Shredding for the Wedding: My Plan of Action
Sooo.. In case y’all weren’t aware:
YA GIRL IS GETTING HITCHED!
Crazy to really stop and think about, considering I still feel like I’m not even old enough to drive or purchase alcohol, but here we are. 25 and wifed up.
In exactly 138 days (approx 4 1/2 months), I’ll be walking down the aisle to my future hubs, and I truly couldn’t be more stoked. I’m SO ready to start a life with this guy - I mean, have you seen him!? **insert drool face**
I love having some sort of event/special occasion to really help discipline myself with my eating and fitness routine, because without extrinsic motivation, it is super hard for me to stay as on point as I need to be to have a shredded physique. My body loves to naturally have some extra loving around my midsection. That’s how it’s always been, and I don’t exactly hate the way I look when I have love handles at all! I have an athletic frame, and it’s definitely obvious that I am fit even with some extra fat over the muscle.
That being said…
When I really feel most confident in pictures and bikinis (lots of pictures will be taken around wedding time and lots of bikinis will be worn for my bachelorette party) is when I’m sitting around 14-16% body fat (that may sound low, but keep in mind I have non-existent boobs which effects body fat % big time). Even then, I have some extra loving on my tummy, but it’s a maintainable place I’ve stayed at for long periods of time before with minimal effort and I know with a little discipline I can totally get back there again. :)
My physique goals are basically:
Love myself no matter what, even if I don’t get to where I want to be by my wedding date. No one is coming to the wedding because of the way I look, they’re coming to celebrate love!
Lose 3-6% body fat (approximately, I will have my body fat taken by a more reliable machine than what I have this week actually so I’ll keep ya updated!)
Gain 1-2 inches on my hips (pure muscle hehe)
Lose 1/2 an inch on my arms (they’re muscular but I’d love for them to be leaner)
Lose 1/2 an inch to 1 inch around my waist
Improve my posture (I have the worst anterior pelvic tilt which basically means I push my butt out and my stomach out so my butt looks big but my gut looks big too and I flare my ribs, which is just a sign of how weak my abs are)
Going off number 6… Improve TVA/core strength tremendously!!! I actually have a weaker core than most of my clients (embarrassing…). By improve core strength through the deep “corset” muscles of the stomach, I will most likely look leaner just because of improved posture.
Here’s some current physique pictures to show where I’m at (flexing, mind you).
So, you may be wondering, what am I going to do to ensure I get where I want to be healthily and maintain that physique for a prolonged period of time?!
Here’s my plan of action…
FITNESS
Movement 7 days a week
(I already make sure to move 7 days/week):
3 Lifting Sessions
1 Glute focused session (booty gainz plz)
1 Push session (includes upper and lower body)
1 Pull session (includes upper and lower body)
6-7 Cardio sessions in some capacity ( I LOVE cardio, so this isn’t at all a punishment or something I feel like I have to do)
2 Spin Classes and/or HIIT classes/workouts
2 Boxing Classes (at my favorite gym ever - JAX LOCALS - GO TRY THIS PLACE OUT!!!)
1 Endurance Run (Steady State)
1 Stairmaster Session (Low Intensity Steady State)
1-3 Power Walks (at least 1 for my active recovery day)
Core work every day in some capacity (I figure a little every day will add up to increased core strength if I really focus on form)
Active Recovery Day
TVA (transverse abdominis work)
Walk outside
Yoga/Pilates class (the hardest thing for me to squeeze in but I’m going to really try!)
1 session with my awesome trainer friend Aaron Phan (check out his IG here) to work on my postural issues
NUTRITION
Track macros majority of the time until I am in a place of maintenance or decide I don’t need to be as strict with making sure I am eating the right amounts.
I use this website for tracking my macros, then I plug those goals into my MyFitnessPal app (I don’t add my exercise for the day into the app because my calories are already set for the activity I do based on the formula from the IIFYM website).
If it’s your first time tracking macros, I recommend simply keeping a daily food log in MyFitnessPal for a week or so (make sure to include weekends) and then get a general estimate for how many calories you’re consuming per day. Then from there, you can calculate your macros in the website I linked above, and see if you’re over or under-eating for your goals. If you’re way undereating, you don’t want to subtract any more calories from your diet. Instead, focus on eating healthier, more balanced meals with enough protein and slowly try to increase your calories while eating mainly whole foods. (You could try increasing your calories by around 50 calories each week). You may be surprised by how your body reacts (AKA you might lean out by eating even more than you were before if you were severely undereating!).
Consume at least 85g of protein per day for the booty gains.
I personally like a 35% carbs, 25% protein, 40% fat split (but that’s not the only way to do it!! The ratio is total preference, besides getting in at least .75g of protein per pound of body weight. I choose slightly “lower” carbs than most macro calculators would assign me and higher fats because I need fats to stay satiated.)
Limit alcohol to the weekends (I already do pretty much) / only 3 drinks per week (this is a tough one, guys… can she do it?!)
Reduce sugar/sweets intake (MY SWEET TOOTH IS OUT OF CONTROL) and replace with fruit (planning on making lots of nicecream this summer).
Less protein bars, more real food.
1 (possibly two, hehe) completely untracked meal per week.
LIFESTYLE
7.5-8 hours of sleep per night (my body lurvsss 8 hours!)
Stop all “work” and wedding planning (it never ends) 1 hour before bed (honestly don’t remember the last time I have done this - besides when I’m with Alex on like a Saturday night)
Keep stress in check with walks outside, lay out at the beach, prayer/meditation, gratitude lists, turning down opportunities that will lead to overwhelm AKA STRESS.
This pretty much sums up my shredding for the wedding plan, but if you have any other questions regarding it, I’d be happy to answer them! I will keep y’all posted with body updates, measurements, stats, and any tweaks to the plan I make over the next 4 months or so. I love experimenting with my body because it helps me learn different techniques to try on clients! :)
And, if you’re a future bride currently trying to shred for your wedding and are looking for extra guidance… check out my services page or my budget-friendly bridal bootcamp ebook!
Special thanks to Class UFC Gym Neptune Beach and Aaron Phan (at Jax Beach Functional Fitness) for teaching me new things every time I come in and pushing me past my current boundaries.
xx,
Savanna Rose