I designed Level Up to be an intermediate to advance program for those TriFIT members who not only wanted to push themselves but could HIIT RePlay over and over again on Level Up and still experience gains.

How you get more is by challenging your weight and depth of movement. After finishing filming LIFT Max I knew I had gained significant muscle. Specifically bulk muscle.

Cycling is a term you hear in the fitness industry and it refers to the cycles of training you go through.

• First you "bulk" or build muscle

• Second you lean the muscle

• Third you had power or explosive movement

Level Up combines the second and third phase beautifully over a 6 month period. By combining LIFT Max you have a 9 month cycle of training that cycle after cycle will continue to challenge and strengthen you.

When I filmed Day 10 I used a 15lb kettle bell for the entire workout. Today I used a 20lb kettle bell for 2 rounds, 25lb kettle bell for 2 rounds and a 30lb kettle for the last round. I can truly say this is a new PB for me and I am excited to achieve many more PB's HIITing RePlay on Level Up.

I know it's tempting to jump around and do the videos you enjoy but I invite and strongly encourage you to do a complete program from beginning to end. These programs are written to bring the best out of you and your body while building strength and BALANCE.

For People new to exercise I recommend:

HIIT10 beginner options -- Back 2 Basics -- HIIT10 advanced options -- HIIT20 --LIFT20

Looking to incorporate weights:

LIFT20 -- HIIT20 -- LIFT Max -- Level Up

Looking to maintain:

LIFT Max -- A Modified Level Up (2-3 days of Level Up, Next day cardio of your choice, Rest Day, Repeat until finished the Program)

Most importantly .... TRACK your progress. record how much you weight you lift, how confident you feel in the movements, if you complete the workout, your heart rate. All are measures of your progress.

Don't forget to share your wins with me! Post to the community board and celebrate. Plus, you just might inspire someone.

~ Amy, you coach and trainer ... and fellow TriFIT member

This challenge is designed to help you find little moments in your day to work on goals. 

The goal ... complete 40 push ups in a row by the end of the 30 days.

Did you know one key indicator of cardiac health is the ability to do 40 push ups in a row?

So this heart month we are working on our hearts ... one push up at a time.

Screen shot the tracker or download it from here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d2vZuD-NNnEwX8SyoK3DNNV-jKQfDmZA/view?usp=sharing

Comment below if you are joining the challenge. Feel free to tag me if you post on social media. This challenge is open to everyone. Challenge your partner, your kids, your family and friends. You can share the link for the tracker. 

Let's get everyone heart healthy this month.

~ Amy, your coach and trainer

One big benefit to adding whole grains to your meals is the fibre. The beautiful, gut loving bacteria making fibre.

A key way to start reducing your cravings for sweets is to add whole grains like:

Barley

Bulger

Farro

Quinoa

Black Rice

Red Rice

Wild Rice

Brown Rice

And yes ... even popcorn! Just be sure to make your popcorn from scratch. Air pop or on the stove like we do in my house.

To say fruit is bad because it has fructose is missing the point entirely.

An 🍎 has: 4g of fibre, 1g of protein and 13g of carbohydrates

It also has:

Vitamin C

Potassium

Quercetin (why it keeps the doctor away)

Catechins

Chlorogenic Acid

Let's talk about Quercetin .. which is a trendy supplement lately. Why? It is a versatile antioxidant known to possess protective abilities against tissue injury. It's an immune booster that also can heal our tissues.

How can you source Quercetin naturally?

Fruits and vegetables are the primary dietary sources of quercetin, particularly citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, sage, tea, and red wine. Olive oil, grapes, dark cherries, and dark berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and bilberries are also high in quercetin and other flavonoids.

Fruit is more than sugar! It is not candy. It is not processed foods that are designed to make us compulsively eat them to make companies rich and us unhealthy.

By this point you should be detoxed off of sugar and able to really enjoy the natural sweetness of fruit. Fruit is delicious and delivers so many micro nutrients that our bodies NEED.

The old wives tale about a tbsp of cod liver oil keeps you healthy ... is right!

1 tbsp of cod liver oil is 1 full daily serving of vitamin D

Fish, especially cold water fish are rich in nutrients our bodies need

• Lean protein

• B12

• B5

• Phosphorus

• Selenium

• Omega 3

• Zinc

• Copper

• Vitamin E

• Riboflavin

Many of these nutrients are artificially added to our food because its either stripped in the processing or we no longer eat the foods rich in these essential nutrients.

