor movements, walking and stationary lunges, sumo deadlifts split squats, step-ups and thrusts. When performing each of these exercises, squeeze your glutes to help move through the movement pattern. If you let other muscles come into play and do too much of the work, your glutes will receive little stimulation.
Once you have a specific physique goal, it is easy to create a plan and undertake steps to get there. It just requires planning and diligence. If you apply the steps illustrated above to your training and nutrition regime, the J Lo, BeyoncĂŠ and Kim K hourglass figure can be yours.
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]]>âGlute Activationâ is the buzz word in the fitness industry at the moment and you may be asking yourself âwhy it is important to activate your glutes and is it really necessaryâ?
Todayâs blog is going to cover the whoâs, what, whenâs and whyâs of activation so you can maximise your glute growth potential.
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What is glute activation?
Essentially, glute activation means to âwake upâ or âfire upâ the glutes. Activation helps to switch on the connection between your brain and muscle (glutes), telling them that it is time to work.
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Why do we activate our glutes?
We have all heard the saying âif you donât use it, you lose itâ, this absolutely applies to the body and muscle formation. We are extremely sedentary in our daily lives outside of training sessions and step targets; meaning that we spend the majority of our day sitting on our glutes without the muscle having to do much work. What happens here is that the glutes begin to atrophy and âfall asleepâ as they arenât being used. The issue here is that we tend to just show up to the gym, pre-workout in hand, with our minds ready to train but we forget about waking up our body. Have you woken up your glutes by the time you start your session? If you arenât already activating your glutes, the answer is no.
Glute activation techniques such as the use of booty bands and ankle weight work help us to form a deeper mind to muscle connection between our brains and our booty. This connection allows for an increased âburnâ and blood flow to the site during our training, which, results in more effective glute sessions and increased muscle growth.
Most people struggle to develop their glutes and this can be largely due to their inability to âfireâ their glutes correctly during their training sessions. What this means is that instead of your glutes taking the load, generating the force and doing the work in your lower body sessions, the other parts of your legs are compensating. This leads to growth in the hamstrings and quadriceps with the glutes unfortunately lagging behind.
If you want to have better use of your glutes throughout your training session, you need to train your brain and muscles to do so. Too often I hear women say that they are unable to feel glute dominant exercises such as hip thrusts for example. This is a huge problem especially if you goal is to build larger glutes. By activating your glutes prior to training, you ensure that this is the dominant muscle used in your training; they are switched on and ready to work, thus you will have a better connection with the muscle and be able to âfeelâ that muscle working.
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How do you activate your glutes?
 Activation requires little to no weight use at all, in fact. the key tools in glute activation are the booty band, ankle weights and more recently introduced, the cotton band. This is because activation is not about the âloadâ or the weight you move, it is all about focus, contraction, the mind to muscle connection and the squeeze. I encourage and incorporate the use of a mixture of all three when I activate my glutes prior to leg sessions.
I would highly suggest that before each leg session you spend 5 to 10 minutes activating your glutes and working on the âmind to muscleâ connection between your brain and your booty. By activating your glutes, you ensure that they are switched on and ready to work. This is absolutely imperative if you want to utilize your glutes to their maximum potential throughout the session.
Cotton bands and mini bands are also an incredible way to hold tension on your glutes during the session itself and add an increased challenge to the workout.
I have provided you with two of my current favourite activation techniques. You will just need a mini band at a resistance that suits your current strength level.
Perform each exercise in the circuit for 20 seconds followed by 5 seconds rest. Complete the circuit 3-4 times before starting your training session.
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CIRCUIT ONE
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CIRCUIT TWO
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Weight loss: 0 pounds. Weight gain: 0 pounds.
Or maybe youâre even up a pound or two.
Kind of feels like a recipe for frustration and insanity, right?
If you replay your past week of eating and exercise, and realize you missed workouts and overindulged, you might accept the news from the all-mighty scale.
But if youâve been training hard and eating right for a week or more, and still get this kind of response when you step on the scale, itâs easy to feel defeated.
If that sounds anything like the scale tales youâve experienced, youâre not alone.
Does that mean you need to re-calibrate your scale, only use an old-time scale with sliding weights, or only rely on the scale at the doctorâs office?
Probably none of the above will make much of a difference. Why not?
Well, your weight doesnât tell the whole story when youâre on a mission to shred fat, build muscle, and transform your body.
In fact, research suggests that the scale alone isnât the best way to measure progress and serve as motivation to encourage exercise and healthy eating. Instead, a more holistic approach to measuring weight loss appears to be more effective. [1]
Hereâs how Ohio State University research Dr. Tracy Tylka explains it:
âData reveal that the weight-normative approach [only using the scale] is not effective for most people because of high rates of weight regain and cycling from weight loss interventions, which are linked to adverse health and well-being.â
Tylka says that if the scale is the only way you measure your weight loss journey, it has the potential to set you up for failure, lead to yo-yo dieting and weight gain, and negatively impact self esteem.
However, using the scale in addition to other methods of measuring progress can lead to behavior changes that support long-term weight loss.
Ever wonder why the scale alone isnât the best way to measure your progress?
First letâs look at why a daily weigh-in can help you.
Youâve probably heard of people who weigh-in religiously every single day.
