Nicole
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Actually the way you perform a pyramid set is as follows:
Set 1: Lift heavy enough to get 15 reps. If it was easy at the end, up the weight
Set 2: Weight is increased. Shoot for 10-12 reps. If you finished that easy, up the weight
Set 3: Weight is increased. Shoot for 8-12 reps. If you still finished that set easy without failing at the end, you can add another set OR take note that you need to lift heavier next week.It is good to struggle! It should be hard!! As the weight increases, the reps typically go down. If you can do 15 each set solid AND you are increasing weight each time, that means that the first set you did was wayyyyy too light for you.
If your heart rate stays elevated for the duration of the class, you can count it toward your cardio.
Hi Arielle,
Sounds like you have a strong heart 🙂 That’s a great thing! My resting HR is in the 50s and I typically try to keep my heart rate between 140-160. If you have a hard time getting it up there, you will have to kick up the intensity- speed or resistance. You can always use your rating of perceived exertion too. Meaning if you can push harder- go for it!
My favorite running shoes are: Asics, Brooks and Mizunos. I would go to a running store to get a gait analysis done so they can fit you with the proper shoe.The exercises in the same color block are supersets. The rest of them are single movements resting between sets.
Try incorporating a couple additional unilateral movements. For example, my left shoulder is weaker than my right. So I will do my normal 3-4x shoulder pree with both arms and then do an ADDITIONAL 2 sets with the weak arm only. That should help build more strength in the weak side and over time help to fix any imbalances.
Hi Amanda,
It is too early to tell how your body will respond- I recommend following the plan as written.Hey ladies,
You do not NEED casein before bed. As long as you are consuming some form of protein, a regular protein shake is sufficient… or even a chicken breast.
I would stick to the plan as written.Hey guys,
I am not sure where you are seeing the mistake. The TOTALS for each day (low and high) are what you should be looking at. In phase 3 meal plan 3 for women, low days consist of 130g carbs and high days consist of 160g carbs.Tracy,
The last week prep will be available this week.Hey ladies,
All of the videos for phase 2 exercises should be uploaded (except 5 or 6 of them) which will be added this weekend 🙂You can eat every 2-3hrs so if you are waiting longer than that, try to shorten the times between meals. Do you absolute best to stick with the program as it is written. Eventually with the heavy training and muscle you are building, your metabolism and appetite should speed up.
Hey ladies!
I want to address the questions and topics above one at a time:
1- Stephanie, to sub proteins for proteins, carbs for carbs and fats for fats, you need to know the macronutrient breakdown of the food you are trying to replace. Shannon gave a great example with eggs. Another example using oatmeal: 1/2c (40g weighed dry) is 27g carbs, 6g protein and roughly 2g fat. Ezekiel bread (2 slices) or brown rice (100g measured cooked) both have around 25-30g of carbs, so either of those foods would be a good substitution. Whatever the food consists of the most is what I would replace it with. Would you consider it a protein, fat or carb source? … and then look for the substitutions. If you are not sure what a carb, a fat or a protein source is, that is step 1 before you even consider making adjustments. You can always refer to the substitutions guideline provided in this program for additional choices.4- Super-sets in a busy gym are difficult sometimes for sure. I have tried to create the workouts where you have one exercise that uses dumbbells or barbells and one machine so you can bring the free weights over and keep both exercises next to each other. You will definitely lose your spot on the machine if you are running across the gym from exercise to exercise unless you leave a water bottle or towel on the bench as Crystal suggested.
Hang in there- Don’t quit! Scale it down a bit, rest longer between sets, decrease the weight, don’t do as many sets, slow down the speed….. whatever you have to do, don’t give up.
2-With challenges, I do my absolute best to create a program that is affordable. It is near impossible to cater to every single persons individual needs. Yes, the program is hard and difficult but if it was too easy, I would have people complaining about that too lol. I would rather it be more difficult and have you do the best you can to try to work hard and improve on it, than have you start off thinking this is a waste of time. My job is to challenge you, not make you feel defeated. Every single person in this challenge is coming from a different level and different point in their fitness journey. All I ever ask is that you do the best you can!3-If you are overwhelmed and need more specific, individual help that you are not getting within the forums, online personal training is also an option. You will have Maureen, Naomi or I assigned to you to help you create a specific program for you. You can email [email protected] for more info.
Hi Kelly-
Nutritional yeast has 5g carbs per 2tbsp. So you would have to most likely eliminate the carbs for that meal to make up for it. I personally would just stick to the plan and wait until the challenge is over to try the new recipe.Hi Laura,
You can sub any of the complex carbohydrates on the list as long as it is only 25-30g carbs as one serving of oat bran is roughly 27g.
Rice, potato, Ezekiel, Fruit etc.Hey you guys,
It is only the 4th day so don’t stress too much. Just do the best you can. If you have been under-eating for a while your body may need a bit of time to adjust. Sometimes after the first week your appetite will increase a bit. Train hard and use the calories you are eating for fuel. What you don’t want to do is cut your calories so low that you end up starving and overeating or you are too weak to finish the workouts because you don’t have enough fuel in your system.Due to the fact that you are tying to sustain as much muscle while on a deficit, I recommend NOT adding any additonal training on top of what I recommend.
Trust the meal plan as written. You can always screen shot it and we can take a look to make sure it is correct. Brands and whether you input a food as cooked or raw can make a HUGE difference in total numbers.
Hi Brian,
They can be cooked however you like them. Steamed, boiled, baked, roasted…. as long as there is no added oil or butter.
