The tone, the strength, looking like you lift?

You need to give your body the OPTIMAL ENVIRONMENT to transform
Here are 7 things you need to know

---

4 and #7 are the BIGGEST bottlenecks I see

[1] LIFT with intent and intensity!
IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU BULKY i promise!!

[2] your nutrition & lifestyle play a HUGE role in this!

[3] YOU CAN SEE BODY RECOMPOSITION at maintenance calories!
If you are patient enough to stay the course…

---

[4] HOWEVER, none of that can happen without the RIGHT TRAINING STRATEGY in place
CHALLENGE your body to lift heavier!
To get stronger!
(form & technique first)

[5] HAVE A STRUCTURED PROGRAM that doesnt change every few weeks!
Prioritizing compound lifts (big movements) hack squat & squats, lunges, pullups/pulldowns, rows etc..

[6] Respect your recovery & rest days!

---

[7] But most of all
BE RELENTLESSLY PATIENT!
STOP RUNNING BACK TO A DEFICIT the moment you feel uncomfortable or fluffy…

The more you repeat ^ that cycle, youll find yourself spinning your wheels in NO MANS LAND
Because youre not consistently eating with the INTENT to support HIGH QUALITY TRAINING
And youre more focused on shrinking than you are on optimizing performance…

Meaning… The worse you will look over time

---

Fast forward 6 months you’ve made no progress, feel like shit
and you’re wondering why other women can thrive
with more food flexibility, enjoy their carbs, not have things stick to them

how they have more power over their results

strong #jacked #lean

the game changing part?

---

➡️the biggest issue is when you go 100% into fatloss?
you want the results & you see them fast…
but you DON’T exit the fat loss mentality

➡️The struggle is that you don’t see big changes when you’re building\
AND YOU SHOULDN’T
You cant force feed muscle growth.

You CAN train hard.
You CAN focus on the right shit in the gym.
You CAN eat enough, eat carbs, get strong.

But MUSCLE TAKES SO much longer to build!!
Especially when the goal is to minimize the fat you do gain in the process too

---

Learning PERFORMANCE NUTRITION and not just fat loss dieting is HOW you create a physique you are proud of & feel confident in

LIFTING to make you STRONGER & MORE BADASS is the name of the game!
Heres a mindset shift for you

---

Way too often, women want the results they see, without getting realistic about what it takes
➡️youre muddled & confused with what fitfluencers post
➡️youre scared to eat enough and stop perpetual dieting
➡️not realising FATLOSS isn’t the goal but a PART of the journey (the smallest part of “toning up)

When you attach yourself to outcomes and numbers, its easy to get emotionally attached to ewhat you know/is familiar
& to the dopamine of getting leaner.

Social media can make it so hard for you to do what you need to do to get to your desired results
But you CANNOT deficit your way to lean

LEAN = MUSCLE
TONED = MUSCLE
And NO muscle will not make you bulky
But there is a PROCESS IN BETWEEN where you will have to get uncomfortable pushing a different path to get to the end of the rainbow on the other side – the pot of gold.

INSTEAD of adding more workouts, junk volume, WODS, finishers…
Remember that LIFTING IS NOT TO BURN CALORIES or “lean us up” in the way we perceive.

It LEANS US UP by building MUSCLE. By getting STRONG.
By getting comfy at maintenance for at least 12+ months
And INTENTIONALLY is the key word

If you still have one food out the door,
Youre eating is sporadic
Your training ISNT focused…

Your body WONT CHANGE and youll continue to feel frustrated
Because You’re STILL in the same MINDSET
You were all the times you didn’t
get the results you want

GET RID of the timeline.
Get rid of the dates you set yourself.
GET RID OF THE PRESSURE.
DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT

Get a coach for support…
Comment COMMIT if youre ready to do this the right way this time and would like some help

TRAIN FOR THE PHYSIQUE YOU WANT

1. Training vs. Exercise: Quality Over Quantity

Training focuses on improving performance and achieving specific goals. It’s about lifting heavier, running faster, or mastering a skill. The quality of your efforts and the progressive overload are key. In contrast, exercise is more about general movement and burning calories without a specific goal in mind. While both have benefits, training with intention and purpose leads to more significant body transformations and performance improvements.

Why It Matters: Understanding the difference helps you prioritize the type of effort that yields better results. Instead of just aiming to finish a workout, aim to improve and challenge yourself continuously.

