Di : 0:00

Hello, hello, and welcome back to Bodyholic with Di. Today we're going to be talking about the Protein Challenge, basically what the Bodyholic Protein Challenge is. It is a focused program that is designed to maximize your muscle growth and refine your nutritional strategy through a macrocentric approach. Okay, so that's what it is. Let me also tell you what it is not. It is not a program where you just throw around weights and it is not a program where you're just sitting there and ramming protein shakes and bars down your throats. It is a program where we dive deep into the science of hypertrophy and into the science of strength and into the science of endurance, all that while prioritizing close to precise macro tracking and fueling our bodies with optimal nutrition.

Di : 1:03

I lost my voice a couple of days ago and it's just coming back, so excuse me while I take a little sip. Welcome to Bodyholic with Di. No fads, just facts. I'm Dee and I'm here to help you ditch the noise and build a life you love. Let's go. Oh, but wait. I'm not a doctor, so use your common sense Now. Let's dive in a doctor, so use your common sense Now, let's dive in.

Di : 1:29

Now that you've understood what the challenge is, I want to take a moment, because today's a very special day For those of you who have just completed the challenge with me the first Bodyholic Protein Challenge. We've done it. So this is me saying congrats, a huge congratulations to everyone who's crossed the finish line of this first protein challenge together with me. I am sitting here buzzing with pride for each and every one of you. We pushed, we learned and we grew together. This is a very, very big deal, and this journey has been for me on a personal note, it's been invaluable. So also on a professional note, so I really did gain incredible insights into the technicalities of macro focus training, and I've done it before, but this time there were a few things that really made it a little different, and I feel like I experienced the power of this approach differently, in a game changing way. Yeah, it really has been a game changer, and I think I also believe that it's very crucial for me to share also the not-so-positives, because Bodyholic is all about transparency.

Di : 2:56

So let me just share this with you the areas where I identified the need for improvement, and I want you to know this, because I want you, if you've done this challenge, I also want you to understand the whys behind certain changes and things that I'm doing for the next challenge. So, specifically personally, I realized that the first thing is I wasn't consistently drinking enough water, and it's totally possible that it's completely because life is crazy and it's you know, that's okay, but it's really important for me to maintain a minimum of 80 ounces of water daily. This is a non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned for optimal results, and it's a key focus for at least for my next challenge and hopefully for yours as well, for at least for my next challenge and hopefully for yours as well. I've also observed that we need way more consistent engagement and activity way beyond the initial Q&A, so I'm going to be incorporating more interactive elements to keep us super connected and super motivated. All right, that's the things that I really want to improve on in terms of, you know, just running the show.

Di : 4:11

And now I want to talk about protein shakes, because for me, that's not something that I regularly consume, but I'm starting to and I feel that it's important and I feel that it's a game changer, because I've specifically been integrating biosynergy, the strawberry protein, into my daily routine and I feel that it's significantly boosted my progress. You don't have to choose that protein and you don't have to choose any protein. If you feel like you're eating adequate amount of protein, that's totally fine. For me, I want to test out um maximizing my results with for the next challenge, with the biosynergy creatine alongside the protein. And, as an athlete, I want to integrate the creatine to amplify my performance and to really push past plateaus. And also I want to do it as a woman. I want to embrace its benefits for enhanced strength and muscle recovery and overall vitality.

Di : 5:24

According to the literature, this has the potential to be a game changer for any woman who wants to optimize her physical power. So I've been reading about creatine for years. I just never popped the pill, but creatine offers several benefits specifically relevant to the female body. So basically, it's about going beyond the typical muscle building associations and I want to break this down for you a little bit more so you understand why I'm actually going for this for the first time ever. So it's linked to enhanced strength and power and, of course, like men, women experience increased strength and power and power output with creatine supplementation. Right, we see that in the literature. This is particularly beneficial for resistance training, allowing for heavier lifts and improved performance, and this translates, and this is why it's so cool to better performance in everyday activities, like from carrying groceries to chasing after your kids, all right. Also, it's very, very much linked to improved muscle recovery. Creatine can reduce muscle damage and inflammation after intense exercise, which means that it leads to faster recovery times, and this is super, super valuable for women who lead active lifestyles or engage in high-intensity workouts, such as myself, right? So this is why I'm starting to really get hyped up about it.

Di : 7:06

Now here's the biggie, something I'm super concerned with and it occupies my thoughts a lot during the day cognitive benefits. So emerging research suggests that creatine may have cognitive benefits, including improved memory and brain function. This can be particularly relevant for women experiencing hormonal fluctuations or cognitive fatigue. All right, new mommies out there like, yeah, talking to you. Another thing I want to get into about women and creatine is bone health. So there are some studies that indicate that creatine may actually contribute to improved bone mineral density, which, of course, is super, super crucial for women's long-term bone health, especially as we age and experience those hormonal shifts and fluctuations. Okay, here's another cool thing about creatine about the studies is the mood and energy. So creatine can enhance cellular energy production and that is why it may potentially lead to improved mood and reduced fatigue, to improved mood and reduced fatigue. So this can be especially helpful for women who are dealing with stress or hormonal imbalances. And to top that off, creatine is also linked to hormonal support, so there are a few studies where it really talks about how the creatine helps with muscle function during hormonal shifts. Okay Now lean mass maintenance.

