#30ForTheKids Christmas Challenge

 Hey Fit Fam,

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that last week I talked about the "wait till the new year" mindset many people have and how BAD of an idea this is. I gave a few tips that may help you get a JUMP START to any fitness goals you have in mind. You can check out the post HERE.

Here is a way you can get in THIRTY minutes of EXTRA ACTIVITY in for the next 30 days and also GIVE BACK to those in need.

My sponsor, 1st Phorm, is doing something called the #330forthekids challenge!

HERE IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO:

Take 30 minutes of your time, for 30 days, donate $30 to help support less fortunate families and get a jump start on 2018.

To participate, you must do the following:

Donate $30 to the go fund me account (CLICK HERE)

Share this Photo on any of your social media platforms (Instagram, Instagram Story, FB, Twitter, etc.)
Please @ mention ME (@stacymccloud) so I know you are participating!!!

Tag @1stphorm

Use #30forthekids #1stphorm and #iam1stphorm hashtags

The daily workouts you can choose from:

30 minutes on the stair master
or
100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, & 300 air squats
or
Run 3 miles.

Choose one of the 3 workouts above for the next 30 days. While 1st Phorm doesn't say you can "modify" these workouts .. I'm sure they will allow it! Ha!

For example .. if you are NEW to fitness I wouldn't suggest RUNNING 3 miles. Walk, Jog or do a combo of the two. Or if you can't do the step mill for some reason ... pick another piece of cardio equipment. You can always MODIFY push-ups to be "assisted" with knees on the ground. You can also do these push-ups/sit-ups/air squats as "super sets" with the workout you are already doing. So instead of RESTING between training sets .. throw in sets of the above until you have done them all!

If you miss a workout during the 30 days, it cost you $5 penalty (payable to the Go Fund Me page)
If you don’t join by Dec 2nd at midnight, buy in fee is an extra $5 (tack it on to your $30 on the Go Fund Me Page.)
((obviously honor system is in effect here))

Grab your friends, lets kit fit and help! Participating in this challenge is not only a great way to give back and spread Christmas joy, but you will also prevent some unwanted pounds and get a jump start to a more fit healthier version of you in 2018.

The goal is to raise 20k this Christmas to give to a variety of charities and adopt local families in need.

We are going to need everyone’s help to make it happen!
Stacy

TO PURCHASE 1ST PHORM SUPPLEMENTS with FREE FAST SHIPPING and 110% money back you can use my athlete link --- www.1stphorm.com/stacy.
But please EMAIL me first so we can see what products will work best or YOU and YOUR needs! You do need to use the link with each order to get the free shipping!

MY CURRENT 1ST PHORM STACK -- as of 12/1/17:
MicroFactor - EVERY MORNING!
Adrenal Restore - 2x a day (I am doing an adrenal reset. More on this coming soon.)
GDA - with first meal of the day and/or any really high carb meal
Creatine OR AlphaCre - PreWorkout (I'm doing NON stim preworkout during the adrenal restore)
Phormula-1 & Ignition - Post Workout
BCAAS - 1 scoop in my gallon of water that I drink each day. Also sometimes IntraWorkout.
Level  1 - in various amounts at different times of day in things like my Breakfast Cake, Protein Ice Cream, Smoothie Bowls, etc.
Glutamine - 5g 2-3x a day for recovery and GUT HEALTH
OptiCore, Night T or an of the other 1st Phrom sleep aids - 45 min before I want to go to bed

Beginners 12 Weeks Till Summer Workout Guide (Home Edition)

Beginners 12 Weeks till Summer Workout Guide (Home Edition) 

As requested, I've put together a pretty basic THREE PHASE 12 week workout guide. This isn't my personal workout .. a "get a better body in 3 months" .. or "90 days to shredded" type deal. So if that is what you want .. go ahead and exit out and head over to Pinterest. This is just a GUIDE for everyone that says they are "lost" and need help getting started. Once you are done with the 12 week guide you HAVE to keep working out. There is no END date!! But this gives you a good little guide so that you will hit all areas of each muscle (one of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not hitting all parts of each muscle) and tone up in time to put on your swimsuit. While a gym membership is best, you can totally get in a good workout at home. I suggest that you have resistance bands (both the kind with handles and a couple of the resistance loops) and a mat. It would also be helpful if you had a couple sets of dumbbells, an over the door pull up bar and a medicine ball or bosu ball. If at any point you decide to get a gym membership ... here is the gym edition. 

Most of these exercises are with dumbbells or resistance bands. Feel free to use the same equipment week to week or switch it up!  Also, this guide is designed to be a 5-day workout broken up into muscle groups - not full body workouts. So this means you must workout 5 days each week. If you skip a day .. you end up skipping a body group! Not good! The workouts won't be very long if you go hard and follow the "rest" guide! I don't workout at home, however I will try to do some of these HOME demos for you at the gym and post videos. If not, I will link a demo video I have found, or you can simply google the name of the workout for guidance. Just make sure you watch some sort of demo to ensure you are using proper form!

All this said...nutrition is 90% of the equation. I'm not going to make a meal plan to go with this, as I personally believe meal plans are best suited when they are INDIVIDUALIZED since everyones macro needs and bodies are different. However at the end of this page I will put some "Nutrition Tips" that can hele is the GYM edition. 

((If links aren't available I simply haven't shot them yet or had time to find ones to link. GOOGLE the exercise and you should be able to find examples. Also, I don't workout at home so most of these demos are ones I have found for you online .. sorry. Maybe one day I'll update with demos myself. Just no time or videographer right now, lol))

PHASE ONE: WEEKS 1-4 

• Do 4 sets of 10 reps (weeks 1 & 2)
• Do 4 sets of 12-15 reps (weeks 2 & 3) **see below
• Weight should be at about 60% Max Effort these first two weeks. You want to be able to lift with PROPER FORM for all reps and should find those last few reps pretty difficult! Again PROPER FORM is more important than how much weight you use!
• Rest 45-60 seconds between sets. MAX!!! This is important!!!
• After 2 weeks, you should increase your weight/resistance to be about 80% Max Effort and even do 12 reps if you want/can! If you can’t increase your weight, aim to increase your reps! The general rule here is if the weight is too easy .. increase .. too hard .. decrease. Most important is using PROPER FORM! Do each rep SLOW and squeeze!!
• Finish each LIFTING session with 1 scoop of Phormula 1 Whey Isolate Protein…right after lifting. Then have your next meal within the hour! This will really help repair and build your muscles! If you don’t have any whey isolate protein, then just make sure you eat one of your balanced meals with both lean protein and complex carbs within 30 min of lifting! 