---

2. Intensity Matters: The Secret to Real Results

Intensity is the game-changer. It’s about how hard you push yourself in each workout. High-intensity training means working close to your maximum capacity, whether it’s lifting weights, running, or performing HIIT. This type of training recruits more muscle fibers, increases cardiovascular demand, and stimulates greater hormonal responses.

Why It Matters: High intensity = results. but use the right tool for the job. If a lean physique is the goal. you want to make your TRAINING intense, effective & smart. Rest between sets. long enough that you are ready to go intense the next go

---

3. The Role of Recovery: Fuel and Rest for Growth

Recovery is where the magic happens. After intense training, your body needs time to repair and grow stronger. This includes sleep, proper nutrition, and active recovery practices like stretching or light activity. Skipping recovery leads to overtraining, injuries, and burnout.

Why It Matters: Recovery ensures your muscles heal and grow, reduces the risk of injury, and maintains your motivation and energy levels. Proper recovery practices optimize your performance in subsequent workouts, leading to consistent progress.

---

4. Beyond Calorie Counting: Focus on Stimulus and Adaptation

Simply tracking calories burned doesn’t account for the quality and effectiveness of your workouts. High-quality training stimulates muscle growth, hormonal changes, and metabolic adaptations. This means engaging in workouts that challenge your muscles and cardiovascular system to adapt and improve.

Why It Matters: Focusing on the stimulus and adaptation process leads to sustainable changes in your body composition and performance. This approach goes beyond short-term calorie burn to create lasting improvements in strength, endurance, and muscle tone.

---

5. Personalized Nutrition: Supporting Intense Training

Your nutrition should align with your training goals and intensity. This means consuming enough high-quality protein for muscle repair, carbs for energy, and fats for overall health. Hydration and micronutrients are also crucial for performance and recovery. Tailor your diet to your body’s needs, considering your training volume, intensity, and personal health factors.

Why It Matters: Proper nutrition supports your body’s demands during intense training, helps prevent injuries, and optimizes recovery and performance. Personalized nutrition ensures you’re fueling your body effectively for the best results.

---

How Do I Know If My Workouts Are Intense Enough to Drive Real Changes in My Body?

1. Monitor Your Progress: Track your performance in each workout. Are you lifting heavier weights, running faster, or completing more reps over time? Consistent progress indicates that your workouts are challenging enough to stimulate growth and improvement.

2. Measure Recovery Needs: After an intense workout, your muscles should feel fatigued, and you might need a day or two to fully recover. If you’re never sore or tired, you might not be pushing hard enough. However, excessive soreness and prolonged fatigue can indicate overtraining, so find a balance.

3. Check Your Heart Rate: During high-intensity workouts, your heart rate should be elevated to 70-90% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). Use a heart rate monitor to ensure you’re working within this range.

4. Perceived Exertion: Rate your effort on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being maximal effort. Effective high-intensity workouts should feel like a 7 or higher. You should feel challenged and pushed out of your comfort zone.

5. Observe Physical Changes: Notice changes in your body composition and performance. Increased muscle definition, strength gains, and improved endurance are signs that your workouts are intense enough to drive changes.

6. Variety and Progression: Incorporate variety in your workouts to keep your body adapting. Progressive overload, where you gradually increase the weight, intensity, or volume, ensures continuous improvement and prevents plateaus.

7. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body responds. If you feel stronger, more energetic, and notice improvements in your physical abilities, your workouts are likely intense enough. Conversely, if you

ARE YOU DOING THE RIGHT THINGS TO BUILD MUSCLE?

Most people are missing the biggest factors

Which is why you find you ‘just get fluffy’ or simple struggle

You can eat all the protein & take yourself out of a deficit… go to the gym..

But it doesn’t mean you are building muscle

The type and quality of training you are doing should be a top priority. You aren’t going to get mega jacked by doing F45, group classes, body pump, pilates or bootcamps🚫

This DOESN’T make it bad exercise, it’s just not fitting to your goals

QUALITY training is essential

– hypertrophy focused strength training (the body building stuff. You want to BUILD a body)

– progressing stimulus over time training beyond “that’s hard, ouch, it burns” and learning what FORM failure feels like

– TRAINING SMART; more is NOT better or more stimulative. SMART & STRATEGIC is better

– YOU NEED ADEQUATE RECOVERY!!!!

