FitnessBlender.com
Title Page
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FitnessBlender.com
Title Page
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FitnessBlender.com
Table of Contents
Introduction: About this Program .................................................................... 3
4 Week Workout Schedule Overview / Workout Calendar ............................. 8
Daily Workouts – Direct Links and Descriptions ................................... 12 - 35
Nutrition Tips for Best Results ...................................................................... 36
Answers to your most common questions about fitness, weight loss, and this
program ........................................................................................................ 46
Physical Fitness Test Score Sheet ............................................................... 58
Disclaimers and Warnings ........................................................................... 60
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Fitness Blender’s 4 Week Fat Loss Program for Busy
People: 30 Minute Workouts
About this Program
Welcome to Fitness Blender’s 4 Week Fat Loss Program for Busy People.
We know that many of our viewers have incredibly full lives - families to raise,
careers to juggle, and so on. As much as it’s true that you have to “make”
time to exercise, you know all to well that it’s easier said than done.
All this program asks of you is roughly 30 minutes of your day. We’re asking
you to reserve just half an hour – 1/48 of your day – to push your own
physical limits, to re-center yourself, and to boost your mood, your health,
and your confidence. Don’t be surprised if you start this program and within a
week or two feel your stress levels plummet. You’ll also notice your body
firming up, your energy levels increasing, and likely the numbers on your
scale dropping.
Commit to this 100%!
Whether you devote most of your time to your job, your schooling, or your
family, stop and allow yourself to really realize how vastly you can improve
the quality of your interaction and ability to delve into any of them with just
thirty minutes of “you-time” daily in the form of this program. We guarantee
you that you will never regret fully committing yourself to that half an hour or
less.
We’ve listened to your goals – a healthy bodyweight and body fat percentage,
lean muscle and a toned, fit body, and developed a smart and balanced plan
that will help you reach your goals in an amount of time that completely
eradicates all excuses. We’ve put together the most time efficient workouts to
bring about changes in your body quickly, even if your schedule is incredibly
demanding. We’ve rolled everything you need to lose body fat, build lean
muscle, and get fit fast into a program that is completely manageable, making
it less likely that you feel defeated and quit trying to make progress
altogether.
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Work smarter, not harder: 30 Minutes or less
We have combined the fat blasting science of high intensity interval training
(HIIT), with the power of metabolism boosting strength training to make just
half an hour of activity a day unbelievably effective.
These short, intense workout sessions can be more effective for fat loss than
over 90 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical, as long as you’re willing to push
yourself.
HIIT is physical activity so intense that it causes a metabolic disruption that
results in a 48-72 hour delay in returning to a normal rate of expenditure,
meaning that your body is still burning calories at an elevated rate hours after
you’ve finished your workout. Strength training is the only scientifically proven
way to boost metabolism around the clock; the lean muscle that you build
requires more calories to sustain, making it easier to reach and stay at a
healthy bodyweight. Women; don’t avoid strength training as we lack the
proper hormone levels to “bulk up” and there are many associated health
benefits that we can’t afford to miss out on.
What can you expect? More than just weight loss
Four weeks of this program coupled with a clean diet can lead to a weight
loss of up to 6-12 pounds and a noticeable change in body composition and
tone. However, following through with this program is about much more than
the way your body looks or the number on the scale. Making time for this
program is about making your own health a priority, despite time challenges.
It’s about gaining endurance, balance, flexibility, and strength, in more ways
than one. Don’t underestimate the power of a good workout!
What equipment will you need?
All you really need to do these workouts is a set of dumbbells. Kettlebells
may make an appearance, but they can easily be substituted with dumbbells.
There may be a few exercises that call for a bench or step, either of which
can be easily improvised.
What fitness level is this plan meant for?
Because these daily workout sessions are so brief, we have used intense
routines in order to make the most of the limited time that you have to
dedicate to exercise. The vast majority of people will find this program very
challenging but doable, and also very easy to modify to meet their needs.
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Someone brand new to exercise may find this program too difficult due to the
intense nature of the routines. While everyone has a different starting point
with their weight, strength, and overall fitness capacity, this book is a very
general plan that is suitable for most, so long as the participant is generally
familiar with physical activity and moves at their own pace.
Always feel free to slow down or step up the intensity or speed of repetitions
in any given workout as you need to, and you can always hit pause and stop
whenever necessary. Our strength training videos can easily be adapted to
suit almost literally any fitness level by increasing or decreasing the weight
being lifted. This program is meant for those with a general baseline of fitness
and no injuries, medical conditions, or contraindications to exercise and/or
working out strenuously.
Talk to your doctor before starting this program
We strongly recommend that you get medical clearance before attempting to
complete this rigorous workout program. This program has been built for the
general, healthy public and is not catered to any one individual. Exercise is
inherently dangerous and not all workout programs are suitable for every
individual or health condition; we advise that you get express approval from
your physician before you tackle this challenging program.
Commit, and stick with it!
This program works. We can say that without even the slightest flicker of
hesitation or doubt. The only variable in whether or not these workouts will
bring about results is whether or not you do them.
About the chapters of this program
Daily Workout Programs
These are your detailed day-by-day breakdown of scheduled workout videos;
they correspond with the Month 1 Calendar. The titles of the workout plans
are live links; click on these and you will be taken straight to the workout
video for that day, hosted on our website.
Fitness Blender Nutrition Tips for Faster Results
If you want to see results from working out, the value of healthy eating cannot
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be underestimated. This is a quick but thorough guide on how to eat to best
nourish your body while you’re making your way through this month long
program. Ditch the concept of a diet and embrace the idea of eating for good
health; we tell you how in this section. Our nutrition tips will help you eat
healthily to benefit maximally from this program so that you can look and feel
your best.
Important: Most Common Questions
This is a thorough list of questions that we have frequently encountered with
our previous Fat Loss Programs; we find that we get asked a lot of the same
fitness and weight loss questions over and over again – these also tend to be
the questions that are most often answered (incorrectly) on the web.
In this section we have answered just about every question we can imagine
related to this program and working out for weight loss. Please read through
this section before contacting us with questions, because we have likely
already taken to the time answer your question in a more thorough way than
would ever be possible in a personal email for our small team of two. Specific
health questions related to personal scenarios are best saved for a physician,
for reasons of safety and legal scopes of practice for personal trainers.
We want you to be armed with accurate information and knowledge. We have
included what we hope is an exhaustive Q & A section where you can get all
of your questions about losing weight and this program answered in one
place. We are confident that you will find it helpful.
Fitness Blender’s new Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
Our PFT is a great way for you to measure your success with this program,
beyond the pounds and inches lost. People who have completed our previous
programs have seen increased strength and endurance, a faster run time,
and improved flexibility. We’re happy to share our new fitness test that is
much more clear and easy to follow than the previous test – this one also has
an accompanying video to make sure that all instructions are easily
understood, and we have modified all of the exercises in the test to not need
any equipment. We use the tests periodically in the program because scale
weight is not the end-all measurement when it comes to health or fitness. For
this reason, we recommend that you utilize this Fitness Blender PFT to help
gauge your progress throughout this program. This is a valuable measuring
tool that will help you pinpoint weak places in your body’s abilities, and show
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you how far you’ve come once you complete this program.
Thank you for trusting Fitness Blender to help you reach your fitness goals.
Every single penny of every eBook sold goes towards funding website
updates & additional features, and creating more free full length workout
videos.
Thank you for supporting Fitness Blender.
Sincerely,
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Fitness Blender Workout Calendar
4 Week Schedule
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Workout
Plan #1
Workout
Plan #2
Workout
Plan #3
Workout
Plan #4
Workout
Plan #5
Optional
#6
Rest Day
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Workout
Plan #7
Workout
Plan #8
Workout
Plan #9
Workout
Plan #10
Workout
Plan #11
Optional
#12
Rest Day
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Workout
Plan #13
Workout
Plan #14
Workout
Plan #15
Workout
Plan #16
Workout
Plan #17
Optional
#18
Rest Day
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Workout
Plan #19
Workout
Plan #20
Workout
Plan #21
Workout
Plan #22
Workout
Plan #23
Optional
#24
Rest Day
Each day of this calendar corresponds with a specific workout plan that you’ll
find explained in depth in the following pages. Remember, each of the
workout titles are a clickable link that will take you to the exact workout videos
laid out for that day.
We strongly recommend that you take the time to take several different
“before” pictures prior to jumping into this program. Facing forward, from the
side, and back are good angles to help you see the changes in your body as
you make your way through this program. At this point you may also want to
record your body fat percentage, circumference measurements, and/or
bodyweight.
The very first workout plan has you taking the Fitness Blender PFT. This is an
important step that allows you to gauge your progress through the rest of the
program, so we recommend that you not skip it. Record your scores and
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keep them somewhere where you wont lose them so that you can compare
your performance 4 weeks out from Day 1. It’s only one month, but if you
stick with this program you can see a noticeable difference even in this short
timeframe.
Right away you’re going to be pushing your limits with 3 x a week brutal HIIT
workouts that bring you the highest amount of fat burn in the least amount of
time, and twice weekly metabolism boosting strength workouts. The only
piece of equipment that you’re really going to need is some kind of weight for
additional resistance, preferably a set of dumbbells.
Take liberty in adjusting these workouts to meet your needs. You can hold
onto weights or wear a weighted vest for most of these routines in order to
boost the calorie burn and the intensity. You can move slower or faster than
us to make an exercise easier or harder and the strength training routines
can also be as difficult or easy as you like, depending on the amount of
weight that you select. It is up to you to modify the details to make these
workouts maximally effective for you; just remember to challenge yourself.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
These workouts are just like they sound; extra credit, and 100% optional. We
know that you sought out this plan because you’ve got a tight schedule that
allows minimal time for exercising, but we also know that sometimes both
your schedule and your motivation levels might lend themselves to a bit of
extra time working out. These optional workout challenges are a way to step
up your fat burn and lean muscle building, meaning that you will see results
faster. Don’t feel bad if you can’t complete these extra challenges, keep in
mind that they are just that - extra. In other words, in the instance that you
want a higher calorie burn and an extra challenge, we’re happy to provide it.
Optional Workout Days
The “Optional” workout days on the calendar are instances when we will list
optional workout videos that you should also view as a sort of “extra credit” in
terms of caloric expenditure. Please do note that these workouts have been
carefully selected to be training types and intensities that are easy on the
body, and that wont cause any excess physical stress or interfere with the
body’s healing progress from the regularly scheduled workouts from the week
before. It’s important that you don’t skip these workouts to instead replace
them any kind of HIIT or strength training. If you’re really tired, overly sore, or
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just lacking in time, you can forgo these workouts. Rest is an important part of
fitness; if you feel like you need it, take it.
