[Maureen]

gmosurak wrote:

Can we use smith machine for cheat, squats etc or should it be free bench?

If you can’t for some reason do “free” squats…you can use the smith. Nicole will usually specify if she wants you to use a Smith machine. Do what you can with what you have available.

[Maureen]

thaller17363 wrote:

Hi, I work 3-4 12-shifts a week, and am not sure I will be able to workout in the morning before work. Can I combine strength training days so I can get all the work-outs in? If I do try to work out before work, do you recommend eating right before working out? (I don’t think fasting weight-training will work. }

I think the training is going to be difficult to combine…considering you are training muscle groups twice. I would definitely eat before strength training as well. You can try combining days if your hands are tied…..Welcome to the challenge.

[Maureen]

jennifer jones wrote:

Hi there. I’m struggling with switching out foods. I tried using my fitness pal but i find finding an alternative isn’t straight forward. I have a lot of issue’s digesting grains so trying to swap out ones that I know I can handle. For example brown rice, white rice… if the meal plan calls for 3/4 cup of brown rice…. would it make sense to have just 3/4 of whole wheat pasta or can actually swap it for a vegetable?? Also, instead of 3/4 cup of white rice…. what would be a good alternative? Sorry for the all the questions…..

thanks
Jenn

HI Jenn,
It’s tough to swap things out because the meal plans are so specific. Are there other meals that you could use that would work for your digestive system? That way you don’t have to look to swap…you can use another meal.

[Maureen]

christine reyes wrote:

So if I understand correctly, we can swap meals since the carry same macronutrients and in reality we have 12 options right? Essentially we could eat the same meal option for the entire day, correct? Or at a minimum repeat meals? TIA

Yes, All meals can be swapped except for the post workout meal. Makes switching things up easier for the participants.

[Maureen]

cherifishel wrote:

How many banana’s does the recipe call for? It’s not stated. TIA

Sorry about that….it calls for 2 ripe bananas.

[Maureen]

Amber Hainline wrote:

I get up around 4 15 am and workout from 5-6 am.I can eat at 7 am once I arrive at work. Is it acceptable to eat meal one first thing in the morning and then my post workout at 7 am?

HI there,
I think it’s fine to eat at 4:15am and then train and have your post workout 7-7:15am. Consuming your meals 3-4 hours apart is fine. I think you will be ok.

[Maureen]

Sarah wrote:

Is there an easy way to print materials? I like hard copy at gym. Thanks

Hi there,
Click on the graphic of the workout and it will enlarge. You can than print it from there. Works pretty well that way.

[Maureen]

Aiste wrote:

Hello,

I am a bit lost so would like to figure out what to do in between this and next chalenge. This week I am staying on 2 phase nutrition and adding 10 g carbs. I am doing the right thing?

Thank You in advance.

Hi there,
You can most definitely do that. The muscle up plan will be higher calories than you are used to so you wouldn’t have an issue going back to phase 1 where the calories are a bit higher. Go for it!

[Maureen]

w_guardiola wrote:

Hi, I’ve noticed some folks are flexing in their after photos. Is that okay? Will that help or hurt the final judging? I haven’t submitted my photos yet (I didn’t flex). But, wondering if I should retake them while flexing? Thanks.

HI there! You can, but it’s not mandatory.

[Maureen]

Donna Oliver wrote:

I am thinking about taking part in the muscle up challenge, but wondered if any of the meal choices require a Air fryer? i watched one of the Sunday Q&A on face book and i think i recalled Nicole mentioning they may be a meal using the air fryer, i don,t have one so just checking first

Thanks Donna

Hi Donna,
I have not seen the complete meal plan, so I cannot answer this one. You can try emailing [email protected] That might get you the answer you need.

[Maureen]

Timikie Johnson wrote:

I see Nicole’s next challenge has been posted “ Gaining lean muscles” is it okay to do this next challenge after this one? Because this challenge we gained and then shredded. Now it looks like we are going back to gaining??

