Winter Shape Up 2018
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Winter Shape Up is HERE!
Welcome to Winter Shape Up 2018: a perfect chance to find some new motivation and consistency, revamp your fitness routine, thrive from healthy eats, and revitalize your love for healthy living. Whether you’re looking to achieve a fitness, fat loss, lifestyle, or energy goal, hopefully this plan will provide you with steps, ideas and inspiration along the way.
For the friends who are new to Winter Shape Up, here’s how it works:
– I’ve been doing the Shape Up plans on my blog for years as a way to share free fitness and meal plans with my readers. My friend Anne will often join hop in to share her expertise as an RD, but since she has a brand-new baby, she’s not able to join us this year. I’m sharing some of my favorite healthy meal ideas for the 4 weeks, and my good friend Katie (we taught together in Tucson and she’s a powerhouse Pilates instructor!) filmed the workout videos with me.
For the next 4 weeks, you’ll get workout plans, meal ideas, and group motivation through our Facebook group. All totally free, just for you. 🙂
While you can follow these exactly as suggested, remember that these are just suggestions; they can always be adjusted or modified to suit your personal needs and schedule. If you have a class that you like to do each week at the gym, by all means keep it in, but just remember not to do the same type of workout on consecutive days. For example, I wouldn’t take a hardcore bootcamp class the day after Workout 1, and avoid strength training the same muscle group two days in a row. If you need help shuffling things around, please hit me up in the comments, message me on Instagram, or tweet me @fitnessista
Your 4 week focus:
-Visualize a goal. What’s your intention behind Winter Shape Up? Looking to shake up your routine? Burn fat? Get stronger? Write down what you’d like to accomplish and remind yourself daily for the next 4 weeks. If you made an inspiration board, this is a great time to update it and check it regularly! If you’re looking for fat loss/muscle gain, I highly recommend a body fat assessment towards the beginning of the Shape Up, or take some pics and measurements so you can gauge progress. Keep in mind: this isn’t a weight loss plan. While weight loss may be the result of changing up your routine and implementing new diet or fitness strategies, remember that weight is a poor indication of overall health and body composition. Focus on foods and habits that will encourage fat loss and encourage lean muscle retention/building if that’s your overall goal. All in all, use strength, energy levels, and confidence as some mental success meters. <3
-Nutrition. Eat like a PRO: meaning you’re going to emphasize PROtein and PROduce. We have a variety of delicious, healthy and satisfying recipes in the meal plan with vegan and gluten-free options. Mix and match to suit your unique needs.
-Consistency. The greatest way to achieve a new fitness or health goal is consistency. Stick with it and remember that the little things definitely add up! Be gentle with yourself throughout the challenge, and endeavor to be consistent in your actions to achieve your personal goal for the 4 weeks.
-Be a cheerleader for yourself and other Winter Shape Up participants. Make sure to check in each morning with your workout, pics of your healthy eats and to cheer each other on! The comments are a great option (which is how you’ll enter the giveaways), or if you’d like to tweet/Instagram, use the hashtag #wintershapeup and tag us @fitnessista @katiesurridgepilates
We also have a private Facebook group with lovely supportive, active members. Check it out here!
The Winter Shape Up will run from Monday, January 15 to Sunday, February 11, 2018.
Your home page will be HERE with everything as I add it this week (workouts, meal ideas, etc). You have 7 all-new workouts and those will be posted on the blog this week. They will also show up on the homepage. It’s going to RAIN DOWN fitness posts for the next 7 days.
More details and FAQs are below!
How do I enter the giveaways?
We’ll have one giveaway running each week. For the first one from Sunbasket, head to the bottom of this post!
How do I keep track of all of the info?
THIS PAGE is your home base (<— click here) for ALL things Winter Shape Up-related. Each week’s meal ideas and workouts, plus any giveaways will all be linked here. If you’re joining in, keep this page in a safe place (bookmark it, Pin it, keep it in your pocket) so that you can easily access all of the info. I’ll also add a widget to the top of the blog (on the upper right side bar) so you can easily click and access the info.
A printable PDF with all of the meal ideas + full workout calendar can be found here
Links to all of your meal ideas are here
For your steady state workouts, you’ll do anything you enjoy that will keep your heart rate up. This can be dancing, running, walking, Stairclimbing, rowing, kickboxing, spinning, etc. For your HIIT workouts, you can do 30 seconds rest and 30 seconds of work (intense effort: plyometrics or sprinting/incline walking). For more ideas, check out the fitness page.
A special thanks to our Winter Shape Up sponsors, who will be providing amazing giveaways along the way:
Sun Basket // Lorissa’s Kitchen // Primo Water
This week’s featured sponsor is Sun Basket! This link gets you 50% off their Family Plan and this one gets you $35 off your first order.
