BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Exercises are done in sets of repetitions (reps). “3×12” reads “three sets of 12 reps,” meaning do the movement twelve times in a row, three separate times. Take a 2-3 minute break in between each set and exercise, except during Core Training (only rest as long as it takes for the burn to wear off).
“3xFailure” = “3 sets until failure.” Failure is the point where your form stops being correct. As soon as you notice your form is getting bad, stop.
*Always stop when your form is getting bad. Practicing bad form will eventually lead to injury. However, where I don’t explicitly say “xFailure,” stop when form is bad and begin again with the correct form (still completing all of the reps in the set).
“3xMaxTime” = 3 sets, each lasting for as long as you can endure.
Perform each rep in a slow and controlled manner. You can work faster during Core Training so long as your form remains correct.
Add weight when you are capable of performing 4 extra reps without feeling challenged. For example: when 3×12 at 20lbs becomes easy with the right form, do 3×16 at 20lbs; when 3×16 at 20lbs with the right form becomes easy, do 3×12 at 30lbs. Note that the weight doesn’t have to increase in 10lb increments as it does in the example; increase the weight by amounts that bring you a reasonable challenge and keep in mind that you don’t want to progress by too much too quickly.
*Never increase the weight on poor form. You’ll be asking for an injury. When form is poor, drop the weight (either entirely or to something lighter) and fix your form before adding it again.
Wear flat-soled shoes on leg days. The reason is that flat-soled shoes allow you to generate more force and activate your muscles better. They also improve stability. I recommend wearing Vans because in addition to being flat-soled, the toe area is broad enough to not force your toes to jam together – which is bad for stability, bad for your foot health, and potentially limiting to your results (by limiting how good your form is). However, these aren’t the best shoes for many types of cardio and it would be helpful to switch into soft-soled shoes (like running sneakers) when you’re doing cardio.
LET THE SCULPTING BEGIN
If you’re loving your results and feel moved to return the encouragement, tag me in your progress pics on IG (@bawdybyrow) or use #BawdybyRow ♥
Nutrition goes hand in hand with exercise and is key to seeing the changes you would like to see in yourself. For the purpose of changing body composition, your macronutrients (macros) are the most important to monitor. They are: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Protein: The current recommendations suggest 46g/day for women (56g/day for men) to help preserve lean tissues. To see muscle gain, your body may require more. Protein is used to rebuild muscles after lifting (muscles experience micro-tears from the high demand we place on them) and to maintain the muscle you’ve already built. If you are low on carbs and fats, your body will turn to protein to fuel itself, but doing this is not good because that will very likely cause decreases in muscle mass (size). Making sure you’re getting an adequate amount of protein is critical not only for muscle gain, but for fat loss (as a protein rich diet increases satiety and therefore helps you to avoid overeating). Make sure to have a protein rich meal after a workout. Rich sources of protein are meats, fish, and beans.
Carbs: The current recommendations for carb intake are 130g/day. Carbohydrates are fuel; they’re your body’s first choice when it needs energy. Whether your goal is weight loss or gain, you need to be eating a sufficient amount of carbs. Have a carb rich meal 30-60 minutes before a workout and within 2 hours after a workout. Rich sources of carbs are grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Fats: The current recommendations for fat intake are 20-35% of your daily calories (if you were eating 2000 calories/day that would be 44g-77g of fat), with less than 10% of your daily calories coming from saturated fat. Fats actually help with building lean muscle, so don’t run from them! (Unless they’re trans fats, which are bad for your heart.) Fats are a secondary source of energy – when you burn through your readily available carbs, your body will use fat to keep you going (this is part of the reason that I structured the program to have you lift first and then do cardio). Fats are calorie dense and make you feel full – which can be very helpful to those aiming to lose weight. However, you want to be sure that you’re consuming healthy fats. Good sources of fats are fish, oils, nuts/seeds, and *special mention* avocado.
Weight Management
Your weight is the result of many things, but summed up they are: your calorie regulation, genetic predisposition, and your behavior (stress, sleep, substance use, activity, etc.). While genetic predisposition does play a role, the effects of this predisposition can be reduced by about 40% by being physically active alone. Your lifestyle has more of an affect on determining your weight than your genes/family history.
