The Wedding Is 3 Months Away: Here’s Your Workout Plan
By Kayley George, RDN, LD
3 Months Out: Weight Loss Phase
With your big day only 3 months away, we have to hit the ground running (not just figuratively). The first step is to establish a mindset and routine that you will be able to stick with for the next three months. No one ever said this was going to be easy, but progress never comes out of your comfort zone.
This three month plan will focus on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with weight training and core work to complement it. These activities will help you drop weight rapidly, especially in the first two weeks, to get your momentum jump started
If you haven’t had a sweat sesh in a while, don’t worry. We will ease into the workouts, no matter if you are going to work out at home or a gym. Everyone starts somewhere, so let’s jump into it!
Week 1:
HIIT: Three times a week focus on HIIT workouts for 30 - 45 minutes. This could be burpees for 20 seconds plus a 10 second rest, then run-in-place with 2 lb weights for 20 seconds plus a 10 seconds rest.
Watch this video for an intense 30 minute workout. It will show you every exercise and do it with you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBWQGb4LyAM
Strength: Once or twice a week focus on building strength. Start with lighter weights (5 lbs), and do 4 sets of 15 reps for each exercise. Your exercises can target chest, back, triceps, biceps, legs, and/or shoulders.
Focus on 2 areas per day. For example, let’s say you want to focus on your back and triceps this week. You can combine bent over flies with tricep kick-backs!
Here is a video of a 30 Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout to give you some more ideas! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9PXg7NeVP0
Core: 100 abdominal workouts every day (100 sit-ups, 100 crunches, or 100 bicycles each leg, etc). If you don’t feel the burn, try doing the exercise more slowly.
This is a video that will burn your core but you will feel great when you finish!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq778fD-G4U
Week 2:
HIIT: Three times a week focus on HIIT workouts for 30 - 45 minutes. This could be burpees for 20 seconds plus a 10 second rest, then run-in-place with 2 lb weights for 20 seconds plus a 10 second rest.
This video is a HIIT workout with weight included. Adding weight will dramatically increase your heart rate; it’s ok to stop using them if it’s too much!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuHwoCWFLIw
Strength: Increase your weight to 10-15 lbs! Do 3-4 sets of 12 reps for each exercise. Change your focus area from what you did last week. Continue to focus on chest, back, triceps, biceps, legs, and/or shoulders and choose two of these areas per day.
Here is a great strength training video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6UnYPkY8Ls
Core: Continue your 100 abdominal workouts every day (100 sit-ups, 100 crunches, or 100 bicycles each leg, etc).
Week 3:
Cardio: Everyone’s favorite. That’s right—it’s time for cardio! But let’s start easy. Go for a 20-30 minute walk, twice a week. This could mean you have to set your alarm to wake up 20-30 minutes earlier but, trust me, it’s worth it.
HIIT: Twice a week focus on HIIT workouts with weight for 30 - 45 minutes. This could be burpees for 20 seconds with 2 lb weights in each hand plus a 10 seconds rest, then run on the treadmill at high speed for 20 seconds plus a 10 second rest.
Strength: Up your weight again for even greater tone! Try to do strength 2-3 times this week. Focus on the same muscle groups but gradually increase the weight.
Day 1 of strength - Chest & Triceps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxOx7mDjS2k
Day 2 of strength - Back & Biceps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vDpUZBZcRA
Day 3 of strength - Legs & Shoulders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-g4qOlbz0
Core:100 abdominal workouts every day (100 sit-ups, 100 crunches, or 100 bicycles each leg, etc). If you don’t feel the burn, try doing the exercise more slowly.
Week 4:
Your routine should be well and truly established by now. If for some reason you’ve fallen off track, go ahead and start back up here.
Cardio: 2-3 times this week you should go for a 20-30 minute brisk walk/light jog. This will get your heart rate up and burn calories!
HIIT: Twice a week focus on HIIT workouts with weight for 30 - 45 minutes. This could be burpees for 20 seconds with 3 lb weights in each hand plus a 10 second rest, then run on the treadmill at a higher speed than last week (week 3).
Strength: Let’s add even more weight to your lift! Do strength 2-3 times this week. Focus on the same muscle groups but gradually increase the weight.