We have been using Sun Basket for over a year, and I’ve always been blown away by how fresh and healthy everything tastes. They use a lot of bright citrus and aromatics, and even though the meals are “clean,” they’re never boring. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of cooking strategies from using Sun Basket (like how to make BOMB healthy sauces and flavor cauliflower rice) and the girls go crazy for the meals, too. Their serving sizes are very generous, and we switch between the Classic and Family plan.
A little bit about Sun Basket:
– You can customize your meals to fit your dietary and serving size needs. The recipes are healthy and totally delicious. You can choose between Paleo, Lean & Clean, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Mediterranean and Family. We usually roll with the Paleo and Gluten-free options. Everything we’ve tried has tasted like something *special* and encourages us to get a lot of fresh produce and protein at dinner. You can choose any of the recipes you like regardless of your meal plan. (The Classic Plan has 18 to choose from, and the Family Plan has 6 each week.)
– You receive all of the ingredients to make your meals, pre-measured and portioned, It cuts down on waste since you’re not buying unnecessary ingredients, and all of the packaging is recyclable. The ingredients are sourced from sustainable farms all over the US.
– I love that the meals are FAST. They almost never take longer than 30 minutes to put together.
1 lucky winner will receive 2 free weeks of Sunbasket meals! (1 box consisting of 3 recipes for 2 people/week)
Here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment below EACH TIME you complete a workout this week! That’s right, you have multiple chances to win and today counts as a freebie since the plan doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be a WSU workout! Anything you did to get in a sweat that day works.
Bonus entry: Comment on this Instagram video and tag a friend to join in
Bonus entry: Instagram a sweaty workout pic, and be sure to tag me (@fitnessista #wintershapeup)
Let’s get this party started! Are you joining in the fun?
xoxo
Gina
A huge “thank you” to the talented team who helped me put this year’s WSU together:
Laura, who works with me on behind-the-scenes blog tasks. She helped with a lot of the prep for WSU!
Katy, for helping me keep everything organized with our landing page
Katie: my partner in sweat for the videos. She leads an incredible Pilates video just for you!
Julia at Luminous Lines for the gorgeous designs
Grant Hunker for filming and editing and being a video wizard
Location: BreakOut Studios Tucson
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Heading into WSU Week 2….
Judging from Week 1, I’m going to need a good night’s rest tonight to wake up restored and ready to give my ALL to the start of a new week’s workouts.
This 1st week was definitely a huge challenge. Entering Week 2 feeling somewhat stronger already.
Off to catch my ’s.
Workout 6 killed me today!
I had cake tonight don’t tell.anyone
Walked a few miles with my dog and baby today! Nice to get out even though we had to bundle up. Can’t wait for warmer weather and outdoor workouts!
Did the barre workout and and ab workout today!
Worked out three times this week thanks to winter shape up. Couldn’t do it all, but getting back into it. Thanks!
Got in my HIIT and steady state yesterday!
Workout done!
checking in for yesterday: did a TIU hiit workout and yoga with Adriene.
Using today as a much needed rest day! These workouts burn so good : )
Just crushed an awesome Barre 3 workout! Happy Sunday everyone!
Oh that Barre video targeted where I need more strength in my legs.
I had total knee replacements x’s both knees. I reverted to my physical therapy exercises because I couldn’t work all the way through the “Barre” work. But I did complete my own leg exercises, as per my PT.
And I am very far from a 60-second plank but I WILL get there. My abs are calling out for strengthening too. On my way to a strong core, little by little and day by day.
#2 and #7 are done for this AM. I will return to these workouts to mark my progress.
Love week 1….will do today’s workout soon! Thanks Gina!!!
Worked out every day except Thursday this week and haven’t posted! Oops! Looking forward to trying Workout 7!
workout #2 done, and LOVED it! Topped it off with yoga with Adriene. 🙂
Took a barre class today. Figured that was the essence of #2 & #7.
Just finished workouts #2 and #7 – loved the barre workout video!! Those are my favorites. I only made it through 1 round of workout #7, my legs were shaking even during that!
Completed HIIT and steady this morning before church
Hello barre legs!! #2 + #7 complete
I had every intention of doing workouts 2 & 7 today, but ended up doing 3 total hours of fat tire biking and snowshoeing and changed my mind! I’m looking forward to a couple easy days before week 2 workouts start!
Heading into week 2. I’m working on building my strength and endurance for a running base. Today I completed my first round of interval training! Feeling good 🙂
Oh my! Barre legs was tough! I did 3 rounds of the ab burner but only could hold a 30 sec plank
Took my dog for an hour long walk today in the nice weather!!
Did workout 1 this morning! Wow, wasn’t expecting to be so sweaty after a 24 minute workout…loved it!
Today I did workouts #7 and #2…that barre workout was soooo intense! Also my back and chest are really sore from workout #4 and I LOVE IT.
