The BBTT Program REV PDF
The BBTT Program REV PDF
30 DAY PROGRAM
If you have done challenges before, you will notice that this challenge
is not quite like the others you have done before. This one goes a little
bit deeper than surface level and reaches into the deeper reason WHY
you want to work out and “look and feel better” and allows you to
explore other reasons you may not already have the body you’ve
always desired.
To me, health and fitness encompasses all- meaning that it is not just
about working out on a daily or weekly basis; it is also about taking
care of and developing your mind and your soul, and making sure that
every part of your life lines up with what you want for yourself.
I learned to evaluate my life and the way and reason i do things from a
new point of view, and i hope that you can learn this too.
If your goal is to have a program and stick to it- you will find it here
If your goal is to have a community that will support you and help you-
you will find it here
And finally, if your goal is to get the body you’ve always wanted- if you
follow what i have told you and utilize it in your everyday life- you will
also find that here!
MONTH
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
REST Workout #9 REST Workout #10 Workout #11 REST Workout #12
(G9/H9) Gym (G10) upper (G11) legs- (G12) back &
& home workout body posterior chain (2) core (2)
HIIT abs OR OR OR
(H10) upper (home) legs- (H12)- back &
body posterior chain core
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
REST Workout #13 REST Workout #14 Workout #15 Workout #16 REST
(G13) legs- (G14) chest (G15) legs- (G16/H16) Gym
anterior chain (2) arms & core (2) hams & glute & home workout
OR OR med (2) HIIT
(H13) legs- (H14)- chest, OR
anterior chain arms & core (H15) legs
28
29
30
30
FEBRUARY 1
2
If you have any other further questions, make sure to either message
me or write in the Facebook group so that others that have the same
questions may also benefit from you asking it :)
First things first, every workout has been separated into “gym” and
“home” workouts. While the workout videos have been combined, the
workouts are actually separate, with the exception of a few “gym &
home workouts”. Each kind of workout is shown and marked with
their own colours. RED= gym, BLUE= home, PURPLE= gym & home.
Now, almost all the workouts are made to be in supersets! What this
means is that the exercises are grouped or paired (with no rest in
between), and after the group/pair is done, you then rest! This makes
for a greater burn and metabolic increase (burning more fat)
When you see exercises right next to each other in the chart, the first
with a number (for example: 1. donkey kicks and then SS: leg lifts,
this means that you will do the first exercise for as many reps
specified, then without rest, do the leg lifts. The “sets” signifies how
many times you must do this pairing, and then you move on to the
next set of exercises.
There are some exercises that have 30+ reps. What i want you to
remember here is that, most likely, you won’t be able to do all the reps
in a row- so be patient, do as many as you can- have a 5-10 second
break, then keep going! Don’t get discouraged if you cannot do them
all at one, or if you struggle with them- it means you’re burning
calories and getting closer to that goal bod!
workout 1: https://vimeo.com/251892404
workout 2: https://vimeo.com/251893971
workout 3: https://vimeo.com/251894920
workout 4: https://vimeo.com/251895914
workout 5: https://vimeo.com/251897830
workout 6: https://vimeo.com/251899260
workout 7: https://vimeo.com/251900051
workout 8: https://vimeo.com/251900554
workout 9: https://vimeo.com/251901401
workout 13 : https://vimeo.com/251903818
gym workout 2 (G2): Back and Core home workout 2 (H2): back and core
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
*warm up 5-10 mins on treadmill *100 jumping jacks warmup
1. scapular protration/
1. wall Y's (front and back) 10 3 10/position 3
retraction
SS: plank oblique
SS: scapular retractions 10 3 10/side 3
crunches
FINISHER: 100 high knees FINISHER: 50 lunge reach to elbow knee touch
*take your time with this complex and run through it 2-3 times
gym workout 8 (G8) : Booty Baby home workout 8 (H8) : booty baby
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
Warmup: banded leg lifts (side and back)- 10 each
direction *100 jumping jacks warmup
1.Open hip rotation into 1. open hip rotation into side
side lunge 20/side 3 lunge 10/side 2
SS: rear foot elevated split
SS: box jumps 10 3 squat 20/side 2