With five challenging active days a week, this program is aggressive.
If you start to feel as though you aren’t fully recovering between workouts or
like a muscle group hasn’t fully healed in between strength sessions (for
example if your quads are still very sore at a point when the schedule
indicates that it’s leg day again) we encourage you to take an extra rest day
and to wait another 24 hours before taxing those muscles again. You can
always substitute a higher intensity routine for one of our lower impact
workouts, returning to the same day of the program once you feel ready to
tackle tougher ones again. It’s important to listen to your body and adequate
rest (which will vary for each individual) is an important part of fitness. Check
the Common Questions chapter if you have more concerns about
overtraining and how to avoid it.
Towards the end of these four weeks, you may start to notice a difference in
your body’s tone, and your clothes may start to fit differently. Our tough HIIT
workouts are going to start to feel easier and you will likely find that your
muscles are less stiff and your joints have more range of motion. You may
find motivation in the form of your own gains in strength, and you should feel
increases in your energy level.
If you have been creating a caloric deficit by not eating more calories than
you are burning, you will have lost weight – anywhere between 6-12 pounds if
you have been creating an energy deficit via a mix of diet and exercise
(keeping in mind that eating approximately 500 calories less a day leads to
about 1 pound lost per week from diet changes). If you have lost more than
12 pounds you may want to increase your calorie intake, as losing more than
2-3 pounds per week can make it more likely that you gain that weight back
and can also decrease your body’s ability to heal itself.
If you have a goal of weight loss and you’ve been following the plan but your
scale hasn’t budged, don’t panic, but do check your diet. If you are working
out and not seeing a change, your diet is highly likely to blame. Read our
nutrition tips section for a brief rundown and try utilizing those tips.
Remember, while physical activity is incredibly beneficial for the health of
your body and effective for burning off calories, it is not a free pass to
overeat.
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If weight loss is not a goal of yours, you should be aware that this program is
still excellent for firming up, building lean muscle, increasing endurance,
agility and even flexibility. If you don’t want to lose weight, you may find that
you need to bump up your caloric intake in order to stay at the same weight.
Jump into this program whole heartedly, telling yourself that you will stick to it,
that you will without a doubt complete this challenge. When you make it
through this entire program, despite challenges in time,
outside commitments, and very tempting lazy days, you’re going to feel
proud.
Once you finish this 4 Week Program, we’ve got a whole lineup of different
programs for you to choose from to tackle next; you can either repeat this
program from the beginning or check out Fitness Blender’s other structured
programs like this one (the different programs can be completed in any
order). You can take a short rest or stick to very light activity for a week
before jumping right back into another program, but do not lose the
motivation or momentum you’ve built from completing this program.
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Workout Plan # 1
Total Workout Time: Varies due to PFT
Equipment: A treadmill, marked course, or track (or free phone app that
tracks distance), 2 pieces of tape, a way to keep time
Strategy: Take the physical fitness test to measure your starting point, for
comparison in 4 weeks
Total Calories Burned Estimate: Varies
Quick Total Body Warm Up Cardio
Alright, you’re aware at this point that this is a workout program meant for
people with busy lives and limited time for exercise, but here’s the deal on
warm ups; you can’t skip them and expect to be able to perform at an efficient
level, particularly not without a significantly raised chance of avoidable
injuries and muscle strains due to cold muscles. The warm ups only take a
few minutes, they’re part of your calorie burn, and they are imperative to
being able to safely push yourself as hard as this program is going to ask you
to. We know it’s tempting, but do not skip them!
Fitness Blender’s Physical Fitness Test
Between the squats & push ups to exhaustion & the timed mile run, this PFT
is actually a really great workout – but it serves more than one purpose. It’s
also going to give you a measurable, objective way to look at your fitness
(that doesn’t have anything to do the scale). It’s a great way to pinpoint both
your weaknesses and strengths, and the across-the-board improvements that
you’re going to see in the next four weeks is going to end up being a source
of serious motivation that will keep propelling you forward. Remember, record
these scores and keep them somewhere you’re sure not to lose them.
Because of the variable time to complete the actual PFT challenges, this may
be one of the few workout days in this program that could go over the 30
minute mark. After today’s PFT we jump straight into brutal HIIT workouts and
strength training that will fit into your busy life.
Light Cardio & Stretching Cool Down
A cool down and stretch is just as important to fitness as HIIT or strength
training, so don’t think that these brief lower intensity routines are a waste of
your time. You wont get any further by cutting corners, so just like with the
warm ups; do not skip the cool downs in this program.
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Workout Plan # 2
Total Workout Time: 29 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or any other kind of weighted objects
Strategy: Upper body strength training + yoga to strengthen & stretch
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 151 – 208
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute Jogging in Place
1 Minute Jumping Jacks
Tank Top Arms Round 2 – Upper Body Toning Workout
Don’t be fooled by the frilly name; lift as much weight as you can with proper
form through this routine and you’ll find that you can quickly burnout those
upper body muscles. With 10 reps per exercise, you should choose an
amount to lift that makes it very difficult to complete reps 8-10, without
sacrificing form. Learn more in this video:
How much weight should I be lifting
Women take note; there is absolutely no reason to be afraid to lift heavy, as
we don’t have the proper hormone levels to “bulk up”. Commit to lifting like
you mean it and you’ll find that the muscles that you build make it much
easier to stay lean, plus they create a very attractive, shapely physique.
Superficial benefits aside, strength training offers an incredibly long list of
health benefits including increased bone density, healthier bones, a higher
resting metabolism, and a significantly reduced chance of common ailments
(diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol issues, just to name a few). As an
added bonus, lifting heavily will burn more calories, making your workout
more effective for multiple reasons.
Total Body Toning Yoga Workout for Weight Loss
Deceptively difficult but low impact and easy on the body, you’re going to
burn off some additional calories while stretching and strengthening the
whole body with this yoga inspired workout.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
The Tank Top Arms Workout goes through just one set of each of the
exercises. If you happen to have the extra time today, tackle a second (or
even third) round of the workout. For each additional round you do, add an
extra 62-91 calories burned to your daily total.
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Workout Plan # 3
Total Workout Time: 36 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Burpee-free HIIT cardio with a heavy emphasis on the core and
muscles of the lower body
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 251 – 377
Quick Independent Warm Up:
2 Minutes Jogging in Place
No Burpee HIIT Cardio & Abs – Fat Burning Bodyweight Cardio Without
Burpees
Today is one of the very few days in this 4 Week Program that has a workout
plan that goes just a bit over 30 minutes in length. As a gesture for
inconveniencing you by asking for a few extra minutes of your time, we would
like to offer you a Burpee-free HIIT workout!
We love Burpees, but know that many of you view them as your arch
nemesis. Don’t think that this workout isn’t going to be challenging just
because it lacks the exercise that you love to hate; this fat burning workout is
a serious cardiovascular challenge that calls heavily upon the ab, butt, and
thigh muscles.
Due to all of the variety rolled into this one routine, today’s workout plan is
going to fly by and be done before you know it. A mash up of some of our
favorite exercises from recent routines, you’re going to be doing a varied
combination of repetitions, timed calorie blasting high intensity intervals, core
strengthening exercises, and even some cardio kickboxing. If you’re looking
to work off both body fat and stress levels, this workout is a very efficient use
of your time and efforts.
A thorough total body cool down and stretch is included.
Quick Tip: Make sure to drink lots of water and refuel your body with
nourishing foods so that you’re ready for tomorrow’s workout plan. If you
need an idea of what to shop for & how to eat for a healthy lean body, check
out
Fitness Blender’s Grocery Haul
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Workout Plan # 4
Total Workout Time: 23 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or any other kind of resistance, bench or chair
Strategy: Comprehensive upper body supersets using antagonist muscles
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 150 – 300
At Home Upper Body Workout - Comprehensive Superset Upper Body
Workout
Superset workouts are incredible time savers that pair various exercises
together in a strategic way to allow one muscle group to rest while another is
worked – cutting out the prolonged rest periods in between sets. For
example, you could pair bicep curls with squats; while doing the bicep curls
the lower body muscles would get their rest period, and vice versa. This cuts
out the potentially very time consuming process of waiting 1-5 minutes in
between sets of an exercise, if you were following more traditional lifting
methods.
In this routine we have put together supersets using antagonist muscles of
the upper body (muscles that work against one another). Supersets are
perfect for people who have a limited amount of time to workout. Lift heavily
in order to end up in the higher range of our calorie estimates. You likely will
have earned some seriously shaky muscles by the time you finish this
workout.
Both warm up and cool down are included in this video.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
Quick Sweat Cardio Workout to Lose Weight & Burn Belly Fat Fast
(8 Minutes)
Want more? Squeeze our Quick Sweat Cardio workout into any open space
you can in your schedule to get your heart racing and your metabolism
reeling. If you’ve been sitting for a prolonged period and your muscles are
very cold, you may want to jog in place for a moment before jumping right in.
Remember that this is optional and completely okay to skip if you don’t have
the time or energy. If you happen to complete it, pat yourself on the back and
add an extra 58-88 calories to your daily expenditure.
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Workout Plan # 5
Total Workout Time: 29 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells optional
Strategy: Quick and brutal HIIT workout, a 100 rep squat challenge, and a
relaxing cool down and stretch
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 166 – 267
Quick Independent Warm Up:
2 Minutes Jogging in Place
HIIT Quick & HIIT Hard – Tabata Style High Intensity Interval Training
Minutes)
Take this very difficult HIIT workout at your own pace; take extra breaks when
you need to, but do your best to keep moving through the entire length of the
active periods. If you need to, you can also easily make modifications to the
exercises to make them easier & lower in impact; the jumping lunges can be
switched out for regular alternating lunges, push up jacks can become push
ups, high knees can be swapped for a high knee march, & so on. Do your
best to push yourself but do stop & catch your breath if you need to.
The Most Effective Squat Challenge: 100 Rep Fitness Blender Squat
Challenge
10 Repetitions of 10 different kinds of squats, for 100 squats total. The
variations of the basic squat that you find in this video make it very effective
for lifting and toning the butt. After the plyometric filled HIIT workout above,
you’re really going to feel this lower body workout. Feeling brave? Really
want to build up and shape those glutes? Do this workout while holding onto
weights.
