Winter Shape Up 2010
Hi guys! Hope you’re having a wonderful morning.
I’m so ridiculously stoked to bring ya’ll the
So what exactly is the Winter Shape Up?
It’s a spin-off of the Summer Shape Up that I ran last year, which ended up being a lot of fun and a great way to share workout routines and healthy eating ideas.
The difference? This isn’t a “plan”, “challenge” or “contest”. Think of the Winter Shape Up as more of an *event* in which you can participate in as little or as much as you see *fit*. Just imagine your favorite gym continuously running weight training and aerobics classes in which you can jump in and participate at your convenience. That’s more of what I’d like the Winter Shape Up to be.
As you can see, the timing of this Shape Up is very strategic. I’m starting it right at the middle-end of January, and after the 6 week event is finished, spring will be beginning and the sun will start to peak its sunny face out. By then, we’ll be feeling amazing and looking healthy and radiant from 6 weeks of great eats and amped-up workouts.
I’ll also be participating in the Winter Shape Up and am using these 6 weeks to clean up my eats and pump up my workouts. I’m not posting measurements or pictures (I have a creeper phobia) but am more going off of how I feel and how my clothes fit. If I feel energized, strong and healthy and my clothes fit well, then I know I’m accomplishing what I’ve set out to.
![031[2]](https://fitnessista.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0312.jpg "031[2]")
How it works:
Every week on Monday morning, I’ll post two workouts: a beginner circuit-style workout and a intermediate/advanced circuit-style workout
ALL of these workouts can be done at home with dumbbells, a stability ball and a medicine ball.
Each workout is designed to be completed 3 times each week, on non-consecutive days.
I’ll also post two healthy eating goals for each week.
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Keeping track:
I recommend that each participant keeps track of their fruit and veggie intake (at least 5 servings each day), water intake (at least 8 glasses) and workout schedule in a small notebook.
Another great idea is to have your body fat percentage checked, if you want to. I find that its a much better way to gauge progress (as muscle weighs more than fat, so you can actually “shrink” and weight more.. weight is really just a silly number), and its interesting to see how your fat percentage drops as you increase weight training effectiveness. (I don’t ever recommend body fat going below 18% to protect reproductive health)
Eat well + Work it Out
As you guys know, I’m a huge advocate of healthy eats on top of a structured fitness plan. Eating has an incredible impact on our health and appearance. Aim for a balance of:
Smart carbs:
-100% whole wheat bread/pita/pasta (Hodgson’s Mill and Ezekiel products are great)
-sweet potatoes and other starchy veggies like peas, corn, squash
-whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, wheat berries, oats
– beans and legumes
-fruit (raw, canned in its own juice, dried with NO added sugar)
-all veggies (except for white potatoes)Lean proteins:
-lowfat deli meat (look at for lower sodium choices)
-fat free or nonfat milk or dairy products (almond or hemp milk is great too)
-boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
-extra lean ground beef/ground turkey
-fish: salmon, tilapia, halibut, mahi mahi, tuna, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc
-beans and legumes
-eggs and eggs whites (eggbeaters)
-nut butter (max 2 tbs per day with NO added sugar- ingredients should be nuts and (optional) salt. That’s it)
-dark green leafy veggies (romaine, collards, spinach, kale)
-protein powder (whey, soy, brown rice, hemp)
-nuts and seeds (raw unsalted)and
Healthy fats:
–Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil
-eggs
-Fish: salmon, tuna, halibut, mahi mahi
-lowfat dairy
-Nuts and seeds: aim for raw, unsalted
-avocados (1/4 avocado is one serving)
and to consume food as it was created by nature, in its purest and simplest form. By avoiding processed foods, our bodies can work more efficiently instead of wasting energy on trying to break down and digest chemicals.
******FOR A SAMPLE EATING PLAN, click here
Also, get moving!! 😀
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For the workouts:
Working out does so much for us mentally and physically. A good workout will burn calories, improve cardiovascular health, build muscle and let those feel-good endorphins flow. Try to do one thing every day to break a sweat (unless, of course, its a rest day).
These workouts are circuit-style. Move immediately from one exercise to the next, and complete the circuit 3 times. Perform the circuit exercises on non-consecutive days, and aim for 3 weights days each week. Combine the circuit exercises with a cardio routine of your choice. Aim for 2 miles, almost every day for beginners and 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week for int/adv.
Choose a weight that is challenging to finish the last few reps of each set. You should need to push yourself a little to finish (but not hurt yourself!). If you can easily do more that 15 reps of an exercise with a certain weight, you know it’s time to bring it up.
***Remember to give your body at least one full day of active rest from exercise each week. Take the dogs for a walk, do some light yoga or stretching but remember that its during times of rest that our body can repair and grow back stronger.