Is the target muscle you want to train the limiting factor in execution or is something else taking over?

Does your first rep look like your last? (they should be getting slower!)

PROTEIN & CALORIES!!!!!!

While TRAINING is the driving factor for muscle growth…

you need BUILDING BLOCKS & ENOUGH fuel to provide a conducive environment for growth.

No bricks, no house. Not enough workers…good luck

So yes, you gotta get OUT of a deficit, eat at your higher end of maintenance or a small surplus.

Many of you CAN build in maintenance – its just YOU NEED PATIENCE and goals away from your physique. Because THIS SHIT TAKES TIME

Building AND keeping muscle costs a lotta energy (calories) and its not a priority. So not fuelling enough = inefficient.

And without ENOUGH protein, you aint gonna build a thing. Its like trying to paint a house with crayons… not happening. (aim for at least 2.2g/kg)

CARBS & DIET QUALITY

Pre workout; they serve as FUEL and energy. More simple carbs help here

Post workout; help replenish & recover.

Eating enough carbs optimizes training stimulus BUT it also gives you more energy & satiety in the day. And the RIGHT carbs can nourish your hormones & metabolism

Remember we eat FOOD not macros. It has vitamins & minerals within it.

DIET QUALITY matters. Eat like crap, feel like crap, perform like crap, gain fat…

If you aren’t able to perform in life or the gym, how can you expect to optimize performance?

Plus the downstream impact of eating mostly high-processed food will expand your waist.

NUTRIENT TIMING IN GENERAL

Eating at similar times each day is important for hormone regulation (appetite/satiety)

Having 30g+ of protein around your workout also

But other things you can consider that aren’t as important:

– where you have carbs after training. The pre training bout id say is most important for this. As long as you eat enough in the day.

– total protein is most important, and having a high dose QUALITY serve around your training… after that, it doesn’t really matter….. BUT

I wouldn’t be doing bird feedings of 10-20g throughout the whole day, grazing etc…

4-6 meals is a sweet spot. (or even 2-3 meals and 2-3 liquid meals)

SUPPLEMENTS

A high quality multi, creatine monohydrate & magnesium glycinate are the top 3

Most women don’t have enough vitamin D so I would add that in too.

Workout feeling like sh*t?

Having a weak session?

Down about your performance?

this is something that comes up somewhat regularly with many women

I like to go through a little bit of a check list to see if there is anything that could be an immediate and simple explanation for why things aren’t feeling great.

PHYSICAL:

Youre in the menstrual flop stage of the month – about to start your period

Did you go harder in any of your prior sessions that week?

You’re doing way too much exercise but under training because of this… Recovery matters

You’re focusing more on burning calories or being the smallest version of yourself versus chasing performance

LIFESTYLE:

Did you get enough sleep? Was it quality? Were you over stimulated the day prior?

Were you more active than usual the prior day or on your feet all day?

Is there anything going on in your life that is causing you a lot of stress

Is your mind elsewhere? Are you overthinking or hyperfixating on other things?

NUTRITION:

Your breakfast was just coffee… or better yet, nothing (except maybe a pre workout) aka you didn’t fuel enough

You don’t eat enough carbs EACH day (&consistently)

Are you eating enough in general?

You lack quality nutrition (if you’re low on any vitamins & minerals…)

OTHER:

…. Life, its normal…

You aren’t weak, doing anything wrong, broken or failing.

Not every workout is a home run

YOU WONT PR YOUR LOG BOOK EVERY WEEK!

80% is just showing up and doing the work

FEELING UNMOTIVATED is normal… even for fitness professionals and coaches

Stop relying on it

Having bad body image days is also normal, don’t let it impact how you show up to the gym.

YOU WILL FEEL WEAKER some days, sometimes NOT EVEN MEET your log book.

Strength fluctuates. Maybe you slept like crap or maybe you’re in your emotions. Some days your warm up weights will feel HEFTY, other days youll smash em

This is SO DANG NORMAL – you just don’t want it to keep happening over the long run and make sure you address the above checklist.

Too many women are doing TOO much work that’s low quality, and not doing the work that creates the results you want. End result = more fatigue, more frustration

Need someone who can work with you and work on your approach to training

WHAT TO DO:

Well, you have a couple of options:

1. Sack it off, walk it off for 30+ mins in the treadmill instead and reflect on the session and your week… any lessons to take away? Is it your mindset? Are you being a d*ck to yourself? Go home, eat some food, recover for the next day.