2. Squat Jumps to
squat pulse 10 each 3 2. Squat jumps 15 3
SS: hip thrusts to thrust 10/10 second
hold hold 3 SS: hip thrusts 15/side 3
FINISHER: 100 in and out squat pulses 1 FINISHER: 50 lunge reach to elbow knee touch
3. toe touches 20 3
SS: mountain climbers 20/side 3
gym workout 10 (G10) : upper body home workout 10 (H10): upper body
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
warmup: 200 jumping jacks with weights in hands *100 jumping jacks warmup
1. bench press 10 3 1. squatting row 10 3
SS: elevated pushups 10 3 SS: elevated pushups 10 3
2. lateral shoulder
raises 15 3 2. narrow to wide reach 15/position 3
SS: arnold press 15 3 pike pushup 8-10 3
4. alternating width
curls 10 each width 3 4. bodyweight curls 20 3
SS: hammer curls 10 3 SS: bodyweight face pulls 20 3
FINISHER: alternating high plank/low plank (50/ FINISHER: alternating high plank/low plank (50/
position) position)
gym workout 12 (G12): Back and Core (2) home workout 12 (H12): back and core
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
2. squatting row 20 4
2. bent over dumbell rows 10/side 3 SS: reverse snow angels 20 4
3. squat jumps 20 3
SS: squat pulses 20 3 3. rear foot elevated split squat 15/side 3
2. high knees (weights above head) 7. plank , half burpee, shoulder taps
3. squat to press 8. tricep press (weight above head)
4. backwards Lunges (weights
above head) 9. dumbbell plank to side plank
5. Lunge Pulses (weights still above
head) 10. weighted russian twists
gym workout 18 (G18) : Booty Baby (2) home workout 18 (H18) : booty baby
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
4. banded/bodyweight seates
4. plie squats (DB or BB) 20 3 hip abduction 20/side 3
SS: plank, leg raise, mountain
SS: sumo deadlifts 20 3 climbers 20/side 3
FINISHER: 100 squat in and outs FINISHER: 50 lunge reach to elbow knee touch
gym workout 20 (G20) : FINAL BOOTY BLASTER home workout 20 (H20):hamstrings and glutes
EXERCISE REPS SETS EXERCISE REPS SETS
warmup- 20 double backwards lunge, double squat *100 jumping jacks warmup
1. lateral lunges 20/side 3 1. donkey kicks 20/side 3
SS: bench elevated hip thrusts 25 3 SS: couch supported leg lifts 20 3
3. single leg straight leg deadlift 12 3 3. hip rotation to side lunge 15/side 3
SS: bench elevated hip thrusts 25 3 SS: standing toe in hip abduction 15/side 3
1.bloating/digestive issues
Why do we bloat?
Bloating is uncomfortable. Bloating can come from a multitude of issues, but let’s
start with the basic, ground level reasons for bloating. Most bloating comes
directly from what we eat and how we eat it. Bloating rarely signals serious
problems and usually subsides after a short time. But while its there is super
uncomfortable, you feel tired, and just clumsy and shitty overall.
Have you ever thought of why you often get bloated or the potential causes? Here
are some suggestions as to why you’re bloating.
1. You’re eating faster than you can handle: you have to remember that
every time you open your mouth to eat something or drink something you are
also swallowing air. When you’re eating fast, you’re not chewing thoroughly and
that leaves bigger pieces of food in your stomach that needs to be digested. On
top of all this, when you are eating fast you don’t realize how much you are
eating, so you are easily feeling stuffed (because you are stuffing your belly).
2. We’re eating the wrong things: Packaged foods/ sodium/ raw kale/ and
beans- packaged foods are very high in sodium and sodium is a number one
culprit of bloating. The reason for this is that sodium causes your body to retain
water- this is what causes the bloat. Almost all packaged foods are high in
sodium.
Raw kale is also a big bloater. Although it is very nutritious and high in
micronutrients, this veggie, along with broccoli and brussel sprouts, contains a
whole lot of fibre that is difficult to break down which may also bring on gas. It’s
better to actually steam or roast the vegetable, you will still get the vitamins but
the veggie will take up less room and the fibre will be broken down.
Similar to kale, beans actually are nutritionally high, but contain carbohydrates
that are indigestible and this is what makes them create gas in your system. We
are missing an enzyme that helps break down this carbohydrate, so it leaves us
3. You sip through a straw, love your soda, as well as gum and candies:
Sipping through a straw also makes your sip in a lot of air with the beverage you
are sipping- whenever you can, sip from the rim of your glass rather than straws.
