Winter Shape Up 2016
Hi friends! Happy Monday, and happy WSU!
Welcome to Winter Shape Up 2016: a perfect chance to 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. I’m so happy Anne has joined in the fun to share her expertise as a Registered Dietitian. She’s my WSU partner in crime, and we love being able to put together these plans for you all.
Each week, for the next 4 weeks, Anne and I will be posting free full workout schedules, meal plans, videos, printables and grocery lists.
While you can follow these exactly as suggested, remember that these are just suggestions; they can be 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 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 it 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 implement 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. Anne has a variety of delicious, healthy and satisfying recipes in the meal plan with vegan and gluten-free options.
-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 @fannetasticfood.
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 25 to Sunday, February 21, 2015. Here are links to all the content (this page will be updated as the new pages are published).
More details and FAQs are below!
How do I enter the giveaways?
We’ll have two giveaways running each week. Check in on each weekly post for your chance to enter! (For week 1, you’ll check in for your workouts below in the comments, and check in with your eats on Anne’s week 1 page.)
How do I keep track of all of the deliverables and info? It seems like a lot!
This page that you’re currently reading (the Intro post) will be your home base 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 this page at the top of the blog (on the upper right side bar).
A special thanks to our Winter Shape Up sponsors, who will be providing amazing giveaways along the way:
Cabot | Sabra | Sizzlefish | Pure Canadian Maple Syrup | Daily Harvest | Gluten Free Chex | Crunch Live (use code WSU30 to get a free 30-day trial. After 30 days it will roll over to a membership at $9.99, but can be canceled at any time)
This week’s featured sponsor is Daily Harvest! I’ve been obsessed with their smoothies for a while now, and am so excited to share them with two lucky winners.
A little bit about Daily Harvest:
Each blend contains a mixture of fruit, healthy fats and superfoods. Add you do is add liquid in a blender, blend it up, and enjoy! The combos are soooo delicious, and I especially love that they don’t use any added sugars or preservatives; just whole, REAL foods. You can add protein powder to the smoothies, but I find that I almost never want to do that. They taste amazing on their own, and have a great mix of greens, fruit, and energizing super foods. Everything is picked at the peak of freshness and flash frozen, and the ingredients are non-GMO and organic whenever possible. One of my favorite things about Daily Harvest is the convenience and accessibility. For example, I love maca, but it isn’t really worth it for me to have a giant bag in the pantry to sprinkle into oats and smoothies. Also, when I make a smoothie, it’s fast and furious. This makes it so much easier to put the container in the blender, add almond milk or coconut water, and blend. If the container is two servings worth, it usually works out well because my tiny smoothie bandit (Liv) will claim it as her own.
Some of the other ingredients that they use: kale, avocado, cashew butter, pink Himalayan sea salt, ginger, cacao nibs, and wheatgrass.
2 lucky Shape Up participants will each receive a 6-pack of Daily Harvest smoothies, and can choose which flavors they’d like to try.
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.
Bonus entry: Instagram a sweaty workout pic, and be sure to tag us (@fitnessista @fannetasticfood #wintershapeup)
Let’s get this party started! Are you joining in the fun?
xoxo
Gina
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Did Workout #1 this morning, and WSU was a nice motivation to go trudge through this Northeastern snow! Happy to see WSU 2016 😀
I love WSU time!! I also did Soli Beat this weekend when we got over 2 feet of snow in South Jersey. Perfect way to sweat on a Snow Day.
I was a barre star today. (The Dailey Method)
Workout #1 done this morning! Really like that you switched it up and started on a Monday – Monday as a break day always threw me off. Thanks Gina!
Agree! This was a great workout to start the week!
Yay for winter shape up! Love the PRO for protein and produce. Great way to get the point across.
Good morning WSU-ers!
Workout #1 is a great way to start the week. Feeling great after sweating it out.
(Gina – it’s NBD about the lack of videos this time – recovery is the most important thing!)
Have a great week everyone!
Checked off Workout #1 last night (needed an escape from being snowed in all weekend!) and even got the hubby to join in! We did three rounds are are feeling it this morning!
Excited to get started!
Workout #1 x 3 rounds. Felt good to start the week by moving my body. Recovering from a cold so did a few modifications and lowered the intensity for the HIIT a bit.
Thanks for running this program. It motivates me to work harder during these coldest months of the year.