Light Toning and Stretching Routine for Flexibility
Enjoy this stretching routine that also incorporates some light toning moves.
Each position is held for 30 seconds, which makes it great for improving
flexibility. There is a special emphasis on stretching the muscles of the lower
body, which you’re going to need after today’s workouts.
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Workout Plan # 6
Total Workout Time: 30 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Low impact, fat burning bodyweight cardio suitable for a recovery
workout after last week’s more intense routines; this is your first optional
workout; you can do as little or as much of this workout as you like
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 150 – 270
Total Body Toning Low Impact Workout
Recovery cardio is a great way to increase your overall caloric expenditure,
speeding up weight loss or making it easier to maintain bodyweight, without
putting extra strain and stress on your body while it’s healing from more
intense strength training and HIIT workout routines.
If you aren’t sore from last week’s workouts, there are many ways to make
this routine more difficult. Adding extra resistance, moving more quickly than
we do in the video, and keeping your muscles tight, working against yourself
the entire time, are just a few of the ways that you could make this more
challenging.
Remember, your body is in the process of healing itself from last week’s
routines; for best results and to avoid injury, do not fill this optional workout
day with anything more intense than low impact recovery style workouts.
Both warm up and cool down are included in this video.
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Workout Plan # 7
Total Workout Time: 24 Minutes
Equipment: Kettlebell or dumbbells
Strategy: Fat burning kettlebell cardio + lower body burnout
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 143 – 223
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute Boxer Shuffle
1 Minute High Knee March
Quick & Fearless Kettlebell Cardio – Ultimate Fat Burn Workout for the
Entire Body
Give this short routine your full blown effort and you’re going to feel strong
and refreshed by the time you’re finished. We go through each exercise one
time, for a 40 second active interval with a long 20 second rest period in
between each. The relatively long recovery period gives you the opportunity
to push yourself as hard as you can during those active intervals; don’t hold
back.
If you don’t have a kettlebell, use a dumbbell instead (or any other object that
adds extra resistance that’s safe to lift and swing).
Killer 5 Minute Butt and Thigh Workout Challenge
A quick succession of butt lifting, thigh toning exercises that will make the
muscles of your lower body burn like crazy. Stop and shake out your legs
if/when you need to, but try and make it all the way through without stopping.
If it’s not burning, check your form. Too easy? Do it while holding onto
weights.
Stretch out all of the muscles that you just gave a good working over. Special
emphasis on the lower body, plus a little attention to the upper body muscles
that helped contribute during the kettlebell workout above.
Lacking motivation to complete your workout plans? Watch this video of
incredible
Fitness Blender Before and After
pictures. Don’t underestimate the
change that you’re capable of if you fully commit yourself to these workouts
and healthy eating.
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Workout Plan # 8
Total Workout Time: 27 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or any other kind of resistance equipment, a bench,
table, or physioball
Strategy: Bodyweight cardio + a strength & shaping workout for the chest and
back
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 144 – 261
At Home Bodyweight Cardio Interval Workout – Sweat like You Mean It
(14 Minutes)
Warm up is included in this cardio interval workout that you can do literally
anywhere, using just your bodyweight. You’ll get your heart rate up, burn off a
good deal of calories and work each muscle group lightly – we don’t want
your legs too sore for tomorrow’s HIIT lineup.
Short, but incredibly thorough, this dumbbell workout targets the chest and
upper back muscles from various positions to be maximally effective.
Supporting muscles of the lower back, biceps, triceps and lats also contribute
during this routine. The muscles of the arms and shoulders will be worked
more thoroughly on Thursday of this week’s plan. You can use a bench or a
physioball for this routine; the bench being more ideal for lifting very heavy
weights (in terms of a stable lifting surface), and the physioball adding the
challenge of balance while lifting. If you don’t have either, you can make do
with a coffee table and not miss out on any benefits.
Fast 5 Minute Cool Down and Stretching Workout for Busy People
(5
Minutes)
Easy, relaxing, light cardio cool down and stretch with extra focus on the
muscles of the upper body. Make sure you don’t skip this, as you want to be
able to push yourself as hard as you can during tomorrow’s workout.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
Small commitments throughout your day add up to big results. If you’ve got
energy to spare and 10 extra minutes, complete this fast paced abs & cardio
workout any time today for an additional 65-114 calories burned, plus a
second metabolism jumpstart.
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Workout Plan # 9
Total Workout Time: 28 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Bodyweight HIIT cardio challenge
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 247 – 403
HIIT Like a Girl Round 2 – Fat Burning HIIT Cardio Workout
(28 Minutes)
Here’s your chance to earn a new bragging right; we challenge you to try and
HIIT like a girl.
With this second installment of our intense interval cardio routine, we use
nine different exercises in intervals of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, four
times through. We think that this version is harder than the first, but we’ll let
you make the final call on that one.
Stop and take breaks when you need to, but do your best to follow along with
the active and rest intervals. You can always hit pause and grab a drink of
water – especially if you feel like your form is starting to suffer.
If it feels too easy for you, that might mean that you need to pick up your
pace, or check your form. You could always wear a weighted vest during this
workout if you want to really step up the difficulty.
Both warm up and cool down stretches are included in this video.
Quick Tip:
An honest answer to the question we get asked most, plus we bust one of the
biggest myths of the fitness industry;
How to Lose Belly Fat – The Truth
About Abs, Belly Fat, and Six Packs
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Workout Plan # 10
Total Workout Time: 26 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells
Strategy: Upper body intensive toning and strength training workouts +
calorie blasting bodyweight cardio intervals
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 127 – 232
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute High Knee March
10 Bodyweight Squats
10 Jumping Jacks
Cardio and Upper Body Toning Workout
Speed up the process of getting a healthy, lean and defined body with this
upper body workout that uses only bodyweight in combination with quick
bouts of cardio intervals.
Quick Arms & Shoulders Workout with Dumbbells
Lift as heavily as you can with perfect form for the exercises in this single
round routine that targets the biceps, triceps, and deltoids. There are some
studies that suggest that lifting heavily for a single set of exercises can be as
effective as lifting multiple sets – this may be highly debatable at this point but
something is always better than nothing, and coupled with the upper body
toning and cardio session above, it’s going to far surpass “nothing” in terms of
bringing about changes in body composition, especially considering that you
have to commit to less than 30 minutes per day.
Quick Cool Down Stretching Workout Routine
A quick cool down to bring your heart rate down gradually and briefly stretch
the muscles. Feel free to add a few extra upper body stretches in the places
you are feeling most tight, after today’s upper body workouts.
Quick Tip: Remember, the calorie burn estimates we give only reflect the
caloric expenditure during the actual workout; your body will continue to burn
calories at an elevated rate for hours (some studies even suggest days) after
your workout is complete – this is especially true with HIIT and strength
training, both of which play prominent roles in this program.
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Workout Plan # 11
Total Workout Time: 25 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Brutal HIIT Ladder
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 215 – 300
Make your muscles and your lungs scream with this quick HIIT workout that
will send your metabolism soaring. The word “brutal” made it into the title for
good reason, but you should take some comfort in the fact that the timed
intervals are descending in length, meaning that it gets easier as you go. Your
first interval is a full minute long, but you’ll work your way down the ladder in
increments of 10 seconds until you’re only left with a quick 10 second interval
of each of the exercises.
Remember; push yourself, but listen to your body. There’s no shame in hitting
the pause button for a longer water break, or stopping in the middle of some
of those longer intervals. You can also move more slowly than us, or modify
the exercises to be lower in impact (basically taking out the jumping in the
exercises). If you do end up needing to take extra breaks, just make sure that
they are quick enough that your muscles don’t end up getting cold.
Warm up cardio included.
Do a light jog in place or boxer shuffle until you stop gasping for air from the
HIIT routine above, and then release the tension in your lower back, lower
body, and core with this stretching workout.
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Workout Plan # 12
Total Workout Time: 14 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Feel good stress busting stretching routine
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 47 – 75
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute Jog in Place
Goodbye Stress Calming Stretching Workout – Full Body Yoga Infused
Stretching Routine
Today’s stretching routine is optional, but it’s going to do so much for your
stress levels and the way your body feels that we recommend you don’t skip
it.
In just 13 minutes this fluid stretching workout can do a lot for lessening
stress and making those sore muscles feel less stiff and uncomfortable.
Quick routines like this one are also a great way to keep your healthy body
goals at the forefront of your mind, without putting any extra stress on joints
and ligaments that are recovering from last week’s workouts.
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Workout Plan # 13
Total Workout Time: 29 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Unique active and static workout that will blast calories and make
your muscles scream
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 208 – 348
Freeze & Squeeze Bodyweight Boot Camp – Active & Static Interval
Workout Challenge
We’ve got a brand new type of challenge today to keep your muscles
guessing and your brain from growing bored.
We've paired one thirty second interval of an "active" toning or cardio
exercise with thirty seconds of a static hold of a position that utilizes the same
muscle group. You'll do 30 seconds of each, take a twenty second active rest,
and then repeat the active and static groups again. The "freeze and squeeze"
is the static interval; hold the position we show you and do your best to keep
every muscle group contracted and tight to get the most out of it. This is a
surefire way to get your muscles burning like crazy.
Both warm up and cool down are included in today’s video, and you’re not
going to need any equipment – though you could hold onto weights during
some of these exercises to bump up the intensity and the calorie burn even
more.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
Fast Paced Total Body Cardio & Strength Workout - Time Saving Fat Burner
(8 Minutes)
This workout will wake you up and give you a jolt of energy, far more
effectively than any dose of caffeine. If you add this 8 minute fat burner onto
your routine, you’ll burn an extra 60-88 calories and give your metabolism a
good boost. Just remember to do a quick independent warm up and cool
down so as to not shock your body into sudden, intense physical activity.
You’ll need dumbbells, kettlebells, or any other kind of weight.
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Workout Plan # 14
Total Workout Time: 26 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Kickboxing cardio + core
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 260 – 416
Cardio Kickboxing and Core – Smackdown Your Stress
(26 Minutes)
We think that exercise is one of the best ways to cope with stress and blow
off steam – workouts like this one, where you can figuratively swing away at
whatever’s causing you strife, can work wonders. Put everything you’ve got
into this compact calorie torching kickboxing cardio workout and you’re going
to feel lighter in more ways than one by the time you’re done.
Along with cardio kickboxing, you’ll be doing intervals of some of the most
effective core exercises, making for a combination that’s going to thoroughly
work your midsection.
