Week 8
The Wonderful World of CARBS!

Years ago, a woman’s worst friend was fat…fat-free was all the rage. Then it was sugar…get the sugar out and use artificials. Really? And who could forget the grapefruit diet? Water diet? Coconut diet? Oh pleeeeaassssee…

All along, us physique athletes watched from the sidelines, because those of us working in the trenches  knew the real answer – if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to look at carbs. Period. Sure, the other stuff matters, but the anchor to it all is carbs.

Now we love our carbs, and they are the athlete’s best friend, but unlike other athletes who can down them like there’s no tomorrow – marathoners, swimmers, bikers (did you know Olympic Gold Medal winner Michael Phelps eats 10,000 calories a day…with about 80% carbs!) we learn to use them wisely. It’s a daily thing!

This week, we delve into carbs in detail and learn, really, learn, how to use them to keep us lean, help us lift and help melt fat! Carbs are so poorly misunderstood and any physique athlete knows, in time, the ins and outs of carbs and learns how to use them effectively, for life! I’ve got my favourite carb trick I’ve learned and used for years to stay lean and keep that fat burning machine running, while making muscle gains! So listen up! You’re going to want to spend some time on this life lesson, to be sure. It’s likely our most important ‘staying lean’ lesson throughout this whole Challenge!

Did you assess your physique yet? Don’t forget to do this….what would you like to change about your body-muscularly speaking? We all got something! Where do you want to see improvement? Where did Mother Nature bless you (and where is Father Time robbing you!). Take heart – although our DNA is set in stone, weights, above any other exercise regime, can alter that!And you’ll be asked to come clean with your one bodypart you’d like to change (and we have a lesson based on your findings, too!)

And how should you breathe when you lift? Check out your video: To Breathe or Not To Breathe in your Real Training Album!

Your Support Package for Week 8.
Your E-Workout Card with video links (in case you missed it from last week).

Phase 3
Week 7 – Nut’s n’ Bolts

OK. So you’ve got some momentum under your weight training belt..let’s move into some really advanced stuff, shall we?

What exactly is motivation anyway? Science has all their definitions (boring!!) so I tell you from my point of view what it is and what successful athletes do to keep moving forward day after day. The perfect time is NOW. And we look at the ancient practice of Hari Hachi Bu and how it can keep you stay lean for life. I’ve been practicing this for over 8 years now and it works! PLUS…is it time to let go of the food app? We don’t want to live with a food app pinned to our hip, right? So let’s learn the numbers, learn to envision what a portion is, understand visually intuitively what foods have what macronutrients and average calorie counts (if you’re into counting calories), and let’s move forward with app autonomy and food freedom!

Here we delve into Advanced Training techniques, in particular Super-sets and Giant sets, that can be used throughout the year to chase away boredom, and up the ante in our training. The training gets a bit meatier with these techniques, but I’m guessing you’ve already got a bunch of these techniques going on..and you may not even know that you do! I’ll show you some on-the-ground examples of giant sets and super-sets as I use them to work on my own body parts….yikes! … the videos are both in your Real Training album.

We’re digging deeper into HYBRID training with our Swiss Ball and Bosu Ball, and performing some unilateral (one arm / leg) work for more challenge and growth, more MET warm ups (multi planar, multi directional moves) and of course, grouping exercises together in Super Set fashion!

And we introduce Sprint Cardio, a fun, intense type of cardio that you can sprinkle into your workout or shore up all at once for after your workout. Whew!  Some days are better than others for doing different kinds of cardio (LSD, HIIT and Sprint) and I lay it out for you, as a recommendation, in your training package, page 1.

Our Real Training Album has our three videos for this phase: The Power of Super Sets, The Power of Giant Sets and Sprint Cardio!

Your Stuff!
Your Phase 3 E-Workout Card with Exercise Video Links.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Package for Phase 3-Weeks 7 to 9.

Week 5 – Success is in the Details!

In order to know where we’re going, it’s important we know where we are. A few weeks ago, you figured out how many calories you were eating, and we made sure we didn’t cut this more than, say, 20% (lest we put our bodies into fat-hoarding mode!). Now we can get more specific as you take a detailed look at calories, and how it all plays out – timing, size, to starch or not to starch, and how much of each macro-nutrients we really should be eating. This is also where we focus in and find our Goal Weight!