Day 1 - Triceps/Chest

• Elevated Bodyweight Bench Dips (Video Demo HERE. At home use a step, etc.) 
• Resistance band or dumbbell tricep kick backs (Google for demo) 
• Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension (Video Demo HERE – You can stand our sit. Your choice. Don’t arch your lower back. Keep elbows in. You can use bands for these, google search for a band demo) 
• Wide Push Ups (Video Demo HERE - Make sure back is straight and butt is down. Head is inline with your back. Try to do these without putting your knees down on the floor, but if you need to in order to finish/have proper form go ahead. Add resistance bands to make more difficult .. video HERE) 
• Dumbbell Bench Press (Video Demo HERE. At home you can do these on a floor or elevate yourself on a medicine ball. You can use resistance bands, just google for demo) 
• Dumbbell Bench Fly (Video Demo HERE – same details as above)

Follow up this workout with 20 min Steady State Cardio (this can be anything of your choice. Just keep it steady. This is not max effort, but you should be slightly out of breath and not able to carry on a conversation. Keep the incline as high as you can and the level/resistance where it needs to be to achieve the above. No reading, talking on your phone, etc. KEEP MOVING for the entire 20 min! If you don't have any cardio equipment ... no problem! Go for a light walk/jog, go swimming, walk trails, etc. If you can't go outside .. do some slow jump rope, running in place, dance with your kids, etc :) Get creative. The point is to get moving for 20 min at a pretty moderate/steady state!


Day 2 - Back/Biceps  

• Wide Grip Pull Up (Using door pull up bar. At first you may need help or a chair. Found a demo for you HERE. Or you can do wide grip pull downs using a resistance band. I found a demo HERE. Just squeeze those shoulder blades together. If you want to use no weight, try using a towel the 1st week.) 
• Seated Rows (You can do these using bands attached to a door hinge or around feet - Demo for around your feet HERE) 
• Bent Over Rows using dumbbells or band (video with dumbbells HERE. Video with bands HERE. Ignore his bands, you can use bands with handles as well.) 
• Supermans - Demo HERE
• Alternating Bicep Curls (Standing. Dumbbell demo HERE. But again get creative with what you use for weights if you don't have anything. Band demo HERE. ) 
• Hammer Curls (same as above. dumbbell demo HERE. Band demo HERE. ) 
• Seated Concentration Curls (Dumbbell demo HERE. Band demo HERE.)

Day 3 - Legs/Calves 
Supersets are when two exercises are grouped together and done back to back. This means no rest between these two exercises. The 45-60 seconds of rest is in between each super set itself.

ALL of these are grouped into SUPER SETS until the last two (couch/chair sits and calves)

• Narrow Stance Squat - Foot position on these is a little closer than shoulder width apart. Video demo of simply how to do it with bands is HERE. Video demo with dumbbells HERE. PS ... the guy in the band video says don't go low. Mute him, lol. Try to GO LOW. Just keep proper form (see gym guide version for more details not this.) The lower you go the more it works the BOOTY!! Which we always want. But a narrow stance does target the quads more than a wide stance (which you will do next) 
• Narrow Stance Squat Jumps - foot stance is same as squat. land softly on balls of feet and go as fast as you can on these. but make sure you are actually squatting LOW. no baby jumps! Demo HERE. 

• Wide Stance Squats (using dumbbells or bands) - Feet are really wide apart. Wider than shoulder width. Other than that, use same methods for squatting as above. You can see me doing them on a squat rack HERE. But use the bands or dumbbells like in the video above. 
• Wide Stance Squat Jumps - foot stance is same as squat. same method as above. go low, balls of feet, fast as you can. Demo HERE. 

• Dumbbell Stiff Leg Dead lifts - Dumbbell demo HERE. Band demo HERE. 
• Leg Curls using dumbbells or bands - Dumbbell Demo HERE .. ignore what she says about rest/reps.  Resistance band demo HERE.  If you can't figure these out. Do some walking lunges instead (remember "1" is when you have done each leg) but push through heel to try to activate hams and glutes more than quads! 

• Standing Calf Raises - hold onto wall, railing, etc. Demo HERE. Since these are not weighted I would do MORE than ten reps. IF you want to add weight hold dumbbells and do the 10 reps. Otherwise, do as many as you can!! 4 sets!! 

• Chair/Couch Sits (do these quick and squeeze booty when you stand. this is how you are ending your workout. make it count) I'll get you a video of these. But basically you are just sitting down and standing up! Yup .. "that is it" :) But you don't sit. Your butt just touches the chair and you get right back up! 100 times!! Squeeze that booty!!!! Do as many of these as you can. At least 50, but your GOAL is 100!!!! Video demo HERE. 

Day 4 - Shoulders/Abs  -- DEMO VIDEOS COMING SOON 

All of these are SUPER SETS

• Shoulder Press
• V-Ups

• Lateral Raise
• Hanging Leg Raises

• Front Raise
• 60 second Plank (this is the goal. But do at least 30 seconds. work your way up to that full min) 

• Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raises 
• Flutter Kicks

• Arnold Press
• Russian Twists

Day 5 - Cardio/Booty -- DEMO VIDEOS COMING SOON 

All of these are supersets except the Cable Kick Backs

• Donkey Kicks using resistance bands 

Super Set

• Hip Thrusts with feet on bosu ball or bench 
• Plie’ Bodyweight Squats

Super Set 

• Split Squats (back leg on low stair or bosu ball) 
• Split Jumps - One rep is once you have done a lunge on EACH leg. 

Super Set 

• Adductors with bands around calves 
• In/Out Pop Squats using bands around calves 

Follow up with 20 min HIIT style cardio - IF you have cardio equipment at home. Go over to the gym version of this and read! If not ... you can do things like jump rope, high knees, burpees, run stairs at your house, run hills outside, etc - for the HIGH intensity parts. And simply jog or air squat in place for the others. GOOGLE is a great tool for outdoors or indoors HIIT options! 

(Simple Example of HIIT) 
-- 2 min warm up - March in place.
-- 1 min High Intensity - Anything mentioned above. Goal is to GO FAST and as hard as you can!
-- 2 min Moderate Intensity - Go at about 1/2 the intensity as the 1min high intensity round. The idea is to catch your breath a little/lower heart rate....NOT rest. This could be a light jog, air squats, etc.

Do this 1:2 circuit a total of 6 times. So again, you will leave the incline alone (as high as you can) and go for 1 min HARD .. then don't lower incline but lower level/resistance for two mins and go moderate. Repeat this 1:2 combo SIX TIMES. Then last 2min is a cool down! If you feel you are not ready for HIIT, make this cardio session another steady state session.

REST DAYS – You get two of your choice. Can do back-to-back or work in-between workout days. I suggest you do ONE FULL rest day at least. But if you want, you can also do fasted cardio on ONE of these two days if you wish! My suggestion would be upon waking, with nothing to eat. You can have some BCAA’s, Pre-Workout or coffee if you want. Just no food/protein shake - etc. Try this first .. if you find yourself getting sick or feeling lightheaded. Try having a 1stPhorm Phormula-1 shake about 30min beforehand.