Workout 3 and 7 tonight while simultaneously watching my 3 month play in his gym #momlife. Excited for week 2!
Ps: still so sore from workout 1!
Workout #2 — YOWZA!!!!!!!
Workout #2 done (holy God that burn) and one round of #7 (too much pulling in my C section scar still!) On a happy note, I checked myself finally and I don’t have diastasis recti, and I’ve been able to keep up with the workouts even with my work shifts!
Eats have been generally good except for the candy locker at work and caving for a pulled pork sandwich due to the hangries and PMS last night. Been doing really well with the produce and protein!!
Dinner tonight will be veggies with ranch dip and avocado egg salad toasts with smoked salmon. Yum!
I was really ready for today’s steady state workout. It felt so right after a week of big workout challenges for my body.
Today’s workout is done. I may go back for about 15-20 more minutes later in the day.
2nd Attempt to Post. I had a typo in my email on the 1st try….
I was really ready for today’s steady state workout. It felt so right after a week of big workout challenges for my body.
Today’s workout is done. I may go back for about 15-20 more minutes later in the day.
Forgot to post yesterday, but did 30m minutes of steady state on the treadmill.
Forgot to post yesterday but did workouts 2 and 7! I love a good ab burn!
Today was a steady 30 min on the stair master!
After yesterday’s “OFF/gentle” and the day before’s “Easy, steady-state,” today’s workouts #1 + #3 were super hard.
By the time I got to the Pilates, my body was tired from the HIIT. And, for me, that Pilates video is tougher than it looks. So I did put it on pause a few times, but I continued to do the exercises — and got it done.
As the saying goes, “Nevertheless, she persisted.” And that “she” is “me!” I hope it is you, too….
Did 1 and 3 today! 1 was definitely still a killer workout but I feel myself stronger than doing it the first time around : )
Got my Workout #5 in before I left for the weekend today. Got easier at minute 25 and I kept on with a slower, steady-state continuing until 45 minutes.
The workout gave me energy to get up and go!!
So excited to be bringing some prepared recipes from this WSU to share with my family.
Did my workouts at about 10 AM, waiting awhile after breakfast and coffee.
My upper arms really need toning and more strength so I persevered although my arms were calling out for a break.
And Barre workouts are my niece’s favorite so she joined me this morning. What a difference 30 years makes!! She was a super-star with Barre! Me, well, not so much — but she kept me going. It was fun to have someone work out alongside of me.
Did workout 5 today. It was great!
A sick baby keeps making me forget to post. Did workout 5 on Thursday!
Did 2 and 4 today. Gosh those arm exercises still kill me – in the best way : )
To warm up I did the stair climber for 20. Then I did a Barbell extreme class today. It was extreme!
I did workout 2 and 4 today. I might not be able to carry my kiddos the rest of the day!
Today I ran outside for 20 minutes. It was my first run since my baby was born…two years ago! tomorrow I’m doing yoga!
I took a little weekend getaway to visit a friend in Florida! I didn’t do any formal workouts but we walked in the beach for about an hour and laughed for 2 days straight it was just what I needed!
I appreciated yesterday as a rest day. My body needed it and, since I’m visiting with family, I used the extra time to cuddle with my grand-nephew and chat with my relatives.
I woke up extra early to do the circuit workout (#6) before most of my family was awake. The push-up punches are still hard for me but better than my previous #6 workout. I
I’m starting to truly enjoy tricep dips. I really can feel the exercise target that area.
The rain has stopped here. Going for a walk outside with my niece now. I’ll be pushing her son in the stroller. Fun, fun, fun.
Today was an off/gentle day. I was sore so I did a 30 min yoga video.
Did hot yoga!
It wasn’t really steady-state. It was more of short bursts of HIIT, but I “persisted” for 30 minutes.
We did a 3-way sparring session with me, my niece and my nephew. Check out my red gloves (borrowed from my niece) on Facebook!
Whew! I’m feeling invigorated and exhausted all at once!
Got workouts #4 & #7 in this morning. The arm workout was especially tiring because I took it upon myself to do a family-group kickboxing class yesterday…. So my arms were already tired before I even started this morning.
Those jab, punch, upper-cuts from yesterday were a wake-up call to my upper body! And then workout #4 today. Whew!
Did that Barre workout to the best of my ability. Yesterday my arms were pleading with me to stop, and today my legs were doing the same.
How I keep going: I kind of give myself a pre-workout pep talk to commit to finishing the exercises 100%, unless I truly feel like I may have pulled or injured some muscle or fibers or whatever. But that hasn’t happened yet.
I do slow down, and sometimes I pause the video so I can catch up. So I go at my own pace, but I did make it through again this morning.
And, BTW, Barre is trickier than it appears. I definitely felt it!