Your calorie regulation is arguably the biggest thing affecting your weight and is the relationship between your Energy Intake (EI) and Energy Expenditure (EE), or in other words: how much calories you consume versus how many you burn/use. Keep in mind that you don’t only burn calories during exercise, your body uses energy constantly to support itself and carry out its various internal functions.
Sleep is also important; shoot for at least 8 hours a night. Your body uses calories during sleep and also uses your sleep time to repair your muscles, which leads to muscle growth – both in strength and size. Lack of sleep may have the opposite effect – loss of muscle strength and size.
Stress affects the hormones your body releases surrounding appetite, thus affecting how much and what you eat. The good news is that exercise reduces stress levels and you can feel this benefit of exercise in just one session. Regular exercise will help you to see long term reductions in stress.
*Substance use includes medicines taken for health conditions
For Weight Gain: EI > EE (caloric surplus). Focus on increasing calorie intake. Eat bigger portions, eat frequently (waking up earlier so you can start eating earlier may help), and eat smart, nutrient dense meals.
For Weight Loss: EI < EE (caloric deficit). I suggest gradually decreasing calorie intake. Note also that it may take more of a deficit (from your starting point) to continue to see weight loss the more pounds you lose. But, instead of decreasing your calorie intake to unhealthy levels, decrease calorie intake safely and gradually while increasing calorie use. You don’t have to go on a crazy diet. Control your food portions, eat frequently (small portions throughout the day), and eat smart, nutrient dense meals.
For Weight Maintenance: EI = EE (caloric balance).
One helpful tool to monitor and understand your caloric intake is the MyFitnessPal app. The app can also help you set a calorie intake goal. For weight gain, I recommend monitoring calorie intake on your typical daily diet and keeping that amount in mind knowing that to make gains you have to eat more than you typically do. For weight loss I recommend the same, but keeping in mind that to see loss you have to eat less than you typically do.
Click here for some of my go-to recipes
FAQs
How much water should I drink?
There’s no one size fits all answer. The current guidelines suggest 2.7L/day for women (and 3.7L/day for men). However, before exercise it would be beneficial to drink 0.08oz-0.11oz/lb of body weight. So if you weighed 150lbs, you would drink 12oz-16.5oz at least 4 hours before exercising to help keep yourself properly hydrated for the workout.
When is a good time for me to eat?
Any time you want. The only thing that matters is how you eat (calorie regulation). Eating before or after a certain time has no effect on your weight.
Do I have to cut out junk foods?
You can still enjoy a slice of pizza or dessert, just do it in moderation and be sensible about what/how you eat. Most of all, track the calories and macros to make sure that even though you’re eating some junk, you’re still on track for your goals.
What can I limit to see better results?
Alcohol, added sugars, and saturated fat.
Do I need protein or other supplements?
You don’t need protein supplements or any other supplements. All of your dietary needs can be met simply by eating smart. However, protein shakes and other supplements can help make meeting these needs easier.
Won’t eating carbs just make me gain weight?
NO! Carbs are fuel; eating them doesn’t necessarily mean weight gain. Eating carbs is good for you, especially when paired with weight lifting. As far as eating goes, the only thing that will make you gain weight is consuming more calories than you expend.
I’ve heard about Keto Diets for weight loss. Should I do it?
Note: you do not have to do any special diet to see results using this program. Applying the information above on calorie regulation will be enough to lose weight and burn fat. Some people have insulin resistance or other medical conditions that affect their ability to lose fat; these people, especially, should consult with their doctors about diet.
A Ketogenic Diet is achieved by consuming few carbs and lots of fat. It causes your body to use fat as its primary source of energy (as opposed to carbs) and sends your body into a state called Ketosis.
In Ketosis, your body breaks down fat into compounds called Ketones that then become energy for your body and brain. It would take days to enter Ketosis and you would have to cut out all bread, cereal, rice, and other grains, plus significantly cut your consumption of fruits and vegetables.
There are (2) recognized potential benefits:
- Weight loss, including the loss of belly fat while maintaining lean muscle.
- Treatment and/or management of disease (diabetes, alzheimer’s, cancer, etc.)
There are (9) recognized potential side effects:
- “Keto Flu” — upset stomach, headache, and fatigue
- Insomnia
- Bad breath
- High cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease
- Constipation
- Dehydration
- Kidney stones
- Low bone density and bone fractures
- Nutrient deficiency
It has been found to be absolutely not safe for those with conditions involving their pancreas, liver, thyroid, or gallbladder.