I would really suggest making this day a group fitness class! Time will fly by and it’s a fun way to get in cardio! I LOVE going to HotBox in Nashville. But there are tons of options .. just make sure it’s CARDIO focused! Feel free to change it up each week!

NOTES: You will likely be sore. That will get better. Don’t SKIP a workout just because you are sore. I notice once I get going the soreness goes away! But at the same time listen to your body. IF you are really truthfully too sore, have a rest day. Just don’t use this as an “excuse”. Try stretching upon waking or each night. You can also use foam roller. This REALLY helps with soreness and there are all kinds of videos on youtube!! Also if you can, buy some Glutamine and take post workout and before bed! You can mix this in some water or your post workout shake. It will REALLY help with soreness!

Wellness Tips 

My “basic” advice is learn to say NO and simply STOP AND THINK before you eat! A great start would simply be substituting with smarter choices. Pay attention to how much you are eating and get in a habit of eating smaller more frequent meals. Here are a few tips that may help you. Also check out the Fit Tips, Newbies and Recipes section of the BLOG here on www.simplystacy.com 

* Drink Water!!! It will be crazy the difference this ONE switch can make!! Stop drinking soda of ANY kind. Switch to tea (sweetened with stevia) or try Zevia.  But DITCH THE SODA! I drink 1.5 to 2 gallons of water a day. You should TRY to work your way up to 1 gallon if you can! Add things like essential oils, fresh lemon, etc., to make it easier to drink. Many people ask me about Crystal Light and Mio. It's better not to use it of course, but if it gets you OFF soda and drinking water, then it's a BETTER choice for sure. Make sure it's not sweetened with aspartame! Also a couple glasses of green tea a day is great for metabolism! 

* Buy measuring cups and a food scale and USE IT for each meal! I can’t tell you how “much” to eat!!! Let me repeat that .. I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH TO EAT, lol. That is something that I can offer later down the road in customized plans! However you can find plenty of tools online to help you calculate your macros based on your needs. Google is great :)  I can say that  “in general” most people do not make PROTEIN the main source of their daily calories. Most people need between .08 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. I would aim for 1g for females and 1.5 for males if you are serious about gaining muscle and losing body fat! This needs to be coming from things like chicken, extra lean (99%) or lean (97%) turkey, extra lean beef, sirloin steak, white fish, shrimp, tuna, etc. As for the rest of your macros left (carbs and fats), that is even more individual. I'll touch on it more below. But you will have to figure out what percentages work well for you and make sure they come from only HEALTHY sources. I would say IN GENERAL .. for women eating 6 meals a day you should stick to between 2-4oz (measured cooked) of things like potatoes and 1/4 - 1/2 (measured cooked) of things like oats and rice. 3-5oz (measured cooked) of your lean meats and anywhere from say 2 to 6 egg whites, etc. Guys would generally take in about double those amounts. AGAIN ... these are examples. I hate even writing about this because it is very individual and what I'm telling you to do may be too much or too little for you..which would greatly impact your results!! I'm just trying to give you a GENERAL idea of foods/amounts. Try using My Fitness Pal to track your calories/macros. But keep in mind this tool is VERY basic and the macros can be ALL OVER the place if you don't scan your own barcodes, get SPECIFIC about if something is cooked or not cooked, etc. Again .. the biggest thing is to just be smart. Obviously your plate shouldn't be a big pile of rice or pasta and only a little protein and a few pieces of asparagus. In general .. lots of protein and veggies and a smaller amount of good complex carbs. How much (again) depends on your goals, your body fat, how many times you are eating meals, etc. So many factors! Just eat GOOD foods and do NOT overeat and you will be okay :) 

* This is optional but helps many people. Keep a food journal of EVERYTHING you eat. When you feel hungry. What you are craving. Anything that may upset your stomach. Bowel habits, etc. This will help you determine how foods make you feel. 

* Try to eat every 3 hours. This is a big one. It will help boost your metabolism!! If you can’t do meals (this is preferred) have at least 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.  Snacks should be “complete” though (carbs and protein OR protein and a healthy fat). If you must, food replacement bars are okay (careful though cause most are like candy bars. I stick to quest bars, think thin bars, go gii and other ALL NATURAL food based bars). Even better would be a 1st Phorm Level One shake with a maybe a rice cake since it only has 3carbs, or if it's earlier in the day the shake with some fruit. Another snack could maybe be some almonds and low sugar greek yogurt. These are just some examples :) It's hard for me to give snack options cause I don't snack. I also don't know what your MEALS are gonna look like. But you should eat every 3 hours you are awake if possible .. yes even before bed!! Before bed I HIGHLY suggest a 1st Phorm Level One Shake or another protein creation using 1st Phorm! You could also do something like an egg white veggie omelet with a little avocado (approx 1oz). No sugar (i.e. fruit) that late at night though and keep your carbs low at this final meal! I typically don't do added carbs. Just a 1st Phorm creation and some peanut butter (small amount.) Bodybuilding.Com has a few good meal plans that are pretty basic if you need further advice. But again .. they are pretty basic. 

* Limit fruit to two servings a day and I personally prefer eating them earlier in the day. For example, I may have a 1/2 of berries or a small banana or apple for breakfast and then typically 1/2 a grapefruit or other citrus fruit no later than Meal 3. 

* Touched on this above, but your carbs should come from complex sources such as oats, sweet potato, red potato, brown rice, quinoa. Look up LOW GI carbs! This method of choosing carbs and veggies is always pretty good to follow! 

* Veggies should be mainly green for the most part and fibrous! Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Broccoli Slaw, Cabbage, Green Beans, Asparagus, leafy greens. Also things like .. Eggplant, Califlower, Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Snap Peas, etc - all are great options! There are so many! 

* Healthy Fats .. have small servings at several meals throughout the day. Portioned out nut butters, nuts, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil tablets, etc. Watch getting TOO much though. The “portion size” on the back of containers won’t be taking into account that you are eating a bunch of small meals! So instead of 2tbs of coconut oil .. I’ll typically only do 1tsp. Instead of 2 tbs peanut butter .. i do one or 1/2 of one. 1tbs olive oil instead of 2. You get the idea!! You obviously don't want to have a FULL serving of even good fats 6 times a day! Also, keep in mind all fats are NOT equal. Fats from cheese for example don't provide the same nutrients as fats from say olive oil. Oh and speaking of olive oil .. add it to your food AFTER it's cooked. Unlike coconut oil .. if you cook with it you should be losing nutrients :) Plus it's easier to portion out this way! 