2. Drop the weight, ditch the pursuit of perfection or log book beating & really tune into how it feels. Just give your best for each set and marinate more tempol

3. Take extra time to warm up, more warm up sets, move around with some dynamic body flow in between sets, etc… and just get the session done while you moan about but CELEBRATE your efforts after so you end it feeling proud you got through

4.  Throw a fit, cry to your coach, and tell yourself you’re going to quit, youre weak, you never improve blah blah all the BS you KNOW isnt true

WHAT NOT TO DO:

No.4 from above.

Don’t make up for missed volume or work by tossing in drop sets, extra sets, extra work…

Don’t do finishers and burn outs or some random circuit bc you don’t feel you worked hard enough, did enough… even if you “fuelled yourself” before your session and you “don’t want to waste it” I would assess your relationship with food, calories and this process… (+ your body)

Its so easy to feel frustrated… like youre reversing, losing progress  (& for some of you, fearing “gaining fat” – irrational beliefs can rear their head if you haven’t yet worked through them)

REMEMBER:

Not every workout is a home run

YOU WONT PR YOUR LOG BOOK EVERY WEEK!

80% is just showing up and doing the work

10% will be stellar

10% will be pretty💩

Welcome to real life 😊

Bad training days & mediocre sessions happen

Maybe you don’t feel great physically today

Maybe your cramps are trying to rip your insides out.

Maybe you’re feeling all the emotions today, kids are acting up, work was hard

Maybe you just feel off, not focused…

Sore, tired, overwhelmed, frustrated or just low energy.

whatever.

Stop stressing or getting down about not hitting top reps schemes or not being able to add reps or weight – this is an overtime thing not an overnight thing

When you start training to proper intensity you most likely will not progress every week. it can fluctuate

the goal is to SEEK progress simply by giving your 100% FOR THAT DAY

now when they do happen – first accept they WILL & the stress you usually get over it will disappear.

Look at the MACRO not the micro.

Its not so much about dealing with our bad training days as it is dealing with our mindset and how we allow being HUMAN to hit us so hard.

Give yourself permission to have bad training days. You WILL have them. ESPECIALLY if you experience the symptoms of PMS week or your period hits hard.

your self talk here is VITAL

improvement isnt about your output but about your INPUTS. Your best effort. Which looks different each day. Don’t be blinded by a lower than expected end result with no credit given to the effort applied, or the training effect of that effort. Its effort not results that determine long term improvement. Remember that.

Leave the training session at the gym and go do what actually matters in all of this.

LIVE YOUR LIFE! Don’t forget WHY youre doing this. To live a higher quality life and improve over time. To build a better more resilient you!

When you zoom TF out and realise this… the game changes

You enjoy it more

you make MORE progress

AND IT STICKS!!!

give yourself permission to move even when it doesn’t feel awesome

THIS MISTAKE is ruining your goals of building the strong, sculpted & fit AF physique that you want

I learnt this the hard way…. Swipe through these and let me know if anything resonates

• From forcing the gym numbers up… to letting them simply come to you 👏
• So the idea is to be okay with the fact that we might stall on some lifts for a couple weeks? And as long as Im close enough to failure then its alright if Ididn’t add a rep?

What many think is the way to build muscle

1/ adding more reps or weight in the gym each week

2/ increasing training volume

3/ just eating more food

My body didn’t start changing, nor my glutes start growing until I did this….

First…. what is actually needed to build the body you want?

1/ a sufficient stress from your training that you can progress & recover from

2/ a conducive environment with your nutrition & lifestyle

Lets break it down

TRAINING:

Lots of training can be hard… but it doesn’t = muscle growth

More sets, super sets, circuits, having your heart pumping can feel hard, but doesn’t = muscle growth

So what is HARD, EFFECTIVE TRAINING?

1/ hits & loads the TARGET MUSCLE well

2/ full range of motion

3/ the TARGET MUSCLE is the limiter

4/ you can easily progress it & push load

5/ PS; keep sets safe!

– pick effective exercises for your goals. Stable exercises should be a STAPLE in muscle focused training. Smith machine & other machines, cables, bench work etc… are ones you can safely push until form gives out! Yes include the other work too, but THIS should be a good chunk of your program.

