Kick Your Butt, Legs, And Thighs With Week 2 of This Total Gym Workout:

Whether you want to firm up your glutes, tone your thighs, gain strength or sculpt defined muscles, it comes down to developing a set goal to accomplish – and follow it though with a plan of action!

I have created a progressive 4-week Glute, Legs, & Thighs Challenge that can be added to your current leg routine. It may be just the challenge your muscles need to shape, firm, and sculpt your lower body. Prior to beginning this lower body challenge, be sure to set a realistic goal to accomplish during this time.

‘Strength lies within’ by having a strong mind that ‘fuels’ your body from the inside and out. Any successful fitness program would not be complete without incorporating a proper diet plan. So let’s briefly discuss the importance that nutrition contributes to achieving results and ways to supplement your diet.

Implementing A Proper Clean Diet & Supplementation

Your diet is 80% the effort to achieve results, workouts being the remaining 20% of the equation. Therefore, a successful fitness program must also include a clean diet. The foods consumed are needed to fuel your body with sustainable energy for workouts as well as provide the proper nutrients needed to heal, repair, and replenish your tissues. A clean diet consists of lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains along with ample water for cleansing and hydrating.

• Protein (ex: lean meats, fish, poultry, legumes/beans/ raw nuts)
• Green vegetables (ex: spinach, kale, zucchini, broccoli)
• Colorful fruits (ex: mango, apple, watermelon, grapes)
• Whole grains (ex: quinoa, brown rice, raw oats)
• Alternative dairy (almond, rice, cashew, coconut milks)
• Plenty of water for hydration (liquids without sugar)

If you’re not sure what to cut from your current diet to make it “clean,” start by removing the following items if you consume them:

• NO Processed Foods:

Eliminate foods in cans, boxes, or pre-packaged items bought in stores. These foods are not ‘real’ foods. They are processed with preservative that do nothing nutritionally for your body other than ‘fill your tummy’ with something that is tasty or appealing to the eyes/nose. These items typically contain excess sugars, salts, and other unnecessary elements that the human body does not process nor need daily.

• Bottom line, stay clear and be aware of processed foods! Stay out of the center aisles and stick to eating what grows from the ground, walks on land (if you consume meats), and swims in the ocean!

• NO Wheat:

Since the 1980s, wheat is full of genetic changes that seem to bloat our bodies, cause our guts to leak, and trigger autoimmune diseases. Other potential problems is that it’s full of sugar (think of every boxed/ bagged/ canned items), spikes insulin, potentially causes baldness, frail bones by disrupting body’s normal PH, effects the skin (inflammation, ulcers, psoriasis, increases wrinkles, lost elasticity)… need I say more???

• Bottom line, there are so many other options of whole grains that are better to consume for energy, nutrients, and are non-toxic for your body to ingest.

• NO Sugar

Sugar contains no essential nutrients and rots teeth. Fructose is hard on your liver & in significant amounts can overload the liver turning it into fat (fatty liver can cause serious problems), sugar can cause insulin resistance, diabetes (type II), may cause cancer, produces ‘fat promoting’ effects due to effecting hormones and the brain. Sugar is highly addictive and is a contributor to obesity in children and adults.

• The bottom line, sugar is toxic and contains empty calories that are incredibly harmful when eaten too much by non-natural sources.

• NO Dairy

Ice cream is a favorite to many, but consuming dairy may cause unwanted effects within your body. Studies on dairy diets have shown many negative effects to the body. Consuming large quantities of dairy may cause brittle and broken bones, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, lactose intolerance, acne, and high cholesterol. Cows are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones that are harmful to humans. They contain saturated fat, associated with weight gain in children and adults, bone loss due to containing a calcium-leaching effect, and develop excess fat in the belly that ‘sticks to the body’ and causes bloating. Calcium from animal milk is not absorbed as well as that from plant-based sources. So those who think milk is a good source of calcium… you’re better off eating plant based sources to get calcium!

• Bottom line, there are many healthier vegan sources of calcium that are a better choice for consumption.

*NOTE: There is a lot of research out there about the food we eat. If interested, I suggest learning more about the foods you consume and how they play a role on your overall health and wellness. I am only providing information for you to make the appropriate choices that are best for you and your health.

Daily tasks and busy schedules often make it difficult to get all the nutrients / meals needed within a day. It takes time to prepare planned meals and sometimes you just need a safe, quick, and easy option to get the nutrients into your daily diet. This can be a simple, effective, and affordable ‘fix’ to keep your body healthy and strong.

Clean Supplements To Pick Up On Your Next Supermarket Trip

I suggest considering supplementing your diet with a protein powder, greens powder, or even specific vitamins that you may be lacking. Here are some options to consider including into your daily diet:

• Vegan, hemp, pea, rice protein powder
• Greens powder (easily mixes into a shake or water)
• Coconut & coconut water (great for hydration)
• Herbs & spices (cayenne pepper, mint, ginger, turmeric)
• Vitamins (magnesium, vitamin C)
• Fish oil
• Flax seeds
• Drink warm water with lemon each morning. It stimulates metabolism and reduces wrinkles.

*NOTE: These are just a few ideas and suggestions to consider adding into your diet. Use them as a guide to try new things or to research what your body is lacking and may benefit from. At least it can open your mind to healthier alternatives for what you’re currently consuming to better help reach your fitness goals.

Now lets get into this weeks workout challenge!

The Challenge

The Thighs, Glutes, and Legs Challenge is based on a 4-week training cycle that is created to produce results and improve your current fitness level. The challenge consists of varying reps / sets and resistance levels to suit your fitness needs. You will perform the workout provided in conjunction with your current routine.

Each week I will provide you with a slightly different set of exercises that target your lower body muscles in every range of motion.  The intensity level should increase weekly to keep your body challenged and progressing with improvements.  This adds variety in the routine, challenges the muscles, and increases strength development.

This is the 2^nd week of the challenge, so if you’re just joining in now, you can refer back to the first week’s blog for the full program details and start from the beginning. I recommend printing or saving the weekly workouts schedule to your phone/notebook for an easy reference.

The chart below lists the instructions for this weeks challenge.

*Check out the video to see how these exercises are performed.