For more information, read this Harvard Health study.
You’ll need to purchase the following pieces of equipment:
- Fabric Resistance Bands (aka booty bands aka glute bands)
- Mini Loop Resistance Bands
- Tube Bands (with the handles)
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebell(s)
- Foam Roller (optional, but beneficial)
Watch Before You Work
How to Engage Your Core
Note: Squeeze your abdominal muscles into a contraction (DON’T SUCK YOUR STOMACH IN); you should feel this contraction with your fingers. Practice breathing diaphragmatically (into your stomach as opposed to chest) AT THE SAME TIME as engaging your core – you will need this ability to reach your goals. Do the drill in the video 6x per day for 30 second holds each time until you’ve mastered engaging your core.
*If holding a glute bridge for 30s is too difficult, or if you’d just prefer not to, the exercise is equally effective done just lying on your back with your knees bent.
How to Engage Your Lats
How to Hip Hinge
Warm-Up
You ALWAYS do a dynamic stretch before a workout. A dynamic stretch is used to “wake up” your muscles. Performing dynamic stretches activates your neuromuscular system specifically for the kind of movements you will perform during your training. Dynamic stretching is distinguished from static stretching by movement – static stretches are done in one position. Don’t do static stretching before a workout (research shows it can actually stunt your muscle performance – and therefore growth).
Doing dynamic stretches before you dive into your workout greatly reduces your risk of injury and increases your performance ability, SO DON’T SKIP THEM!
Do the dynamic stretches that correspond with the workouts for the day. (Days 1,3, and 5 correspond with the lower body stretches and Days 1 and 2 with the upper body stretches).
Weeks 1-4
Weeks 5-8
Weeks 9-12
Recovery
RECOVERY IS NOT TO BE SKIPPED! When you exercise using resistance, your muscles are under so much stress that they actually tear (these tears are called micro-tears). During your body’s healing process your muscles are built back stronger and bigger than they were when they tore under the pressure. Under-recovery (aka over-training) can lead to major problems, including injury. ALWAYS do a static stretch after a session. Stretching after a session not only reduces your risk of injury, but also kickstarts the body’s muscle restoration process. The faster (and better) you recover, the faster (and better) you can train again.
Recovery includes:
- Static stretching (and myofascial release)
- Staying hydrated
- Sufficient protein intake
- Resting at least 8 hours a night (MAJOR KEY)
These four things together will take you to new heights! However, you should be cautious of stretching beyond your limits. Stretching your muscles beyond their “point of return” (yield point) may over time lead to muscles that are less stable and efficient. Instead, stretch just to the point where you can feel some tightness and slight discomfort (but not pain).
You should stretch everyday, regardless of whether you worked out.
*s = seconds, ex: 3x30s means “3 sets for 30 seconds each set”
Cardio
Cardio is listed last because you should always do cardio after resistance training. You should do cardio at least 3x a week; if your goal is to lose weight you can do more cardio (not absolutely necessary, but it could help you see loss faster).
Cardio is beneficial, firstly, to your heart and, secondly, to your weight management. (Not to mention it’s an excellent fat burner). It helps with weight loss, although it isn’t superior to resistance training (weight lifting) when it comes to dropping pounds and changing body composition. It also helps with weight maintenance and muscle gain (if you don’t overdo it). For those looking to maintain weight or make gains, I suggest walking for cardio.
The current guidelines for the amount of cardio you should get are 150 minutes/week of moderate cardio or 75 minutes/week of vigorous cardio (the degree of vigor will be determined by your ability – climbing 10 flights of stairs may be vigorous for someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle, but light work for someone who is very active).
My recommendation is that you should do cardio for at least 30 minutes at least 3x a week (or if it works better for your schedule you can do cardio for less time on more occasions). Here are a few cardio options (feel free to do any that aren’t listed):
- Fast walking a mile
- Jogging/Sprinting for a mile
- Jumping Rope
- Climbing Stairs
- Cycling
- HIIT Cardio Workouts
*Note: If you have cardiovascular/cardiorespiratory concerns, you should consult your doctor.
Silhouette Soundtrack
In order: