Naomi
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Hi Robin-
Do your cardio as follows in the cardio outline here:
Your five-day cardio schedule will be:
• 3 days of 40-minute interval cardio or steady state cardio
• 2 days of 20-30 minutes of HIIT cardio followed by 10-15 minutes of steady state cardio, for a total of 30-40 minutes. You can perform your HIIT cardio on any day except for the days you train legs.It is best to do cardio when you feel you have the most energy and when time in your schedule allows for it. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Stacey-
That is a challenge! Do you have access to any bands? If there aren’t any bands, and there is a Walmart or Dick’s nearby, you can buy some inexpensive bands to temporarily supplement the pull-down movements (wide-grip pull-down, straight-arm cable pull-down, face-pull, etc) using bands. And for all other exercises you can supplement the same movement using dumbbells.
Worst case scenario, just do your absolute best and do the exercises you CAN do (skipping the exercises you can’t supplement for) and get back to the full workout when you are back home next week.
Good luck! 🙂
Hi Orysya-
All of the workouts in the program are designed to give you the best possible results in the short 30 day time period. So the order of the exercises and number of sets/reps are a technique that will hopefully work your muscles as intensely as possible (also called an ‘intensity technique’).
Good luck! 🙂
Hi Bridgett,
It looks like you are right on the lower-end cusp of Meal Plan #3 for height and since your weight is right at the higher-end cusp of Meal Plan #2, it looks like you would be best to go with Meal Plan #2
Good luck! 🙂
Hi Orysya- these meal plans and the foods chosen were designed to give challengers the BEST results possible in 30 days. Dairy is typically fine in “everyday life” but for drastic results in a short time period, dairy may possibly hinder progress with some people. Everyone’s body responds different. You may use the food substitutes you mentioned, however for the best results during this challenge, I recommend to stick as closely to the meal plan and foods suggested.
Good luck! 🙂
Savannah- unsweetened almond milk is just a “safe” creamy liquid for people who use a milk/creamy-type substance for their food/meals but it is not necessary to consume if you don’t consume a milk/cream food product already.
Shannon- if you are already using a pre-workout, just continue using the pre-workout as you are, don’t drink extra in place of coffee. Just don’t drink coffee if you you don’t like coffee, you can drink water instead. Make sure you check your pre-workout for the nutrient content and count it towards your macros. Some pre-workouts can have 30+ calories per serving, and hidden added sugars/carbs 😉
Hi Christina- Yes, just do standing calf raises with dumbbells. The weight chosen will be different for everyone, so just choose a weight where you are really starting to feel the burn and struggling on the last 3-5 reps each set. If you can’t do all the reps, the weight is too heavy. If you breeze through the reps easily, the weight is too light 😉
Good luck!
Hi there!
If you are looking for great results and you’ve been training the same way for a while, try switching it up and doing cardio in the a.m., then weights around lunch time if you can 🙂 You may see better results that way.
Good luck!
Hi Kristin-
Here are a few cardio alternatives you can do at home with very little to no equipment:
– Bosu Ball Plyometrics (you can also just use the floor or a small platform)
– Or of you do a search on twww.nicolewilkins.com you will see a host of various cardio workouts you can do at home 😉
I hope this helps!
Allison- yes, strength-training first, then cardio, then post-workout snack.
Rosa- cardio is not just for legs but for all over body fat loss. There will always be a fist place you gain fat and a last place that you lose fat. If you goal is to lose body fat (no matter where it is – ams, stomach, etc.) you do need to include the cardio portion of this program to achieve body fat loss.
Good luck ladies! 🙂
Hi Savannah,
Here is the link to a private facebook group that was started in conjunction with the challenge #NWC30 – 2016
Good luck!
Jessica- The three things I would recommend for best results with staying on target for your meal plan are:
1.) Be consistent with how you prepare and measure your food
2.) Be consistent and as accurate as possible as you can when food journaling (ex: record 5 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast, if you are measuring it raw every time or measure x amount of oz. cooked if you are measuring in cooked every time
3.) make sure you check your macros as you eat throughout the day so that you know how much of what you have left 😉Michelle- Yes, go by your height 🙂
Javona- Yes you can switch the order of the meals, although it is recommended to stick as closely to the nutrition plan as outlined as the meals are structured in that order to give the most optimal results possible. In general, it is best to eat foods with higher sugar content (blueberries in meal #2) earlier in the day so there is more opportunity to burn off the sugars throughout the day. If you eat fruit later in the day when you are likely not as active, there is less opportunity to burn off the sugars and any unused sugar may be stored as fat.
That’s the spirit EJ! Way to buckle down! KICK BUTT TOMORROW!!!! … and the next day, and the next day, and the next day … 😉 !
Hi Javona,
Nicole does a video demonstration of alternate exercises for the reverse peck delt fly at time marker 3:43 in this segment of “My Gym Doesn’t Have.”
I hope this helps! 🙂
Hi EJ,
Not a silly question at all, just make sure you look at the brand/type of cappucino and you measure out your serving sizes of the product you are using as well as the skim milk, and food journal in MyFitnessPal to make sure you aren’t going overboard on macros. Look at the sugars, carbs, fats, etc. as well as the ingredients in the cappuccino. A lot of the “fun” coffees on grocery store shelves have additives and some have quite a bit of sugar, though I’m not sure where you are getting your cappacino from.
My recommendation is if you are super serious about getting the best results possible over the next 30 days, try to stick to the meal plan outline, foods listed and exchange list foods as close as you possibly can 😉
Hi ladies,
Coffee or tea is not necessary at all, just plain water is absolutely fine 🙂 And seltzer water is fine to drink, yes, but we recommend drinking at least 8 ounces of just plain old fashioned water (non-seltzer) for the best health benefits and best results 😉
Good luck ladies!
Hi Jane,
You can buy both the Polar M400 and the HR monitor together on the Polar web site, or just the watch, or just the HR monitor. I would suggest buying them both together 😉
Hi Amy,
I would recommend taking the first serving of BCAA and first serving of L-glutamine as you described, but I would take your second serving of both right before bed. It shouldn’t affect your sleep at all, as long as they are only the pure form of branched chain amino acids and don’t have any stimulants in them 😉
Taking them before bed will help your recovery as you sleep.
Hi Teena,
Not silly at all! You can eat the food however you prefer! Food is so individual and everyone has a way they like to prepare and eat their food, so do it however you prefer most!
If you need ideas or suggestions, check out some of Nicole’s nutrition videos here 🙂
Good luck!
Hi ladies,
Strength-training can be done several hours after cardio, absolutely! Actually, it is more ideal to separate your strength training from your cardio sessions by several hours if you can so that you can have good energy and exercise endurance for both sessions 😉 Many people’s schedules don’t always allow for separate strength-training and cardio sessions, but if you are able to then go for it! 😀
Good luck!
Hi Rebecca,
No, only before and after pictures. Feel free to take progress pics for yourself every week if you’d like so that you can see any changes. Although some weeks you may not see significant changes and other weeks you might see a good bit of changes 😉
But as far as the 30 Day Challenge, you will only upload before and after pics ! 🙂
Good luck!
