New Program: Divination is Telling Me...

Good morning everyone! I hope you've had a great week and weekend! I sure did! On Monday, I started a new program. It's called 8 Weeks to a Bikini-Ready Body by Tawna Eubanks. You can find it online on the Kaged Muscle Website. I'm not following it exactly, but pretty close just based on my own preferences,so we will see how it goes. In weeks one and five you start new training programs. With those weeks you're really learning the moves and figuring out weights to use. The next weeks your supposed to work on increasing it and going heavy. There are daily videos you watch. In addition, meal plan examples and a list of supplements to use are provided. Here is week one:

Monday: Day 1-Glutes and Delts

Barbell Hip Thrusts: 4 sets- reps of 10, 5, 20 ,20 (I did 50 lb curl bar)

Dumbbell Walking Lunge: 4 sets- reps of 10 steps/leg (15 lb dumbbells)

Back Extension (focus on glutes): 2 sets-reps of 30 (no additional weight)

Gluteator (well abduction machine): 4 sets- reps of 20 (2 sets at 7, 2 sets at 9)

Lateral Raises: 4 sets-reps of 20 (8 lb dumbbells each hand) 

 Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise: 4 sets- reps of 10 (3 x 8 dumbbells and 1 x 9 dumbbells)

Reverse Cable Fly: 4 sets- reps of 10 (4 x 30 lbs)

Six Ways: N/A

We opted out of Six Ways because my trainer isn't found of them because of how much pressure they put on your rotator cuffs. For the second week of the program, I am definitely increasing my weights on most of these, but not lateral raises...those were already a struggle. I'm hoping I can increase those to 10 lb dumbbells at least by the end of it. Rest was supposed to be a 90 secs to 120 secs, but I did more like 30 secs tops.

Tuesday: Day 2-Back & Arms

Close-grip Pulldown: 1 set- reps of 10-12 (warm up)

Chin-up: 2 sets- failure (1st set solo-4 reps, 2nd set assisted-10 reps)

Machine Row: 2 sets - reps of 10 (2 x 70 lbs)

Wide-grip pulldown: 2 sets - reps of 10 (2 x 60 lb)

Close-grip Bench Press: 3 sets - reps of 6, 3, 12 (olympic bar-45 lbs)

EZ-Bar Curl: 3 sets - reps of 10 (2 x 40 lb, 1 x 30 lb)

Overhead Rope Extension: 3 sets- reps of 10 (3 x 30 lb)

Preacher Curl: 3 sets - reps of 10 (3 x 30 lb)

I definitely can go up in weight with the close-grip bench press. I am going to try for all 3 sets to be 40 lbs with the EZ Bar Curl. I have to work on form with the overhead rope extension after that will try to go up. I am going to try to go up on the last set with the preacher curl and wide grip pull down.  

Rest was supposed to be about one minute, but I did about 30 secs tops again. 

Wednesday: Day 3-Rest Day

Thursday: Day 4-Shoulders
Push Press: 2 sets-reps of 5 (4 sec lowering count)- 1st set 45lb, 2nd set 55lbs
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets-reps of 15- 3 x 15 dumbbells
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 2 sets-reps of 8 (4 sec lowering count)-1 x 8db, 1 x 10db
Cable Upright Row: 4 sets- reps of 10 - 4 x 50lb
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets - reps of 12, 10, 8, 8- 1 x 8db, 3 x 10db
Front Plate Raise: 2 sets-reps of 10- 2 x  25lb plate
Reverse Pec Deck: 4 sets-reps of 12 - I think it was 40 or 50lb I forgot

Lateral raises are hard! I am trying to improve though!

Friday: Day 5-Legs
Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets- reps of 6 (4 sec lowering count) - 3 x 40lb (or 50lb)
Leg Press: 4 sets-reps of 20,15,10, 10 - 1 x 90, 1 x 180, 1 x 270, 1 x 320lb
Stiff Legged Deadlift:4 sets- reps of 10 - 2 x 45 lb, 1 x 65 lb, 1 x 115lb
Leg Extension: 3 sets- reps of 12 -I dont know the weights but the numbers on plates(12, 13, 14)
Seated Leg Curl: 3 sets- reps of 12 - i think it was 70 lb or 60lb

Saturday: Day 6-Glutes
Banded Hip Thrust: 2 sets- reps of 20
Banded Side Leg Raises: 2 sets- reps of 8
Dumbbell Frog Pump: 2 sets- reps of 30 (25 lbs)
Banded Seated Hip Abduction: 3 sets-reps of 30, 30, 30 (leaning back, upright, leaning forward) (plate at 10 or 11)

Sunday: Day 7-Rest
Da Vinci Body Board

I forgot to mark down some of the weights I used, but I will remember this week! For this program, I chose the gain muscle option. So based on their nutrition calculator (which used moderately active woman training 5 days per week-so this program) my macros are:

Protein: 35%

Carbohydrates: 45%

Fats: 20%

Calories: 1500

I'm still intermittent fasting for 12 hours. It's totally helping curb my nighttime snacking. I just need to work on weekend snacking and eating as a whole, but I'll get there!

The cardio outlined in the program for gain muscle is the first two weeks (steady-state of heart rate between 135-150 bpm) for 25 minutes, 5 days a week. After the first two weeks, it decreases to 3 times per week. So one of the differences is I'm doing is 30 minutes of steady state 5 days a week (on lifting days usually). I'll probably keep in that way, so that could affect my results. Doing only 30 minutes of steady-state at 135-150 bpm is hard (to not go above). I love high intensity cardio and pushing myself more than that. I am also doing Da Vinci Body Board on Sundays for active rest. I'll probably keep it this way with 6 days of cardio (what can I say I love cardio) and increase my bpm next week...maybe my time too, but we'll see on that. This week was just not intense enough for me. For my cardio, normally I try to keep it between 160-175 bpm for 30-60 minutes (which I was told is a steady state of crazy...guess I'm crazy 😂). 

Another difference is, I don't use supplements. I don't have anything against using supplements, but I just don't use them on a regular basis. Sometimes I'll have a protein shake to help meet my macros and stuff. That could also (and probably will) affect results too, but we shall see what happens. I am going to take my weight and measurements plus progress photos every two weeks with this program, so I'll have photos (whether I've done good or bad with both diet and exercise) for you all next week! I also will decide after next week if I stick with it. Like I mentioned earlier, it's just not intense enough so far (for me), but I'll give it another week and decide then. I might be like Hermione with Divination and drop it. The tea leave are telling me I won't be sticking with this program very long 😂.

"Just believe in yourself. Even if you don't, pretend that you do, and at some point you will."-Venus Williams

Have a great week 😁,

Ari 💗