In this Routine
7 Minute Cardio Warm Up
Kickboxing Workout Session #1
Core Segment #1
Kickboxing Workout Session #2
Core Segment #2
Cool Down and Stretch
Quick Tip:
Eat well, hydrate yourself thoroughly, and rest up; tomorrow you get to take a
shot at earning another Fitness Blender bragging right by completing one of
our Spartan 500 Workouts.
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Workout Plan # 15
Total Workout Time: 30 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: 500 Repetition challenge that targets multiple muscle groups and
builds cardiovascular endurance
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 232 – 401
Warm Up Workout Routine – Cardio Warm Up Exercises
(6 Minutes)
Get your muscles warmed up and your lungs ready to expand; your going to
need a thorough warm up before jumping into today’s intense workout. The
cardio exercises in this quick warm up get increasingly difficult, and you might
even break a sweat before you’re finished.
Spartan 500 Workout Round 2 – 500 Repetition Workout Challenge
Minutes)
Ten exercises, ten reps, five times through, for 500 repetitions total.
If it makes you feel any better, we’ve been told that this second edition feels
like it’s over more quickly, and that it’s slightly easier than the first due to all of
the different exercises (this newer version uses 10 different moves versus 5).
You can complete this workout as slow or fast as you like; just keep going
until you’ve earned your “workout complete” screen, and your bragging rights
of having finished the second round of the Fitness Blender Spartan 500.
Pilates Infused Cool Down and Stretch
A Pilates infused routine with low impact cool down stretches that will
sneakily engage the muscles – especially your core muscles, which may be
sore from yesterday’s core intensive workout.
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Workout Plan # 16
Total Workout Time: 27 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Two different body sculpting recovery workouts
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 95 – 200
Quick Independent Warm Up: 1 Minute Jog in Place
Low Impact Abs, Butt and Thigh Workout – Feel Good Total Body Sculpt
and Stretch
Don’t be fooled by the term “low impact” – in truth, this workout is far more
sculpt than stretch, and you’re going to feel it. Balance also comes into play
and there are a couple of different positions that you may not have seen in a
Fitness Blender workout before. If you can’t get into any of the poses, just
repeat the motion that you’re able to do with proper form for the rest of the
interval (i.e. with the single leg jackknifes + back bends, you should repeat
the jackknife sit up portion if you don’t yet have the flexibility for a backbend).
There are nine different exercises that you’ll do for 50 seconds each, with just
a quick ten second transition time in between each. You wont need any
equipment. If you aren’t sore from the week’s previous workouts, we
encourage you to grab weights to step up the intensity.
Feel Good Stretching Workout – Calming Stretching Routine
(15 Minutes)
You’re going to feel relaxed and refreshed by the time you finish this fluid
stretching workout that also has a light toning benefit.
Today’s lineup is relatively light because we have a mean HIIT lined up for
you tomorrow. If you want more of a challenge, feel free to tackle the extra
credit Double Ladder Workout below.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
Bodyweight Cardio + Total Body Toning -
Extra energy to burn? Add another 160-240 calories to your total expenditure
if you tackle this cardio workout
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Workout Plan # 17
Total Workout Time: 28 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Fitness Blender’s HIIT game: When I Say Jump
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 217 – 352
When I Say Jump HIIT Cardio Workout Round 2 - High Intensity Interval
Training
One video has everything you need for your training today; cardio warm up,
one of Fitness Blender’s signature HIIT workouts, and a yoga infused cool
down and stretch.
Here’s how our When I Say Jump workouts work;
Each interval lasts one full minute. Throughout that minute, we will be calling
out either “Jump” or “Down”. When we say “Jump” – stop what you are doing
in the middle of whichever exercise we’re on, get on your feet and jump
upwards. When we say “Down”, immediately drop to the ground in a high
plank (push up position), and then jump back upright (essentially performing
a Burpee). There are 12 different intervals in this routine.
Don’t worry about moving at the same speed as us throughout the video, you
can go as fast or as slow as you like, just be ready to jump or drop, whenever
we might call it out.
Workouts like this one are great for keeping the body guessing and busting
up boredom.
Quick Tip:
Here’s a rundown on how we view cheat meals, plus an honest peak into our
eating habits while on vacation (it might not be what you expect):
on Vacation, Cheat Meals + How We Eat on Vacation
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Workout Plan # 18
Total Workout Time: 33 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Recovery cardio to increase overall caloric expenditure without
straining the body
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 221 – 386
Calorie Blasting Low Impact Cardio Boot Camp – Recovery Cardio
Workout
Rest is an incredibly important part of fitness, but there are low impact ways
to increase the overall caloric expenditure of your workout routines without
overstraining the body and interfering with the healing process.
Make sure that you focus on using smooth and controlled motions,
contracting your muscles and not using momentum or swinging to “cheat”, as
this reduces the effectiveness of any given exercise in this routine.
Today is your optional workout day, and you can do as much or as little of this
workout as you like.
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Workout Plan # 19
Total Workout Time: 32 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or any other kind of weight, a bench, step or chair
Strategy: Butt lifting, thigh shaping workout
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 191 – 320
Kelli's Booty Workout - Ultimate Butt and Thigh Workout
(32 Minutes)
Combining everything from plyometrics, strength training, Pilates, and
powerful kettlebell inspired moves, these are some of my favorite butt and
thigh exercises.
We’ll be doing nine exercises: two sets of twelve repetitions with a 15 second
active rest in between sets.
If the relatively low challenge of our active rest feels too easy for you, feel
free to step it up to higher intensity exercises like jumping jacks, high knees,
or even burpees. Do keep in mind, however, that the elements of this routine
that most deserve your attention are the lower body exercises. Make sure
your form is perfect, and choose the heaviest weight that you can manage
with proper form; the cardiovascular active rests are secondary in
importance.
If you’re not sore after this workout you need to step up your intensity, check
your form, and/or bump up the amount of weight that you’re lifting. Do not
cheat yourself out of results by being afraid to lift heavily!
Both warm up cardio and cool down stretches are included in this workout.
Extra Credit for Faster Results:
Fitness Blender 8 Minute Abs Workout - No Equipment, No Excuses Abs and
Obliques
Want more? You can do this quick abs and obliques workout with the routine
above, hours later on it’s own, or not at all, its up to you.
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Workout Plan # 20
Total Workout Time: 28 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells, a bench, physioball or table
Strategy: Chest and back intensive supersets
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 157 – 335
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute High Knee March
1 Minute Jumping Jacks
Chest and Back Superset Workout
For people with limited time to dedicate to working out, supersets are the
ideal way to get significant results fast.
Instead of having to wait anywhere from 1-5 minutes in between sets,
supersets allow you to use the rest time for one muscle group to exhaust
another set of muscles. Not only is this an effective, research-backed way to
build metabolism boosting muscle, it’s also a great way to increase your
calorie burn during a strength training routine.
We use this structure in two different workout videos this week to really
burnout those upper body muscles thoroughly. This one in particular focuses
on the muscles of the chest and back.
Women; remember, we don’t have the hormones to get “bulky” – lift heavy for
best results. Lifting heavily burns more calories, and it helps you build
attractive, healthy, functional, fat burning lean muscle.
Quick Cool Down Stretching Workout Routine
(5 Minutes)
A quick cool down and stretch. Be ready to push yourself hard for tomorrow’s
routine. Only a few more days left before you complete this 4 Week Program.
What Supplements Should You Take to Be Fit and
Healthy? Do You Need Supplements for Weight Loss?
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Workout Plan # 21
Total Workout Time: 31 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or kettlebells
Strategy: Brutal fat blasting HIIT routines
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 285 – 384
Quick Independent Warm Up:
1 Minute Jogging in Place
1 Minute Bodyweight Squats
Fast Paced Total Body Cardio & Strength Workout - Time Saving Fat
Burner
Get your heart rate up and warm up all of your muscle groups with this fast
paced cardio workout. You’re going to feel strong and confident after this;
maybe even confident enough to take on the challenge that awaits you in the
Berserker HIIT below.
Berserker HIIT Workout Challenge - Crazy Intense Home Workout
Minutes)
Put your warrior face on, this is a tough one. Even your recovery periods are
active in this routine, and the exercises demand full-blown effort and
coordination from all of the body’s muscle groups.
You’ll be working against your muscles, your lungs, and your mind.
Remember that you can go at whatever pace you need to in order to
complete the routine – you can also hit the pause button if you need to stop
and catch your breath or take an extra minute for a water break.
Fast 5 Minute Cool Down and Stretching Workout for Busy People
Minutes)
Spare your system the shock of an abrupt stop and bring your heart rate
down gradually with this quick cool down.
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Workout Plan # 22
Total Workout Time: 27 Minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells or any other kind of resistance, a bench, physioball or
table
Strategy: Upper body supersets + cardio intervals
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 239 – 317
Strength and Cardio Superset for the Upper Body
(27 Minutes)
This dumbbell workout has three groups of two different exercises that use
antagonistic (opposing) muscle groups. There are two rounds per group, and
after each group there’s a 40 second cardio interval, just to keep the calorie
burn high and to give the upper body muscles a chance to rest in between
sets of strength training exercises.
The workout starts off with a great dynamic warm up for the upper body,
doing motions that are similar to those in your actual lifting workout.
Your cool down and stretch is also included in this video, and will help to
release a lot of the muscle tension you’ve built up during your superset
routine.
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Workout Plan # 23
Total Workout Time: 37 Minutes
Equipment: None
Strategy: Fat burning bodyweight cardio
Total Calories Burned Estimate: 222 – 407
Fat Burning Cardio Workout - 37 Minute Fitness Blender Cardio
Workout at Home
Today’s plan runs just a bit over 30 minutes in length, but it’s your last
workout day of the program and we wanted you to get in a good bout of
calorie blasting recovery cardio before your last physical fitness test.
You’ll never stop moving during this cardio workout but you wont feel wiped
out by the time you’re done. Instead, you might feel refreshed, and you may
notice how much easier a routine like this one feels (likely a lot easier than it
might have felt 4 weeks ago).
You wont need any equipment at all for this one. If you need to break it up
into segments throughout the day to get it done, that’s just fine. Just make
sure that you never start or stop intense activity too abruptly; cold muscles
and skipped cool downs make for vulnerability for injuries.
Both your warm up and your cool down are included in this single video.