Now I know we don’t like to do the math, but the difference between an average physique athlete and a great one is the great one does the math…..she puts in her time, and learns how to manipulate the all-time granddaddy of them all – carbs! That includes when to eat the starchies (heavy carbs) and when to eat the fibrous ones over her 5 meals, and around her training times, for optimum nutrition and leanness.

So many people want to lose the weight but they want the short and easy answer….”just tell me what to eat” they say. Well, in week 5, I meet you half way. I’ve done a lot of the work for you, I give you some scenarios, but now it’s your time to take the lead. I think you’ll find that you’ll feel strangely liberated and empowered by it all. I know I did when I first did it over 20 years ago, and I still do!

We want to live as Empowered women, yes? Then let’s get empowered! Let’s specifically lay out your protein, carb and fat ratios and calories for the perfect day. So grab your calorie counter, your food journal and your calculator. It won’t hurt that much…really!

I also share with you my two golden rules for weight loss and how can you eat while on vacation? Very carefully….oh yeah, and beware the trolls!

And for good measure, I’ve thrown in some of my stand-by protein recipes and menu plans which we live by in the fitness world. You can make your own too. They’re fast and easy and they really keep you on track (did you know the average person eats the same 11 foods all the time?)

And check out your HIIT Training and Karen’s Protein Pancake videos in your Real Training Album!

Your Support Package for Week 5.

PHASE 2
Week 4 – Burn, Baby Burn!

OK, as we head into PHASE TWO, we really start gaining momentum! Now we can now start looking at real muscle-building and fat-burning!

I show you how advanced athletes really use their protein shake and supplements to enhance their training, and out of all our meals, we focus on post workout nutrition. I also share with you my Big 5 sports supplements, complete with charts and amounts tailor-made for YOU (never mind reading the labels on these supplements to see how much you need…most of these amounts are geared toward 200-lb men!). 

We look at the art of squatting and dead lifting, we throw in two types of cardio training (LSD and HIIT) into our training days, and we find your individual fat-burning zone based on your target heart rate for all your cardio. No more guesswork! Whew! This week is a BIGGIE!

We need to keep our immune system strong and our bodies cued up for the following weeks of intense training as we bump up your training intensity to 80% (10-12 reps) and we’ve added in an extra training day, so now we’re at 5 days weight training!

Are you still using your FOCUS CARDS?  Your POWER Words and GOALS need your attention!

Your Phase 2 E-Workout Card with Exercise Video Links.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Package for Phase 2 – weeks 4 to 6.

Don’t forget to watch your 5 new uploads for this week in the Real Training and other cool stuff! album – Protein Shakes, Cardio, Squatting, Deadlifting, and Intensity…it’s all there!

Week 3 – Getting in the Groove!

As we finish up the last week of PHASE ONE, we look at an assortment of things that could be happening as we get into the groove of our new life!

Injuries…oh yeah, they’re a real factor, but no need to be sidelined by them. We all get ‘em (if you don’t, you’re truly not an advanced athlete) and the secret is to work around, not through them. I’ve been sidelined many, many times, but the secret is to know when to take time off, or when to move through it with ease….there’s not always an easy answer, but this is all about you learning how your body talks to you and works. You are building a new kind of intimate relationship with your body, so listen well.

And we hammer in our numbers for our macronutrient spread (our starting place) of a 30/40/30% spread (it’s in your Support Package, pages 6-7).

We also look at our recuperative abilities, and our immune system strength. You are likely feeling a little tired (I know many women who find they have to take a nap after hard training, because they’re so tired, and that’s fine! It’ll pass!) Or you may find your body’s strength is dipping a bit and you may be feeling a bit unsure at this point and that’s normal. Your body’s trying to adapt to its new job. It’s all normal. (Also, those who are fairly new to training will gain strength faster (and see faster results at the beginning), whereas those of us who have been at it for awhile will see slower gains because we’ve got a lot of our big gains behind us, and now we work in smaller increments.

