Are you ready for another challenge to start the New Year off with?
This is a challenge to add to your daily workouts. You will be working out, right? If you need a program to follow, consider joining my 4 week New Year, New You Challenge starting January 3rd. It is a free follow along that will post daily to my YouTube channel.
Anyways, back to the butt challenge. For 30 days, you will add a set of bridge variations to supplement your daily workouts. It will be fun, and you will be strengthening your glutes! It will be 100 reps! You can do it! Are you in?!
The New Year is a perfect time to set new goals, challenge yourself in new ways, and create new healthy habits. It is a fresh start and a time to take action! Starting on January 3rd, I have a new challenge for you! I will be offering a new workout program called New Year, New You challenge. There will be 5 workouts per week with an optional 6th day of stretching. Each day a new workout will be released on my YouTube channel for free!. You will be offered strength training, cardio, core, and stretching workouts. These workouts are designed to be done at home, but you can easily do them in a gym as well. All you need is a selection of weights (whatever you have will work), a resistance band or two, an optional bench & optional stability ball. I will also provide a calendar that will allow you to see what workouts you have for the month of January. In addition to your daily workouts, I am also suggesting that you work on your mental health by finding three things each day you can be proud of yourself for, set a big goal for yourself to work towards, and work on your metal determination. We are working on getting fit from the side out!
We are going to work hard this month, crush goals, and create a healthy new habit of working out! We are going to do this together! I will be sweating right by your side, encouraging you along the way, and digging deep with you. We can do this together! All you need to do is show up!
December is here and that means I have new challenges for you! It’s going to be a busy month!
First challenge is the Plank & Push-up challenge. Follow me each day on Instagram for the challenge calendar and daily challenges, plus join me for my daily workouts!
Starting December 6th I have a follow along, 5 day per week workout challenge. Each day on YouTube starting December 6th, a new workout will be posted for you to follow along with. This is a great way to get through the holidays staying strong and on track! Do you follow me on YouTube yet? You totally should!
I am happy to announce that I will be offering virtual training if you want one in one training with me. This will be focused to your specific needs and goals. Check out my page for services and fees!
Thank you for being a part of this amazing fitness community! I am so happy to be a part of your fitness journey! Let me know how I can help!
Winter time is upon us, and I have a new 4 week challenge for you! As my gift to you, I am offering a free workout program on my YouTube channel. You can join me 5 days per week for strength training, cardio, & core workouts! This program will last 4 weeks as a follow along program. In these 4 weeks, we will meltdown those beliefs that hold us back, melt down self doubt, melt down excuses, and melt down unwanted body fat. All you have to do is commit to this program and show up for yourself!
Here are the details:
1. You need access to YouTube to do the workouts with me starting on December 6th.
2. You will need a range of light, medium, and heavyish weights, a resistance band, a bench (optional), and a stability ball (optional).
3. The workouts are between 30-50 minutes, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks.
4. There are low impact options for every workout.
5. There is NO cost!
All I ask is that you follow the workouts in order as they are designed in a specific format. You can add additional rest days as needed or spread out the workouts as long as you follow along in order. It is designed to be 5 days per week, but make it work for you!
Because this is a follow along workout, I am not able to customize the workouts. I do offer alternative exercises for those with knee limitations with a quick demonstration, however I perform the workouts with the planned exercises.
I also offer private nutrition coaching or personalized workouts for a small fee if you are interested in that option. For $19.99 per month, you can get personalized nutrition coaching, workouts customized to your individual needs, access to a private Facebook group, and a few fun bonuses! Message me if you are interested.
One of the great passions in my life is teaching others the joy of fitness and health. I hope you will join me for this 4 week challenge!
Muscle growth can be a long and challenging process. It takes patience, determination, and commitment. It’s so worth it though! The journey is fun, exciting, and very rewarding.
When I first started weight training, I thought building muscle would be as easy as simply lifting my limited selection of weights a few times a week. I loved learning about what muscles I was working, feeling badass for being a “weight lifter”, and impatient to see definition. I was naive about the process though.
After a year of classes to become a personal trainer and working at a local gym, I discovered the only way to really see muscle growth was to progressively overload the muscles. That meant I needed to be pushing my muscles over time by increasing my weights or reps.
Now, I was 19 at the time and my determination was not really developed. I became inconsistent and stopped seeing results. It turns out that you have to be consistent to see results 😆.