Fish and shellfish are packed with these micro nutrients and healthy fats are bodies need.

I know fish can be intimidating to make so start small. Start simple.

• 
  

• Most steak size pieces of fish bake at 400F for 18-20 mins

• Every fish I've ever cooked tastes amazing with a bit of salt & pepper and lemons. squeeze the lemon juice and then add slices to the top of the fish as it bakes

• Pan frying takes about 3-5 mins per side

Do you eat fish 2-3x a week? Tell me in the comments. If you have a favourite fish recipe share it to the group.

Fats Day 3 Video

Can we have an amen for seeds please!

I add seeds to EVERYTHING! Remember my post about breakfast ... SEEDS

My post about salads ... SEEDS

Smoothies ... SEEDS

Snacks ... SEEDS

These little miracles need to be a regular staple in your diet. Chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax are in almost every category of 3X food groups. 2 tbsp of hemp seeds is 10g of protein, omegas, fibre and so much more

And ....

Calcium

Magnesium

Phosphorus

Copper

Selenium

Iron

Seeds regulate your gut health and help repair a leaky gut. They improve your digestion.

Challenge yourself for the next 5 days to add seeds to your meals. And check out the workbook for my seedy cracker recipe. I use these crackers for open face sandwiches and snacks. SO good! Best of all you can switch the flavours to suit you.

Fat is our friend and is flavour. We need it. Fat is what many minerals and vitamins bind to for our body to properly absorb them. Fat is vital to our brain health. 

Chocolate is one of many foods you can find in the ReSET workbook packed with healthy fats and delicious. After you watch today's video, try the magnesium smoothie in the workbook. It's a chocolate delight!

https://gettrifit.com/programs/fats-1-d01815?categoryId=87655

Do you add protein to your snacks?

My guess is ... sometimes but not enough

Ideally every snack should have a protein, healthy fat and some complex carbs

My go to when I walk out the door is:

• An apple

• Container of trail mix or mixed nuts

The apple hits my sweet craving and the lovely crunching texture also alleviates my sweet tooth. Did you know when food producers make snacks they test for the perfect crunch sensation because our brains love the sound. It's part of the addictive nature of chips and crackers. The "crunch factor."

Nuts are packed with protein and healthy fats (omegas). If you can't have nuts look at pumpkin and sunflower seeds as an alternative.

I also batch my smoothies. When I make one, I make 2 more and leave them in the fridge. This way I can grab a smoothie and go. I know if I wait until I'm about to leave I won't do it. This little hack guarantees I walk out the door with my snacks instead of hitting a drive through.

Protein Day 4 ~ SNACKS

We focus so much on our macro nutrients (protein, fats and carbs) when we need to be as focused, if not more, on the quality of those macro nutrients.

The above salad has:

• 1 serving of protein

• 2 servings of fat before including the dressing

• 5 servings of veggies

Choose a dressing with keifer and you have a winning combination of taste, feeling full and almost ticking off all your tracker boxes FOR THE DAY in ONE MEAL!!!!!

I provide a number of dressings to spice up your salads while ticking more boxes on the tracker. The workbook in the challenge also dives into how to stack your plate like this.

It's this approach to food that changes your relationship and lifestyle!! Once you buy the ReSET Challenge you own it, the workbook, the tools, the charts and the videos for life. For $20!!!

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup plain unsweetened milk Kefir or non-dairy alternative*

• 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. raw honey or maple syrup

• Salt and pepper to taste

ReSET Video

Some days I'm just too busy or lazy or simply just not hungry enough to make snacks and meals. My go to is a smoothie in the afternoon. I use to do smoothies for breakfast but I like more sustenance in the morning, but a smoothie in the afternoon when all I want is treats and sweets works for me.

Mostly because I've figured out how to make my smoothies taste like decadent treats. Right now I'm in love with my oatmeal cookie smoothie. And yes it tastes just like an oatmeal cookie - plus hits the spot to squash my cravings.

Recipe:

1 banana

400-500ml of almond milk

2-3 tbsp of almond butter

2 scoops of vanilla protein powder

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of nutmeg

Blend and serve

Protein Video Day 2

A note on protein powder: I've tried all brands. I've tried the hyped up celebrity brands, the grocery store specials and Arbonne. Arbonne wins every single time. It tastes delicious, is packed with nutrients, the low sugar option is amazing, and it blends so well you do NOT have any powdery taste. My kids will only use the Arbonne powder.