Day 1 of strength - Chest & Triceps
Day 2 of strength - Back & Biceps
Day 3 of strength - Legs & Shoulders
Core: Don’t forget your 100 abdominal workouts every day (100 sit-ups, 100 crunches, or 100 bicycles each leg, etc). If you don’t feel the burn, try doing the exercise more slowly.
2 Months Out: Say No to Plateau
If you find your motivation waning after the last 4 weeks of hard work, that’s normal. It’s common to ride the momentum for the first few months and then hit roadblocks, start making excuses, struggle to stay motivated or start plateauing. If you find yourself in any of these boats, know this: Your consistency will pay off in the long run! You might not see the progress you want right now, but remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Keep reading to find out how to break out of your excuses for the next 4 weeks!
Weeks 5-8:
As your big date creeps closer and closer, your stress levels are likely rising, even if you don’t notice it! Now is a great time to include pilates into your routine, which will help you maintain your strength as well as relax and stretch your body. You can find workouts on YouTube or go to a studio and take a class. It will be hard on your body at first, but it is ready for the challenge! Here are a few of our favorite Pilates workouts that you can do from the comfort of your home:
45 minute Pilates class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P921J1Fjoug
HIIT: Should you continue doing HIIT? The answer is yes, of course, you should. It’s recommended to do HIIT 2-3 times a week to keep your metabolism and stamina high.
Strength: If you have time, include two to three strength workouts a week. They don’t have to be with weights—you can take advantage of body weight in the form of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and planks.
Core: You want to ensure that your core is staying strong as well. Try adding 100 abdominal exercises every day, which should only take about 3 minutes. Everyone has three extra minutes in their day!
1 Month Out: Relax and Self Reflect
Get plenty of sleep, eat well, and don’t exhaust yourself with strenuous workouts. Now is a time to look back to three months ago where you started. Look how far you’ve come, and pat yourself on the back. Did you think you would make it? Well, guess what, you’ve come this far. The finish line is in sight, so don’t stop now!
It’s time to give yourself the praise you deserve. Treat yourself to a massage, facial, or manicure. Appreciate how hard your body has worked! Let your mind float free and don’t worry about what else you have to do for the wedding. Just give yourself those 30-60 minutes to relax, you deserve it!
Meditation/Yoga: Four times a week, put aside a minimum of 5 minutes and up to 1 hour to meditate, reflect and feel gratitude. It does not have to be long—your body will be thankful for just 5 minutes of this quiet reflection. If you have a yoga mat, try lying flat on your back, relaxing your body and closing your eyes. Sometimes it’s hard to shut off the never-ending to-do list in your head, but now is the time to set those thoughts aside.
Here is a video for you to follow along with a yoga class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7AYKMP6rOE
HIIT: If stress levels are through the roof, I would recommend going to the gym or getting a home workout in. Getting a heavy lifting or HIIT workout will relieve a lot of stress on your body and mind.
Cardio: A nice walk in the park or maybe even a visit to the location of your wedding would be great. You will be able to visualize how things will look and what you want to achieve within the next 2-3 weeks. This is being active and treating your body well, as well as getting some last-minute necessities completed.
Core: Be consistent in your pursuit of fantastic abs and vary your movements so that your muscles don't get bored.
1 Week Out: You Made It (Almost)!
By now you should be feeling revived and happy with yourself. You have accomplished a lot and come so far. Think back to three months ago, when you first started working out and treating your body better. How did you feel then compared to now? Chances are, you currently have more energy, elevated spirits, and less stress.
You’ve been anticipating your big day for so long and now the time has come. On the morning of, give yourself some space and go for a 20-minute walk. You might say you don’t have 20 minutes to spare, but some fresh air will calm your nerves and set you up for the day. If you’re short on time, how about a 3-minute ab workout? This will give you a quick sweat and get you energized for the long day ahead of you.
It is YOUR day, so go out and enjoy it! Don’t let anyone ruin it for you. You have done everything you can that’s in your control. You completed all the workouts you could and gave it your all. You have come a long way and look fit and sexy. I am so proud of you!
These tricks can help you easily implement exercise into your routine, but let’s not forget how important your diet is too to look and feel amazing on your special day. If you think you need a more personalized 6-month diet and exercise plan to get ready for your wedding then book a FREE discovery call with Kayley today!
Published on May 26, 2020 at 1:55 pm