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Workout Plan # 24
Total Workout Time: Varies due to PFT
Equipment: A treadmill, marked course, or track (or free phone app that
tracks distance), 2 pieces of tape, a way to keep time
Strategy: Measure the progress you’ve made over the last 4 weeks
Total Calories Burned Estimate: Varies
Light, easy cardio to get your body warmed up and prepared to work hard.
Fitness Blender’s Physical Fitness Test
Push yourself as hard as you can and you’re likely going to find that you
leave your previous PFT scores in the dust. Grab your scores from 4 weeks
ago and check out your progress.
Goodbye Stress Calming Stretching Workout – Full Body Yoga Infused
Stretching Routine
Take your time cooling down today, and make sure and give yourself credit
for having made it all the way through this program. Despite your busy
schedule, you threw out your excuses and made time for exercise.
Congratulations! You have just completed Fitness Blender’s 4 Week Fat
Loss Program for Busy People.
We want to hear about your results - Have you gained energy? Lost
weight, inches, or body fat? Feel way better than when you started? Want to
share your before and after pictures to help inspire others? We want to hear
from you. Email us at
, or
What’s next? Now that you’ve created the habit of a daily workout, do not
stop! Check out any of our many
other Fitness Blender Fat Loss
, and watch for new ones in the future as well.
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Fitness Blender Nutrition Tips
How Should I be eating?
Anytime you are looking to become healthier, whether that be dropping
extra fat weight, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, increasing
physical ability, or just feeling better overall, exercise and nutrition are both
incredibly important. Though they do not have to necessarily play a 50-50
role, you will never get to your goals if you try just 100% diet, or just 100%
exercise. They work hand in hand as they promote health in different ways;
some that overlap and others that only one or the other can do and yet others
still that have a multiplying effect when done in conjunction.
The point of this section is not to cover every aspect of nutrition but
instead to touch on the main issues you need to focus on to get the most out
of your exercise and fat loss goals. The following are the most helpful tips
that we have used with our clients over the years.
Eating for the rest of your life: Before you take your first step towards
changing your diet, start by taking some time to really examine what you are
about to do and whether or not the goals and diet modifications are a realistic
plan for the long term. There is nothing you can do that is more detrimental to
your long term success then to set unattainable goals or at least goals that
are not sustainable indefinitely.
In respect to diet, be sure that the things that you eat (types of foods you
like and that are available to you) and how you eat (preparation styles food
combinations, and emotional connection to food) is something that you can
live with for the rest of your life. For example, don’t set a diet limitation that
you are never eating meat again if you know that there is no way that you can
do that for the rest of your life.
It is a very hard and long process to break and/or make habits so be sure
you are not wasting your time trying to create a habit such as eating
vegetarian, or breaking a habit like, cutting out bread, if you know that you
have no intention of doing it for the rest of your life. Moderation is key, and
setting realistic goals and guidelines make it more likely that you actually stick
to them.
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The diet you use to lose weight should be the same diet you use to
maintain that healthy weight from now on. The only difference is the number
of calories you take in. Your intake should be 250 to 500 calories less during
your fat loss phase than during your maintenance phase but the types of food
you eat and how they are prepared should be exactly the same. You have to
think long term if you are going to stay healthy long term.
Never skip a meal: This is probably one of the easiest things you can do
to improve your chances for sustainable weight control. I would cringe every
time a client would tell me that they would skip a meal to cut out calories
while trying to lose weight. It is one of those things that seems logical on the
surface but has harsh metabolic side effects that can make it nearly
impossible to lose fat content.
Every time you skip a meal your body uses up all of its available
carbohydrate stores in the blood, liver, and muscle tissue. Once all of that
carbohydrate is gone your body has to switch to using your fat stores to
continue functioning until you eat again. This initially makes enough sense; to
lose fat you have to use it, right? So, why don’t you want to lose it from
skipping meals or fasting? The reason why this is a bad way to lose fat
weight comes down to how your body functions in relation to the “use it or
lose it” principal – many of the systems in your body work off of this principal.
Basically what this means is that if you don’t use a system in your body it will
get weaker, smaller and/or slow down and if you do use a system in your
body it will get stronger, faster and/or larger.
For example when you do some kind of cardiovascular exercise on a
regular basis you are telling your body that it needs to become more efficient
at this activity, so every system that is involved becomes stronger; cardio,
pulmonary, and vascular systems (heart, lungs, and veins/arteries) all
become more efficient at pushing blood around the body. In relation to
adipose tissue (fat), the more often you pull from your fat stores (because you
aren’t eating enough or frequently enough) the more importance your body
puts on storing fat as efficiently as possible. In today’s generation however,
where there is ample food, we actually need our fat “system” to work as
inefficiently as possible so we don’t gain weight and the only way to make
that happen is to use your fat “system” as little as possible by eating regular
meals and not letting the body go into starvation mode.
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There is another factor at play when you skip meals or fast for long
periods of time and that is your body’s reaction to losing fat weight too
quickly. Let’s say that you are starting a new fad diet that has you consuming
only a few hundred calories per day for the first week or two. Halfway through
the first day your body starts to get “nervous” as its regular hunger signals are
being ignored. By the end of day one or the morning of day two, a sort of
panic sets in and your body will start to retaliate with everything it has to keep
you from dropping what it sees as too much fat content, too quickly.
Your body starts to send out hunger signals at a much higher intensity,
and attempts to suppress your resting metabolism to try and make up some
of the deficit you are creating each day. By the middle of the week or earlier,
your body starts to do the last thing you ever want it to do; digest/break-down
your own muscle tissue. This will not only give your body more calories to get
though your day but it will also allow your body to permanently drop your
metabolism. This makes it even easier to gain weight and the only way you
can undo the damage is by rebuilding the muscle tissue you lose with weight
training, which can not be done while in a starvation state.
Simply skipping one meal a day can begin to activate this whole process
in the body. Even if you eat three times a day, if you have too big of a gap
between meals then your body will try to start this process as well, though to
a lesser degree.
Eat all the time: As explained in the last section, if you skip meals you
can lower your metabolism and actually make it harder to lose fat weight and
keep it off in the long run. So what happens when instead of skipping meals
you add more meals in? As I’m sure you can guess, you can actually
increase your metabolism not only making it easier to gain muscle tissue
(with exercise) – which further increases your metabolism, but you can also
increase your metabolism just by eating more frequently. The only rule is that
you have to evenly disperse your calories over each meal.
When you are trying to lose fat you not only want to be exercising to burn
calories and watching your calorie intake to make sure that you’re not taking
in too many calories, but you also want to be telling your body that you don’t
need your fat content anymore.
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You do this by eating more often than the typical 3 meals a day. For this
to work most efficiently you need to eat at least 4 meals a day, but preferably
6 or more (or at least frequent snacking in between meals).
As mentioned above, you need to realize that you cannot eat the same
size meals that you normally eat and just add another meal in your day. To
keep from gaining weight by eating more calories you need to be sure you
take in the same amount of calories you normally do, to maintain your weight
and split it evenly between 4-8 meals throughout the day. If you choose 6
meals per day, this would look like 6 individual small meals, or you could set
up your meals so you have three meals that you eat twice per day. For
example, eat half of your normal sized lunch then eat the other half 2-3 hours
later, this way you don’t have to try to think up 6 individual meals for the day
but instead only have to come up with your normal 3 meals per day.
That 2-3 hour break in between these small meals gives you just enough
time to get from one meal to the next without switching over to fat stores. The
smaller meal size also gives you just enough calories so you don’t have any
surplus that your body wont need for energy, that end up getting stored as fat.
By eating multiple small meals throughout the day you are not only able
to avoid using your fat stores to a large degree but you can also actually
boost your metabolism with this style of eating. Believe it or not, by eating 4-8
meals per day you can actually keep your metabolism running at a higher
rate over the course of the day. This works by never allowing your
metabolism to dip between meals as it does when eating three or fewer
meals per day. This dip happens every time you run out of readily available
calories and have to start using your fat stores; with the multiple meals you
hardly ever use your fat stores so you can keep your metabolism running full
speed all day long.
Log your calories: We view this as a bit of a necessary evil, in the
sense that we don’t want anyone to live their life obsessed with counting their
calories rather than just enjoying their meal but at the same time you have to
know what you are putting in your body if you ever want to be successful at
losing weight or even maintaining weight. Because we don’t ever want to
promote an unhealthy or obsessive relationship with food, we suggest
counting your calories only for a very short period of time. You need to know
what you are taking in to get an idea of what you need to change about your
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normal diet but you don’t need to keep an exact record every day for the rest
of your life.
We suggest tracking your calorie intake over the course of two to four
weeks at a time as an absolute maximum, and recommend trying to learn
how to estimate your calorie intake as best you can without having to
measure or weigh your food. When you are actually trying to track your
calories you need to be precise about it to really get an idea of what you are
taking in. For example use measuring cups to portion your food rather than
just guessing at amounts. This will not only give you the most accurate
numbers of calorie consumption but it will also train you to know what a cup,
half cup, oz, fl oz, etc. looks like visually which comes in handy when you are
no longer tracking your calories but still need to have an idea of what you are
taking in (a skill you will need for the rest of your life).
Once you have a good idea of what you are taking in you can make
adjustments to your overall diet for things like vitamin and mineral intake,
percentage of fat, protein and carbohydrate, fiber and much more. There are
a number of free online resources for food tracking that are easy to use even
when building meals from scratch, many of which you can even put on your
smart phone; some will even tell you how inflammatory a particular food is.
But no matter which one you use just remember it is only as accurate as the
information you give it so be sure to record everything that you eat or drink
and be as exact with the amounts as you can.
Calorie balance information is extremely important to setting your goals
for not only food intake but also your calorie expenditure goals with exercise.
Know your calories CPF%: When logging your calories; one of the
most important things to pay attention to is each meals carbohydrate, protein
and fat (CPF) percentages. Keeping your body running at peak performance
is just as much about what you eat as it is how you train, and the first thing
you need to look at in your diet is what your percentages of CPF are in
relation to each meal and snack you consume. Almost every food logging
app, or online program will have a function that breaks down these important
numbers for you.
Your CPF percentages are important because the amount of these three
nutrients you consume effects how you digest your food and how much
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energy you will have available while exercising.
Carbohydrates are the easiest of these three nutrients to digest, making it
release into your blood stream quickly. This is a good thing in some ways as
carbohydrates are directly linked to initially satisfying your feelings of hunger.
Unfortunately, your body also uses and stores carbohydrate very quickly,
causing hunger signals to return very quickly when consumed alone (think
snack foods, chips, crackers, bread, etc.).