I love her challenges and would love to do the next one, but I want to make sure it’s okay…
thanks

I think so. If your goal is to really work on putting on more muscle. This is your challenge. You will be fueling your body enough in order to give it what it needs while you work hard.

[Maureen]

wendy tolles wrote:

Ok since we are almost done, I’m possibly doing phase 2 for a bit longer, but back to my previous question of when we are done is it recommended to continue to build and lean as much leaning that is healthy of course to follow this plan again and or somethng like it which includes all the food and all the cardio or most of the cardio? I know odd way to put this question however what I’m trying to get at is Unfortunately I can’t afford another challenge right at the moment so I’m trying to figure out where to go to stay on track with building more muscle… i don’t want to maintain I want to see more grow so eventually someone will say to me u look like a man lol then i’ll feel like I accomplished something…

HI there,
Well you can’t build and lean at the same time. You won’t be fueling yourself enough in order to build. By all means….slowly move back to the macros you had before the “cut” began. You can then stay in that phase for as long as you would like and cut again if you wish. Just really take note on how you feel and lift heavy and make sure you are eating enough. I know that’s a pretty broad answer. I don’t know you, haven’t worked with you. So I really can’t be real specific with you. I am sure you get where I am coming from.
HOpe that helps.

[Maureen]

Looking forward to it as well!!!

[Maureen]

Jennifer Morgan wrote:

Hey! I registered for the Muscle Up Challenge (YEA!!) today. I’m trying to plan out my nutrition for the 2 weeks in between the 2 challenges. I read up on reverse dieting here on Nicole’s site…recommending to increase carbs by 10g each week & add in a cheat or refeed meal on Saturdays of each week + 1 or 2 meals off plan on Sundays, & reducing cardio by half. But I’m thinking that the daily caloric intake for the Muscle Up Challenge is going to be a lot higher than the reverse dieting allowance for the 2 weeks between the 2 challenges.
I’m currently on MP1: 1365 total calories, 100g carbs
Week 1 after 60DTC: 1405 total calories, 110g carbs
Week 2 after 60DTC: 1445 total calroies, 120g carbs

Am I overthinking this? I just don’t want to gain everything I’ve lost back so quickly or screw up my metabolism. Thanks so much for any advice! :o) Jen

Hi there,
I like that you are thinking ahead. I am sure the macros will be higher for the muscle up…in order to build more. I would A. Follow the advice of what you have read so far. B. Wait for an explanation that NIcole might put out there for those transitioning into the Muscle up challenge. Just be patient. She is pretty good at guiding you the right way. Nice work!

[Maureen]

tvoigt05 wrote:

This is our last week, Wednesday is right around the corner which means Thursday should be our last workout (is that correct?). The experience of participating in this challenge will be one of growth (mental and physical) and the connections made are ones I hope will last. I too, plan on participating in the Muscle Up Challenge and I am just as excited to start this one as I was when I began this transformation challenge. I wanted to quickly take a moment and tell Nicole and the entire team who organized this event “THANK YOU”. Your efforts in keeping us all in line and in sync made this a truly successful event and I believe we all have benefited from it. Your positive responses/advice were always welcoming which kept even the most frustrated motivated and it was truly appreciated.
Thank You all again and have a great day

Hi there!
I am so happy that you have had such a great experience. The “after” photos are during this time frame:
Upon completion of The Challenge, the period for submitting “After” information will on March 10, 2018 at 12 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) and end on March 12, 2018 at 11 pm EST.

Homestretch! You are doing awesome….now finish strong!

[Maureen]

Kate wrote:

For the past couple of days I’m been totally wiped, especially while lifting. I’m getting enough sleep and water. My question is would a refeed meal help or should I just push through it since I’m going to keep cutting for a couple more weeks until the next challenge? It’s weird because I’m not hungry, but feel totally beat.

Thanks!