* Cheats — You may not like what I am about to say. As important as it is to SPLURGE,  during this Phase One if you are a BEGINNER and not already eating healthy, I suggest that most people DON’T cheat too much...if any at all .. in the beginning. Some people just aren’t capable of cheating once and will just binge or go back to their old ways. So during these first few weeks — keep cheats “cleaner” or smaller or not at all.  So for example ... one beer is good. One slice of pizza. A snack size candy bar. But don’t go all out until you know you can CONTROL your cheat and stay on track. Also sometimes when you have a lot of body fat to loose .. this could slow you down if you aren't eating right during the week. Once you get the hang of clean eating ... one splurge of whatever you want won't typically be a problem and is usually encouraged :) 

Okay .. all this said. I am not a nutritionist, personal trainer, coach, or expert. You should consult your doctor before starting any plan and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!! I don't claim to know it all and my methods may not be the best. These are just what have worked for me and people that I personally know. I am simply a girl who likes to lift, practices proper form at all times, eats well, is surrounded by people who know how to lift and eat, has been mentored by some amazing experts in the field, has a husband who has been surrounded by bodybuilders and was even active in the sport of bodybuilding for years, etc. I also research fitness/nutrition ALL the time, sometimes hours a day.  I am in the process of getting all my certifications and am pretty Type A personality .. meaning I am a detailed perfectionist most times, lol.  

So GOOD LUCK. Don't give up. Feel free to message me if you need any basic help or have basic questions! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! Now .. YOU need to do the WORK and believe in yourself too!

Last .. don't worry about a scale! Instead (as hard as this may be) get someone to take a picture of you from the front, back and side. Don't try to suck in or try to look smaller. Stand tall and proud today, in 4 weeks, in 8 weeks and again in 12 weeks! All in the same spot, same lighting, if possible first thing in the morning before you eat, etc. I would wear a swimsuit, workout gear or undies.  If you wear clothes make sure it's fitted so you can really see your results. These pics don't have to be for anyone except YOU .. so don't be shy! Also if you have measuring tape .. take measurements as well! 

Eat Clean. Train Dirty. 

Stacy 

Beginners 12 Weeks Till Summer Workout Guide (Gym Edition)

Beginners 12 Weeks till Summer Workout Guide (Gym Edition) 

As requested, I've put together a pretty basic THREE PHASE 12 week workout guide. This isn't my personal workout .. a "get a better body in 3 months" .. or "90 days to shredded" type deal. So if that is what you want .. go ahead and exit out and head over to Pinterest. This is just a GUIDE for everyone that says they are "lost" at the gym and need help getting start! Once you are done with the 12 week guide you HAVE to keep going to the gym. There is no END date!! But this guide gives you a good little guide so that you will hit all areas of each muscle (one of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not hitting all parts of each muscle) and tone up in time to put on your swimsuit. All you need is a gym membership or pretty complete home gym for this one! For a home version with minimal equipment ..  HERE.

Most of these exercises are with dumbbells. But feel free to change things up each week and use cables, barbells, ez curl bar, etc. I'll be making these changes for you during each phase, but if you get bored feel free to mix it up! Also, this guide is designed to be a 5-day workout broken up into muscle groups - not full body workouts. So this means you must workout 5 days each week. If you skip a day .. you end up skipping a body group! Not good! The workouts won't be very long if you go hard and follow the "rest" guide! Video demos are linked. These are also very basic but should help you get a general idea of proper form.

All this said...nutrition is 90% of the equation. I'm not going to make a meal plan to go with this, as I personally believe meal plans are best suited when they are INDIVIDUALIZED since everyones macro needs and bodies are different. However at the end of this page I will put some "Nutrition Tips" that can help guide you! Also, look around the blog, specifically the recipes, fit tips and newbies section for some advice!

((Please note video demos I am shooting or video demo links for days 2-5 are COMING SOON))

PHASE ONE: WEEKS 1-4 

• Do 4 sets of 10 reps (weeks 1 & 2)
• Do 4 sets of 12-15 reps (weeks 2 & 3) *see below*
• Weight should be at about 60% Max Effort these first two weeks. You want to be able to lift with PROPER FORM for all reps and should find those last few reps pretty difficult! Again PROPER FORM is more important than how much weight you use!
• Rest 45-60 seconds between sets. MAX!!! This is important!!!
• After 2 weeks, you should increase your weight/resistance to be about 80% Max Effort and even do 12 reps if you want/can! If you can’t increase your weight, aim to increase your reps! The general rule here is if the weight is too easy .. increase .. too hard .. decrease. Most important is using PROPER FORM! Do each rep SLOW and squeeze!!
• Finish each LIFTING session with 1 scoop of 1st Phorm Phormula 1 Whey Isolate Protein as soon as you can after lifting. No more than 30min. Then have your next meal within the hour! This will really help repair and build your muscles! If you don’t have any whey isolate protein, then just make sure you eat one of your balanced meals with both lean protein and complex carbs within 30 min of lifting! 

Day 1 - Triceps/Chest

• Elevated Bodyweight Bench Dips (Video Demo HERE)
• Rope Pull Downs (Video Demo HERE. Really squeeze when you pull the rope apart at the end) 
• Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension (Video Demo HERE – You can stand our sit. Your choice. Don’t arch your lower back. Keep elbows in.) 
• Wide Push Ups (Video Demo HERE - Make sure back is straight and butt is down. Head is inline with your back. Try to do these without putting your knees down on the floor, but if you need to in order to finish/have proper form....go ahead. Add resistance loop to make more difficult .. video for this is HERE) 
• Dumbbell Bench Press (Video Demo HERE. You can do these with the bench flat if you prefer. But I prefer incline so that I’m isolating the exact part of chest I want to work as a female) 
• Dumbbell Bench Fly  (Video Demo HERE – same details as above)

Follow up this workout with 20 min Steady State Cardio (this can be anything of your choice. Just keep it steady. This is not max effort, but you should be slightly out of breath and not able to carry on a conversation. Keep the incline as high as you can and the level/resistance where it needs to be to achieve the above. No reading, talking on your phone, etc. KEEP MOVING for the entire 20 min! I like a step mill, arc trainer, bike, etc. Or take it outdoors and go for a brisk walk, light jog, walk trails at the park. You could also go for a swim or even play with your pet/kids. As long as you are keeping your heart rate up for 20 steady min's :)


Day 2 - Back/Biceps 

• Wide Grip Pull Down (Video demo HERE - slow and squeeze) 
• Narrow Reverse Grip Pull Down (Video Demo HERE - slow and squeeze) 
• Cable Row (Video Demo HERE - slow and squeeze. Don’t jerk or use your legs for power. Use your back!) 
• Lower Back Hypers with or without weight (Video Demo HERE. Squeeze your glutes at the top for some extra booty activation.)
• Alternating Bicep Curls (Video Demo HERE. One rep is when you have done EACH arm. Do these standing) 
• Alternating Hammer Curls (Video Demo HERE. Same as above) 
• One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls (Video Demo HERE. Arm over incline bench or preacher curl bench. Same rep rule as above) 

Day 3 - Legs/Calves 
Supersets are when two exercises are grouped together and done back to back. This means no rest between these two exercises. The 45-60 seconds of rest is in between each super set itself.

