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Monday 17 February 2014

New Challenge- Phase 1




I know it might not feel like it but summer is just around the corner. There are bikinis in Primark already for gods sake!!! So lets start putting in the work now so that we will be bikini ready come summer.

I have been on a new fitness plan for the last month and I am seeing my best results to date and I wanted to share it with you.

Fitness Plan:

I started a new fitness plan as I wanted to bulk up- when I say bulk up I mean putting on extra muscle so that you get that lean toned look. Bulking up can be quite difficult to do right. It means that you need to eat a lot more than your used to but you must maintain a clean diet. 

When people hear about bulking up they probably think thats not for me as I want to lose weight and don't want to look bulky. Thats not what bulking means. When you eat lots of protein combined with weights, you put on lean muscle. Muscle burns so much fat even by just sitting on your body. So no you won't put on fat only muscle weight and you will look leaner and more toned than you have ever thought possible. 

So don't be afraid to bulk- this is me in week 3 of bulking. I am definitely not the leanest that I have been but I have a lot more muscle and shape. You have to try and test things to see do things work for you. I used to workout way too much and not rest enough so my muscles couldn't grow but thats hopefully beginning to change.





Bulking is phase 1 of my program

In Phase 1- you are not allowed any cardio for the first four weeks. Remember that you need to build a lot of muscle which for girls can be quite difficult as we don't have enough testosterone in our bodies. If we don't have enough muscle on our body to begin with cardio can actually have a negative effect by burning your hard earned muscle as well as fat. So we need to ensure that we build enough muscle so that doesn't happen. We want to build up muscle then shape it (shredding).

I loved this phase as I got to eat loads and I got to do weight training which I love. I didn't miss cardio one bit! I am now in Phase 2 so the fun is over for me!

So here is a list of what you need to do over the next 4 weeks- 

  • Eat loads of protein- protein with every meal
  • Double your calories
  • First 2 weeks- 4 days of workouts, 3 days rest
  • Last 2 weeks- 5 days of workouts, 2 days rest
  • NO CARDIO
  • 3 sets
  • 12 reps per exercise
  • 1 minute rest between sets- this is important as if you rest for the 1 minute you will actually lift a lot more for the next set.
  • Lift as heavy as you can- your last rep should be a struggle
This is what your week will look like-


Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Chest and Triceps
Back and Biceps
Legs
Abs & Shoulders
Rest
Rest
Rest


Meal Plan:

This is what your meals should look like:-

Rules
- protein in every meal
- no carbs after 7

Breakfast:

4 egg whites
Starch
Greens 

Snack:
Crustless quiche muffin

Lunch:
Chicken, potato and veg 

Snack:
Crustless quiche or 2 homemade protein bars

Dinner:
No carbs after 7- salmon and green veg

Dessert:
Protein shake

Check out my instagram @thechicphysique for food ideas and motivation. Follow my progress!