It’s even worse if you’re sipping soda through the straw! Soda or any fizzy drink,
for that matter, is filled with air bubbles, which also fills your tummy with air. If
you can’t get rid of the soda, try leaving the soda open for a little while before
drinking it, making it a little more flat. Another way to suck in air without
noticing is sucking on candies or chewing gum. This is a tactic used by many
people to lose weight by occupying the mouth with low calorie alternatives, but
sometimes will leave you feeling more bloated. Try drinking more water instead
of chewing gum or sucking on candies.
4. Sweeteners! : Because they are artificial and the body doesn’t really know
how to break them down, cause a lot of discomfort via bloating
To prevent bloating, basically all you need to do is avoid all the things i have just
mentioned, but to make it easy for you, let me tell you them one at a time:
1. Eat slower- carve out 20 mins out of your schedule to sit down and eat
rather than eating on the go. It takes the brain about 20 mins to realize that
the stomach is full. This way you also won’t be over-eating
2. Stay away and/or minimize packaged foods, if you have to get a food
that is packaged, look for ones with sodium content under 500mg.
5. Eat your beans with an anti-gas enzyme that will break down the
carbohydrates in the
beans
6. Drink from the rim of a cup instead of a straw, and steer clear of sodas
(especially diet sodas)
7. Drink more water if you need something to occupy your mouth when
you are eating less. Water also helps with digestion and renewing cells
throughout the digestive tract to have healthy, happy insides
8. Don’t jump to low calorie treats and sweeteners to soothe your sweet tooth,
the stomach will have problems breaking these down, instead indulge in
a small treat that is free of artificial sweeteners
10. Exercise often! Exercise reduces bloat, and makes you feel more firm all
around.
These are all just suggestions and what I do to relieve bloat, but everyone is
different, and different practices work for different individuals, so try a few things
out and see what works best for you, and stick to it when you start to feel bloated
instead of feeling helpless or de- motivated!
Cravings come and go but we can all agree that it is one of the strongest, most
nagging feelings that demands attention. How many of you have absolutely
crushed a gym session, or your new HIIT regimen and hours later craved a pint of
Ben and Jerry’s, or your favourite flavour of chips, maybe even pastries? We all
know that we shouldn’t give into the craving and as we eat other “healthy” foods
to suppress this craving, we just find ourselves wanting it more and more.
There are a lot of reasons why we crave junk food. A lot of us crave and give into
our cravings for junk food most often to deal with stress. When we stress out, our
brains react by releasing chemicals which are opiate and neuropeptide Y. These
chemicals make you crave and crave and crave until you decide to finally give in.
Another reason we crave junk food is through visual stimuli. What i mean is that
we are constantly surrounded and bombarded with really well planned out labels,
descriptions, and ads that make you salivate and want to eat junk even more. We
usually crave foods that are super high in calories (per gram) and this also comes
from our ancestors. Our ancestors had to go long times without eating as they
hunted for their next meal. This means that they would stock up on as much fat
and meat and calories as they could in one meal so that it would last them till
their next. We don’t have to hunt for our meals- we are wired in our DNA to act
Now that you’ve heard WHY we crave junk food, let’s talk about how we can
prevent them and or cure them!
DIETS SUCK!! The main thing you need to focus on- instead of trying to cut out
junk food, is to think about filling yourself up with “good stuff”. Healthy, natural,
unprocessed foods. If you just cut it out, you are leaving a void. Here are some
things to focus on:
1. Eat lean protein, veggies, and complex carbs- this is filling yourself with
the GOOD stuff!
2. Get (or make) yourself on a sound, consistent meal plan so that your blood
sugar doesn’t drop making you feel hungry and tired - when temptation is the
greatest.
3. Tying into the last point; always have healthy food available
4. Clean out your cupboards, “out of sight, out of mind”- get it out of the
house. And stock up your cupboards and refrigerator with healthy foods. Make
sure you also have fast options - fresh fruit, greek yogurt, nuts, cottage cheese- so
that when you have a craving, you have a healthier alternative that is fast.