It can be an effective way to help you be more mindful about your training habits and your eating patterns. And some research suggests people who weigh-in daily have greater success with weight loss and weight management than those who donât.[2]
But stepping on the scale is an imperfect way to measure your progress for a lot of reasons. For example, the scale doesnât measure:
1. Bone density. On average, your bones account for about 15 percent of your body weight. But if youâve gone from zero activity to weeks of consistent strength training, your bone density will be greater, which may be one reason for an increase in weight.
2. Muscle mass. Letâs clarify the muscle weighs more than fat confusion. One pound of muscle and one pound of fat weigh exactly the same. But a pound of fat takes up almost twice as much space as a pound of muscle, because muscle tissue is denser than fat. So you lose a little weight, but gain a little muscle on a hypertrophy program, and the scale doesnât know the difference.
3. Water retention. Ever weigh yourself after a vacation of too-much eating out, fast food, and grab-and-go processed meals? If youâre relying on the scale, it might lead you to believe youâve gained 10 to 15 pounds in a matter of days. But thatâs easily attributed to water retention from consuming too many high-sodium foods. For women, the monthly menstrual cycle can have similar effect on water retention. And the scale just doesnât understand this. Itâs one reason your weight can fluctuate by a few pounds even between morning and evening.
4. Body fat percentage. Itâs another way of looking at the muscle mass vs. body fat comparison. The scale doesnât know the difference. It just measures overall weight.
But wait. Youâve got one of those bioimpedance scales that estimates body fat percentage. It might give you a rough estimate. But itâs not nearly as accurate as the gold standard DEXA scan (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) for measuring body fat, lean muscle mass, and other biometric data of overall weight.[3]
5. The way your clothes fit. A couple weeks into a shred with lots of training and clean eating, how do your clothes fit? If you jump into a training plan like this after being sedentary or a long break from serious training, a lot of people experience some big changes early on. The scale might not move a lot, but if your clothes fit differently (looser, especially around the waist), itâs an indicator youâre making progress that the scale canât capture.
Consider the scale a way to measure your progress, but donât hang all your success and self confidence on what the scale says from day to day. In reality, weight loss or fat loss isnât a perfectly linear process.
For most people itâs a process with ups and downs in the short term, and ideally a long-term trend of success that leads you to getting leaner and stronger.
If a daily weight fluctuation of a couple of pounds bothers you, resist the urge to step on the scale that often. Instead check in once a week, and use other methods to track your progress like:
Measurements. The most common measurements: Chest, waist, hips. You can also track your progress by measuring changes in bust, thighs, knees, calves, upper arms, and forearms.
Progress pics. Most transformations happen in small increments that are hard to notice from day to day. But compare Week 1 to Week 12, and thereâs often a dramatic change in appearance, and body composition. Take weekly progress pics, front, back, and side, to track your progress.
Journal. It doesnât have to be the âdear diaryâ kind of journal. Just a way to keep track of how youâre feeling, how your clothes fit, and what you think about the journey youâre on. Reflecting on your mindset, weight, body image, workouts, etc., can be a great way to track your progress.
Performance goals. Instead of focusing on a specific weight-loss goal, set performance goals. Prepping all your meals. Eating clean. Limiting yourself to one cheat meal a week. Fitting in all your lifting and cardio workouts. These are things you can control and measure to help you progress, that the number on the scale canât.
Thereâs nothing wrong with stepping on the scale to track your progress. Itâs a good way to help you be mindful of your training and nutrition habits. But the scale doesnât tell the whole story.
References
If youâve been training for a long time, youâve probably developed a sixth sense for muscle repair and recovery, energy levels, and the ability to keep making progress.
But it can take a lot of practice to tap into that skill. For most people, a rest day is an essential element of training to making gains.
Think of it like this.
Youâve probably seen a car pulled over on the side of the road, steam billowing from under the hood. And some poor driver standing there wondering what went wrong. Or maybe youâve been in that situation.
The problem can usually be traced back to the engine overheating little by little. But in most cases, itâs preventable by checking coolant levels and the thermostat gauge.
Itâs a lot like checking in with yourself about taking a rest day. If you ignore the warning signs of overtraining, and skip rest days when needed, you could end up having a breakdown.
And thatâs the last thing you want when youâre on a mission to shred fat, build muscle, and transform your body.
Should you take a rest day? Probably.
Everybody responds to the demands of training and dieting a little differently. But even most pro bodybuilders work in rest days, or at least active recovery days that donât involve heavy lifting and reps-to-failure training.Â
Youâll know itâs time to dial it back and take a rest day if youâre training hard for days, maybe even weeks and start to overheat. The longer you wait to pull over, check your gauges, and take a rest day when needed, the more likely youâll encounter a potential breakdown caused by things like: [1]
When it comes to rest days, I believe your body tells you when to rest or how often you need to take a day off, or maybe even a week.
For me, I never plan a rest day. I plan to train every day but if my body feels like it needs to rest then I will take a day off to recover.
Need a rest day to keep making gains? Follow these rules: [3]
When you learn to pay attention to the warning signs of fatigue and overtraining, taking a rest day can be just the thing you need to do to avoid overheating.
References
1. Kreher, J., et al. (2012). Overtraining syndrome. Sports Health. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435910/Â
2. Jenkins, M. (2018). Sick and tired athletes. Rice University. From: www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/fatigue.html
3. Thiefels, J. (2018). How to have productive rest days. American Council on Exercise. From: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/6527/how-to-have-productive-rest-days
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