Di : 8:54

As women age, it becomes harder to maintain lean muscle mass. This is true for men and women, but even more so for women. So creatine can also really help in that process and there are important considerations. So I'm just basically sharing with you all the things that have led me to these decisions. It's also important to note that it's linked to water retention. There are some women who experience slight water retention when starting creatine supplementation, so you have to put that in your mind before you start, and it's generally temporary and it's generally not harmful. There are also individual responses, so with like every supplement, individual responses to creatine can vary. It's always advisable let me just say this and underline it to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen. Okay, all right.

Di : 9:57

Now regarding the dosage when using creatine, it's very important to use the correct dosage. So, um, you know you've got to go talk to your healthcare professional. There's a whole thing about um five grams a day, but I want you to go talk to your professionals, who know your background and history. Basically, creat creatine offers this wide range that can support women's health and wellbeing, from physical performance and all the way to cognitive function and all the way to bone health. All right. And so this is me explaining to you why I'm actually going to make a little shift in the next challenge and incorporate creatine.

Di : 10:39

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the training because, well, knowledge is power and that's why we're here. So I want to prepare you much better than last time, because last time we really kind of just dove into it. That's the way I do things a lot, but now I've done more. I've experienced, I've researched. I want us to prep more, and I want to talk for a minute about reps and reserve, otherwise known as RIR. So reps and reserve basically means that we have a few reps left in the set. So if we're talking about hypertrophy, all right, the optimal set and reps range for hypertrophy is generally 6 to 12 reps, and it's with a focus on moderate to high volume. So that's 3 to 6 sets and training close to failure, which means that we have an RIR of one to three. So RIR is crucial because it's about how many more reps could you do with perfect form before failure? All right, so we want to be pushing close, but not always to that absolute limit. All right, close, but not actually getting there.

Di : 12:11

Now for strength training, for building pure strength, with rep ranges of one to five reps, you'll typically want to focus on a higher set of volume in order to maximize the neural adaption and force production. So here's basically a general guideline All right, four to six sets, all right, and, like I said before, the one to five. One to five reps. This is a common and effective range for strength training. So this higher set volume allows you to really accumulate sufficient volume with heavier weights and basically that ensures the adequate stimulation you need for the strength gains and it also provides ample opportunity to practice and refine your lifting technique, which is also completely important and crucial for maximizing your strength.

Di : 13:21

Okay, so, staying on this topic, I want to give you some additional considerations regarding the strength aspect of training. So let's talk about rest period. Okay, when you're focusing on increasing strength, you want longer rest periods. So that's like three to five minutes are essential between sets when lifting really heavy for strength, and this allows three to five minutes allows for near complete recovery of the ATP PC system. Minutes allows for near complete recovery of the ATP PC system, which is the primary energy system used during high intensity and short duration activities. High intensity, short duration, and there's also the consideration of progressive overload. So continuously increasing the weight that you're lifting over time, over a long period of time, is crucial for strength gains. So, in other words, small incremental increases are often more effective than you know. Large jumps.

Di : 14:36

And I've already mentioned the next thing, but I want to reiterate, I want to emphasize this proper form, okay, proper form, maintaining impeccable form is paramount. Lifting heavy with poor form is not only increasing, obviously, it's increasing your risk of injury, but and here's what I really want you to get in there it reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. All right. So don't I mean forget the fact that that you could injure yourself, which is the worst, like I don't want you doing that, but also you're just not doing it right now. Let's also get into individual factors. So training, experience, recovery capacity and specific goals Some individuals can benefit from slightly higher or lower set volumes. Okay, so you need to go through your routine, learn your routine, see what your body adapts to and go accordingly. Okay, see what works for you Now.

Di : 15:46

Strength endurance this is a great component for your training. It's basically about focusing in on the muscles ability to sustain force over time. So you'll generally want to use rep ranges of 15 to 20 plus reps, and sometimes even higher, and there are a few considerations that I want to get into for this as well. So the rep range is 15 to 20 plus reps is basically the most common rep range. Some programs may vary and even go well beyond 20 reps, especially for exercising and targeting super small muscle groups or when you're using much, much lighter loads. So the sets typically range for between two to four sets. That's sufficient. The focus here is really on the cumulative effect of the higher rep range as opposed to right, what we were talking about before as opposed to maximizing forest production in each individual set, right, it's sustaining.