5. Look for healthier alternatives to junk food cravings- you can get your
sweet tooth cravings satisfied with protein powder- smoothie/shake, and even
make recipes like protein pancakes (low sugar, low fat, etc)- protein blender ice
cream, high protein cupcakes...the list goes on- I have included some in the
section below of “snack hacks”
There are 3 top tips that I give to those who have given in to cravings as this may
be a point where you may feel upset with yourself, ashamed, or even
embarrassed.
2. Drink water- lots of it. It is more than likely that whatever you had
indulged in has made you dehydrated, possibly making you want to reach
for a sweet drink- as now your brain is hard wired to get more and more
and more of that sweet or salty or fatty “reward”. Drink as much water as
you can to clear the craving and get that “junk food” mentality out of your
mind. This way, your Friday night indulgence won’t turn into a weekend of
indulgences and waiting for Monday to “restart”.Think ahead and make
smart healthy choices so that you won’t regret another bad choice
3. Remember that you’re not alone in this. A lot of us, if not most of us have
either a sweet tooth or crave junk food on a daily basis. Find someone that
will talk to you and
keep you accountable. Someone that won’t be an enabler but someone who is also
on the journey to bettering themselves through nutrition and healthy lifestyle
choices. You’d be surprised how helpful it is to have someone on your side
helping you through making healthy choices a lifestyle!
1. drink water, especially before meals- drinking water can boost metabolism by
24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours helping burn off a few more calories. - Try
drinking 2 glasses
of water about a half an hour before meals; this will help you lose more weight
because you won’t be eating as much as you would have without drinking the
water
2. Eat eggs for breakfast! The main reason I say to have eggs is the protein
content! If you eat high protein and fat in the morning, you will eat fewer calories
for the next 36 hours, and this will make you lose more weight and body fat. If
you can’t eat eggs for some reason, then that’s fine. An source of quality protein
for breakfast should do the trick.
3. Drink coffee- black- quality coffee is loaded with antioxidants, and have
numerous health benefits. Caffeine in the coffee can increase your metabolism!
Don’t add sugar or cream or any high calorie ingredients to it. This will negate the
benefits.
4. Cook with coconut oil- coconut oil is high in special fats called medium chain
triglycerides (MCTs) which are metabolized differently than other fats. - Don’t
ADD coconut oil on top of what you’re already cooking, you may REPLACE the
oils that you are using with coconut oil to get the desired effect.
5. Replace added sugar with more wholesome sources- make sure you are reading
labels, even “health foods” can be loaded with sugar. Instead of foods full of
refined sugar, try adding more fruit in your diet which brings the added benefit of
6. Use smaller plates- helps you automatically eat less- it’s a mental thing.
7. Brush your teeth after dinner- this will make it less likely to have late-night
snacks especially right after brushing your teeth
8. Eat more fibre through veggies and fruits! Fibre can help you stay fuller longer,
keeps the digestive tract moving, and helps you lose weight by increasing satiety.
Fruits and veggies contain lots of fibre and fewer calories.
9. Chew more slowly- this allows you to enjoy your food, but will also give your
brain time to process how much you are eating and receive the signal from your
stomach when you are full.
10. Eat more protein (even supplement with whey protein)- protein is the most
metabolically efficient nutrient as it takes more energy to digest (meaning your
burning more calories in the process of digesting it), and it gives you more energy
without feeling a crash.
11. PLAN for an occasional treat- have a treat day once in a while- maybe even
plan it around an outing that is already planned with friends, family or your
significant other.
12. Step away from the screen- when you take the time to eat and ONLY focus on
the food in front of you rather than having your phone or computer on and
operating it while eating.
This gives your body a better chance at knowing when it is full, as it is not being
distracted.
13.Don’t drink your calories! EAT them!- there are so many opportunities to
drink your calories- fruit juices (claiming to be healthy), pops, Starbucks drinks...
the list goes on. Instead of drinking your calories (where you probably don’t even
know how many calories are in the drink), eat! Just drink water.
14.Eating less salt is good for everyone’s health- eat more fresh foods and less
processed foods
So now you ask me, Jo, what should I be eating on the daily? You have been
giving me these tips, but where are my guidelines?
If you would like to follow a measured out program and check how much you are
eating at least for the first week or two so that you get in a groove here is a
template for how much you should be eating and how much of each
macronutrient (fats/protein/carbohydrates) you should be having daily.