It may FEEL hard and ouchy, but you don’t stop when it starts to hurt, the mental & physical effort needs to be here (see all 5 points above)

– train until your form fails. Learn to PUSH beyond comfort for this but make sure your BRACING is locked & technique dialled in. foundations first.

Most people think theyre pushing hard but find they actually had 3-5 reps left

– progressive stimulus! Things like kickbacks and banded or BW work simply don’t allow you to TRULY push big weights on it – there are more effective choices here. If you only train 3-4x a week, your selection matters more

– don’t chase PRs every week. On MOST weeks progress is keeping the same weight & having it feel better, making them LOOK better, adding reps, controlling it and hitting range of motion. Yes MOST weeks. From forcing the gym numbers up… to letting them simply come to you 👏

The EFFORT you put in = hitting stimulative thresholds. Then OVER TIME youll see #s follow

– respect the quirks of the muscle group – things like delts & arms are NOT going to progress at the same rate. Pulldowns and rows, presses… they will all be a fight each week to keep the same weight. That is PROGRESS. Stop chasing numbers at expensive of tempo or range of motion. STANDARDIZE YOUR REPS (back to the hard =/= conducive. Tame the ego)

NUTRITION: are you eating ENOUGH?

Most people aren’t eating enough but snacking too much

I know this scares the 💩 out of a lot of women who fear eating more will result in undesirable weight gain. So in turn we gravitate to snacking here and there, random pantry trips after dinner… wondering why we aren’t seeing the results we want.

MOST WOMEN are severely undereating protein

Having some eggs here, maybe some Greek yoghurt or cheese, some milk, perhaps a chicken salad and then your dinner meat is NOT enough for the physique you say you want

Its SO RARE for someone to come to me hitting their minimum protein requirements.

“not dieting” doesn’t = build muscle

“eating more” doesn’t = build muscle

You cannot force feed muscle growth & simple guzzling down more protein doesn’t just make muscle appear

Building muscle is all about YOUR TRAINING. Training HARD ENOUGH for LONG ENOUGH without flip flopping back into a diet when you get uncomfy.

you don’t need more than a 5% surplus, and if you have higher body fat level, you can see some changes at maintenance – you just got to make the trade off with the time it will take for real change.

• Forcing progress on your training logs is a sure fire way to REGRESS (maybe injure yourself & burn out)
• Many women cant grasp the idea of “NOT BULKING AND CUTTING IN CYCLES” which im so against. Yes you want DISTINCT building and fat loss cycles, but following the “bro” norms is almost like yoyo dieting where you end up with more fat mass & less muscle.

Accept that it WILL COME WITH TIGHTER PANTS, the scale fluctuating up!!

Stop chasing diets. Start chasing body composition, muscle & metabolism

You want a LOOK! Not a number that might mean a worse shape, no energy & weak metabolism!

Chase WELL FED, WELL FUELLED & STRONG

The SHAPE YOU WANT demands you to perform like you mean it!

It makes fatloss easier

It makes living lean easier

BUILDING is more about training than food, but if your nutrition isnt in check, you wont see the results you want, perform as you want, or feel geared up for a long-ass building phase. Which you need if you care for impressive physique change. NOT jumping into a diet when you feel fluffy or the scale goes up.

Your obsession with the scale is the #1 reason you are NOT at the physique you desire.

Smaller clothes are leaving you trapped in the old lifestyle you badly want to escape

You are not letting yourself go

You are NOT going to gain the pounds of fat

You are going to gain life, a lifestyle change, strength and a way of TRAINING, EATING & LIVING that creates the body you have always wanted.

Maintenance is where you should spend MOST of your tie

Get OBSESSED with living your best life and CREATING the best version of you. One habit at a time, one workout at a time, one day at a time!!

Want more tips like this or need some clear direction to achieve your goals? Slide into my DMs and we can see if I can help 👊🏼 OR comment RESULTS below

Follow @transformxruby for more

Consistently hitting the gym but don’t look like you lift weights?unhappy with your results?

Is it your training program?
Or HOW you are training?
Is it your nutrition?
does it match your training & what you say you want?
If you’re training 5-7 days a week
It isn’t just about the program here….
there’s alot to unpack starting with HOW are you training?