Protein is the next to be digested, however, your body does not like using
protein as a fuel source so if you consume anything else with a high protein
source then that will generally be utilized first. The nice thing about protein is
that it can slightly slow the digestion of carbohydrate allowing it to be
released more slowly.
Fat is the slowest to be digested due to its massive molecular size and
the metabolic process it takes to transport and transform. This is the most
important nutrient of the three for keeping you satisfied and hunger free for
long periods of time. Additionally, any amount of fat will actually physically
slow the release of stomach contents no matter what it is mixed with causing
a slower release of those nutrients into the blood stream over a longer period
of time.
When all three of these nutrients are present in each meal you can use
the carbohydrate to quickly satisfy your hunger and the protein and fat to slow
your digestion and keep you satisfied for longer. The main benefit of this is
keeping your blood sugar levels (that come from the carbohydrate you eat) at
a more even level for a longer period of time. Eating like this can even
reverse some effects of type two diabetes or keep it from becoming an issue
in the first place.
The main thing you are looking for is a percentage of carbohydrate,
protein, and fat of roughly 60-20-20 respectively, or up to 70-15-15 for those
who are very physically active (as you would be during one of our programs
that utilizes longer duration workouts, or during competition training). These
are the optimal percentages for athletic performance, maintaining a high
metabolism, and keeping yourself satisfied for as long as possible.
Eat Fresh: One of the biggest pitfalls of people looking to become
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healthier is the health food and supplement industry itself and all of the foods
that are marketed as healthy foods. In our opinion the only foods that are truly
healthy are those that have the least amount of human involvement. Never
will you hear anyone at Fitness Blender promote or suggest any type of
supplement, shake, or prepackaged meals, or meal replacements.
Some of the most appealing products to most people will be anything
labeled with a low fat, no fat, low calorie, or my personal favorite “healthy”
claim. Though these foods may seem like a good place to start to clean up
your diet and lose weight or just become healthier, these foods can actually
push you further in the opposite direction. Most of these so called “healthy
foods” are so packed with preservatives, flavor additives, artificial colors,
artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, thickeners, and more, that they can actually
cause just as many or more problems in the long run than many of the worst
foods you can think of.
If the food that is marketed as healthy can’t be trusted then what can you
do? This is where the “eat fresh” mantra comes in. This does not necessarily
mean only fresh fruits and veggies, fresh dairy, eggs and/or meat though that
is a good place to start, this also includes things like wild rice, beans, quinoa,
lentils, and other “raw”, unaltered foods. We also make some concessions for
some slightly altered foods like oatmeal, pasta (whole wheat preferably),
couscous, and other more processed foods like commercially prepared bread
(if made from high quality ingredients with no preservatives added), canned
vegetables, and other similar items. Just be sure that whatever the item is
that its ingredients are only food items and not additives of any kind.
The easiest way to keep these foods on your plate is to be sure they
make it in your shopping cart, and knowing where these items are in your
local grocery store is a great place to start. Typically grocery stores are a
large box and if you think of the front of the box as the front of the store
where the check stands are, then the left or right side of the box will be fresh
produce and the remaining two sides will be seafood, meat/deli section, dairy,
eggs, bakery and bread, and so on. The perimeter of the store or “box” will
hold about 90% of what you want in your cart and in your diet. The other 10%
will be made up of various other foods that you may have to venture to the
interior of the store to get like canned and frozen items.
Ideally your plate should be piled high with fruits and veggies, whole
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grain carbohydrates such as black or wild rice, quinoa, couscous, or whole-
wheat pastas, and your plate should contain only a minimal amount of meat
and dairy products. Not only will this get you the vitamin and mineral content
your body needs but it will also fill you up more quickly and keep you full
longer.
Eating fresh like this can seem to be more expensive initially but the cost
of not eating this way will be far more expensive related to the increase of
long-term medical costs, medications, and even a shorter life span. We are
not trying to use scare tactics but the consequences of a poor diet full of
processed man-made foods cannot be described as anything less than
terrifying. Just remember that most of the worst diseases facing first-world
countries can be completely avoided with proper diet and exercise.
Hydrate the fat away: Water is by far the most important substance in
your body, even though it does not have any nutrient or calorie content. What
water lacks in nutritional content, it more than makes up for by being an
integral part of how the human body works on a millisecond-by-millisecond
basis. Water works in many different ways in the body from transporting and
storing to lubricating and diluting. All of these processes use calories in some
way even if it is just residual calories used by the heart to pump blood around
the vascular system. The most interesting way water can help you burn
calories is related to how water is absorbed by the body. The human body
tries to maintain a core temperature of 37° C or 98.6° F. Since the water we
drink is very rarely body temperature, your body has to increase or decrease
the temperature of the water to match before it can be absorbed and used.
This causes calories to be used. The most significant energy used is when
the body has to warm cold water up to body temperature. Though the amount
of energy used is not particularly high, over time it can add up to a significant
calorie deficit.
You burn roughly one calorie for every fluid ounce of water you drink, but
this only counts if the water is extremely cold. Lets say you drink a liter of ice
cold water - that is an extra 32 calories burned without doing any extra
physical activity (if you are drinking room temperature water then cut that
number in half or more). If you were to drink 3 liters of ice cold water daily,
you could burn an extra 96 calories per day – that’s 672 per week, 2688 per
month, or 32,256 per year – equal to 9.2 pounds of fat you would lose or at
least avoid gaining, just from drinking water.
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Another way water helps you burn more calories is that it increases your
overall metabolism by allowing your body to work at peak efficiency. Because
your body is comprised of 60-70% water (depending on your fat and muscle
content) even the slightest drop in your level of hydration can have a negative
effect on your overall physical ability. A 1% drop in your body’s optimal water
levels has been estimated to cause up to a 5% drop in physical ability and
when exercising to burn calories for fat loss you need your body working as
efficiently as possible so you don’t slow your progress. This becomes
particularly important when exercising heavily especially when in hot and/or
humid conditions. Always keep water close while working out so you don’t
become dehydrated during your routine.
Lastly, we cannot stress enough to choose your fluids wisely. Many
people have created detrimental habits of drinking way to many calorie dense
drinks such as, soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, energy drinks or coffee based
drinks. Though some of these may seem like they should be good for you, or
at least neutral, all of these should be treated as special occasion drinks or at
the very least should be accounted for in your daily caloric intake. Many of
these calorie-laden drinks, especially in the case of coffee based drinks, can
pack 1000 calories or more for every 12 fl oz. Other full calorie drinks, even
the low calorie options, can be anywhere from 50-200 calories per 12 fl oz.
Drinking even the lower calorie options gives you empty calories that can
easily add up to extra weight. For example, drinking just 3 glasses of a calorie
dense drink (100 cal per 12 fl oz) can easily add up over the course of a week
giving you a surplus of calories equivalent to 2/3 of a pound of fat.
Though drinking “zero” calorie versions of your favorite drinks is better
than the regular version in terms of not having extra calories, drinking water
will always be a better choice for several reasons. Firstly, water will hydrate
you and burn a few extra calories while it is at it, all with no side effects, and
the same can not be said for “zero” calorie substitutes. All of the no calorie
sodas, and energy drinks (and even many of the reduced calorie drinks) have
various artificial colorings, sweeteners, flavorings, additives - many of which
have been linked to an increased chance for certain types of cancer and at
the very least effect your body’s hunger response and insulin levels.
Do what you can to learn to love water, if not just for the health benefits and
ability to help you lose unwanted weight, then because it is the cheapest and
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most readily available fluid you can possibly choose.
Never Use Starvation Diets: Starvation diets (those that heavily restrict
your calorie intake for prolonged periods of time) act identically to your
system as skipping meals during a day, it just does it to an even greater
degree and it has another detrimental side effect.
When you use starvation diets, sometimes called crash diets, you are
telling your body that you don’t have access to enough food to keep yourself
alive at your current metabolic level. In order to “stay alive” your body does a
number of detrimental things.
First, it will increase your hunger response and food cravings to try and
motivate you to eat anything that might have any calorie content. This makes
it very difficult to maintain willpower and keep from binging on something you
may not have ever eaten normally. If you have ever walked by an open box of
fresh doughnuts while on a diet and the only thing keeping you from eating
every last one of them is the fear of being judged by your family or co-
workers, then you know what I’m talking about.
Secondly, your body will force your metabolism to drop by lowering some
hormone levels and increasing others. What this does
is lower the overall number of calories you can take in without gaining weight.
When trying to lose weight that’s the last thing you want to have happen.
Lastly, when you are restricting your calories to this extent you are not
just using your fat deposits for energy to get through the day, you’re also
breaking down and digesting skeletal muscle tissue for energy. This is one of
the worst things you can do for your body’s health. It’s very difficult to build
muscle tissue and every pound of muscle burns anywhere from 2-3.2 calories
per day when you are at rest. Meaning every pound of muscle tissue you lose
from improper dieting can cost you 672-1008 calories per year that you could
have burnt without any physical activity. It may not seem like much but if you
were to yo-yo diet with starvation diets only three times per year and lost an
average of one pound of muscle tissue each time, you could easily start
gaining an extra pound per year after the first year, two pounds per year after
the second year, three pounds per year after the third, etc, without doing
anything differently with your diet or physical activity.
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In closing: Eat well, and eat often. You should not feel like you are
starving if you are eating the right things. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits,
whole grains, lean meats, healthy fat sources (avocados, oils, nuts, etc), and
stay away from diet products, fad diets, partially hydrogenated oils, fake
sweeteners, and packaged, altered foods that have mystery ingredients. Eat
for health, and weight loss will inevitably follow.
Common Questions
How do I get to the workout videos listed in this eBook?
Each day’s workout title is a hyperlink to the video on our website; click the
title and it will take you to exactly where you need to be.
Do I really have to get a medical release or talk to my doctor before I
start this program?
Because the workouts in this program are so physically demanding and
because it is a general program for healthy individuals with no
contraindications and not built or customized for any one individual in
particular, it is our strong recommendation that you get medical clearance for
vigorous exercise before you begin this program. This is not a personalized
workout program and since there is no consult between Fitness Blender and
the participant, your physician is the only one who can advise as to whether
or not this program is appropriate for you.
How many pounds will I lose doing this program?
Your ideal average rate of weight loss should be around 1-3 lbs a week.
There may be some weeks where you drop more than that, and some weeks
when you lose less. If you were to lose 1-3 lbs a week, and stick with the plan
for the full 4 weeks, you could easily lose 4-12 lbs doing just one round of this
program.