Di : 17:01

Now the rest periods for this, the shorter rest periods fall in here. Okay, for the endurance, this is 30 to 60 seconds, and they're often. These rest periods are often used to actually push and further challenge the muscle's endurance capacity, so we're not really letting the muscle recover fully and it creates a metabolic stress that contributes to the adaptations in muscle endurance adaptations in muscle endurance. So this is where we want to also really focus on maintaining proper form throughout the entire set, even as we start fatiguing, and this requires mental focus and mental control. And the feeling of the burn is also super important, like this is where you really want to feel the burn and work through the burn.

Di : 18:07

The benefits of strength endurance training is that it improves the muscle's ability to resist fatigue. I love this kind of thing, right, it's super beneficial for activities that require sustained effort, like long distance running or cycling or high rep calisthenics and holding your baby for a gazillion hours at a time. So, in essence, strength endurance training is about building the muscles capacity to perform repeated contractions right Over and over again over an extended period of time. Understanding these distinctions is essential for tailoring your training to your goals. So in the next challenge right, that's in general, but in the next challenge, we're going to be strategically incorporating these ranges to maximize hypertrophy while also building a strong foundation of strength and endurance.

Di : 19:22

Okay, I just talked so much, but I hope I'm clear, and the thing I want to be most crystal clear about is form. Form, again, I'm going to say it is paramount, no matter the rep range. If your form is compromised, you are risking injury and hindering your progress. So it is always, always about prioritizing quality over quantity. Every rep should be mindful and deliberate and controlled. Okay, so returning to the goal setting, goal setting is important. Also, I believe it's a non-negotiable Before we dive into the next challenge, and this is really one of the reasons I'm talking about it now.

Di : 20:10

We are mid-March and the next challenge is the end of April. So I want you to take some time to define your specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals. That's the SMART goal setting S-M-A-R-T. What do you want to achieve? Write it down, visualize your goals, and tracking your progress is a powerful motivator. All right, I just got this notebook specifically for this. So, also speaking of writing down, if you don't have an amazingly inspiring notebook just lying around, now's the time to get one. So we're going to be using it to track your progress. We're going to be using it and busy entrepreneurs and you go-getters and you busy, busy, busy people.

Di : 21:39

I get it, life gets hectic, but here is the truth. All right, a day with a workout I can say this about myself and I can say this about many people I've trained A day with a workout is tenfold better than a day without a workout. It's not just about the physical benefits, just about the physical benefits. It's about the mental clarity, the energy levels and the overall well-being. So even if it's just 20 to 30 minutes of you prioritizing your fitness, those minutes will elevate every other aspect of your life. We are going to make this work, no excuses, and you've seen me show up for the workouts when I've been beyond busy, like people calling me telling me I've got to be here and I just get it in.

Di : 22:43

Another key learning is that I discovered by the way, this is again a personal note that alternating single leg or single side or unilateral exercises it does not benefit me. It really hinders progress is really our nervous system training and we have to allow our nervous system to really recover. So this is another thing I learned Strength training in essence is nervous system training, which I've known for years, but I really felt it on myself. Those of you who did the challenge with me, you saw me go from working on one side and then the other, alternating, and you've also seen me do one side, three sets and then the other side, three sets, and what you're telling your nervous system basically is to recruit more muscle fibers, fire them up more efficiently and coordinate complex moves when you're working out. And it takes a toll, and alternating sides without adequate rest can impede on that crucial adaptation process. I really felt this on myself in this challenge and that is why in the next challenge, we're going to be super focused on allowing the nervous system proper rest, which is what I started doing at the end of the protein challenge this time around. So proper rest between sets, between exercises. That's going to be really important and we're not going to be stopping here. Oh my God, there's so much.

Di : 24:20

With the next protein challenge, we're taking things to a whole new level in terms of tracking. I've dropped this name for you before, but now I'm going to emphasize it more. I'm incorporating carbon for even more precise macro tracking. Basically, if you're on board with me here, you're going to have to start expecting an even more refined strategy, deeper insight and just really nailing it down. Really nailing it down as much as we possibly can.

Di : 25:03

So it's not for people who are seasoned. So it's not for people who are seasoned. It's not for it's for anybody who really wants to understand the muscle potential, the strength potential, and or doesn't know where to begin, or, um is kind of interested in macro tracking and a proper strength training. You know, anybody can join, even if you're super seasoned. Then you know you'll have a completely different experience than someone who's really new. That's that Now I'm going to sign off because I just chewed your ear off. It was really important for me to share my insights with you and tell you what I feel needs to change in general for me personally, and also invite you to the April 28th challenge because I feel it's going to be epic. Hey, thanks so much for tuning in and if this hit home, please share it with your crew. Likes, comments, shares. Show your loved ones you care.