Backyard BBQs, pool parties, and trips to the beach…
Memorial Day kicks off summer and the hot-weather wardrobe that comes along with it.
But some years, we aren’t jumping for joy over the idea of jumping into the pool. The bathing suit in our summer clothes bin looks shockingly small compared to the leggings and sweatshirts we’ve been wearing all winter.
Here’s the truth:
Confidence doesn’t come when we reach a specific weight. Confidence comes when we adopt healthy habits that make us feel healthy, energized, and strong.
It’s taking care of your body that will empower you. You’ll start to love the body you have by treating it with love. And the more you treat your body with love, the more it will shift into looking its best!
You’ll drop excess body fat and build beautiful muscle. Your skin will glow brighter. Your posture will improve. Even your eyes and teeth will look brighter and healthier. Plus, you’ll feel full of energy to live the life you want, giving you that wonderful inner confidence to pair with your physical transformation.
Want that feeling? Memorial Day is four weeks away. Let’s set up solid habits now.
Focus on these three steps to feel your best by Memorial Day.
Max Out on Heavy Compound Movements
Some exercises are fun. Some are effective. For me, strength training is both, and once you try it and see how big of a difference it makes in your body, you’ll love it too.
For maximum results in four weeks, focus on compound exercises. These movements work multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Prioritize heavy compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses), and perform each major muscle group at least once per week.
Try these top exercises for rapid 4-week results:
- Barbell Back Squat: Known as the “king” of lower-body exercises, it activates the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core at once.
- Deadlift: This single movement powerfully targets the posterior chain, back and legs.
- Bench Press (or Dumbbell Press): This exercise is a staple movement for building chest, shoulder, and tricep strength.
- Overhead Press: Powerful at building upper-body strength, it’s essential for developing lean shoulder muscle mass.
- Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns: This exercise develops several back muscles simultaneously.
- Bent-Over Rows: By bending, you create a horizontal pulling movement that works both arm and back muscles, improving posture.
- Romanian Deadlift: This exercise is highly effective for targeting the hamstrings and glutes as well as posterior chain strength.
- Push-Ups: This versatile bodyweight movement builds chest and triceps strength, and it’s travel-friendly.
Key Strength Training Strategies for your 4-Week Timeline
How you strength train dictates how big of a change you’ll see in your body over the next month. Try these four strategies for maximum results:
- Progressive Overload: Increase the weight, reps, or sets every week.
- Frequency: Train each muscle group 2 times a week for optimal hypertrophy.
- Intensity: Train close to failure (until you are 2-3 reps away from dropping the weights) to force your muscles to grow in a short timeframe.
- Routine: Use a 4-day split. Instead of full-body workouts, workout four days a week, with each session targeting different major muscle groups. For example, your week could look like this:
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- Monday: Upper Body (chest, back shoulders)
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves)
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper Body (shoulders, arms)
- Saturday: Lower Body (core, stability)
- Sunday: Rest
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Split Your Macros Strategically
Calories matter, but if you want to see big results quickly, measure more. How you divide your calories between protein, carbs, and fat matters. If you’re new to counting macronutrients, don’t worry. I’ll lay it out clearly below, starting with the most strategic split.
For maximum results in four weeks, split your macros like this:
- 30% Protein
- 35% Fat
- 35% Carbs
Here’s what this can look like.
Let’s say your daily calorie target is 1700. Now divide that total by each percentage:
- 30% protein = 510 calories from protein
- 35% fat = 595 calories from fat
- 35% carbs = 595 calories from carbs
Each macronutrient contains a set amount of calories per gram:
- Protein = 4 calories per gram
- Fat = 9 calories per gram
- Carbs = 4 calories per gram
So, if you wanted to know your daily target in grams, it would look like this:
- Protein: 510 ÷ 4 = about 128 grams
- Fat: 595 ÷ 9 = about 66 grams
- Carbs: 595 ÷ 4 = about 149 grams
This split provides your body with plenty of proteins and fats, which will balance your blood sugar (leading to more fat loss) and keep you full (leading to less overeating). Moderating your overall carbs (letting them take up 35% of your daily calories) is key to minimizing spikes in insulin (your fat storing hormone).
As you divvy up your macros in these proportions, your body will be able to burn the most fat. Why?
- Lean muscle mass grows instead of shrinks. This is critical to keep your metabolism from slowing down during a weight loss season.
- Blood sugar stays steady. Imbalanced blood sugar and insulin spikes keep your body in fat-storing mode.
- Hunger hormones are under control. Adequate protein and fat help regulate signals like ghrelin and leptin, so you feel satisfied after meals.
- Workouts are productive. Just the right amount of carbs fuel your workout performance, and protein ensures muscle recovery. That’s the perfect pair for losing fat while building lean muscle mass.
- Inflammation stays low. Balanced fat from whole foods support cellular repair and reduce excessive inflammation. This will help your body bounce back faster between workout sessions.
Snag Your Spot in the Program That Works
You just caught the chance to join LEAN before Memorial Day. We start on Monday, May 4. And I’d love to meet you.
In LEAN, you don’t have to figure this all out on your own. We will teach you all the steps you need to take to lose weight by Memorial Day and keep it off year after year.
It’ll go something like this:
“LEAN has been one of the most rewarding investments I could have ever done for myself! LEAN allowed me to detach from my old way of thinking about food, body image, the scale, and nutrition.
I went from eating less than 900 calories a day to eating 1500 calories a day. I am amazed at my results!! I’m down 6lb and 10 inches!
Even though my numbers aren’t astounding or a quick transformation, they are a sign that I have begun to repair my relationship with food and have confidence to keep doing this in the future.
This has been so dang rewarding!!
- Regular monthly menstrual cycles—this alone would have been worth it as we are trying to conceive
- Empowered and equipped to fuel my body and plan nutritious meals
- Confident I know how to support my body through a pregnancy when that time comes
- My clothes fit better
- I wake up easier in the morning
- I want to move my body each day—even if it’s just a walk
- I don’t even want to use my scale anymore!!!
- Sleep is better
- My skin is less broken out
- I enjoy cooking healthy recipes”
Confidence is Four Weeks Away…
A four week turn around doesn’t have to include starvation and 2-hour sweat sessions.
Start with the most effective steps for healthy weight loss (the ones that give you maximum results in minimum time). Then, let these small shifts become consistent habits. That’s when you’ll feel empowered to grab that swimsuit and jump into summer with confidence.
One of my favorite notes from a sweet client shows the freedom that comes when you find the tricks that work and stick…
“This is progress. This is me feeling so much better, and living my life in a real way. This is my clothes (bathing suits in particular) fitting better. And most importantly, this is me realizing that this lifestyle is sustainable and one I will continue forever!”
I want you to feel that confident by Memorial Day! Join us and find your confidence again, so you, too, can say, “This is me!”