Honestly, you killed it for 60 days! This is the homestretch….last week. I would stick it out and do what you can. You take pictures and then you can decide what you need to do. I am sure Nicole will have some further instructions on how she thinks you should proceed. Hang in there. By all means…if you feel sick, need food etc….then trust your instinct. If you think you are just beat because you have been working your butt off, and in the last push of a challenge…then chalk it up to being a bad ass that you have made it this far. You killed it! Let me know if you have any other concerns about this.

[Maureen]

wendy tolles wrote:

i’m doing phase 2 for a while longer and would really appreciate anyone who has come up with the figures of approximately what the macros are for each meal… I have tried and I seem to be off somewhere and its getting to be very frustrationg, especially the meals that we make from recipes even with fitness pal im having difficulties like the sweet potatoe mash and the shrimp meal

Please and thank you

The macros can be off for a few reasons….
1. the brand you are choosing could be different than the brand that Nicole has specified.
2. It might be a food that looks right but it’s actually one that someone else has added to the database. I am sure you have noticed that you can pull up some foods that the macros are way off…ie boneless, skinless chicken breast I have seen that listed with 9g of fat. That obviously isn’t correct, so I know not to choose that.
You can rely soley on MFP…you sometimes have to do your own research to know if some of those numbers are in fact, accurate. Picking up a pocket food guide is always helpful as well, then you can double check what’s in MFP.
This is the most difficult part of fitness in my opinion. Learning what foods fall into what category and what are they made up of…carbs, pro and fat. It’s an ongoing process. Your knowledge base will grow the more you look things up on your own to double check etc. YOu got this…you are almost done with this challenge.

[Maureen]

Stephanie wrote:

Hey guys! I’m just curious if anyone else has been experiencing brain fog recently? I feel like over the last several days I’ve been making a lot of little dumb mistakes at work, or I have to really stop and think about what I’m supposed to be doing next or what today’s date is… not so bad that I would be medically alarmed haha but I do seem to just have this cloudiness in my head!! Can being near the end of the challenge really have that sort of effect on someone? I feel like the calories/carbs aren’t restricted enough to cause it but maybe they are….? Especially after being restricted for this amount of time? Or I just need to suck it up? Haha. Just curious if anyone else is having a similar experience

Hi there,
Sometimes you can get that “fog” with a decrease in carbs. If they dip lower than what you are used to….a drop in the calories as well. The program was designed to put you at a deficit during this period so it might be a big enough change for you that you are feeling some effects.

[Maureen]

Christina Cubbage wrote:

This thread is hilarious, lol! Nicole were you serious about throwing it on the floor? I literally put a large knife into it and then bang it on the counter trying to get it to split. This is after I have microwaved it for 5 min. Does this count for arms? Which muscle group am I working?

I need to buy an instapot!!!

It counts as your cardio acceleration workout 🙂

[Maureen]

Christina Cubbage wrote:

Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? The last two weeks of phase one brought about the most change that I can see. I began phase two and had no more weight or inches lost. Nicole’s post was encouraging to basically keep on “like a robot.” I was hoping to see more change before next week.

I noticed this happened last year. I had the most weight loss and change with phase one and then when phase two began, I did not see much change. Since I had a few extra sressors last year, I did not see the challenge through.

However this year, I have been 90-95% compliant all the way through with the nutrition. I am curious to see if anything will happen the last week and if my body will jump out of the plateau. I have done all of the weight lifting but not as much cardio as suggested due to time factors. Thats okay though, I am happy with the results so far. My legs stay in perpetual soreness lol.

Have others seen more change currently or with the last phase? I am wondering of others’ experiences with this.

Hi Christina,
Try not to let this frustrate you. This is a tough challenge. You need to ask yourself “can I do more?” “am I doing what the challenge instructs me to do?” From reading your post, there is still more you can do in order to be more compliant. Life happens, it gets tough. It’s hard to do EVERYTHING that comes with this challenge. You have to compromise alot. Do what you can….if you think you can push harder, do that. When this challenge is over, you don’t want to have the feeling that you could have done more. No regrets! Now let’s finish strong!