Do you fear you’ve damaged your metabolism over the years with less-than-perfect eating or crazy dieting schemes? Not to worry. I answer the age-old question of whether you can reverse a damaged metabolism (it’s all good news! Remember the water diet? I did that one. And the grapefruit diet? Yuck! To this day, I can’t eat grapefruits!)

I’ve got two recipe books for you (yum!) to download, and I have a clean shopping list of acceptable, clean foods that I’ve compiled to help you shop with fresh eyes! And did you do your homework? Did you figure out how many calories you’re currently eating? I can’t cut your calories down unless we know how many you’re eating…it’s not just about finding your ideal caloric count to lose the weight…if it ends up being too many, you’ll hamper your weight loss hopes as your body loses, then learns to hoard, the fat!

And finally, we look at how to eat consciously and live responsibly….the two are inextricably linked!

Are you still using your FOCUS CARDS and Power Words? Are you envisioning every am and pm? This is not voodoo, it works ladies, and I can’t prove it to you unless you stick to the plan.

Workouts – same as weeks, 1 and 2…we get more intense NEXT week!
Your Support Package for Week 3.

Check out your Real Training Album for my behind-the-scenes ‘I Spy…’ videos! (Sshhhh….!)

~ Best Shape of Your Life Challenge! – YOUR MOMENT OF TRUTH!

– WEEK 10

Theme of the Week: You’ve Come a Long Way baby!

Wow! What a great 10 weeks! It’s hard to believe the Challenge is almost over!

As we move into Week 10, let me congratulate you on all your hard work. I know it’s been tough, given life, responsibilities and such, but your commitment to just showing up and doing the work to the best of your abilities is commendable.

In the Kumon Approach to Fitness article, we look at how to ensure we stay on track with our training, a must for a strong, shapely, lean body.

And let’s not forget to fill in your measurements on your Body Measurements Sheet, ok? Ah yes, the day of reckoning is upon us! Not to fret, they’re only numbers, but they become most valuable over the long haul, when we see large changes over large time periods, and they’re a way for us to stay on track. After all, this is your defining moment! 

And finally, we cover the Law of Creation, one of the most profound Universal Law yet. It’s the one that explains why we often keep getting the same lousy stuff, even when we don’t want to, and shows us how to shift that around! We’ve just touched on Universal Principals, there’s still so much to cover…

Here at McCoy Fitness, we live as WARRIOR WOMEN. It’s a way of life that honours the mature woman all her glory.  And with your completion of the Challenge, you now qualify for my 12-Week Advanced Best Shape Challenge! which runs 2 times a year!

This week, we summarize all we’ve covered in You’ve Come a Long Way Baby. As well, you all receive a month’s free access to my monthly training, nutrition and coaching program – the Warrior Woman Group Coaching Program. Likely, you’ve already received the current month’s E-Workout card and all the goodies included in it, and you are on the WW Private Facebook page! Awesome. Get your feet wet! This is where the REAL work begins, and the REAL results appear! More on this in a bit…

Stats show that those people that are successful at maintaining a healthy lifestyle are those that have constant support and reinforcement, which is what the WWGC Program, is all about. Monthly training videos and E-Workouts, interviews, group conference calls, recipes and menu plans, spiritual themes, interviews, lectures, webinars, seminars etc.  Whew!

Ever thought of doing a competition? It’s a tough sport, but I LOVE it, and I went back into competition at the tender age of 53. Here’s just a collection of videos to pique your interest! CLICK HERE!

Please note: you are automatically put into the current month’s program for FREE for 30 days, and if you decide to stay, you will then be charged the monthly fee. (You may unsubscribe at any time!) Remember, getting there is one thing, staying there – and continuing to progress – is another! So let’s continue on this amazing journey together, as Warrior Woman! You are a part of OUR tribe now! Please check out more on the Warrior Woman Group Coaching program HERE!

Congratulations everyone! I’ve loved working with you all! But we’re not done yet…!

VIDEO and accompanying ARTICLES for this week….

Video: Our Final video will be posted on the page…! It summarizes where we go from here!

