by Rebecca J. Clark
NSCA & ISSA certified personal fitness trainer
Welcome back! We only have two more weeks left in this challenge. If you're new to the program or have been slacking, you can either jump right in with today's steps, or go back to the beginning. If you're new to exercise though, please start with Week One's program.
Welcome back! We only have two more weeks left in this challenge. If you're new to the program or have been slacking, you can either jump right in with today's steps, or go back to the beginning. If you're new to exercise though, please start with Week One's program.
This challenge is adapted from my new book, The Checklist Diet, available at most ebookstores now.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
This week, you’ll continue the steps from Weeks 1-8. Plus you’ll add this next step:
No
Junk Food & Limit Your Alcohol
Am I saying you can never have junk food? No. You can actually have some sort of junk food every day — I didn’t say you had to have 100% compliance with this checklist. If you get 8 of 10 items checked every day, that leaves a little wiggle room.
Now, let’s talk alcohol consumption. I’m not telling you that you can’t drink. I’m just telling you to not drink too much. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers no nutritional value. Wouldn’t you rather spend your calories on healthier fare? Drinking may also lower your inhibitions as far as eating right goes — with a couple of beers or glasses of wine in you, you may be more inclined to overeat, or eat something you “shouldn’t.” In fact, alcohol has been proven to stimulate the appetite. Yikes.
If you drink too much, guess where it’ll go? Have you ever seen a guy who drinks too much beer? Have you seen his beer belly? It’s called that for a reason. Fat that is not burned is stored in your gut, your thighs, or wherever else you tend to store fat. Like your butt.
Oh. My. God. Not only could you get a beer belly, you could get a beer butt.
Yikes.
Many experts say that consuming a single drink per day can have certain health benefits. However, if you’re having more than one drink daily, you could be sabotaging your health and weight loss goals.
EXERCISE
This week, you'll do the same program as last time, but try to push yourself a little harder with the cardio, and do 1-2 more reps of each strength exercise.
CARDIO:
4-5 days this week, do 30-45 minutes of cardio/aerobic exercise. This means doing something that makes you breathe faster than you're breathing while you read this post. LOL. Push yourself to the point where you could talk if you want to, but would rather not. For 5 minutes in the middle, go a little bit faster.
STRENGTH-TRAINING:
Two days this week, do the following strength moves (can be done on the same day as cardio).
Pushups--until you can't do anymore (against a wall, counter, or on the floor)--make these harder than the version you've been doing. If you've been doing them against the wall, move to the counter. If you've been doing them against the counter, move to the floor on your knees. If you've been doing them on your knees, move to your toes.
20 Sit and Stands from a chair or bench--hold the dumbbells by your sides.
15 Dips (slide your hips off a chair or bench, fingers curled around edge. Bend and straighten your arms.) Straighten your legs to make them harder.
10 Step Ups Set one foot on a step that's about 8-12 inches tall. Step up, tap the step with the trailing leg, step back down. Do this 10x. Repeat with other leg.
15 Biceps Curls with Dumbbells Stand, holding weights in your hands, arms straight, palms facing away from body. Curl weights to shoulders, straighten.
60 Seconds of Elbow Planks Lie on your belly, propped on elbows. Lift your body up until you’re balancing on your elbows and toes. Hold.
20 Bicycle Crunches Lie on your back, hands behind the head (head resting in hands--you're not pulling on head). Pull knees into the chest. Alternate knees in and out, while the opposite elbow reaches for the knee.
4-5 days this week, do 30-45 minutes of cardio/aerobic exercise. This means doing something that makes you breathe faster than you're breathing while you read this post. LOL. Push yourself to the point where you could talk if you want to, but would rather not. For 5 minutes in the middle, go a little bit faster.
STRENGTH-TRAINING:
Two days this week, do the following strength moves (can be done on the same day as cardio).
Pushups--until you can't do anymore (against a wall, counter, or on the floor)--make these harder than the version you've been doing. If you've been doing them against the wall, move to the counter. If you've been doing them against the counter, move to the floor on your knees. If you've been doing them on your knees, move to your toes.
20 Sit and Stands from a chair or bench--hold the dumbbells by your sides.
15 Dips (slide your hips off a chair or bench, fingers curled around edge. Bend and straighten your arms.) Straighten your legs to make them harder.
10 Step Ups Set one foot on a step that's about 8-12 inches tall. Step up, tap the step with the trailing leg, step back down. Do this 10x. Repeat with other leg.
15 Biceps Curls with Dumbbells Stand, holding weights in your hands, arms straight, palms facing away from body. Curl weights to shoulders, straighten.
60 Seconds of Elbow Planks Lie on your belly, propped on elbows. Lift your body up until you’re balancing on your elbows and toes. Hold.
20 Bicycle Crunches Lie on your back, hands behind the head (head resting in hands--you're not pulling on head). Pull knees into the chest. Alternate knees in and out, while the opposite elbow reaches for the knee.
20 Supermans Lie on your stomach, arms overhead like Superman. Lift and lower arms and legs at the same time.
Repeat this series 3 times.
Have a great week. Let me know if you have any questions. If you are enjoying this program, please tell your friends!
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