[Naomi]

Hey Dara- That is so cool! 😀

I wouldn’t do ANY extra cardio since you’re doing 3 hours of continuous skating 2xs per week, which adds up to 6 hours of skating per week. You’re good in the cardio department 😉

You’re actually going over quite a bit on the cardio time protocol for this program, but you really can’t help that being involved in roller derby .. which is sooo cool!! 😀

Have a great first week of the challenge, and good luck skating after leg day 😛

[Naomi]

No problem! So this is what 1 x 15 and 4 x 8-12 means:

Do one set (your first set, which is the number “1”) for fifteen reps (indicated by the “x 15”).

Then do the next four sets (indicated by the number “4”) for between 8-12 reps. So your workout would go like this:

Five total sets as follows:
Set #1: 15 reps
Set #2: 8-12 reps (between 8-12 reps depending on the weight you choose and how many reps you can get with that weight. If you pick a heavier weight you can only get 8 reps with, that is fine)
Set #3: 8-12 reps
Set #4: 8-12 reps
Set #5: 8-12 reps

Does this make sense?

[Naomi]

Hi there! Great job! The average target HR range is between 170-190 but it will vary depending on your cardiorespiratory endurance and other factors. 162BPM is fine if you feel like you were exhausting yourself and HIITting it (lol) as hard as you can. Just keep pushing at an intensity level you feel is most challenging for you! Great job 😀

[Naomi]

Hi Nicole- there are no specific vegetables, just whichever you prefer. I would stick to vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, etc. such as Bird’s Eye Stop Frye veggies but really it’s whatever you prefer.

[Naomi]

Hi Stephanie- absolutely, you can eat your post workout meal as your last meal of the day, and you can eat it at 9-10 pm. Yes, you can do weights, then cardio right after, then eat your post workout meal 😉

Good luck and have a great first week of the challenge 😀

[Naomi]

Hey there- all meats are measured cooked. Please read through ALL of the information and watch the videos in the Nutrition section. Everything is explained in detail. 🙂

Have a great first week of the challenge!

[Naomi]

Correct, there is no re-feed/cheat meal during this challenge 🙂

[Naomi]

Hi Kathryn- I feel your pain! I do wake up at 3:30-3:45 am some mornings and eat my first meal about 4am (but I am usually hungry the second I wake up in the morning, no matter what time it is, lol). Then workout at 5am.

If you can, at the very least try to get half your first meal in. In the past, I have sometimes eaten the eggs (egg/egg whites) then had my post workout meal as well as the oatmeal from meal 1.

I hope this helps! 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey there! We are so excited to have you as part of this challenge to get your ‘mojo’ back 😉

To answer your questions:

Hot saunas are great for warm up and/or recovery!
When I have a hard time sleeping, I usually take 5 HTP which helps. The workouts should be pretty intense and hard enough that increasing your exercise should help you crash out, lol!

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!!

[Naomi]

WOW, girl, you are ON IT!!! Looks fabulous and you are READY to MUSCLE UP! 😉

[Naomi]

Yep, Kim you are correct. Here is the cardio schedule as laid out on the workout calendar: https://nicolewilkins.com/images/2018/03/2018_35DAYMUSCLEUP_Calendar-01.jpg

[Naomi]

Hey there- no, it doesn’t have to be progress pics at all. Anything related to the challenge: gym selfies, meal prep, etc.

If you go on Instagram or Facebook today and look under the following hashtags:

#nicolewilkinschallenge
#nwmuscleupchallenge

You’ll get an idea of what some people are already posting. You can post any time throughout the week as many times as you like! Nicole will look up posts on social media by searching under the hashtags and announce winners usually on Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

Good luck! 😀

[Naomi]

Hey there- here are the hashtags for the weekly social media prizes:

#nicolewilkinschallenge
#nwmuscleupchallenge

Just post as many times as you want during the week and Nicole will look up the posts under the hashtags on IG and facebook at the end of each week, then announce winners at the beginning of the following week (usually Monday or Tuesday).

Good luck! 🙂

[Naomi]

Hi Kathryn- I would avoid any movement that causes any pain at all in that area. Just avoid this exercises and you can do 2-3 extra sets of the other chest and shoulder exercises that don’t cause pain in that area.

Good luck and have a great first week! 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey there- yes that is correct! The only acceptation is your post workout meal, but other than that you can eat the same meal as many times as you like 😉

[Naomi]

Hi Jolanda- yes, you can blend the quinoa flakes into your protein shake 🙂

[Naomi]

Hi Michelle- there are video demo links below the workouts for you to view how Nicole would like you to do the exercise (barbell press, etc).

Weights in hand is fine, absolutely. Modify as necessary based on any issues you may have going on.

For barbell step ups, you can either do body weight step-ups or lighter weight dumbbell step-ups (dumbbells in hand) and choose a step that isn’t too high.

Good luck! Have a great first week 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey there- please go based off your height, so Meal Plan 3 😉

[Naomi]

Hey there- if you are right at 5″6 then you will choose meal plan 2. Good luck 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey Christine- go for it! Slow cook and shread away 😉 The only way that prepping your food would change the macros is if you add things to it, like chicken broth, sauces or oils etc. Other than that, fix your food however you like!

[Naomi]

Ok, for 1 oz. avocado: 70 calories; 3.5g carbs; 6g fat; 1g protein. For 2 oz. avocado, it’s twice that (some call for 1oz and she 2oz). If you are going to substitute foods, I highly recommend you food journal in an app such as My Fitness Pal to make sure you’re hitting the recommended calories and macros.

As far as a substitute for avocado, you could have 1/2 oz. almonds for 1 oz. avocado. A half oz. serving of almonds is: 80 calories; 3g carbs; 7g fat; 3g protein which is close enough to be a swap 🙂

I hope this helps!

[Naomi]

Hey there- which meal plan are you doing?

[Naomi]

Hi Kathryn- yes, all of the information for the nutrition portion of this challenge can be found by clicking on the nutrition section/tab. Please read over all of the information carefully so you don’t miss anything ;-). The calories and macros for each meal are listed at the bottom of the last page of the meal plans 🙂

Good luck and have a great first week! 😀

[Naomi]

Hey there- if you feel the workouts in this challenge aren’t at the level that you’ve been training at, I suggest you try to choose a slightly heavier weight than you are currently using to increase the challenge and intensity.

[Naomi]

HI Wendy- I completely understand the expenses, however unless you are tracking your recipes in My Fitness Pal there is no way to know if the veggie burgers you make at home are equal in macros to the meal plan. You may be able to do that just fine and if so, go for it. Just be aware if you do make your own and you don’t add up the ingredients and track your food, there may be quite a big discrepancy in the meal macros and overall macros for the day 😉

[Author]

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