Nutrition & Training:

• You’ve Come a Long Way Baby!
• Kumon Approach to Fitness
  Law of Creation

We will see you all in the Warrior Woman Group Coaching Program. Make sure you come into BOTH parts of the Program…

Our Private FB page to support our work together…women in community – www.facebook.com/groups/warriorwomanbykaren

Our Warrior Woman site (where your monthly E-Workout card, and other goodies are kept!) – www.warriorwomanfitness.com. Use your user name and password, that was recently sent you, for access. (Can’t remember? Email Theresa.scholes@gmail.com and she’ll get it to you!).

WEEK 2 – Stepping Into our Power!

When we first started lifting weights, we feel empowered and alive! That’s what weight training does, it connects us to that primal part of us! I’ve known it for years, and I’m guessing you have too!

In a world where we are so often taken out of our power, weights re-ignite our confidence and help us to get grounded again. There’s something succinct, clean and basic in lifting a weight…and that’s how life is supposed to be lived.

This week, we step back into our power and dig deeper! We find our POWER WORDS to take with us throughout the day….5 simple words that best reflect our awesome strength, and we recite these to ourselves all day long! Present tense verbs: loving, kind, non-judgmental, caring, funny, honest, reliable, curious, forthright…you get the idea. What are your 5 POWER WORDS?

You’re likely sore, because no matter how much you’ve been training up to this point, I’ve likely given you different exercises than what you’ve been used to doing…this in itself will cause an upset in your chemistry, and you may wonder why you’re sore, and wonder if you were training properly in the first place.

The answer is likely, yes (unless you’ve had a lay-off and then you expect to be sore, yes?). Your sore body is all good…it means you’re training beyond your current level, and that’s good. That’s what we’re working toward here. We’re working at 70% intensity (12-15 reps) at this point.

Did you do your homework and count your calories from last week’s lesson? Are you getting familiar with our 30/40/30 spread of macro-nutrients? We’ll be building on our macro-nutrient education throughout the Challenge, because the athletic woman talks macro’s (NOT calories!). THIS is our new language – macro’s (versus calories). The video’s in your Cool Stuff Album!

This week’s support package will help you to step further into your power, both physically and mentally. In this starter Phase One, we’re building your machine inside and out, remember, so we’re going to continue to tighten our eating with high-quality foods that build shapely muscle and keep the fat at bay, while tightening our mental muscles even more! We are accessing the Woman Warrior within….she’s in there, and we’re going to help bring her into the light of day!

We also look at basic supplementation that won’t rob the piggy-bank, and some calorie basics…averages, really that women like us need to be aware of (remember, no cutting calories yet, ok? We’re cleaning up our food act only…any cutting too early in the Challenge won’t allow us to build shapely muscle, and we need to tend to that first! Patience!). And of course I’ll be offering my training tips and tidbits every step of the way…this week, breathe, drink, rest, zone in…and more!

Your Support Package for Week 2.

And remember to watch your Thinking in Food Groups video in your Real Training  portfolio! (VERY important lessons…the most important in the whole Challenge!). As well as our fresh upload for this week…!

~ Best Shape of Your Life Challenge! – YOUR DEFINING MOMENT!

– WEEK 9

Theme of the Week: What do YOU Believe in?

At this point of The Challenge, we take a look at underlying beliefs. Why now, you say? Why didn’t we do this at the beginning?

Simple. We needed to get you moving, get acquainted with training, real training, get the soreness behind us, get all the nutrition down pat. Now that the big stuff is done, we can get deeper into other areas. You just wouldn’t have heard me before. You had too much to learn with training and eating. So now you can listen, really listen…

So let me ask you – what do YOU believe in? For many of us, we consciously know what we believe in (God, marriage, post-secondary education, competitive sports etc.) But what about the unconscious beliefs, those that are passed down or ones we adopted early on in life that just might be questionable now? Ever thought about it?

If you’re self-sabotaging yourself (if you’re still struggling with food, weight, getting to the gym), now is the time to look at this. (It would have been fruitless to look at this earlier, as self-sabotaging doesn’t really show up until many weeks into a program. That’s because early on we’re running on pure motivation, but that won’t sustain us forever.)