ALL of these are SUPER SETS.

• Narrow Stance Squat (Using squat rack or smith machine. Use only the bar and add small plates till you see how much weight you can do with PROPER form and as instructed in notes above. If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are not doing it correctly. You want to squeeze the glutes at top even though this stance does typically work quads *more* than glutes...which is why the weight you are capable of using for different squat stances may vary! Video Demo HERE. If you are new and can't do the bar weight. Just do body weight the first week. 
• Narrow Stance Squat Jumps (Done immediately after the weighted squats. these should be quick and just like the squats .. go low. Video Demo HERE) 

• Wide Stance Squats (Using squat rack or smith machine. Same as above for the most part, except a much wider stance. With wide squats your feet are much wider than shoulder width. Push through heels, keep chest up, squeeze/tilt butt/hips at top, go low, watch those knees and if you are too wobbly LOWER WEIGHT, etc. A wide stance works a greater number of muscles. In this stance you should feel it most in your Glutes & inner thighs. Video Demo HERE.) 
• Wide Stance Squat Jumps (same as above ...but wide stance. Video Demo HERE) 

• Leg Curl (Video Demo HERE) Sorry this isn't me doing it. Someone was using the machine. But these demos are better anyway cause they are so detailed. You can find almost any demo on this site btw. 
• Dumbbell Stiff Leg Dead Lifts (Foot placement can vary a tad. I usually like my feet closer together. Some people like them a little wider. Just make sure you feel the stretch in your hamstrings (I go down just below knees) and squeeze those glutes coming up. Keep back straight. Knees can be just *slightly* bent or a little more stiff. Again, do what feels best for you. Weight on heels. I tend to like to do these a little faster than shown in video. Great way to get heart rate up especially since I have you doing these as a super set and they are following curls, which need to be slow and controlled. These always make me sweat! I superset them with lots of different things! A staple on my glute/ham day for sure! Video Demo HERE

• Leg Extension These seem easy enough. But I see so many people doing them so wrong. Using waaaaaaaay too much weight and jerking up and down and/or arching back away from seat back. Don't do that. Trust me. Slow - Steady - Squeeze. Especially go slower on the way back down for an extra burn!!! (Video Demo HERE - also showing you what NOT to do) 
• Box/Bench Stand ups (You are basically sitting and standing. Do not actually sit though. Do these quick and squeeze booty when you stand. The goal for these is 100. Yes 100!! But if you need to work up to that aim for 50 at least. Video Demo HERE

• Seated Calf Raise (Video Demo HERE) 
• Standing Calf Raises (Can use machine or smith machine/squat rack. Demo HERE. But you can even just use a box with or without dumbbells. (Video Demo HERE)

Day 4 - Shoulders/Abs  -- DEMO VIDEOS COMING SOON 
All of these are Super Sets

• Shoulder Press (Video Demo HERE)
• V-Ups (Video Demo HERE)

• Lateral Raise (Video Demo HERE)
• Hanging Leg Raises (Video Demo HERE)

• Front Raise (Video Demo HERE)
• 60 second Plank. 60 seconds is the goal. But do at least 30 seconds and work your way up to that full min. 10 seconds of proper form is better than 60 with bad form. (Video Demo HERE)

• Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raises (Video Demo HERE)
• Flutter Kicks (Video Demo HERE)

• Arnold Press (Video Demo HERE)
• Russian Twists (Video Demo HERE)

Day 5 - Cardio/Booty -- DEMO VIDEOS COMING SOON 

All of these are supersets except the Cable Kick Backs

• Cable Kick Backs (Video Demo HERE)

Super Set

• Hip Thrusts with feet on bosu ball or bench (Video Demo HERE)
• Plie’ Bodyweight Squats (Video Demo HERE)

Super Set

• Split Squats - your back leg can be on a low bench, box or even bosu ball. (Video Demo HERE)
• Split Jumps  - "one" is once you have done each leg. (Video Demo HERE)   

Super Set

• Adductor Machine (Video Demo HERE)
• In/Out Pop Squats (Video Demo HERE) *use loop resistance band around calves optional*

Follow up with 20 min HIIT style cardio - I prefer an Arc Trainer for this. But an elliptical or treadmill or step mill is okay too! The key is keeping a HIGH incline the entire time so that it will work that booty!
(Example of HIIT)
-- 2 min warm up - I go ahead and get my incline set during this time.
-- 1 min High Intensity - (highest incline you can tolerate) go at about 80% on the resistance. You should be going at a pretty fast pace for this, so if your resistance is so high that it is keeping you from going fast, lower it some! But keep the INCLINE as high as you can!!
-- 2 min Moderate Intensity - (highest incline you can tolerate. I leave mine alone the entire circuit) and go at about 40% on the resistance. The idea is to catch your breath a little/lower heart rate. The idea is to catch your breath. NOT rest.

Do this 1:2 circuit a total of 6 times. So again, you will leave the incline alone (as high as you can) and go for 1 min HARD .. then don't lower incline but lower level/resistance for two mins and go moderate. Repeat this 1:2 combo SIX TIMES. Then last 2min is a cool down!! Slowly decreasing incline as you go! IF you do not feel you are ready to do HIIT - do another day of steady state cardio.

REST DAYS – You get two of your choice. Can do back-to-back or work in-between workout days. I suggest you do ONE FULL rest day at least. But if you want, you can also do fasted cardio on ONE of these two days if you wish! My suggestion would be upon waking, with nothing to eat. You can have some BCAA’s, Pre-Workout or coffee if you want. Just no food/protein shake - etc. Try this first and if you find yourself getting sick or feeling lightheaded during cardio, try having a 1stPhorm Phormula-1 shake about 30min beforehand next time.

I would really suggest making this day a group fitness class! Time will fly by and it’s a fun way to get in cardio! I LOVE going to HotBox in Nashville. But there are tons of options .. just make sure it’s CARDIO focused and feel free to change it up each week!

NOTES: You will likely be sore. That will get better. Don’t SKIP a workout just because you are sore. I notice once I get going the soreness goes away! But at the same time listen to your body. IF you are really truthfully too sore, have a rest day. Just don’t use this as an “excuse”. Try stretching upon waking or each night. You can also use foam roller. This REALLY helps with soreness and there are all kinds of videos on youtube!! Also if you can, buy some Glutamine and take post workout and before bed! You can mix this in some water or your post workout shake. It will REALLY help with soreness!

