TRAINING STRATEGY 🏋🏻‍♀️

➡️ For Strength & Shape

Provided we’re on track with our nutrition – that is, we’re sustaining a calorie deficit & consuming plenty of protein – as the weeks roll by, we’ll steadily burn away unwanted body fat & reveal a new body shape.

Creating this new shape is the primary focus of our Training Strategy – which, as you know, will be largely strength-training focused and supplemented with a cardio. Here’s why …

1️⃣ STRENGTH TRAINING PRESERVES MUSCLE – in a calorie deficit, our muscles are in danger of being broken down and burned as fuel. Strength training safeguards our muscles against this by giving our body a strong message to burn fat instead.

2️⃣ STRENGTH TRAINING RESHAPES OUR BODY – when the focus is on getting stronger, strength training allows us to shape & sculpt our muscles in a way that another types of exercise simply cannot match.

Since we’re able to create a calorie deficit via our Nutrition Strategy alone – i.e. by sticking to our budget – cardio is not essential for fat loss. However, that said, cardio is valuable – both as a tool for burning bonus calories, but also for promoting heart- & mental-health. Hence, unless otherwise discussed, some cardio will be in our plan. The key is finding something you enjoy – e.g. walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, cross-trainer, rowing machine etc.

➡️ Optimise your Training

The primary focus of our training sessions will be to get you stronger 

It’s our strength gains that fuel our shape gains

Getting stronger is a methodical, educational & empowering process underpinned by a mechanism called progressive overload – which we’ll talk more about shortly.

Rest assured, they’ll be no “directionless” workouts. On the contrary, our training will be structured & planned. Sessions will follow a set pattern – with each one designed to take us one step closer towards our goals.

For maximum impact, our training sessions will be full-body & built upon bossing the big lifts – i.e. those that recruit lots of muscle. I’m talking about …

1️⃣ SQUATS – e.g. Dumbbell (DB) Goblet Squat & Barbell (BB) Back Squat

2️⃣ DEADLIFTS  – e.g. BB Romanian Deadlifts & T-Bell Deadlifts

3️⃣ BRIDGING – e.g. BB Hip Thrusts & BB Glute Bridges

4️⃣ SINGLE-LEG TRAINING – e.g. Lunges & Split Squats

5️⃣ PULLS / ROWS – e.g. Rows & Lat Pulldowns

6️⃣ PUSHES / PRESSES – e.g. DB Shoulder Press & DB Chest Press

7️⃣ CORE – e.g. Planks & Dead Bugs

8️⃣ HIIT CARDIO … perhaps occasionally 😉

Whilst there’s no magic bullet for getting strong, regularly practicing, polishing & progressing these lifts will put us firmly in the fast lane for body-shaping success. 

Naturally, I will meet you where you’re at – ensuring we first lay solid foundations before coaching you step-by-step through each stage at your own pace.

Rest assured, you will always be your growth & learning zone – and never in your panic zone! ⬇️

➡️ Two-Phased Plan of Attack

1️⃣ PHASE ONE – FOUNDATION BUILDING (“FEEL”)

Since we can’t build our empire of strength upon weak foundations, the initial phase of our Training Strategy is all about building a strong lifting foundation. I refer to these sessions as “Feel” sessions – simply because we train on feel, rather than tracking numbers. Our objective here is …

➡️ To practice & polish proper form across all lifting categories

➡️ To strengthen mind-muscle connection

➡️ To develop core strength & body awareness

Only once we’re happy you’re confident & competent in each lifting category will we progress to Phase Two. This typically takes 4-5 sessions. 

2️⃣ PHASE TWO – STRENGTH BUILDING (“NUMBERS”)

With our foundation firmly in place, strength building is where the magic happens.

In Phase Two, our objective shifts to progressively overloading the body – that is, progressively taking it outside of its comfort zone and, thus, stimulating it to grow stronger & shapelier.

There’s nothing “feel” about “numbers” sessions. On the contrary, they’re built upon solid programming with session-by-session performance logging.

Once we’re locked into our programme, it’ll be you vs. you – and you can expect steady strength & shape gains. For me, this is a truly exciting place to be!

I refer to phase-two programmes as “numbers” programmes since we track everything!

To set your expectations, muscle building is a slower process than fat loss – it takes months & months. Moreover, we’ll only begin to see new “tone” & “shape” once we burn away the fat that covers the muscle. This process will be tracked using the BodiTrax machine @ Buzz Gym.

Here’s a screenshot of a Phase-Two progressive-overload programme …

Naturally, I will satisfy all of your programming needs – providing you with plans for both Luke-led & solo sessions. For ease of access, these will be stored securely in your online GymHippie SafeSpace. Your training programmes will always be …

➡️ RESULTS FOCUSED

➡️ TIME EFFECTIVE

➡️ OF A STRUCTURE THAT YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH

Here’s a little taster of what our sessions would look like …

What former GymHippies say …