![031[3]](https://fitnessista.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0313.jpg "031[3]")
This week’s workouts:
Beginner:
– Warm up with 5 minutes of walking or light jogging
Circuit:
–Dumbbell frontal raise (12)
–Plie squat (12)
–Medicine ball twist (10 on each side)
–Jumping jacks (45 seconds)
–Chair squats (12)
–hammer curl (10 on each side)
–Chair dips (10)
–Good mornings (15- instead of holding a barbell, hold a medicine ball at your stomach)
–Bent knee leg raises (12)
–High knees (1 minutes)
Repeat circuit 2 more times for a total of 3 times. Stretch.
Int/Adv:
-Warm up with 5 minutes of moderate intensity cardio
Circuit:
–Lateral raise squats (15)
–Renegade row (12 on each side)
–Bicep curl Plie Squat (15)
–Mountain climbers (30 seconds)
–Stability ball back extension (12)
–Tricep dips (15- with straight legs makes it more challenging)
–Squat jumps (30 seconds)
–Weighted Ball crunch (light weight behind your head- 25)
–Calf raises with wall tap (15)
–Burpees (1 minute)
Repeat circuit 2 or 3 more times for a total of 3-4 times. Stretch.
This week’s Healthy Eating Tips:
In lieu of soda, opt for good ol’ fashioned water (flavor with lemon and cucumber, fresh mint, or fruit slices for some pizzazz)
Aim to consume whole grain products this week instead of refined white flour options.
I really hope you all enjoy the Winter Shape Up. I love putting these fitness events out there and know these 6 weeks are going to be a blasty.
So all of that being said, who’s joining in on the fun?!?
You know I’m cheering for you 😀
Happy Training,
Gina
211 Comments
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If we’re supposed to be eating food as it was created by nature, then shouldn’t we be eating full-fat foods instead of lowfat or nonfat? Those foods have been processed to remove the fat, and sometimes fillers take their place. I know that there’s a lot of debate on this subject and it’s hard to go against what has been ingrained in us, but aren’t you advocating something that you don’t adhere to? Not trying to cause problems here – just curious. I know that we all have our own eating style & do what works best for us.
hey jean,
i know what you mean.. i don’t eat cow’s dairy for the most part, so that doesn’t apply to me, but i understand that many of my readers do. for them, i recommend fat free or low fat dairy, because the full fat stuff usually has more unnessecary calories and is high in saturated fat, which can cause health problems if you consume too much. i’d much rather say “stay away from cow’s dairy”, but understand that its not realistic for some people and want this plan to be as easy-to-follow as possible.
you’re right, everyone needs to do what works best for them and their current eating style. if eating full-fat dairy is part of that, then i say go for it 😀
Another great program! I don’t know whether I want to do this one or the intro to iron pumping now! (even though I’ve been lifting for a few years)
Which would you suggest for all over body composition change for someone at a healthy weight and fairly close to their goals?
Thank you!
Also, what are your opinions on the dehydrators you can get at mass retailers that aren’t as high quality as the excal? I’d really love to get one so I can eat more raw foods, especially making “on the go” snacks. But our only two chain retailers on the island are Macy’s and Kmart. Ha ha! (and you thought Valdosta was bad!)
hey! i prefer the excalibur.. they have great shipping and its really worth it
i’d recommend either the advanced program or the intro to iron pumping one- they’re both well balanced and will give you what you’re looking for. maybe alternate weeks of each??
so i do all the reps(one set) and then move on to the next exercise, and then start all over again, right?
yes, exactly 😀
I’m in! I’ll be super busy with school but I’m hoping a plan like this will help me get organized and stay on track. Thank you so much Gina!
I am in! Excited to try something new. I am also training for a 5 or 10K so this will align with that…Thanks!!!
Gina, I’m in the Winter shape up 2010. The programme looks fabulous, you’re so talented in the area of health and fitness, I see you having a bestseller dvd/book in the future. Thanks for a great plan, I’ll let you know how I get on. I really have to kick my diet coke habit.
Have a great day.
Love this! I need to add in more strength to help with my half training, so I’m totally on board.
Clarification question (sorry if this was already answered by I’m the 139th comment so it would be hard to scroll through all that!), it says that on circuit days to also combine that with cardio, intermed at least 2 miles. So cardio + strength, not just a straight strength day? Am I understanding that right?
yup, that’s exactly right!
Yay! I’ve been looking forward to this 🙂
Gina,
Quick question I’ve got the Nutribiotic Rice Protein Powder, i got it in Whole Foods when I was in the States last year, it doesn’t taste that great. I was wondering if Sun Warrior rice protein powder tastes okay and would you recommend it?
