12 Week Challenge

Now before you start hating me for thinking I've abandoned the Fitness Lifestyle Change know that I've still been working out, eating right, and almost avoiding the scale... Ok lets be honest I'm addicted to the scale and I only made it a week before I hopped on that! Which a week is good so I give my self a pat on the back for that. Since I could only make it a week I've fudged and have weighed in once a week. While the number isn't varying much there it is varying as far as inches go around my body which is nice.

So I do have a post waiting in the wings for you. It was suppose to go up last week but I've been go go go and haven't had a moment to post it. Which is a dumb excuse cause it's all typed up I just haven't added the pictures that make my not so whitty but slightly fit blog more entertaining.

Ok but the point of this blog going up before that post. Mainly cause I'm overly pumped. Along with becoming addicted to fitness again I am a pinaholic! [ have you noticed my pinterest button? you should check it out and follow me there's a million links to great work outs, articles, recipe's ect you get the idea ] I am aware I just shamelessly promoted my pinterest page but it's only cause I truly pinn anything and everything that is related to my day to day life. Which means more motivational sayings all in one spot, articles supporting great lifestyle change and not dieting, and excellent work outs.

And we can thank Pinterest for the reason of this post [ thank you pinterest ] The 12 Week Challenge!!

So back information then the challenge. There are a million misconceptions about cardio, dieting, and women bulking up. Myth #1 cardio will do nothing for you if you aren't building muscle [ through lifting weights] along wtih the cardio. Myth #2 dieting - if you only change your eating habits for a while to get to a # on the scale you will succeed - temporarily - as soon as you stop you'll go back to where you were. It's not just counting the calories but what kind of calories you're taking in. It's not a diet people it's a lifestyle change. Myth #3 Women will become bulky if they lift weights - false. We are women we are not men therefore we have an incredibly smaller portion of testostorone that we produce. The women that you see that are " bulky" they are bulky because they have been taking some form of supplement that produces more testostorone in their bodies. Naturally if you cut your calories and take in the right kind and lift weights you wont bulk up but instead you will slim down and become toned.

Now clearly I'm no doctor, I have no degree in this, and I only know this based on LOTS of reading and experience. So at the bottom of this post I'm going to give you the articles that I read that provided the best and most accurate information supporting this. Clearly I'm giving you the watered down version go read the meat of it all..

Ok for the good stuff! The stuff I'm STOKED about! The 12 Week Challenge! If I could I would be starting this, this Monday. Alas my gym is closed to move to a new location. It reopens the first Monday of August. So that is when this challenge will begin. The challenge came org from this website : http://www.simplyshredded.com/the-ultimate-female-training-guide.html which is one that contains that MEAT I was talking about so go read it. BUT I've slightly tweaked the challenge. They have you working out 4 Days a week. We are adding 2 days of straight cardio to this. You do need to go read the article because there's also links to show you how each work out is done if you aren't sure or just have no clue.

So here are my excel sheets with the cardio added :  Weeks 1 - 4 So the idea is that you start with the weight that you know you can go the longest with as in if you can't do 8 reps it's too heavy if you can do more than 12 reps you need to increase your weight. Resting period is 1 minute [ 60 seconds not 61! ]

Weeks 5 - 8 Notice the decrease in reps? Good that means time to increase the weight! I love this! And now you get 90 second rest periods [ again 90 not 91! ] I didn't mention before so I'll mention now that cardio can be any form. Running, Jogging, Elliptical, Stair glider ect. My personal fave to do but absolutely hate? The stair glider.

Last 4 Weeks : Notice Reps decreased again? Time to up the weight again! Same idea if you can't do 4 it's too much weight if you can do more than 6 it's not enough. I like it I feel like it's gonna help me realize exactly what I can and can't lift. I wonder if I'll surprise myself or be pretty close to what I think it is. Last thing to meniton. Notice there's no Sunday? That's because it's a day of rest. Literally as in your body needs this time to rest and build your muscle back up and basically catch up with what you've been doing. REST. [ yo cardio junkies. seriously rest - this is not a oh go for a short jog it means Rest! ]


So here are the pages I want you too look at for support to what I'm saying so you know I ain't makin up and that the challenge is totally worth doing with me! My good friend and some one I look up to Brandi is taking on the challenge with me! I'll post a reminder the Sunday before we start. And I'll also give weekly updates on the Challenge every Sunday. And please feel free to send me your challenge thoughts or results once we get going under way!

http://www.simplyshredded.com/the-ultimate-female-training-guide.html  this is where the challenge came from. go read the meat!

http://www.ivillage.com/dr-ozs-99-healthiest-supermarket-foods/4-b-437880#437879 since we aren't dieting but making a change here's 99 healthy foods and why they benefit you.

http://pinterest.com/adriannafacer/lean-mean-fit/ my pinterest board FULL of ideas for meals snacks and what is gonna help burn fat and give you the RIGHT kind of calories.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/48-hour-weekend-cleanse why most cleanses are bad and don't benefit you but if you feel the need to do a cleanse here's a healthy one

http://pinterest.com/adriannafacer/let-me-see-ya-work-out/ where I post anything that benefits my work out or properly educating myself.

http://www.brainyweightloss.com/three-body-types.html#axzz1hIh5J25n Body types there's really 3 kinds. and this page helps you figure out which you are and things to help aid in weight loss and what you should and shouldn't eat.

http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/05/skinny-fat/ cross fit - i am obsessed and am DYING to try a class [closest is 2 hours away] ANYWAYS the point of this one right here is it directly address what I'm talking about women toning up and not bulking up.

Ok there you have it I jammed a TON of info in there for you in one easy location! SO go read the MEAT and be ready! The Challenge starts in 18 Days. If you aren't ready then you don't care enough!!

Happy Fitness!!

Like a Boss
Adrianna