I posed this question on Instagram:
"What would you like to know about the 28 day Xmas challenge?"
Aside from some outrageous ones involving trying to put male genitalia into a turkey, and whether or not I'd be sending nude photos, there were some very good questions.
I've put the most 10 commonly asked questions below.
28 Day Xmas Challenge FAQ
Q: If I can't do a certain exercise, what should I do instead?
A: You can replace it with a similar exercise involving the same body parts. For example, if you can't back squat then you can do a leg press, or a goblet squat. Anything along these lines is fine.
Replacing squats with bicep curls though, for example, is not.
Q: Do we get a meal plan too?
A: No. The challenge's focus is on training, not nutrition. Plus, there are exceptions, but 9 times out of 10 meal plans are completely useless.
Q: What should I do about my nutrition over the 28 days?
A: For most people, December probably isn't the best month to make changes with their nutrition, at least not big ones. Just try and make sure you balance things out.
Yes, going out and being sociable is nice, as is getting hammered at Christmas parties, but when you end up having three parties a week, lunchtime drinks at work, gluhwein and sweet stuff at a Christmas market on the weekend and eating junk because you're hungover is not balanced.
Instead, enjoy a few key events, and the rest of the time, balance things out by eating plenty of protein, fruit and veg as the cornerstone of your main meals. Limit snacking and high calorie drinks as well to keep your calories in check.
I know this is super general advice, but I can't give personalised nutrition guidelines to everyone on a free program. If you really want to know your calorie intake, I suggest multiplying your bodyweight in lbs x 10 and then again bodyweight in lbs x 14. This should give you a calorie intake that's somewhere between a hefty deficit and maintenance kcals, which is probably quite appropriate for December to give you some flexibility with food intake.
Q: What should I do if I'm injured?
A: Ask a physio regarding your suitability for a weight training program and ask which exercises should be avoided. If you experience pain in any exercises, this is completely unacceptable and you should stop. I don't recommend following the program if you have a bad injury and don't know how to work around the injury.
Q: Can I do the program with basic kit at home, or do I need to head to a gym?
A: Firstly, I strongly recommend being a member of a gym for this challenge. I know a few people doing the challenge who have home gyms consisting of barbells, dumbbells and maybe a piece of cardio equipment like a bike. These people will be fine. Other people might be able to get away with just things like kettlebells or dumbbells if they substitute exercises. However, with too many substitutions, remember you're not actually following the program.
Q: Who wins the challenge?
A: A winner will be selected from random from people who post a picture or video on Instagram and tag #jbxmaschallenge - one post = one entry to the competition, so get snapping and videoing to increase your chances. The prizes are super cool and worth over £200, so definitely worth making the effort for!
Q: What supplements would you recommend?
A: None. They are far from essential and are a thing that people put far too much emphasis on, without getting enough of a reward back for your effort. However, I know that people don't listen, so if you MUST get some supplements, I recommend:
- Creatine @ 3-5g per day
- Caffeine @ 2-6mg per kilo pre workout
- Vitamin D @ ~2000iu per day
- Whey protein or casein to fill in any gaps in protein needs throughout the day
Q: What happens if I run out of time during a training session?
A: No sweat! I've designed the program so that the exercises run in order of importance. As long as you manage to get in at least the first 3 exercises, you'll be fine.
Q: What happens if I miss a training session?
A: Again, no problem at all. I don't expect most people to be able to do every single training session on the intended day. Instead, look at this way - if you miss one of the main training sessions, just do it on the next possible day. There are some rest days scheduled on the plan where you'll be doing little extra bits and bobs, so simply swap out the missed session for one of these rest days.
If this becomes highly impractical, say for example you miss more than one session, then just sack off the missed ones and jump back into the program as it was intended.
Q: Will I have to be in the gym every single day of the challenge?
A: No. You'll be in the gym ~4 times per week on average throughout the challenge. The other days are "structured rest" days where you'll be doing extra little bits, like trying to achieve a step target, doing mobility work, stretching etc.
Any more questions about the program? Gimme a shout and reply.
Want to join the program which kicks off next Tuesday and make December a productive month for your training?
Much love,
JB
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