Thanks
try adding some stevia and cinnamon to the nutribiotic.. it helps
the sun warrior tastes much better- i love it
Great thanks Gina, I’ll try adding cinnamon to the nutribiotic. Would you believe that we don’t have stevia here in Ireland, it hasn’t been approved by the food board. I’ll get the sun warrior online and see if I can pick up stevia online as well. Thank you.
Definitely on board!
Hey Gina,
I was wondering about 2 things with cardio. 1) How do you feel about doing cardio on an empty stomach? I have heard a mixture of opinions and wanted to know is it helpful (in burning more fat) or harmful? 2) I have heard you shouldn’t do cardio right after weight training. I only have 1 time to do my exercising and I typically warm up with a mile run, do my weight routine, and then cool down with a mile run (weight training days). Is this ok to do? Is it beneficial?
Thanks so much! 🙂
you’re doing it perfectly and yes, i suggest eating before you work out
Why we are on the protein talk….what do you think about the hemp protein as compared to the Sun Warrior? Which do you prefer.
i prefer the sun warrior because hemp tastes horrible to me
Hello Gina, thank you for all this helpful information. You have made it very easy to understand.
I have a couple of questions regarding the list of protein, carbs and fats. First, Why is raw nuts better than toasted or roasted nuts. I find the toasted nuts more flavorful but if it is less nutritious, I will switch over. Second, what about soymilk. You mentioned almond and hemp but I don’t like the almond milk and have not tried hemp. I am lactose intolerant and currently drink soymilk occasionally.
hey madison,
i always prefer raw because the enzymes and nutrients are still active. toasted nuts are fine though 🙂
if soymilk is your dairy sub of choice, enjoy it! i’m just not a big fan
take care! <3
yes – i am definitely in. Heading to the gym now for my first crack at the routine. I love your blog!
I am really excited to start Winter Shape Up!
Also, just wanted to say that I LOVE your blog!!
Day 1 Done! 🙂 I love how realistic this is- does not involve complicated moves, machines, or memberships!
YES! that was exactly how i wanted it to be– i’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Thank you so much for providing such helpful information! I just found your blog. I am not a fan of strength training but I know it is good for me. You have laid it out so clearly so now I have no more excuses. I will be joining in the fun!!
yeahhhhh!
so glad you’re in!
Gina-
Thank you SO SO SOOOO much for doing this for us! I plan on using this Winter Shape Up to get my butt in gear while my husband is gone on deployment. I want him to come home to an extra fit wife! You’re a rockstar!
-Dani
that’s always good motivation!!
so cool to here from a fellow military wife- thank you for all you and your hubby do for our country <3
This is GREAT!
I will totally be joining you.
This is perfect. I’m getting married in June and want to get my arms in shape!
I have a long way to go, but am totally on board for this “event”!!! Thank you for putting this together.
Sounds great! Thanks so so much, you are AWESOME for putting this up for all of us 🙂 I am definitely joining in, and will be doing the circuit workout tonight!
Awesome, awesome challenge! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, Gina:)
I am soooo jealous of everyone who gets to do the Winter Shape Up. I’m in my second trimester of pregnancy so I wasn’t able to join in the fun. Hopefully, you’ll have something similar in the summer. If you do, I’m definitely IN. 🙂
So I tried it today and loved it… a few slight variations… I cut the high knees to 30 sec., the bent knee raises to 8 (it was all I could do!)and twice through the circuit. I also did 20 min.s of run/walk afterwards. It came to just a hair over 1 hour with stretching. I can do the gym every other day and tying it all together gives me a great workout. Thanks again. I’m going to go find more info on the bent knee raises– my hand-placement seemed wrong and I felt it somewhat in my triceps too as I lifted my pelvis… and I thought it was a mostly a core/ab thing… right?!
Hey Gina – just want to say I’ve been an avid reader of your posts! So much so that you’ve inspired me to blog my journey to better health, and here I am leaving you my first ever comment. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I’m going to take part in your 6 week challenge (though I’m going to change the name of it to “Summer” as it’s summer here in Australia!)you’ve given me lots of tips to get started.Cheers 🙂
Okay, I have finally had a moment to sit down and read through the workout and meal changes. I know you said you would appreciate feedback, have you thought about doing a video or having someone do a video that goes through the workouts? That way we can click on one video and follow along? I have to be honest, I had no idea what some of those exercises are and often don’t have time to click from one site to another. Just my two cents. 🙂 I am very excited to get started!!
hey donna,
ideally, i would LOVE to do it that way.
time, sadly, won’t allow it right now… making and uploading videos takes a while
I’m in! It’s summer here in Australia, though, so it can be a summer shape up for me! Can’t wait to get started, and loving the fact that I don’t need a gym membership to complete the exercises — I have one, but I get nervous in the weights section, so it’s fab to have the option of training at home if I’m just not feeling up to the gym one day!