Workout 1 done this morning. Loved it and can’t wait for the next few weeks of this challenge!
Did Workout #1 yesterday. I’ve been seriously slacking on strength training (ok to be honest, on exercising) this winter, so I’m excited to get back into it!
Gina, I know you’re a yogi, and I was wondering how yoga might work into your WSU plan. I typically practice vinyasa flow 5-6 times a week. Can I just add these workouts onto my typical yoga practice? Thanks !!!
Was going to skip today, but found some motivation! Workout #1 x3 (with modifications for pulled leg muscle) but I’m glad I did it!
Thanks so much for leading this Gina! I did Workout 1 this morning. Whew – so good! xxoo
I just got back from the gym and completed workout #1 + 10 mins of walking on the treadmill!
I did workout #1 this morning, two times through because I was short on time. It was tough, especially those HIIT blasts!
I’m so excited for WSU! I love the structure that your workouts provide. I was just getting sick of my normal routine, so this will be a a fun way to switch it up. I finished workout 1 this morning using the low impact option since I’m pregnant.
Got in my workout this a.m.! It was great!
Lots of great advice and fitness ideas here. Like the emphasis on taking small steps, consistently. I’m former military myself, and they have a saying, how do you eat an elephant? One spoonful at a time.
My workout for today was shoveling snow for over an hr. 🙂
Finally got my booty back to the gym after a rough couple of weeks being swamped and working unhealthy hours at the j.o.b. Made it to a body-shaking Fierce 45 workout this morning!
LOVE your “pro” approach to produce and protein. I think I’d edit mine to be “Prof” as in produce, protein and healthy fats 🙂
lots of walking and an upper body lift day for me.
Did yoga and walked the dogs before work this morning!
Since I’m planning on attending a body pump class tomorrow, I’m going to skip the strength portion of Workout #1 and instead do the HIIT blitz a few times!
Yay! I’m so psyched to get started!
Got it workout 1 first thing this morning! Love when the kiddo goes down for an early nap!
I crushed workout #1 early this morning and followed up with a little yoga practice to stretch it all out. Thanks for the shape up. I look forward to it every year!
Workout #1 complete! It was a great way to kickstart the week
A stroller workout with my daughter! Wish it could have been outside instead!
love doing these!!! thanks for putting the WSU and SSU together (:
Did Workout #1 this morning. Great start to the week!
I woke up for my usual 6:00 am tabata bootcamp, but I can’t wait to try Workout #1 later this week!
Just finished exercise one and I am pretty excited about this years WSU!
Just finished workout 1 in my LAX hotel room! Nice and sweaty start to the day!
Hi Gina and all-
I teach cycling (stand up style, dance style) classes each week. I teach 3 on a normal week, but this week I am teaching 5. I struggle with over eating, but usually on “good choices” to compensate for all this extra exercise, and have a very hard time loosing weight. I would like to loose weight, as I remain a good 10 lbs. heavier than I would like to be. I also practice yoga at least once a week to stretch out all those muscles I shorten during my classes. I need advice. I find that if I under-eat, I cannot teach as well. If I am over weight, I feel like I cannot teach as well. I do know that a lot of this is muscle, but I want to have leaner muscle, that is more functional and that I find looks and feels better on me. I am 5ft. 1″ and will be 40 this year. Can you help me organize my workouts (want to do the winter shape up) to maximize lean muscle development. I know that I have to be very careful with diet- I watch my sugar, little to low gluten/carbs from sugar, high protein, cannot use cow milk.
Thanks for any help!!
Did an outdoor ru this morning!
Two modified rounds of workout 1 done. Sweaty mess!
Thanks Gina!
Loved, loved, loved Workout #1 – but I did quickly realize I need to work on balance. I am looking forward to seeing how much I can improve.
I did three round of workout 1! Such a great workout!
i did WO#1 yesterday because yoga was on my schedule for today!
ran six miles this morning. planning on Workout 1 later this week.
lunch time yoga today – haven’t done it in a while and it felt great after my run yesterday!
Walk through the snow and my physical therapy exercises both completed.
Did workout #1!
I completed Workout 1 just now and feel amazing!
I completed 3 rounds of workout one today! I have a feeling I will be sore tomorrow 🙂 Thanks for hosting WSU again. Looking forward to it.
Spin today! Great way to start a Monday.
I did workout 1 today!
I did 2 rounds of workout #1 yesterday and a crazy tabata boot camp today!