Wellness Tips 

My “basic” advice is learn to say NO and simply STOP AND THINK before you eat! A great start would simply be substituting with smarter choices. Pay attention to how much you are eating and get in a habit of eating smaller more frequent meals. Here are a few tips that may help you. Also check out the Fit Tips, Newbies and Recipes section of the BLOG here on www.simplystacy.com 

* Drink Water!!! It will be crazy the difference this ONE switch can make!! Stop drinking soda of ANY kind. Switch to tea (sweetened with stevia) or try Zevia.  But DITCH THE SODA! I drink 1.5 to 2 gallons of water a day. You should TRY to work your way up to 1 gallon if you can! Add things like essential oils, fresh lemon, etc., to make it easier to drink. Many people ask me about Crystal Light and Mio. It's better not to use it of course, but if it gets you OFF soda and drinking water, then it's a BETTER choice for sure. Make sure it's not sweetened with aspartame! Also a couple glasses of green tea a day is great for metabolism! 

* Buy measuring cups and a food scale and USE IT for each meal! I can’t tell you how “much” to eat!!! Let me repeat that .. I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH TO EAT, lol. That is something that I can offer later down the road in customized plans! However you can find plenty of tools online to help you calculate your macros based on your needs. Google is great :)  I can say that  “in general” most people do not make PROTEIN the main source of their daily calories. Most people need between .08 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. I would aim for 1g for females and 1.5 for males if you are serious about gaining muscle and losing body fat! This needs to be coming from things like chicken, extra lean (99%) or lean (97%) turkey, extra lean beef, sirloin steak, white fish, shrimp, tuna, etc. As for the rest of your macros left (carbs and fats), that is even more individual. I'll touch on it more below. But you will have to figure out what percentages work well for you and make sure they come from only HEALTHY sources. I would say IN GENERAL .. for women eating 6 meals a day you should stick to between 2-4oz (measured cooked) of things like potatoes and 1/4 - 1/2 (measured cooked) of things like oats and rice. 3-5oz (measured cooked) of your lean meats and anywhere from say 2 to 6 egg whites, etc. Guys would generally take in about double those amounts. AGAIN ... these are examples. I hate even writing about this because it is very individual and what I'm telling you to do may be too much or too little for you..which would greatly impact your results!! I'm just trying to give you a GENERAL idea of foods/amounts. Try using My Fitness Pal to track your calories/macros. But keep in mind this tool is VERY basic and the macros can be ALL OVER the place if you don't scan your own barcodes, get SPECIFIC about if something is cooked or not cooked, etc. Again .. the biggest thing is to just be smart. Obviously your plate shouldn't be a big pile of rice or pasta and only a little protein and a few pieces of asparagus. In general .. lots of protein and veggies and a smaller amount of good complex carbs. How much (again) depends on your goals, your body fat, how many times you are eating meals, etc. So many factors! Just eat GOOD foods and do NOT overeat and you will be okay :) 

* This is optional but helps many people. Keep a food journal of EVERYTHING you eat. When you feel hungry. What you are craving. Anything that may upset your stomach. Bowel habits, etc. This will help you determine how foods make you feel. 

* Try to eat every 3 hours. This is a big one. It will help boost your metabolism!! If you can’t do meals (this is preferred) have at least 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.  Snacks should be “complete” though (carbs and protein OR protein and a healthy fat). If you must, food replacement bars are okay (careful though cause most are like candy bars. I stick to quest bars, think thin bars, go gii and other ALL NATURAL food based bars). Even better would be a 1st Phorm Level One shake with a maybe a rice cake since it only has 3carbs, or if it's earlier in the day the shake with some fruit. Another snack could maybe be some almonds and low sugar greek yogurt. These are just some examples :) It's hard for me to give snack options cause I don't snack. I also don't know what your MEALS are gonna look like. But you should eat every 3 hours you are awake if possible .. yes even before bed!! Before bed I HIGHLY suggest a 1st Phorm Level One Shake or another protein creation using 1st Phorm! You could also do something like an egg white veggie omelet with a little avocado (approx 1oz). No sugar (i.e. fruit) that late at night though and keep your carbs low at this final meal! I typically don't do added carbs. Just a 1st Phorm creation and some peanut butter (small amount.) Bodybuilding.Com has a few good meal plans that are pretty basic if you need further advice. But again .. they are pretty basic. 

* Limit fruit to two servings a day and I personally prefer eating them earlier in the day. For example, I may have a 1/2 of berries or a small banana or apple for breakfast and then typically 1/2 a grapefruit or other citrus fruit no later than Meal 3. 

* Touched on this above, but your carbs should come from complex sources such as oats, sweet potato, red potato, brown rice, quinoa. Look up LOW GI carbs! This method of choosing carbs and veggies is always pretty good to follow! 

* Veggies should be mainly green for the most part and fibrous! Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Broccoli Slaw, Cabbage, Green Beans, Asparagus, leafy greens. Also things like .. Eggplant, Califlower, Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Snap Peas, etc - all are great options! There are so many! 

* Healthy Fats .. have small servings at several meals throughout the day. Portioned out nut butters, nuts, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil tablets, etc. Watch getting TOO much though. The “portion size” on the back of containers won’t be taking into account that you are eating a bunch of small meals! So instead of 2tbs of coconut oil .. I’ll typically only do 1tsp. Instead of 2 tbs peanut butter .. i do one or 1/2 of one. 1tbs olive oil instead of 2. You get the idea!! You obviously don't want to have a FULL serving of even good fats 6 times a day! Also, keep in mind all fats are NOT equal. Fats from cheese for example don't provide the same nutrients as fats from say olive oil. Oh and speaking of olive oil .. add it to your food AFTER it's cooked. Unlike coconut oil .. if you cook with it you should be losing nutrients :) Plus it's easier to portion out this way! 

* Cheats — You may not like what I am about to say. As important as it is to SPLURGE,  during this Phase One if you are a BEGINNER and not already eating healthy, I suggest that most people DON’T cheat too much...if any at all .. in the beginning. Some people just aren’t capable of cheating once and will just binge or go back to their old ways. So during these first few weeks — keep cheats “cleaner” or smaller or not at all.  So for example ... one beer is good. One slice of pizza. A snack size candy bar. But don’t go all out until you know you can CONTROL your cheat and stay on track. Also sometimes when you have a lot of body fat to loose .. this could slow you down if you aren't eating right during the week. Once you get the hang of clean eating ... one splurge of whatever you want won't typically be a problem and is usually encouraged :) 

Okay .. all this said. I am not a nutritionist, personal trainer, coach, or expert. You should consult your doctor before starting any plan and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!! I don't claim to know it all and my methods may not be the best. These are just what have worked for me and people that I personally know. I am simply a girl who likes to lift, practices proper form at all times, eats well, is surrounded by people who know how to lift and eat, has been mentored by some amazing experts in the field, has a husband who has been surrounded by bodybuilders and was even active in the sport of bodybuilding for years, etc. I also research fitness/nutrition ALL the time, sometimes hours a day.  I am in the process of getting all my certifications and am pretty Type A personality .. meaning I am a detailed perfectionist most times, lol.  