There are several different formulas for determining estimated caloric needs. All
are based on the principles of energy balance: Energy being used up or expended
throughout the day should be equally consumed for weight maintenance. Weight
loss occurs when energy intake is lower than estimated energy output, and weight
gain occurs when energy intake is greater than estimated energy output. Many
different factors effect someone's energy output, such as age, sex, height, weight
and energy level. It is important to determine daily caloric intake, to achieve the
right energy input balance to suit your lifestyle.
First to calculate how much energy intake you need! Meaning, how many calories
do you need to consume on the daily to MAINTAIN. I know you’re probably
thinking that you don’t want to maintain- “jo what the heck are you thinking? I
am part of this challenge for a reason!” but this is the first step, so follow along...
The equation for females is: 655.1 + 9.6 x (Weight in kg) + 1.9 x (Height in cm)-
(4.7 x age)
That number comes to a grand total of: 2058! I want to encourage you, if you
want to take the caloric approach to do this equation right now! I
So now that we have maintenance, we have goals to crush! That may come in the
form of losing fat or gaining lean muscle or both! If your main goal is to shed fat,
you’re going to want to be in what we call a “caloric deficit” this means you should
be eating/drinking about 200 to 300 less calories than your maintenance to
steadily (and healthily) lose weight- REMEMBER it is a lifestyle, not a drastic
diet that you will bounce right out of.
If you are wanting to gain some lean muscle (if you are underweight), you are
doing to want to add 200-300 calories to your daily intake to gain that lean
muscle steadily!
FOR EXAMPLE: if I wanted to lose weight i would eat (2058- 250= 1808 calories
daily) or if i wanted to gain lean muscle i would eat (2058 + 250= 2308 calories
daily).
Now, I have put this all out for you to see and to use at your discretion, but to be
honest with you, I don’t use the caloric system because to me, it’s binding. Some
of you may absolutely LOVE to weigh your food and track your calories. It may
even be a great way to start out for the first couple weeks in order to check how
much you are eating (often we eat more than we think we are), but for some of us,
it becomes stressful, even daunting. So here is a different approach for those of
you who are more like me:
In order to follow this nutrition regimen, you need the ability to be gentle with
yourself, forgive yourself and let loose sometimes. It took me some time to
develop this approach, but it has served me well ever since i have started
1. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day (and keep it at that number- the amount of
food and nutrients you eat in these meals will keep you full so you won’t be
tempted to snack more often)
2. Each time you eat, at least 1/3 of the meal or snack needs to be a protein
source- usually this means that you will be having a protein portion that is
either a palm-sized portion, or a scoop of protein powder
5. Eat the majority of your carbs around your workout. This means that if you
work out first thing in the morning, have a bowl of oatmeal right after as
the largest source of carbohydrates during the day. Or if you work out in
the evening before dinner, have a large portion of sweet potatoes, or brown
rice at dinner, and spare carbs during the day just to eat at that time. This
will be when the carbs are best used, and not stored as fat!
LIVE and ABIDE by these rules and you are WELL on your way to eating
properly and getting the body and mindset towards food you’ve always desired!
Once you are abiding by these guidelines, I encourage you to set a day of the week
that you are a little more relaxed on your approach, cater to that sweet tooth or
the need for fats. Sometimes it’s nice to have no limitations, and you appreciate
the treats THAT MUCH more! I have a cheat snack maybe 2-3x a week, and on
those days I make sure that i eat a little less fat and carbs to accommodate the
surplus of calories (this is where the calorie approach helps!)
Now that I have provided you with some guidelines, here are some healthy snacks
that I like to make that allow me to stay on track but enjoy what I eat on the daily!
-slice zucchini into about 2cm slices, grab a quarter cup of dried breadcrumbs
and mix it with a quarter cup parmesan cheese, a quarter tsp of salt, quarter tsp
of garlic
powder, and 1/8 tsp of black pepper
-dip each zucchini slice into 2 tbsp of fat free milk, then dip them in the mixture
and cover every surface and place each of them on a cooking sheet. Bake at 425
for 30 mins and SERVE!
Popcorn with dark chocolate shavings- settling down for the night and
craving a sweet treat? try popping some PLAIN popcorn either in a pot (with heat
on high, the lid on and moving the pan constantly) or in the microwave in a bag
you can get from the grocery store. Once popped, put in a bowl and right away
sprinkle dark chocolate shavings over it for that sweet and savoury taste!