Fast forward to my early 30’s and 3 kids later, and I was determined, committed, and ready to get back at it. I had been staying active the entire time but mostly through cardio, so I had a lot of muscle building to do. This time I was doing it at home without the luxury of a gym full of weights. I had a few weights to get started with, and I was excited! I once again started adding more reps to my sets or more sets to my rounds until I could invest in more weights. As I added more weights to my collection, I began increasing my weight when I could easily do more than 10 reps of an exercise. Sometimes it took a long time to bump up in weights. I also went through times when I just wanted to maintain where I was and stuck to 12-15 reps.
So how should you start when you want to build muscle? First, know that it is not a fast process. It takes time. I have been slowly building muscle for over 13 years with short breaks in there. Sometimes I have been more serious about it than other times. That’s ok! Just keep lifting! Second, if you are limited in weight options, increasing reps or sets is a great way to overload the muscles. The goal is to push your muscles to the point where you couldn’t do another rep even if you wanted to. Third, increase your weights (if you have that option) when you can easily do 8-10 reps of an exercise. If you get to 10 reps and feel like you could do 3-5 more reps, it’s time to go heavier!
You can also choose to focus on building strength and work in the 12-15 rep range. This is often my favorite range to work in. Sometimes I like the size my muscles are and just want to maintain my strength.
Now, be realistic! You might be at the same weight for a while. It’s not likely that you will increase your weights every week. Having good form is more important than trying to lift heavier than you should, so don’t be in a rush to increase your weights. That is when injuries happen!
So if you want to build muscle, progressively overloading your muscles is the key! It is also important to fuel your body properly. Muscles need protein to grow. It also helps to eat in a slight caloric surplus, but I have had results without eating in a surplus too.
Getting started on a fitness and health journey can seem overwhelming. Knowing how to start, what exercises to do, or how often to do them can feel intimidating. It can also feel scary to do it alone. That’s why I am offering a 6 week “Fall For Fitness” challenge.
Starting on October 4th, I will be running a 6 week challenge to get you started in your health & fitness journey. My goal is to help you fall in love with fitness! Each week you will have a new set of exercises to do, including weight training & cardio. You can choose from 4, 5, or 6 day per week exercise plans. You will also have cardio options to choose from. Nutrition will play an important role in your fitness journey, so I will offer nutrition coaching as well.
For 6 weeks, we will work out together, be accountable to each other, and reach new goals. If you are ready to get started on your fitness and health journey but need help, consider joining me!
Here are the details:
Cost: $40.00
What you get: 6 weeks of workout plans, nutrition coaching, and accountability.
Start date: October 4th
What you need: a small selection of weights or resistance bands, chair or bench, glute bands or resistance band, and a little space. Optional items can include a jump rope or rope-less jump rope & stability ball.
Fitness is a journey for me, NOT a destination. When I became interested in fitness, I knew it would be a way of life for me and not a short term solution. I didn’t want short term results or temporary muscle gain; I wanted lasting results and a stronger body. That doesn’t happen by sporadically working out or occasionally eating healthy foods fuel your body.
I have heard many people complain over the years about how they have had great results only to lose them. The problem is that they saw exercise and healthy eating as a short term goal not a long term lifestyle. If you want lasting results, you have to keep showing up day after day. Consistency is key!
These two pictures were taken almost exactly 2 years apart. Honestly, there is not a huge difference. My arms are definitely stronger and more defined, my legs can squat heavier weights now, but overall it is not a huge difference. I actually weigh exactly the same and wear the same size clothing. I didn’t stop working out when I lifted a certain sized weight or hit a number on the scale. I stayed on the journey, maintaining what I had achieved and making a little more progress. There is no destination for me; it’s a lifestyle.
If you want to maintain your health and fitness, you have to keep working. You have to be committed to the journey and not feel like you reached a destination. The journey may change over time and you might set new goals, but you show up everyday! You stay focused on the journey and not the destination.
Starting a weight loss journey can be overwhelming. Where do you start, how do you succeed, and what can you eat are questions that might run through your mind. I don’t like to think of it as a weight loss journey as much as a fat loss journey. Inevitably the scale will change, but the focus should be on losing unwanted fat, gaining better health, and feeling better, rather than what the number on the scale reads.
Here are a few tips that will help you on your journey:
1. Choose an eating plan that is sustainable. That means something you can do forever and not a fad diet. Fad diets might work for temporary weight loss, but can you do it forever? If not, then it’s not the right plan for you. For example, I could lose weight by cutting out carbs, but there is no way I could sustain that long term. It would not be a lifestyle I could or would want to sustain, so it’s not the right eating plan for me.