Losing any faster than that is not recommended as it likely means that you
are not taking in enough calories, or that you are setting yourself up for a
likely case of burnout. A loss of 1-3 pounds a week also does not throw the
body’s metabolism into a tailspin that makes it less willing to burn calories
efficiently.
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Even if you are anxious to get faster weight loss than that, try to keep the
larger picture in mind, and don’t sacrifice long term weight loss and health for
immediate, drastic results that will more likely than not only be temporary.
What if I’m not trying to lose weight and instead just want to become
more fit or gain muscle?
When you want to become more fit without dropping weight, you need to be
aware of calorie balance in terms of both expenditure and consumption. You
will need to pay attention to the amount of energy that you are using (calories
burned) and the number of calories that you will need to eat in order to make
sure that you aren’t creating a deficit that would result in weight loss. Exercise
is necessary and essential for good health, even if weight loss is not a goal,
and this program is as effective for gaining muscle tissue as it is for burning
fat.
Is it okay to skip a scheduled workout in this program if I did some
other kind of exercise on that day?
Yes, it is completely okay to substitute one of our workouts for some other
kind of activity. For example, if you have a long hike planned on the same day
that you are supposed to do one of our cardio workouts, by all means sub out
the workout in the video for the exercise that gets you out & about, moving on
your own.
This program is a great guideline to follow but you are going to have to listen
to your body, consider your schedule & regular activities, and use common
sense to customize this routine to fit your lifestyle and fitness needs.
One of the most important parts of an exercise program is the exerciser’s
likelihood of adherence – if you are rigid with yourself and don’t allow wiggle
room for activities that you enjoy, you’re not likely to stick with it. We want you
to learn to listen to your body and enjoy exercise and the way working out
feels, so do what you need to in order to feel that way as you complete this
program. If you do skip one of the program’s scheduled workout days, just
start right back in on the day that you missed the next day – don’t skip any of
the days of the program.
I completely missed a day of workouts, what should I do?
If you missed out on a day or two of the program, start back up into your habit
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by jumping right back in where you left off, completing the workout of the
day(s) that you missed – don’t skip any of the scheduled program days by
jumping ahead to the day that you “should” be on. You also should not
attempt to squeeze the workouts from multiple days into one day – this would
be overkill and you run the risk of burning yourself out or making yourself
vulnerable to injury.
I missed a few weeks of the program, should I start over?
If you missed over two weeks of the program and were not physically active
at all, you may want to start over. If you were still working out during your
break from the program, you may just jump back in at the day you left off.
How can I lose fat on/around my ________?
It is impossible to spot reduce fat and anyone who tells you different likely
has a gimmick or product that they are hoping to sell you. Genetics play a
part in deciding how the body is shaped and where it gains extra weight and
fat, but exercise can make a huge difference. Instead of focusing on the
individual zones that you want to lose fat from, concentrate on reaching a
healthy bodyweight and lowering your overall body fat percentage.
When you focus on lowering overall body fat, your entire body, including the
areas that you wish you could spot reduce, will shrink, lose fat content, and/or
firm up overall. In time, and with consistent healthy eating and exercise, your
trouble zones will take care of themselves.
How soon into the program will I start to see changes in my body or on
the scale?
If you diligently follow the program, you will start to notice changes in your
body composition in as little as two weeks. If you couple your exercising habit
with healthy, moderate eating practices, you will notice even more drastic
changes, faster.
In addition to taking the Fitness Blender Physical Fitness Test, you may also
want to use a tape measure or body fat percentage test to assess your body
and/or record your starting place. Muscle weighs slightly more than fat, and
sometimes if changes are not initially showing up as drastically as you would
like them to on the scale, it can be encouraging to see that you are toning up
& losing inches.
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The workouts are too hard for my fitness level
Keep in mind that with any of these workouts, you are very much encouraged
to go at your own pace; you can always take longer or more frequent breaks,
do fewer reps, or move at a slower pace.
Some of the workout videos in this program are very physically challenging
and not meant for beginners or those who are deconditioned, making it
important to listen to your body and adjust the workout to make it work for you
and your fitness level.
It is not unusual for there to be some amount of discomfort in exercising and
pushing yourself physically (raised heartbeat, sweaty brow, breathing hard in
attempt to take in more oxygen, etc.) but you should also listen to your body
in that when it tells you to “stop” like it means it, you should comply.
It takes a little time and practice to learn to read your body’s signals and
figure out how far you can safely push your own boundaries. This is yet
another reason why it is so important to get your doctor’s approval and
medical clearance before starting any workout program.
It is important to push yourself but it’s even more important to realize that at
any point during any workout, it is okay to stop and catch your breath. Just
make sure that you jump right back into the routine as soon as you can.
The workouts are too easy for me
There are many easy ways to make a workout routine more challenging,
including wearing a weighted vest or holding onto dumbbells during the
exercises, moving faster than we are in the video, and increasing the weight
that you are lifting. If you are finding the routines too easy, you may also want
to check your form as you may be doing the moves incorrectly, or accidentally
“cheating” and doing the exercises with improper form, which often makes the
move less challenging.
I’m injured, recovering from an injury, pregnant, have a health
condition, severely overweight, etc.
Your personal physician or health care provider is the only one who can tell
you whether or not a program is appropriate for you. It is out of the scope of
practice (illegal) for a personal trainer to prescribe exercise or diagnose,
especially for those with contraindications. In addition, Fitness Blender does
not have any of your health history or other important details that would be
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crucial to making smart decisions regarding what exercises might be helpful
or harmful to you. The safest bet is always talking to your physician.
Can I do more exercise in addition to this program? Can I do additional
HIIT?
Extra physical activity will likely not do any harm and may even speed up
your results, as long as it is low impact. High intensity interval training and/or
strength training, on the other hand, does require some time in order to let the
muscles heal – with that in mind, we advise against doing any additional high
impact or lifting workouts while you are doing this program.
On days where my schedule is hectic, is it okay to break the workout
videos apart into two separate workouts?
Breaking any one of the workouts up throughout the day is completely fine. In
fact, breaking the routines into separate sections done intermittently through
the day may end up burning more calories than if you do just one long
session. Just make sure that you warm up and cool down properly each time
you begin & end.
Do I have to do a warm up before every workout?
Doing even just a few minutes of a warm up is an excellent way to prepare
your body for the workload ahead. It helps to increase your circulation, warm
your muscles, and reduce the shock on your system that can occur when you
go from inactivity to strenuous activity suddenly. It is a great way to protect
yourself from everything from excessive cardiovascular stress to muscle
strains.
Some of our workout videos include a short warm up session and others do
not. On days where you are doing a workout video that does not have a warm
up or cool down period built into the routine, we will direct you to one of our
warm up or cool down videos.
How do you calculate calories burned for each workout, and why is
there such a wide range in the estimates?
To get calorie burn estimations we consider the difficulty of the exercises, the
length of the workout, the gender and fitness level of the participant, size of
muscle groups engaged, cardiovascular demand, intensity, and the effect of
intervals, as well as many other factors that are present in each routine.
Though we try to be as accurate as possible, these figures are for estimation
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purposes only and each person will burn a different amount of calories
depending on a complex set of variables.
That is why there is so much range in each estimate – weight, fitness level,
exertion level, gender, one’s proficiency at a specific exercise or workout,
lean muscle mass, and age are just a few of the many things that influence
each individual’s actual burn. We estimate that well over 90% of the
population will fall into our estimation ranges.
I am not losing weight, what am I doing wrong?
If you have been attentively following the workout program for more than 3
weeks and are not seeing changes in your scale weight, it is very likely that
your diet is the culprit.
A lot of people erroneously believe that a workout is a free pass to eat
whatever they like. As nice as that would be, it’s just not how it works.
Here’s one way to put it in perspective in terms of calories consumed &
calories burned exercising; take note of the calorie estimations for each of the
Fitness Blender workout videos that you do as part of this program. For
instance, it takes a lot of time, sweat, and hard work to burn 300-500 calories.
Now think of the snacks and meals you eat, and how quickly extra snacking
adds up to the same amount of calories. Being aware of how hard it is to
expend that same amount of energy that is so easy to consume can help
remind you that you need to be mindful of both creating a caloric deficit, and
of keeping that deficit throughout the day while you are making your food
choices.
On the flipside, there are many other things that you should be looking at to
determine whether or not you are making “progress”.
For example, if you have been following the plan as instructed, it’s highly
unlikely that you have not made changes in your body’s measurements
(inches lost), body fat percentage, strength, or cardiovascular endurance.
Do yourself a favor, especially if you are brand new to exercising, and don’t
define “success” as weight loss and weight loss alone, because
being active and physically fit has many more rewarding benefits than just the
number on the scale.
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Is this a program for men or women, or both?
This is a workout program for both. Gender specific workout routines are
really not necessary and tend to facilitate the breeding of the misinformed
concept that our bodies are different enough that one set of exercises works
well for women while another works better for men.
What if I don’t have the equipment one of the routines asks for?
If you are serious about replacing a gym membership with home workouts,
you should invest in these simple pieces of equipment (the same equipment
that we use in the routines that make up this program): a set of dumbbells or
resistance bands, and a good exercise mat.
If a routine we have used in this program requires a piece of equipment that
you do not own, you can sometimes get a little creative in order to make it
work anyway. For example, if you don’t have a physioball you could use a
bench (or even a table – I have been known to do chest presses lying on our
coffee table in the living room). Depending on your strength & fitness level,
dumbbells can be replaced by cans of soup, or inexpensive, easily stored
resistance bands. A medicine ball or kettlebell can for the most part be
replaced with a dumbbell, and so on.
Whatever you do, don’t balk at any routine in this workout plan just because it
uses a piece of equipment you don’t have. There are always easy
modifications that allow you to use another option. You could even pass on a
routine completely if you wanted to and search our extensive database of full
length workout videos in order to find one that has the same focus in terms of
muscle group or training type, but without the piece of equipment you are
missing.
Most of our exercises and routines are also dynamic enough that even if you
were not able to add in the challenge of extra resistance as called for, you
would still be getting a good workout.
I don’t want to “bulk up”, should I do these workouts?
Definitely! Fitness Blender is hoping to help bust the myth that regular
strength training leads to a physique like that of The Hulk.
Strength training leads to increased bone density, a higher metabolism
(muscle burns more calories than fat), more graceful aging, and improved
coordination, balance, and mood – just to name a few of the many perks.