Accompany with this with a greek your (high in protein) to accompany the
dryness of the popcorn!
Apple slices with almond butter- sometimes it’s the weirdest combinations
that satisfy our cravings. Craving a high fat snack? Or sweet? Instead of reaching
for the candy or oreos,
pull out some apples, slice them into smaller pieces and serve them with a few
tablespoons (make sure you limit yourself as almond butter is high in fat= high
calories) of almond butter! Another snack to enjoy while watching a movie or as a
morning snack at work!
This snack is HIGH in protein from the cottage cheese and antioxidants from the
fruits! Don’t bash it till you try it!
Tuna cracker snack- this snack is honestly one of my all time favourites and
almost always satisfies a hungry tummy. I take half an avocado, a half a can of
tuna, any spices i can find that i believe would make it taste yummy (sometimes
greek or even salmon or steak spice) and if I’m feeling EXTRA hungry, i add
about a tbsp of real mayonnaise. I mix these ingredients together by mashing the
avocado into the tuna and mixing in the spice and mayo. I then use this mixture
(that doesn’t end up looking super appetizing) and put it on either rice crackers
or small crackers of my choice to make a delicious snack! AGAIN, don’t bash hit
till you try it!
Hard boiled egg (with fresh ground black pepper)- hard boiled eggs are
so underrated! They actually taste pretty good, are super filling (due to their high
protein nature) and are really easy to make. Boil 1-2 eggs for about 5-7 mins, let it
cool and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and/or salt and you’ll feel good for a
good 2-3 hours!
Kale chips- these again are underrated haha! All you need to do is buy some
kale, spice em up and throw them in the oven. Easy to make; easy to eat!
-preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
-dry the kale thoroughly and remove the stems from the kale and use your hands
to make the leafy parts into bite size portions. Then drizzle with oil and season
them as you like.
Protein powder-since day one I was using protein powder, and there is good
reason for this! A lot of women especially think that having extra powders or
supplements will make you more bulky and make you gain weight, when this is
actually very untrue (if you are using the right protein powder). The only chance
of you gaining weight is if you’re taking a “weight gainer” protein shake (which
has more calories and fats and carbs than a regular protein shake) or if you have
multiple protein shakes on top of eating your required daily intake.
I use protein powder to supplement my protein needs for the day- for example I
need almost 200g of protein a day to keep my metabolism in check and to
maintain my lean muscle mass. If i don’t want to be eating chicken and beef or
other protein sources throughout the day, the protein powder is a healthy and
tasty way to fill that void. Also often most protein sources come with a lot of fat-
especially if they are animal products. When you take a good protein powder, the
largest macronutrient is protein (with lower fat) so that from the calories that you
are eating, the majority of them come from protein rather than fat.
BCAAS- BCAAs are short form for “branch chain amino acids” the names of
these amino acids are ‘leucine, isoleucine, and valine’ These are essential amino
acids that the body is unable to make SO they must be injected through your
protein sources (food) or supplements.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein - not only is it important for us to
be providing our body with protein for muscular development- but also for
regular cellular function, as protein gives cells their structure!
BCAAs help your muscle recover at a faster rate be providing the re-building
blocks and help you reach protein requirements!
I like to take my BCAAs throughout the day- i don’t take them everyday; usually
just days where i am doing a lot of computer work or i am feeling extra sore from
the workout in the days prior.
Vitamins and minerals play a role in which they activate enzyme systems that are
very important for cellular function. So when you feel sluggish throughout the
day, or just off- chances are that you are not getting enough vitamins or minerals.
I take my multivitamin first thing in the morning with a glass of water to make
sure that i don’t forget it and to keep a healthy mentality first!
1. It will increase your workout performance (help you grind out that last rep
that you mentally wouldn’t be able to do without it) and efficiency of your
workout (you won’t be dilly-dallying and getting distracted during your
workout; the pre-workout gives you that jolt of energy and keeps you
focused.
to see how you feel and then go ahead to the recommended amount of one full
scoop once you feel comfortable.
Fish oil- i like to take fish oil for my heart and for my joints. Fish oil contains
DHA and EPA which are fatty acids that prevent and manage heart disease.
