2023 is coming in hot! Let’s make a resolution together, but one that you can actually stick to for more than a couple of weeks 😉
How about we resolve that while we’re shedding fat we also treat our bodies and minds with respect and grace as we work hard to get healthier, stronger and happier. Sound ok to you?
If you’re looking for that ^ then the Happy New You Challenge is the right next move for you!
TL;DR GIVE ME THE DETAILS
- 8-weeks of professionally programmed strength sessions
- 5 days per week ready to go for you, including warm ups
- 3 days of 20 minute cardio sessions
- First half is metabolic style training and the second half is hypertrophy style training
- Specifically created to maximize body composition changes in 8 weeks
- Both a home and a gym version for the price of one
- Video + description accompanies every single movement
- Track your weight and reps for every movement to see progress over time
- Optional 1:1 virtual coaching with certified trainers and nutritionists
- Even if you don’t get a coach, you can still use the check in functionality in the app to better hold yourself accountable
- A brand new meal guide made in partnership with The Real Food Dietitians
- Macro education
- Sample weekly meal guide
- 30 delicious recipes created with macros in mind
- Grocery lists and meal prepping tips
- 100+ paged handbook jam-packed with everything you need to succeed
- Details about cardio, training styles, splits, tips and tricks from challenge winners, rest and recovery advice, and more
- Access to the FIT Fam community group
- The secret sauce: these women will be an incredible resource for you (and the FBK team is in there too!)
TRAINING STYLE
In #FBKHappyNewYou we work through 2 training styles over the course of 8 weeks: Metabolic and Hypertrophy. Metabolic training focuses on training and conditioning your energy systems by challenging you with higher reps and shorter rests. This style of training allows your body to better utilize carbs as fuel, which you will need to sustain your energy levels throughout the challenge.
Metabolic training is also an incredible way to ensure you’re still burning calories well after you stopped your training session. These will be pretty intense sessions, but you might find yourself working with lower weights than you will in the hypertrophy phase because the faster sets are also pretty cardiovascularly taxing.
In the second half of the challenge (weeks 5-8) we will switch to a hypertrophy style of training. This focuses on something called muscle protein synthesis, which encourages your body to increase muscle cells and muscle growth! During this phase we’re looking to increase your lean muscle mass and get the “toned” look everyone is looking for.
As a reminder, being toned is not a real thing, it literally means this: you have enough muscle and a low enough body fat percentage for that muscle to show through. We promise, the body you are looking for is NOT just a low body fat percentage one. You need muscle to get the desired look most of us are shooting for.
Both of these paired together will not only make you feel demolished, in a good way, they’ll have you seeing major body composition changes! Keep in mind that the fat loss that you experience may not reflect as a big number change on the scale, but will be an incredible visual change! The scale is just one metric of progress and doesn’t give you the full picture. We regularly have challengers who see impressive changes in the mirror, but their scale weight didn’t change much at all. This is about consistency, sustainability, and commitment to the process, so keep going!
Your rest times will vary during the entire 8 weeks from (30-120 seconds), this will give you just enough time to recover and sustain your peak performance during the entirety of your workout. The rest time will depend on the type of exercises you are working through along with training style.
WEEKLY WORKOUTS
You will view your weekly workouts in the app under “home” or “gym” version, whichever you pick for that day! You’ll see that the current and previous weeks are available, but the weeks ahead are locked. Each Sunday at 12:01 am EST, you will see the upcoming week unlock and that is when you can view the workouts.
There will be 5 workouts a week with 2 full rest days. Make sure to take those rest days as they are essential to your progress and recovery! If you have the urge to work out on rest days, try meditating, going for a walk, or doing some light stretching + mobility work.
We always suggest reviewing the workouts before heading to the gym so you have a plan in place and feel confident walking in! If you are doing this challenge with a coach, it’s a good idea to review the workouts before your check-in in case you have any questions or need alternative exercises!
TRAINING SPLIT
We love to talk about progressive overload and if you have been following along with our past challenges, this won’t be anything new :) And if you are new, let's talk about it!