2. Focus on your nutrition first and then your workout program. Nutrition is the most important factor when trying to lose fat. You can exercise for hours every day, but if your nutrition is off, you won’t see the results you want. Start by making a plan on what you are going to eat, what healthy swaps you can make, and what calorie range you need to be in.
3. Schedule workouts that include weight training and cardio. Focusing on cardio alone is not the ideal way to lose fat. People often think they need to log considerable time on the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, or doing cardio based workouts in order to lose fat. The truth is that adding resistance training is key to losing fat, reshaping your body, and increasing your metabolism. Aim for at least 3 days of resistance training each week and 2-3 days of cardio. I like adding 2 days of HIIT training and 1 day of steady state cardio to my workout week, and focus 3-4 days on weight training. Cardio and weight training can be done on the same day too.
4. Drink plenty of water and make sleep a priority! Avoid consuming calories through your beverages and focus on water first. Replace soda, juice, and fancy coffee drinks with water first, and then perhaps coffee or tea. My goal is to drink at least 3 water bottles (32 oz) of water each day, and then allow for tea instead of soda. It is also important to create a sleep schedule that allows you to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Turn off electronics at least 1-2 hours before bed, avoid caffeine in the afternoon, and create a comfortable sleeping space that allows you to relax and drift off to sleep. It is helpful to keep the same sleep and waking time each day to promote good sleep too.
5. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s, and be patient! Everyone’s journey is different and comparing yourself to others will not lead to better or faster results. Focus on your own journey and celebrate each small victory. It won’t happen overnight, so be patient and don’t give up! Success does not happen without putting in the time and effort.
There are so many more tips to losing fat, but these are the top 5 I recommend to get started. If you want one on one coaching, workouts plans, or nutrition coaching, let me know. I offer personalized plans, workout programs, and accountability.
Being successful in whatever you set out to do takes dedication, determination, commitment, and planning. You are more likely to be successful if you have a plan and actively work towards achieving it. So where do you start?
The first place to start is by writing down what you want to achieve. Next, write down everything you need to do in order to achieve that goal. Then, make a plan! Write down what you will do each day that will bring you one step closer to success.
Let’s talk about this in terms of fitness and nutrition. Is getting fit or losing weight one of your goals? Start off small. What do you hope to achieve in the next 30 days? Do you want to lose 5lbs?, start working out regularly?, or both?
Start off by choosing a workout program you feel excited about or are willing to commit to. Then schedule every workout into your weekly calendar. What days will you workout and for how long? I suggest starting with at least 30-40 minutes, 3-4 days per week. The goal would be to work up to 4-5 days per week, but let’s start small and manageable.
Next, in order to lose weight, you need to dial in your nutrition. Eliminating highly processed foods and focusing on fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy carbs and fat, and drinking plenty of water will be crucial. I recommend starting off by logging your food intake for a few weeks. I like the app My Fitness Pal for food tracking. You can log everything you eat and monitor your calorie and macronutrient intakes. This will help you see where your calories come fr abs where adjustments need to be made.
A great way to be successful in your eating is to pre-make meals for the week. If you have meals ready to go, it is easier to teach for healthy options, rather than quick, unhealthy meals. Some of my favorites are overnight oats for breakfast, burritos in a jar for lunch, and salads!
Overnight oats
1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp chopped nuts, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp ground flax. Add fruit on top after heating. Blueberries or strawberries are a great option!
Burrito or taco salad in a jar
Ground meat, black beans, rice, 1 tbsp shredded cheese, avocado, corn. You can put this on a bed of lettuce to make a taco salad, or add to a tortilla for a burrito.
Plan for success, and you will be more successful!
About a month ago I started a YouTube channel. I had lost my job teaching dance and fitness when the studio I taught at had to close due to COVID, but I wanted to continue sharing workouts with others. I share daily workouts on Instagram, but I also wanted to offer follow along, full workouts for people while gyms were mostly closed down. Now, I am not a video or tech person, so this has been a huge learning curve. I don’t have fancy videos or stellar lighting, but I do have a passion to help others. I’m not looking to be a YouTube influencer, and I don’t care how many followers I have. I just want to help others.
There are tons of great fitness YouTube people out there, so I am truly honored and humbled when anyone selects my workout to do. It’s not the same as teaching a live class, but I love it!
If you want to workout with me, check out my channel. I add new workouts every week, and I try to offer a variety of options.
juliejonesfitness.com 