---

are you pushing to failure (of form)?
Are you recovering enough?
Are you doing too much?
Are you cutting you doing FULL reps?
Are you RUSHING your reps?

Feel like youre doing everything right?

Walking to a gym & lifting weights =/= training hard
Nor does it guarantee results.

Muscle is built as a response to your body being challenged beyond its current norm
AKA
FIGHTING for reps, pushing as hard as you can to get stronger…
It’s a skill you learn over time

THIS is KEY for looking lean!
Its how you BUILD muscle
Its how you KEEP muscle
Its how you also train for fat loss

Want to know how to lose body fat & live leaner with more ease
Without living on peasant calories?
TRAIN HARDER TO BUILD MUCSLE

Your last rep SHOULD look questionable!!!
If you get bored, don’t know what to do with your rest times or feel you don’t need them
You aren’t training hard enough.

Training with intensity is something you LEARN
The discomfort you push through is a SKILL
It’s a PRACTICE

This process BUILDS CONFIDENCE

The greatest 2 hacks?
1/ FILM YOUR LIFTS
2/ use your training log for MORE than #s, WRITE how things feel & notes to self

are you giving your best HONEST effort?
It’s about giving your best you have for THAT day.

Which. Always. Fluctuates

NUTRITION to match!

Hate to break it
But if you are SO FOCUSED on downsizing and the # on the scale
You are focusing on the wrong puzzle pieces

Tell me about how your training logs look over the last 4, 6, 8 weeks…
or do you change workouts every week or 3?

Many of you are always training & dieting for fatloss
then wonder why you aren’t seeing the results that you want…

I “wasted” years chasing muscle gains
But refused to give up my desire for melting my stubborn belly fat and trying to be as lean as possible
I see this constantly with so many others
You say you want muscles about your actions during align with that?
do you keep using “dieting” or “restricting” as a safety net? a comfort zone?

---

MINDSET
You can be holding yourself back
sabotaging your true progress
Even if you aren’t actively dieting
Simply because your mindset hasn’t shifted

You’re still so focused on the muffin top
The fact the scale isn’t going down….
It’s keeping you in a dieters mentality!!

It doesn’t mean get fat!!! I’m trying to walk the talk…
“You’re lean enough already…easy for you to say”
But I didn’t wake up lean by chance
I built this
I did the work
I ditched the diet after trying to get lean on 1600 calories, minimal real carbs, all the cardio and over exercising…

So that when I DID do a 6 week fatloss phase…
It was damn fkn effective

REAL change isn’t happening as quick as you think
Stop changing things up because you don’t see a change after 6 or 12 wks! Not to say nothing is happening in that amount of time,
but your expectations for it are unrealistic
….
So tell me…
Are you really fat loss resistant
Or have you just not shifted your approach and mindset yet?
There are multiple paths from A to B but if you want to make it to C and D, you better choose wisely.
If you try to build something without a solid foundation, it will likely collapse.

You say you want more muscle but you panic when the scale goes up
Or when your pants fit tight

• muscle EXPANDS with blood, glycogen & water. Especially 1-2 days after leg day. Many of you do 2-3 of those a week… expect it * muscle has the RIGHT curves, the RIGHT shape & it looks $EXY NAK3D
  .
  You’re frustrated with how slow your progress is so you add in more training, more sets, more work…
  And end up moving in the opposite direction

You hyperfocus on calories, but miss out on actual NUTRITION, lifestyle & what YOUR body needs
Which is different from joe, sally & sue

STOP feeding your own confusing & self doubt pushing a faulty system harder
Spinning around in circles…
And start making KICKA$$ progress with an approach that fits YOU
So you KEEP the results that you get, feel confident & empowered in the process
And start to see your body take the shape that you want it to

13 Things many “trainers” dont want to tell you

** There are no fatloss workouts
there’s no fat-blasting or metabolic-boosting method with training

** How you train to build muscle is how you train to lose fat
to get the best results in a diet, you need to train to build muscle
don’t train to burn more, sweat more or keep your HR up
fat loss training is a myth & can have you LOSE muscle

** Train to get strong and build muscle; use around the same volume, account for recovery (which is lower in a deficit) to have higher chances of keeping muscle

** Rest periods are important!
Stop the circuit-style weights or doing things in between your strength sets!
You will struggle to get the stimulus needed to build a “defined” body

** YOU DON’T NEED MARATHON WORKOUTS
you shouldn’t have 6+ exercises for the same muscles!

If you want to be economical then use a smart program with hypertrophy because you can be in and out in 60 mins tops

Ways to cut workout time – superset opposing muscle groups – quads/hams, back/chest

Don’t have 60 mins?
use movements that don’t require much skill
go for compounds
and minimize single-limb work.