I ask that you challenge your beliefs. Check out the What do YOU Believe In? article, and use the worksheet included to write out your own deep-seated self-sabotaging beliefs, the ones that are likely cropping up (right about now!). I’ve seen it hundreds of times over the years,and now is the time to nip these self-sabotaging behaviours in the bud!

Remember, health and wellness is an inside job. Lean, healthy people think differently, and I want you to adopt that way of thinking too! They think like lean people think! Period.

And talk about shifting you’re thinking, someone asked me what the perfect day looks like, so I’ve thrown that in too. If you’re not meditating, or at least focusing on the Law of Attraction to co-create your world, you need to! This principal is something we practice every month in our Warrior Woman Group Coaching Program!  

You will get access to this lovely maintenance Program this week! I’ll be sending you out the current month’s Warrior Woman E-Workout card, and other goodies that we’re working on, so you get a chance to see how our tribe of Warrior Women – women who started out just like you on the Challenge – train, eat and live! We’re 100+ women strong, and growing! Because getting there is one thing, staying there, and progressing every step of the way, physically, mentally and spiritually in community, is KEY! We walk the walk every day! And we love it! You’ll see!

And remember, you’re not just what you eat, you are WHEN you eat! So make sure you pay attention to the Bailey Hunger Scale as your guide for life (your handout in week 4). If you go to bed un-full (around level 4 or 5) you’ll stay lean and your body will stay detoxified easier, for life! (Tidbit – your body can’t detoxify at night if there’s a bunch of food that needs digesting!).

Be brave, be bold, be firm with yourself. No need to confront anyone else on this. This is your deal, and your deal alone. Don’t look to your parents, husband, TV, marketing…. it’s your life now. You best live it YOUR way, yes?

So let’s clear out the past and move forward with fresh eyes!

Training: Keep on keepin’ on, ladies. Aim for 5 weight training days!

Nutrition: Stick with the program and keep it clean!

Body/Mind: Continue to Build Your Vision Board!

Training: Training Tidbits – to keep things moving forward!

Nutrition:

• The Perfect Day
• You Are WHEN You Eat!

Support Articles:

• What do You Believe In?
• Ten Winning Foods

~ Best Shape of Your Life Challenge! – YOUR DEFINING MOMENT!

– WEEK 8

Theme of the Week: The Law of Attraction!

We’re going to take a hard left into one of my favourite areas – the mental / spiritual realm. You ready?

‘Hang on a second’, you say, ‘what’s this got to do with training and eating?’ It has everything to do with everything, including health.

When it comes to health, I’ve always said health and wellness is an inside job. All the training and nutrition info in the world won’t help you if your mind isn’t on board and your heart isn’t into it. But this week we’re going to look even deeper, into the subconscious, where focused intention meets spiritual law, and can bring about that which you seek.

So the Law of Attraction is the first Universal Principal, and in my opinion, one of the most important. It’s about taking responsibility for your life, and purposely creating a vision of your life that transpires into reality.

We’re going to stay the course with nutrition and training. I’ll add in a few tidbits along the way, but you’ve got lots on your plate (pardon the pun) and lots of training and clean eating to do. I’ve added some meal plans to help you.

Don’t forget to use your nutrition tracking sheet and fill it in daily to keep you on track. Post this on your fridge! I’ve thrown in a few Menu Plans for you to try, based on the clean eating principal. (Note, you may have to adjust the calorie count to be in line with your needs).

We’re keeping the Triple–Split routine for the rest of the Challenge – 3 different workouts each week. This is necessary to really help burn the fat and add more definition to your physique! Remember, intensity is key here, so practice reach your high point once within each muscle group, ok?

Week 8 : Same – Triple Split – Legs/Glutes, Chest/Back, Shoulders/Arms, Core work

Training: 6 days total – 4 days weight training, 2 other days – cardio and core
Example: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Weight training (30-45 minutes)
Example: Wednesday, Saturday – Cardio (30 minutes or more) and Core

Body/Mind: The Law of Attraction!

VIDEO and accompanying ARTICLES for this week….

Video: Video – Law of Attraction

• Sample Clean Eating Menu Plan #1
• Sample Clean Eating Menu Plan #2
• Sample Clean Eating Menu Plan #3

Support Articles:

• Law of Attraction
• Riding the waves – Where are we now?