I’m in! Thank you so much for this- I was getting so bored with my weight routines!
Hi Gina,
How are you doing? I joined my gym’s TEAM Fitness program last week. It’s a 12 week program. I am sure our strength training exercises will overlap. So count me in. 🙂
i’m so excited to get started on your winter shape up program! i’ve been looking for a way to shake up my routine, and i think this will be perfect!
I’m totally in! I’ve been waiting for this for a couple weeks, yay! 🙂
I am in! One of my goals this year is to get back into weight lifting. The circuits look doable and should be easy to fit into my weekly schedule. Excited to get started! 🙂
hey gina! i tried this out tonight and i loved it.
i hadnt weight trained in a while, so i started out with the beginner, but i’m glad to say that i’ll be doing the intermed on wednesday.
thanks so much for putting this together!!
whoo hoo!
i’m participating! i already eat super healthy (i’ve studied nutrition) & can’t wait to get fitter! thanks so much!!!
I am in!!! I heard about your Winter Shape Up through Healthy Tipping Point and am excited to start using weights and mixing up my workouts. Cant wait to see how strong and healthy it makes me feel!
Oh yea I’m in! Forgot to post yesterday. I think hubby and I will start this the 1st week in Feb.
If you have a moment sometime would you talk about the importance of stretching and add some sample stretches? I’m looking for running stretches specifically but also stretches to do after regular cardio, spinning class, etc. Or if you already have something could you point me in that direction? Thanks!
COUNT ME IN!!! YAY!
i did the int/adv workout last night and i was sweating so much more than i ever have before when doing circuit training. looking forward to the next six weeks of your workouts gina!
whoo hoo! AWESOME 😀
I’ll give it a try! My husband has not been so happy with my weight gain since we got married about a year ago…. It’s only about 4 or 5 pounds, but maybe adding some strength training to my cardio will make me look firmer. I’m hopeful!
girl, do it for YOU, not for anyone else.
xoxo
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to start tonight!
i did the beginning circuit last night after 30 minutes of cardio. i doubled up on a few of the exercises & threw in a few burpees! loved it! will do the int/adv tomorrow for more intensity.
Hi Gina! I’m so excited to get started on Winter Shape Up…I’m a cardio fiend but really need some weights in my life, and this seems like the perfect way to get started. 🙂 Just tried your beginner workout and have a quick question for you…could you explain the Good Mornings move using the medicine ball a little bit more? (Since I don’t have a medicine ball, I tried it holding two 5-lb dumbbells at my stomach and then bending at the waist with knees slightly bent until my back was parallel with the floor…not sure if this is right or not??)
hey nicole,
you did it exactly right.. just hold the weights together at your belly button, bend (back is parallel to floor) and using your lower back (w abs tight) return to standing
This is AWESOME! I need to change my workout routine and this is perfect. I plan to start this in Februray (I am currently finishing up a boot camp class till the end of Jan.)
Hi Gina,
I’m going to try out your workouts! It looks great. Just a quick question regarding ‘good morning’ exercise. I workout at home and don’t have a barbell, do you have a substitution for this exercise that I can do?
I have resistance bands, dumbbells, and an exercise ball.
Thanks!
hold two dumbbells at your belly button and it should work like a charm
I can’t thank you enough for putting together such an awesome routine. 🙂
I completed my first round of your exercise plan yesterday and am looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. It really kicked my butt (in a good way, of course). So I can tell this is really going to shape me up and challenge me.
THANK AGAIN! Your rock!! 😉
that is so awesome!
i’m very happy you liked it 🙂
I’m so glad that I found your website through Healthy Tipping Point. I know that a lot of people are using the New Year as an excuse to shape up, but I’ve been working out for a few months now without seeing any real results- I didn’t realize how integral weight training was to toning up!
i’m so glad you found it, too!! 😀
yes, weight training is critical to toning up- if you shake things up a little and add in weight training, getting the results you’re looking for will be much easier!
Super excited about this! I started reading your blog when the Summer Shape Up was already in progress so I didn’t participate. Thanks for doing this!
I typically do circuit training 3x a week (Jillian Michael’s DVD’s or Jackie Warner) so I’m thinking I’ll sub your workout in. I’ll try to figure something out… looks like fun!
I’m hoppin on the bandwagon too! I’ve never really done a work out routine before, not counting the 4 months of Pilates I’ve just started doing. Since I’m on a cleanse diet right now, I ran a few miles and did two circuits of the workout today. When my body is a little more accustomed to my diet (and I’m less tired! I hope this is soon) I’ll do three circuits. It was fun!