So GOOD LUCK. Don't give up. Feel free to message me if you need any basic help or have basic questions! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! Now .. YOU need to do the WORK and believe in yourself too!

Last .. don't worry about a scale! Instead (as hard as this may be) get someone to take a picture of you from the front, back and side. Don't try to suck in or try to look smaller. Stand tall and proud today, in 4 weeks, in 8 weeks and again in 12 weeks! All in the same spot, same lighting, if possible first thing in the morning before you eat, etc. I would wear a swimsuit, workout gear or undies.  If you wear clothes make sure it's fitted so you can really see your results. These pics don't have to be for anyone except YOU .. so don't be shy! Also if you have measuring tape .. take measurements as well! 

Eat Clean. Train Dirty. 

Stacy 

Muscles & Music: "Around The Worlds"

Workout Demo from Stacy McCloud's Leg Day. Mixing it up with a variety of squats called "Around The Worlds" 

Hey Fit Fam,

When I enter my OFFICIAL prep for my next show my workouts will be a little more structured from week to week, but for now I am really enjoying mixing things up and doing different things every time I go to the gym! While I may do some of the same staples each week, I always switch things up by adding in a few different exercises, that way my workouts are never exactly the same. It not only keeps my muscles guessing -- it keeps me from being bored!

In this installment of Muscles & Music I am taking you waaaaaay back with the music! Think Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Backstreet Boys, etc. It is mixed by a good friend of mine that is a kick a$$ DJ. As for my workout, I am incorporating a variety of squats in one big super set, which also gave me a bit of a cardio workout as well!

MUSIC -   Rod Youree SoundCloud #TBT Mix.  This will throw you back for sure! I loved it!

WORKOUT -  "Around The Worlds" are simply a big super set of squats done in various "stances" back to back with no rest. You will straddle a bench (the lower it is to the ground the better) and since I am short I stood on boxes. I wish the boxes could have been taller, but these were all that were available at my gym at the time. The reason for a lower bench and/or boxes is so you can go deeper in your squat -- the deeper the squat the better the burn :) You will want to sit all the way down because this makes it harder, just do NOT rest when you sit!  I did 4 big super sets and did 20 of each type of "squat" -- adjust this based on your fitness level but the idea is to make this a workout that gets your heart rate going! So even as a beginner, if I were you I would aim for 20 reps of each (except the single leg, I did 10 of each leg on that) and no weight, then work up to adding weight! Also, not shown oon the video .. I added in 20 (one count is each leg) of "Side Skaters" at the end of the 4 squats, done at a fast pace! Since we forgot to film this part, here is a link that can show you how to do Side Skaters. 

Around The Worlds 
Using a low bench (straddle), boxes (if needed in order to go deeper) and weight (optional) 

Normal Stance x20
Feet together (I placed mine slightly forward) x20
Wide Sumo x20
One Leg x10 each leg
Side Skaters x20 (one count is once you have gone to each side) 

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat (I did 4 sets)

Muscles & Music: Getting "Fancy"

Hey Fit Fam,

In this edition of Muscles & Music I'm getting a little "fancy" with my delt work!

I had Iggy Azalea cranked up loud! I love working out to "The New Classic" album. I always hit repeat when "Fancy", "Work" and "Bounce" come on :) I've been an Iggy fan well before the rest of the world really knew who she was. I can remember begging my husband to bring her to his club (that is how long I've loved her, when she was still playing smaller night clubs) but she blew up before he could book her!

I primarily trained Shoulders on this day, but I also did a couple of supersets of triceps at the end of my workout. The key to a successful shoulder day is making sure you are working ALL parts of your delta (front, rear & side) -- this video demo is three of the exercises that I incorporated into this particular shoulder day. I ALWAYS mix up my workouts, but no matter what I always work every single part of the shoulder! That is very important and one of the biggest mistakes I see beginners make. You can't just do shoulder press or lateral raises and expect to have great shoulders!

As usual, my workout was fueld by 1st Phorm. My pre-workout for this day was a 1/2 scoop of Juicy Watermelon Phormula-1 and a serving of Alphasurge DRV.

Eat Clean. Train Dirty.
Stacy

Muscles & Music: Swolemate Edition (Couples Sit-Ups)

Hey Fit Fam,

Happy Valentines Day!!! In this segment of Muscles & Music I talk about a Pandora channel specifically for your "cardio at home" tonight (lol) and also demo a fun sit up you can do with your #swolemate 😍 Enjoy!!!

Eat Clean. Train Dirty. 

Stacy

Muscles & Music: Intro and "Wide Stance Squats"

Hey Fit Fam,

I hope you are enjoying my NEW blog layout!! Please take a look around! All of my "blogs" are now under the blog TAB, but organized into individual labels! This means all my blogs will not appear on ONE page anymore,  but it should be much easier to navigate and search for specific topics! I'm super excited about the new look and format! What do you think??

I'm also excited to finally offer you all some workout demos. But y'all know me .. I just can't have some "ordinary" workout demo page!! I've decided to call it ... Muscles & Music. Most days it will just be demo videos of me showing you a workout and telling you what is on my playlist, about a neat playlist I've found, or maybe chat about some NEW MUSIC that is out that I think you should listen to (especially while you are working out.) But I do hope to incorporate some fun stuff into this Video Blog! I plan on having some of my favorite musician friends joining me in the gym from time to time, finding out what is in their gym bag or playlist and passing that info along to you, or maybe just finding out one of their favorite workouts and doing the demo myself! 

Here is the little "intro" to the series and also a demo of one of my staples on Leg Day .. Wide Stance Squats.  

 

Eat Clean. Train Dirty. 

Stacy 

#FitTipTuesday - Short People Problems

Hey Fit Fam

This is really good #FitTip for any height .... but especially my fellow shorties!

I often use a dumbbell for some of my squatting ... but the dumbbell is essentially the length of my quad .. haha .. so because of that I can't really go into a proper deep squat without the dumbbell hitting the floor first. I get crazy stares when I do this ... but it works ;)

Just pull two benches together .. stand on them .. squat and feel the burn .... #Boom ;)

Eat Clean. Train Dirty.

Stacym

Hey 21 ..I feel ya :)

Hey Fit Fam ...

Today is my birthday. I am not going to be the typical 30 something year old and whine and cry about getting older.  I promised myself I wouldn't beat myself up about a number. Why would I?

You always hear about people celebrating their "Forever 29". But you know what...I could run circles around the 18, 21, 24, 29 year old me!! So am I upset about being "older"? Nope not one bit! Am I sad that I didn't start trying to be THE BEST me that I could be at a younger age .. of course!! Do I have regrets and wish I could go BACK to a younger me and do things differently .. heck yea I do! But I'll take the 34 year me ANY DAY! So I will NOT let myself be upset about "getting older" (not this year anyway, lol).