We are all about achieving long term success the smart way. The proven way to do that is through consistency and progressive overload. You’ll have two different splits total, with the change happening in week 5. We want you to focus on the same exercises targeting the same muscle groups for 4 weeks each in order to maximize your results. This allows you to progress within each lift by perfecting your form and increasing your load (weights) weekly leading to some serious gains!
Let’s talk about why we preach progressive overload. Progressive overload is when you gradually increase the weight, frequency, or number of reps during your training program. Once you’re able to perform the exercise set with excellent form, you can then start adding more weight! By adding more weight each week, you will increase the demand on your muscles making your transformation really start to show through!
Plus, just like anything in life, the more you practice something the better you get at it! So, the more you do a ~squat~ the better your body will get at performing it through muscle memory. Over time, your muscles learn how to repeat movements so that it almost becomes subconscious and you can make the most out of each lift, becoming more efficient, like a well-oiled machine!
So, while it might not be the most exciting to repeat workouts week to week, this is the best way to make tremendous progress! We want you to take these exercises, nail your form, and get stronger. If you feel like you still need to spice it up, look into your cardio sessions and how you can change those up weekly!
Here’s what to expect from #FBKFHappyNewYou’s training splits:
WEEKS 1-4
Day 1: Lower Body + Core | Glutes / Hamstrings / Quads / Calves / Core
Day 2: Upper Body | Shoulders / Back
Day 3: Upper Body | Chest / Biceps / Triceps
Day 4: Lower Body + Core | Hamstrings / Glutes / Core
Day 5: Full Body | Chest / Glutes / Hamstrings / Delts / Biceps
WEEKS 5-8:
Day 1: Lower Body | Quads / Glutes / Calves
Day 2: Upper Body | Back / Chest
Day 3: Lower Body | Hamstrings / Glutes / Calves
Day 4: Upper Body | Shoulders / Biceps / Triceps
Day 5: Full Body | Hamstrings / Glutes / Chest / Back / Biceps / Triceps / Core
ADVANCED TRAINING SETS
This challenge we have added in some new advanced training techniques that you may not have worked with previously. Let’s break those down for you.
Tri Set: a set that groups 3 exercise together to hit the same muscle group in different ways with no rest in between. These are super effective at maximizing fat loss without compromising lean muscle.
Cluster Set: a set that is broken down into several mini-sets with short intra-set rest periods between. These are fast-paced and allow you to focus on the quality of your form, improving your strength over time.
Drop Set: An advanced technique where you repeatedly train a muscle until failure. These help you build more muscle and increase your endurance.
We use each of these in a specific way throughout the challenge to maximize your potential transformation. We can’t wait to see how you tackle them!
WHAT ABOUT NUTRITION?
Whether you are coached or uncoached, it’s really important that you stay on top of your tracking! You’ll start the challenge by updating your macro goals in the app. Remember to choose moderate or active as your activity level when you’re doing a challenge!
We want you to be within +/- 5g of your carbs and protein, and +/- 3g of your fats. It’s imperative to your performance and recovery that you hit your goals.
CARBS are your body’s main source of energy, so there is nothing to be scared of when consuming them! Foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies fall under this category!
PROTEINS help your body repair tissues while also aiding in digestion, energy production, and muscle contraction! These food sources are a main reason why your muscles repair and grow. Foods like tofu, meats, and dairy fall under this category!
FATS are essential to your body to support cell function, help regulate hormones, and also help your body absorb certain vitamins! You want to focus on reducing saturated fats and incorporating more unsaturated fats like seeds, nuts, and oils.
Food is not the enemy, we promise. This challenge should heal and strengthen your relationship with food, calories, and your body. That’s the entire point!
WE’RE IN THIS AS A TEAM
We all have nerves when it comes to a new routine, but the FBK team + FIT Fam is here to help! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns - please reach out to us at any point at support@fitbykaty.com. We also suggest joining the #FBKHappyNewYou Facebook Group so you can stay connected with other challengers on your journey.
Let’s do this!