Fish oil also helps to lower blood pressure by lowering triglyceride levels.
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil also helps prevent the accumulation of body
fat and play a role in decreasing unhealthy belly fat!
I like to take my fish oil also first thing in the morning, and i take it by the
spoonful (usually 2 tbsp) as the capsules are not very good to my stomach.
For those of you that have problems with your digestion, or sometimes have
problems with having a bowel movement, magnesium citrate increases water in
the intestine which induces a bowel movement.
I like to use magnesium citrate 1-2 times a week especially after large meals or if I
have an issues with digestion the day prior. It usually comes in a large pill form.
1. Get serious- make a decision to do something all the way. Up until now you
have only been contemplating making a serious change, or being consistent
with going to the gym or eating right. But now you need to make up your mind
to go all the way, knowing that your life will get THAT much better just
through this small dedication, that may seem huge now, but down the road
will seem like a small sacrifice that led to a better you. It is the most amazing
thing when you make up your mind.
2. Know your limiting step- learn what you need to become good at. Is it your
morning routine that needs some revamping to fit in your morning workout?
Is it when you come home late from work, making sure that your routine of
making or having a healthy meal ready? Is your limiting step just being lazy?
Is your limiting step something you can change to accommodate what you
truly want for yourself? WRITE DOWN YOUR LIMITING
STEP___________________________________________
3. Get around the right people- now when you read this, there are probably one
or two people that pop into your head as the “right people”, but just hold on a
minute; we need to evaluate whether this person is the “right person” that will
push you to your goals just by being in your life. The “right people” are
WINNERS- people who are positive with goals and plans. People who are what
we call it “making moves” and “doing things with their lives”. If the person that
came to your head has high aspirations and wants to better themselves in
every aspect and learn and grow, WRITE THEIR NAME
DOWN______________________ Think of one or two people that
are the “right people”. By doing this, also make sure you are staying away from
negative, toxic people— people who complain all the time, who like to argue
and see the worst in every situation. Who needs them? Not us!
4. Take care of yourself- Everyone knows that they should eat better, exercise
more, and do things that are good for their mental and physical health, but
5. See yourself as the best- confidence is everything. If you don’t already see
yourself this way, practice visualizing yourself as the very best in whatever you
are doing. Remember that you must first improve your mental image of
yourself and mental image of your accomplishments before you can improve
your life
6. Talk nicely to yourself- positive self-talk! This can make a world of a difference
when it comes to completing the task at hand (as i talked about earlier in this
book). Realize your worth and remind yourself daily that you are going to
exercise your worth in every daily activity.
Do all these things, and I PROMISE YOU, if you keep up with it, you will get and
stay motivated. Remember it is something you have to be continually working on
in order for it to work!
What are 3 things that you have learned from this book that you want
to take away and use in your everyday life? (feel free to email Jo -
johanna.sophia.fitness@gmail.com with your answers to these questions!)
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Stress affects the clarity of your mind, and disrupts thought processes. Stress makes you
anxious, moody, and counters personal growth. In my life, a huge part of dealing with
stress has been by setting a goal and sticking to it- this minimizes, if not, eliminates
stress and keeps me in a positive mind frame.
Goals are specific and detailed if you are setting them correctly. When you have a goal,
you have no questions or confusion as to what you are trying to achieve. Instead of being
anxious about being “lost” or not getting anywhere in life, you have a clear goal and
focus, and a guide for your next steps. Goals can also be tracked in measurements of
progress, so I constantly feel like i am moving and getting somewhere- even when my
days just feel like they’re all mushing together- you all know what I’m talking about!
When I set goals and am constantly reminded or aware of them, I have a clear plan and i
know how to achieve them. I know exactly what to expect along the way. For example, if
my end goal time frame is a week if I'm putting in vigorous amounts of work, i know that
if Im not working as hard as I had expected it will take me longer than a week; perhaps a
couple weeks. If my end goal requires several years, I know exactly what Im in for and
don’t get lost along the way. As I see the bigger picture, on a day-to-day basis, it helps
get rid of stressors because I’ve already assessed the goal and know what it takes to
make it there. My time frame that i have set for myself gives me that little motivating
nudge daily to complete the tasks i have set out for myself but it also is comforting as i
know that there will only be T minus a certain number of days or weeks.