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Women especially tend to shy away from lifting weights for fear of adding
unwanted mass, but in doing so end up cheating themselves out of the only
scientifically proven method of raising the body’s resting metabolism –
building lean muscle.
The videos in this fat burning workout program will not make women bulk up
– not without supplementation and/or some seriously heavy lifting.
If I am still very sore from my last day of working out, should I skip a
workout?
If you are really sore from a previous workout, you can always pause in your
progression in the program and skip another rigorous workout, instead taking
a day of rest and light stretching, or choosing one of our low impact workouts
instead.
After a day of rest, just start right back in on the same day that you left off –
no need to rush ahead and skip any workouts just to stay on any perceived
schedule. Each day of this program is important, so do your best not to skip
any of them.
What are the signs of overtraining? How do I avoid overtraining?
While this program has been carefully crafted & designed with safety in mind,
overtraining is still something that you should be aware of – particularly if you
are brand new to exercise or doing a lot of additional physical activity outside
of this plan.
Signs of overtraining include mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle
aches, sleep disturbances and being unable to keep up with physical
challenges that you can usually conquer (i.e. you suddenly aren’t able to lift
as much during a strength routine or push as hard during a HIIT workout).
Overtraining is dangerous and can lead to increased risk of injury and/or
illness (due to resulting suppression of the immune system). If you think you
might be overtraining, stop all rigorous physical activity and talk to your doctor
immediately.
What is the difference between regular cardio and HIIT cardio?
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a type of interval training that
requires intense, 110% exertion for relatively short periods of time. Research
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has shown it to be more effective than longer, sustained effort workouts for
higher calorie burn, and more rapid increases in endurance. We have used
HIIT a lot in this 30 minutes or less workout plan, because of it’s ability to
bring about results in less time.
Lower intensity cardio still has its place in a fitness plan however, and it is
ideal to use a combination of regular cardio and HIIT in a workout program.
Why is strength training important in fat burning weight loss plans like
this one?
Building lean muscle is the only thing that will increase your overall resting
metabolism (contrary to what you may read on the back of weight loss
products).
When you build muscle, you burn more calories even while you are resting,
which puts the odds in your favor for becoming and staying lean. If you are
trying to get lean and stay lean, you want muscle content on your side. When
you use just cardio training to lose weight, you run the risk of slowing your
metabolism, which can make it much harder to lose weight and keep it off.
Aside from the importance of building muscle for weight loss, strength training
also has an extensive list of health benefits that you don’t want to miss out on
by doing just cardio or any other kind of single fitness training method.
I want to get fit but I don’t have to time to make this much of a
commitment, what should I do?
Make time. Your own fitness should always be a top priority, for far more than
superficial appearance and vanity driven reasons; exercise is your means to
a long, healthy, happy life.
We know that it is easier said than done, but think of it this way: the more
things in life that you have going on, and the more people that depend on you
– the more that you need to be fit and healthy to keep up with it all. When you
take care of yourself first, you are better able to do those things & be there for
those loved ones.
Remember, you can always do these workouts at separate times of the day.
Waking up earlier, doing the routines on your lunch break, or cutting out some
TV or web-carousing hours are just a few of the many ways that you can
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make time for these routines in your day.
Whatever you do, don’t waste any of your precious energy on crafting
excuses not to follow through with intentions to workout.
What weight loss supplements or protein supplements does Fitness
Blender recommend?
None! Weight loss supplements are an ineffective, short-term solution – at
best. They can be downright dangerous and are not the way that you are
going to reach and maintain a healthy bodyweight.
Protein supplements are not necessarily a must have, as you can get all of
your body’s needs from smart, whole food choices. Many Americans actually
get too much of it from their regular diet.
Focus on getting your nutritional needs from the foods that you eat and your
overall health and chances of losing weight will drastically improve. Steer
clear of products that promise fast results or like- magic outcomes as they
likely won’t work and even if they did, the results would almost absolutely not
be long term or via healthy methods.
Why combine so many different types of training in one plan?
Variety is fantastic when it comes to trying to see fast changes in your fitness,
weight, or body composition. With so many Fitness Blender workout videos to
choose from, you will never have any shortage of options & this program
allows you to take full advantage of that.
Variety keeps your brain and your muscles from getting bored and burning
out of the program.
How much weight should I be lifting during these workouts?
Choose a weight that you can control, but that becomes difficult to lift by the
last few repetitions. Never sacrifice form for a heavier weight, as you will only
sabotage your progress anyway. Woman - don’t steer clear of heavier
weights out of fear that you will gain size, it is incredibly unlikely to happen
without supplementation.
If I don’t change my diet while I am doing this, can I still lose weight?
Yes, but your overall rate at which you lose will be much slower with exercise
alone than it would with the combination of both exercise & diet. Try to do
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everything you can to see big results from this program by adapting your
eating habits as well as adhering to the workouts.
I lost some weight when I started but all of the sudden the scale wont
budge – what’s happening?
First, check your diet. You may be overeating and canceling out the calories
that you’re burning with your working out.
Also take a good look at your eating habits. Make sure that you are not
skipping meals and that you have an ideal balance of carbs, fats, and
proteins (roughly 60/20/20).
If you are doing all of the workouts as the program has instructed and you
have not seen a change in scale weight for 10-14 days, your diet is likely to
blame.
On the flipside, it could just be water weight from a salty meal, or even
hormones. Whatever you do, don’t panic, just keep working out and keep
eating healthily and in moderation. Remember that there are other ways to
measure your progress other than just your bodyweight (body fat percentage,
endurance, etc).
What equipment do I need to do this program and what happens if I am
missing a piece or two?
We largely use bodyweight exercises for this program, but we also use
dumbbells (or resistance bands), and kettlebells (which can be replaced by
dumbbells). There are some points in some routines where it would be helpful
to have some kind of bench in order to perform an exercise; a physioball or
coffee table will also work.
What do I do when the 4 weeks is over?
When the 4 weeks is over, you can either start back over at the beginning, or
try another one of our structured workout programs in order to keep
challenging yourself. The most important thing is that you realize that just
because the program is complete doesn’t mean that your exercising is over. If
you follow our plan and eat healthy, you will without a doubt see results in the
form of weight loss, lean muscle gains, boosted energy levels, better moods,
a drop in body fat, or increased flexibility. Use your success- your loss in
inches and pounds and your gains in strength, endurance and energy, as
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motivation to fuel your lifelong exercising habit.
© 2012 by Fitness Blender. All rights reserved No part of this document may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written
permission of Fitness Blender.
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Fitness Blender Physical Fitness Test
Knowing your level of physical fitness is important for many different reasons
and can be used as a tool to motivate yourself or call attention to areas you
need to work on. When testing your fitness levels, having a standard physical
fitness test to use to score yourself with is paramount.
With our new version of the fit test we have not included any type of scoring
as we don't need or want to compare your individual test with anyone else.
Instead we want you to focus only on competing against yourself the next
time you take the test.
There are five sections to our test that we have outlined below, each of which
you will need to either time yourself for or count total number of repetitions
except the last component which you will measure with a ruler or measuring
tape. This test can range greatly in the amount of time it takes to complete,
as each exercise is done for as long as it takes for you to complete the task
or to fatigue to the point of needing rest. As a bonus, it also makes for a great
workout.
How to take the PFT: Complete each section of the physical fitness test, and
record your results. Watch your progress as your strength, flexibility, and
endurance improves.
Make sure you warm up before starting this test. A brisk walk or jogging in
place for several minutes will suffice.
Fitness Blender's PFT (complete in the order shown)
1 Mile Run: Using a treadmill, local track or marked out one mile course (with
a car or a smart phone app) run, jog, or walk (or any combo of those three)
until you have completed the full distance.
Time yourself and record it here:
1 Mile Run Time: ____________________
Push Ups: Do either full push ups (from hands and toes), half push ups (from
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hand and knees) or any combination of the two. Be sure to record how many
of each type you do until you need to rest. Once you sit back onto your knees
or drop and rest on the ground you are done. Be sure you keep proper form
the entire time as you want to only count properly done repetitions.
Full Push Ups: ____________________
Half Push Ups: ____________________
Squats: With feet shoulder width apart do as many squats as you can
keeping your back flat and the angle of your chest and shins the same. If
body weight squats are very easy for you then feel free to use extra weight to
make it harder (so you fatigue more quickly) just be sure to also record the
amount of weight used as well. To keep your repetitions as even as possible
you may want to use a chair, physio-ball or bench to mark the depth of your
squat, being sure to come down and touch whatever you use with your butt,
to keep yourself from using a smaller range of motion as you get more and
more tired. As soon as you have to limit your range of motion or your form
starts to suffer stop counting repetitions.
Number of Squats: ____________________
Weight Used (if any): ____________________
Static Plank: Hold this position from forearms and toes keeping a straight line
from shoulders to ankles. If your core cannot yet handle a full plank then do a
half plank from your knees but do not switch between the two while timing.
You will want to use a clock or watch with a second hand or preferably an
actual stopwatch style timer. Start the time as soon as you move into the
plank position and hold that position as long as you can. If you drop to the
ground or your hips kick up too high into the air then stop and record the
elapsed time.
Static Plank Time: ____________________
Sit and Reach: This is a very simplified version of the sit and reach test from
our old PFT. In this version place a piece of tape on the ground and sit with
your heels up to the edge of the tap closest to you. Holding another piece of
tape in your hands (your marker) stretch down between your legs getting as
close to or as far past the tape on the ground as you can. Place the marker
tape you have in your hands on the ground then measure the distance from
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one piece of tape to the next being sure to measure from the edge of the tape
on the ground that was closest to your heels to the edge of the marker tape
that you placed with your finger tips. If you placed the marker in between your
legs, the distance will be a negative number (in centimeters or inches), and if
you placed the marker tape past your feet then it will be a positive number.
Sit and Reach Measurement: __________________
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Disclaimer
This program has been built for healthy individuals with a solid baseline of
fitness. This workout has not been customized to cater to any individual,
regardless of their age, weight, fitness level, exercise experience, health
risks, past, current or future injuries. Meet with your doctor and get complete
medical clearance before beginning this or any other exercise, fitness, or
workout program. The owners of Fitness Blender and authors of this program
have no medical experience or titles whatsoever and cannot suggest which
exercises or fitness program may work specific to an individual’s health status
or conditions, or exercise experience. Exercise and working out is inherently
dangerous. If and when you do any of the workouts or exercises from this
program, or the program itself, you do so at your own risk.
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