** Meal frequency matters but not the way you think
similar meal times each day help with consistency

• training your appetite

snacking often or eating lots off small meals is a great way to overeat without ever really feeling full (+ adding MORE meals to think about)

eat bigger balanced meals

** YOU WONT ALWAYS HAVE A FLAT STOMACH
regardless of what you do

• menstrual cycle, food in your belly, drinking water…

** YOU DONT NEED TO CHANGE YOUR WORKOUTS OR DIET FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

** you NEED a system to manage calories if you want to keep any results you get…
TRACKING YOUR FOOD for even a short period of time helps you step away from the app & use other flexy methods…
like balanced plates, hand portions, eating similar meals each day
because you KNOW whats in your food

** YOU CAN EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT AND LOSE WEIGHT….
YES BUT NO
food quality is essential
we dont eat calories, we eat food
everything comes with tradeoffs
calorie tradeoffs, fullness, hunger, cravings, performance, health, digestion, performance, energy… etc

focus on adding more protein, fibre & veg but you gotta be smart with the rest…

** metabolism boosters….
MUSCLE & WALKING are the best metabolism boosters

** nailing protein carb fats every day…
allow a RANGE for your calories between ~100

• aim for your MINIMUM protein
• then aim for fruit, veg, fibre
• target your carbs to FUEL your training & day
• allow the numbers to fall around your “ideal” but stop aiming to be 100%
  Protein, calories, produce & fuelling enough matter more.

SOMETIMES YOU MAY need to get more meticulous with your tracking
its not obsessive
what IS obsessive is you hopping to more restrictive plans
pinching your belly every night and just staring at the parts you ‘want to change’
bc because you either ‘cant get your sh*t together
OR you’re working hard/trying everything and nothings working

2 bonus pointers

YES; It’s easier for some people…
how can you make it easier on yourself?

**STOP COMPARING YOURSELF
Many people have health and fitness as part of their background
which can make it easier to gain back

Many may not deal with the same PMS symptoms as you or have the same stressors/life demands

You may just have to be more mindful
to stop comparing your now to their current
the start is hard
new habits arent easy to form

**YOUR ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
and sometimes you need to create structure before you allow more flexibility

DONT RELY ON WILLPOWER
make AUTOPILOT work for you
force the chain until it gets easier yes, but set up your environment for more success

**FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

2/ photos & measurements weekly
IS NOT NEEDED for you to get your best results…

photos & measurements hardly change within weeks let alone months on a path to sustainable change (maybe in a harder fatloss phase if you have alot to lose; monthly is more feasible…. but then what???

Building ain’t so. especially if you are trying to lose fat and build muscle
be prepared to sabotage every month you see “not much”

2. process>outcome. get really good at the habits that keep you lean for life.. VS fixating on the scale going down
   realise that fat loss is a PHASE so you need a drive outside of that #

Measure success by mindset, actions *& behaviour change over time
Slowly stretch & move your comfort zone so you make the habits that lead to the outcomes more autopilot

PRACTICE
Everything is practice
Easy wins over time.

PSA if you want to change your body composition

The BIGGEST thing you need to know

(that you are most likely missing)

If your reps never look like this

it’s time to add some load

Nutrition is a big part of changing body composition;

building lean body mass

but training is also a massive part

and the reality is most people aren’t doing the right training or aren’t training intense enough to get the results they want

I wanted to look like the athletes I saw on Instagram

those who trained hard in the gym with the bodies of goddesses

But no matter how much i smashed myself in the gym

I still didn’t look the way that I wanted

** do not make up for lack of intensity with more exercises, sets, reps or training days **

“what weights do i use”

“how do i know if its heavy enough”

everyone is different but 2 THINGS remain constant

1/ that lifting last rep face

2/ speed of lasts vs first reps

but yes… eat appropriately too

& fuel your performance

studies show 90+% of people choose loads NOT appropriate for the goal of muscle growth and body composition improvements.

which is why many show up every week but dont see the results they want.

do LESS but BETTER

its why i see many improve their results going from 6 days to 4 days & learning to train HARD!