When the bigger picture goals get a little overwhelming, I make sure that i refocus on
the “microgoals” the ones that I can accomplish daily- like getting 30 mins of cardio in a
day, or making sure to stretch for 15 mins daily. When stressful situations arise, like
family problems, relationship problems, work problems, etc. Instead of getting
overwhelmed and buckling under the weight of the stress, I know that I can shift my
focus to smaller goals that are more achievable in a shorter amount of time!
I have just explained how goal-setting allows for your life to have structure so can
visualize what you will achieve and stay clear of stress or steady in rough waters. For
SMART goals! I was taught this concept many years ago, I believe in high school and I
have held onto it as it serves me well every time I get into goal-setting.
So, going from the “SMART” model, you want to be making sure that when you sit down
to WRITE out your goals, and yes I said write- don’t type them out or put them in your
phone; grab a piece of paper and take time away from your phone or other electronics to
write out your goals. So when you do that, you want to be keeping the SMART model in
mind. What I mean by that is that you want to make sure that each goal is specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.
More specifically, when you’re thinking of a specific goal, you want the goal to be well
defined, and easy for just about anyone to understand exactly what you want to
accomplish. For example; a NON-specific goal would look like: I want to increase my
strength whereas a more specific goal would look like: I want to be able to do military
style pushups!
Next you want your goal to be MEASURABLE which means that you can measure when
it could possibly be attained and how long it may take to get there, and/or the amount of
which task you want to accomplish. For example, going with the previous example, one
would say: i want to be able to do 10 military style pushups in one go.
Next you want to make sure your goal is attainable. This is especially tied to the last
condition of being time-bound. If for example you have never done any type of exercise
program, and have little to no upper body strength, and you say you want to be able to
do 10 pushups within 7 days that is most definitely setting yourself up for failure. This is
the step in the goal-setting process where you really need to evaluate yourself and what
your capabilities are, but also leave room for how much you wish to improve and
evaluating what will be a challenge but still doable- this is one of the trickier ones. Make
THEN, you want to make sure that the goal is realistic. Again, this goes hand in hand
with attainable. You want to make sure that your goal is within your resources or
resources you may have access to, as well as within your knowledge (or someone you can
learn from), and time. To make sure that you are being realistic, you must make sure
that your resources to accomplish this goal are intact. Continuing with the example, I
would say, “I want to be able to do 10 military style pushups in one go within this
training program that I am starting”- explaining by what means you will get there so
that the goal is realistic is very important.
Finally, you want to make sure that the goal is TIME-BOUND. For example, you want to
say, “I want to be able to do 10 military pushups in one go within 3 months of starting
this training program”.
For some people, setting goals stresses them out and really does not do anything in the
way of reducing stress or alleviating anxiety.
To those people, I say; THAT’S OKAY. Maybe a systemic approach works better for you
than a goal-setting approach. What do I mean by this? I mean that some people thrive
on goals being set and placed, so that they are motivated to get shit done. Others work
better when systems are set in place so they are focusing more on the day-to-day tasks
rather than just the big picture.
If this type of person is you, then goal setting may not be your thing because it puts you
in a mindset that leads you to believe that you are not good enough, but once you reach
your goals you will be; ultimately making you feel even worse about yourself, having a
de-motivating effect.
For you, choosing a goal weighs you down. What do I say to this? Instead- commit to a
process or system. Instead of focusing on the 10 pushups you would possibly want to do
within 3 months, set up a system where you are doing upper body exercises 2 times a
week, every week.
In some ways i am like this. This past summer, I realized that I needed to do a lot of
upper body work as it was falling FAR behind the strength of my legs. Instead of setting
a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound goal, I decided to teach
If you feel as though you fall into this category, maybe goal-setting has in the past,
actually hindered progress due to the fact that every time you achieved a goal, you were
happy with it and just stopped progressing. And going from one goal to no longer having
a goal has created a yo-yo affect in your life.
What I say to this is that maybe long term goals aren’t for you. Maybe you're better up
setting up routines that in the long run will bring you to your goal, but your focus
remains on the routine! I encourage you then to write out a list of routines or systems
that you want to follow daily, that you know you will be able to do and that you will
discipline yourself to do. This could look like - I want to take fish oil every day so that in
the long run my joints will be better off, or I want to exercise 3 times a week.