There is no doubt that I would have spent my Saturdays at a bar back then. I'd be lying if I said I still don't spend some weekends in them from time to time. We don't have kids, my husband owned clubs for years and we love the social scene. BUT .. especially since I've started training hard .. most my Saturdays are spent ... at another bar :) Oh and hey .. look what song came on during my final days as a "33 year old"! The "Birthday Song" - haha - pretty fitting!

I gotta have some hard tunes when I workout .. it's what pushes me to do "just one more rep". However .. one more isn't needed with these .. 21 is enough 

!!n honor of thinking back to my 21st birthday .. I'm sharing with you one of my FAVORITE leg exercises. They are called ...."21's".

21's  (I did mine on a Lying Leg Press. However these could work many different ways)

Starting from the bottom (heels to butt) ... push only half way up to the middle (little mini presses). 7 reps. No rest ... Then press starting from the middle (your ending spot previously) and push to the top (little mini presses) 7 reps. Then .. you guessed it .. no rest .. and go straight into 7 FULL presses. So .. from your butt .. extended all the way up.

7 .. 7 .. 7 = 21 reps .. hence the name! You WILL feel the burn!

* I keep my feet pretty wide. Much wider than what is pictured. I do 3 full sets of "21". Resting for 1-2 min between each set.  I sometimes super set these with 12-15 calf raises in between each set. But you don't have to super set. These are hard enough alone. *

A lot of you ask about super sets. What they are .. why I do them, etc. I blogged about that earlier this week - Click Here :)

Oh .. and "21's" don't only apply to legs! I do them on bicep day too! Same concept. Half up .. middle to top .. then a full curl. The big thing with these is they are REALLY easy to do wrong. Especially if you haven't built up your bicep strength yet and no one is there to tell you that you are doing it wrong.  Elbows have to be in ..  you can't use your body to help you .. you gotta focus on using your bicep only. I don't put much weight on there at all (5-10 on each side) so the bar alone is likely enough and may even be too heavy for beginners? DO NOT judge this based on your first couple reps. It gets tough .. trust me! I sometimes do this mixed in with a super set (Of a different body part. It would be tough to super set all bi's on this in my opinion), doing it my typical "three times". Other times I do this as my LAST workout and usually only do ONE set .. kind of a BAM at the end when I would normally be done! Burrrrrrrrrn baby .... burrrrrn!!!

Eat Clean. Train Dirty. Happy 34th to ME :)
Stacy

Supa Supa Supa Sets

Hey Fit Fam ...

I am always hesitant to tell people what "I do" to get fit .. but the question is being asked more and more, so I thought I'd write about the ONE thing that I really do believe in more than almost anything else. Keep in mind that works for me may not work for you. Your goals may not be the same of mine. But there is one thing that I think anyone can benefit from and that is .... drumroll ... SUPER SETS!

Most of us are pinched on time. We all want to make the most of our workouts, right? I just started doing super sets every time I go to the gym this past year and I credit them for about 90% of my gains.

A super set is (in short) when one set of excercises is done directly after a set of a different exercise with NO rest in-between them. Once ONE super set is done (for example .. one set of shoulder press then one set of shoulder raises) then you rest for one min or so to recover. Then repeat for however many sets you are doing (I do 3 to 4 sets of super sets). Not only will you finish your work out in a fraction of the time .. it keeps your heart rate up for your entire workout! What does that mean?! Yup .. you burn more FAT!

It's up to you how you "group" your workouts. For example ... I usually do "Back/Bi" "Shoulder/Tri" "Chest/Abs", etc. Sometimes I mix that up and do "Shoulders/Abs" "Chest/Tris" .. the point is to try to do supporting muscle groups. But there are people that mix other muscle groups .. like quads and tris. I usually do Legs all in one day... usually twice a week. That said .. when you are super setting some people say this works best when you do opposing muscle groups when super setting. Who knows .. that goes back to what works for YOU. But one thing I DO NOT believe in .... plain ole circuit training. You know .. where you go and do every single machine at the gym in one day. I think that is a waste of a workout. Not only do you not get to spend much time on a specific muscle group - but it literally takes forever. Allow me to get scientific for a second. Studies have shown that after an hour of intense exercise, testosterone levels in our bodies begin to decrease .. but the stress hormone cortisol begins to rise. Which is OPPOSITE of what you want to happen. High levels of cortisol cause in increase in weight gain .. while low levels of testsoterone don't support muscle growth. Bottom line ... super set. It works. You spend less time at the gym and see better results. Your metabolism will thank you :)

This is an example of a Super Set Back/Bi Day for me.  I don't necessarily do the workout exactly like this (grouped this way). These are just a exercises I usually do when training these body parts...so I can kinda explain what I'm talking about.  But switch it up from week to week - it tricks your muscles :) For example .. the workout I did this week for biceps was TOTALLY different for me and actually didn't involve super sets for the bicep portion of my workout. Gonna try it again before I decide if I liked it. If so I'll share in the future! I still thing I like anything that involves super sets better :)

On this day I did opposing muscle groups. Again .. some people (including me) do super sets of all one muscle group and then move to super sets ofthe other muscle group they are doing that day. There are some exercises you should do before others ... but I'm rambling as it is and don't want to make this any more confusing than it already may be, haha.

SuperSet ONE:
Rows 12-15 reps
Bicep Curls (single arm) 12-15 reps per arm

Do this 3 to 4 times

SuperSet TWO:
Lat Pull Downs 12-15 reps
Lying Bicep Curls 12-15 reps

Do 3 to 4 times

Superset THREE:
Lower back raises - weighted 12-15 reps
Hammer Curls (single arm) 12-15 reps each arm

Do 3 to 4 times

Superset FOUR:
Incline Bicep Curls 12-15 reps
Bar ups (i can't describe this one and no clue if that is even the real name, ha) 12-15 reps

How many supersets you want to do is up to you! Some people do 3 (so that would be 6 total exercises. 3 per body part if you are mixing muscle groups) .. some people do 6+. I usually do 3-4.  It just depends on what body part I'm working, if I'm mixing muscle groups, how much energy I have, etc.

There are SO MANY methods out there. I also like something called "Push/Pull" for those that can only go to the gym a few days a week (you can do super sets with this method). Regardless of what you choose .. PLEASE make sure you are using proper form. Search youtube, ask someone at the gym that obviously knows what they are doing, hire a trainer for a few weeks, etc. But keep in mind that just because your boyfriend is a boy ... or just because your friend has been to a gym before ... doesn't mean they know proper form. **This random thought is inspired by the new couple working out together at my gym last night. HIGH FIVE that they are there working out .. but ... OMG I wanted to cry. They wasted a workout and could have gotten hurt**

GOOD LUCK!!!
Stacy