Keeping the same training protocol for more than ~6-10 weeks with a bunch of exercises left to progress for 12+ weeks

so you give your body the chance to FORCE CHANGE TO HAPPEN

You’re never too old & its never too late to learn 😉

Smart training + smart nutrition + adapting as you progress = key to results

Noone accidentally ends up looking strong, fit & badass 😉

If you need a more guidance on how to take your performance & physique to the next level, comment PERFORM below or flick me a DM 🫶🏻✨

the hard truth about the body & life you desire…

A Fuller, thriving life probably needs you to be eating a couple hundred more calories

 most women (thanks social media)  have lost touch with what a healthy “lean” looks like…

 we become obsessed with obliterating anything that jiggles.  but mate,  we ain’t made of wood nor are we skeleton sam (skeleton gif here)

 THERE ARE TRADEOFFS to everything  (especially at the extremes) and remember the goal is living a happy, fulfilling life. (health + fitness should be there to enhance your life + LONGEVITY vs taking over your life with food thoughts or calorie burning obsession)

YOU CAN do both – live life and look freaking badass

its just not going to be like that fit chick’s photoshoot photo

EVEN SHE DOESNT LOOK LIKE THAT!!!

you obsessing over being your leanest 24/7

VS

you shifting your mindset to HEALTH, GETTING STRONGER, building muscle & THRIVING in life (which ironically will have you build a body you love for life too_

The best thing you can do for your health fitness and longevity is to build muscles not only the muscle itself but the whole process of building muscle and the mindset you gain

That all takes a lot more energy than salads, juices and shakes

“But I’m scared to gain weight… What will I look like, how will my clothes fit?…What will so and so say or think”

I asked myself the same.. especially knowing I had compliments on my progress…

Little did I know then, what I know NOW…

When I stopped thinking “small” my progress in EVERYTHING – my physique, performance, MY COACHING, education my LIFE.

I got my personality back, CONFIDENCE!!

I almost forgot how obsessed I was with it all and just how LOW my life was trying to get by on 1600 calories trying to “get lean enough to get to a place my metabolism was good enough to eat a lot and built muscle”

Every girl wants big glutes, but no one wants to eat in the surplus (for long enough) to grow them😤 It’s a DAMN FACTBecause I am (was) one of those girls

BUT that is not to say I don’t get uncomfy… I have my days

Eating more calories can be uncomfortable,
But you can’t train a body with no extra resources
And expect it to grow…”extras”🌱  

Building muscle is an expensive process for the body
MAINTAINING muscle itself is expensive
If you don’t use it or feed it ENOUGH, you lose it…

Yet we are still SO focused on shrinking ourselves to lean
We miss THIS part

Why would it want to grow more METABOLIC tissue
That NEEEDS more fuel…
If it doesn’t have MORE of said fuel

And knowing the rate of growth takes time,
And you cant FORCE train or FORCE feed it

You need:

1. A PROPER proven plan there (get a coach and do the things)
2. to follow said plan for LONG enough

CAVEAT
If you are doing it in maintenance, expect progress to be slower, much slower
2x or 3x the timeline there

BUT not everyone is suited for that slight surplus (mentally or physically)

---

WHY YOU ARENT getting the results you think you should?
3 MAIN reasons

1. The need to keep their diet ‘clean’ and default to low-calorie food sources for fear or “gaining fat”
   Or undershooting their macros to play it safe
    
2. Doing the things for a while… but then wanting to jump into a fatloss phase because you are getting to uncomfortable
   The greatest life skill you will ever learn is the art of embracing discomfort
3. Not treating your “non fatloss phases” as seriously as your fatloss ones. (the effort in your training & nutrition, the routine around your lifestyle)

BONUS TIPS
👉 ask for help along the way Work with a coach🤓 Everyone is happy to invest in getting shredded or anything thing else more “instant”… but no one wants to pay for when the real work is done!

👉 commit to at least 12 months of PUSHING yourself in training. Building. Stop changing your goals every few weeks!
  
👉 STOP FIXATING ON THE SCALES🙅🏻‍♀️ Seriously stop it.
I’ve gained 15-20kg since I first started lifting
It’s the worst measure of progress long term
I have clients who’ve gained 3-6kg and look VISIBLY LEANER
& probably squat more than their boyfriends