[Maureen]

Kristin wrote:

I know in phase 1 we were allowed to have any of the meals we wanted (with the exception of the post workout meal). Is this the same for phase 2 or is it best to pick one meal option from each group?

Currently I eat 2 of the same meals per day for the ease of meal prepping purposes (and because I like them lol). I’m wondering if this is why my progress has stalled a bit?? I do check my macros on MyFitness Pal as well……

Just wanted to double check before our final week! Thanks so much!

Hi there,
Nicole designed the program so it’s easy like that. All meals are roughly the same macros so you can interchange them however you like. BUT…like you said, the post workout meal is the one you need to keep the same. Keep working hard!

[Maureen]

j.atwood wrote:

First off, I want to say this challenge has been nothing but amazing. From the great workouts, delicious food, and help from everyone!
I am just curious if anyone else is experiencing what I am experiencing:
My metabolism is on fire. I am 100 percent on plan with food, workouts and water. I am full of energy all day long, and then sleep really good at night.
I have started to weigh myself morning and night. I have found that at night I weigh in at a good weight for my body. In the morning, I am 5 pounds lighter. But, every morning I am noticing the weight dropping more and more…this morning I was 8 pounds less when I weighed in. I do not want to lose anymore weight. I am already petite enough and want to remain healthy! Any advice or other members experiencing this?

Hi there,
I agree with Wendy. Stay off of the scale. The weight will fluctuate daily. Once a week at the most…if you must weigh. How do you feel? How are you looking? Are you meeting your goal? Do you have energy? Don’t worry about the scale. Take a progress photo…compare it to where you started. Are you where you want to be? (weight aside)

[Maureen]

wendy tolles wrote:

So when this is said and done can the cardio b kept up….this challenge got me to do cardio which I nvr ever ever no ally do….I dnt want to do too much or not enough and cause muse loss however I do want to keep building…..would I do some for say 4 to 6 weeks then switch it up….please help I need my cardio already laid out for as this is…..

Hi there,
Just hang tight til the challenge is over to figure out the next step. Number 1, Nicole will give you some guidance as to “what is next”…Number 2, you will want to assess where you are at the end of the challenge. That will help you figure out what’s next as well. You may want to sit in phase 2 for a couple more weeks (or not) depending on what your goals are….Just finish this out strong and watch for some advice from Nicole 🙂

[Maureen]

Rebecca Bargeloh wrote:

Hi everyone !
So yesterday during my progress pics, measurements and Weigh in, i guessed my weight and my mom confirmed it. I could Kinda tell where I was by how my clothes fit and muscle definition.

I’m officially down 17 pounds today. I’m very happy with my progress as most of you know I’ve had some tough situations. I’m doing the best i can With where i am Not giving up. 3 weeks left to go !!!

Nice work! Probably felt good to not look and then see how far you have come 🙂

[Maureen]

Rebecca Bargeloh wrote:

Hi. I’ve bssm beginning my workout week o. Sat bc i like My rest days during the eeek. This Monday would. S a rest day and it’s. Holiday for me. Would it be ok to move phase 2 lower body to Monday ? And have tues as a rest day ?

Schedule would be as follows

Sat; day 1 lower and SS cardio
Sun: day 2 upper and HIt plus ten
Mon: day 3 lower and SS cardio
Tues off
Wed upper body plus hit and ten
Thurs: cardio accel
Fri. Off

Not sure if it’s ok to put two lower body days so close to each other. That’s really the question. lol.

Thanks !

You might want a little more rest between those days if you can at all help it. Your training may suffer a bit if you haven’t allowed your body to recover enough. You can try it….just pay attention to the weights you use, how you feel. If you feel your performance is suffering, then you may need to rethink it.

[Author]

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