Summer SWEAT Series: Meal Plan + Fitness Details!

I can’t believe that it’s already June! That being said I’m so excited for next week when we OFFICIALLY launch the #SummerSWEATseries! (Read more in last week’s post in case you missed it.)

Lee and I have been working hard to bring you incredible workouts, nutritious meal plans, helpful grocery lists and MORE! Today I want to share with you a few extra details of what you can expect on June 14th!

Meet the Trainers behind #SummerSWEATSeries

When Lee and I first thought about creating this series, we knew it would be important to have personal trainers create a unique fitness program for you. Yes, we love working out, but we knew that seasoned professionals were our best bet in getting you into shape during a 6 week program.

Lee told me about PEC Minneapolis about 6 months ago when she first started working out there. She was addicted and as soon as I went there myself, I knew why she loved it so much. The workouts are difficult, but FUN. Best of all they switch it up constantly so you never know what you can expect.

PEC Minneapolis is owned by Danielle Pellicano, ex-professional soccer player and all-around badass. About 8 years ago, Danielle transitioned from her professional soccer career to a professional cyclist and endurance coach. This is when she opened PEC in Minneapolis, MN. Drew recently joined Danielle on Team PEC Minneapolis. His professional background was in event planning and he has recently transitioned into pursuing his passion, fitness, full-time! Drew has the ultimate body. #nolies

Workouts + Equipment Needed

Lee and I have both tested out the workouts and they are INCREDIBLE. I did one the other day when I was without a gym and trust me, my hamstrings and booty have been sore for two days. I’m LOVING it! All of the workouts are unique and will keep you challenged. Above all, we’re hopeful that they will help to inspire and encourage you to try something new. Each workout is anywhere from 30-45 minutes; the workout plan is meant to be done in a gym BUT you can pull it off in your house with the right equipment. Example: Some of the workouts call for a treadmill but you could modify with any cardio of choice such as high knees.

Overall the exercises are very strength focused with a mixture of HIIT cardio. If you plan on doing these workouts at home, here are all of the pieces of equipment used in the workouts. No bosu? No problem. All of the exercises can be modified to fit your need!

Equipment Needed:

• A set of light dumbbells (3-5 pounds)
• A set of medium dumbbells (8-10 pounds)
• Physio (Stability) Ball
• Treadmill/Elliptical
• Bench or solid chair
• Bosu Ball (optional)
• Kettlebell (optional)

If you plan on doing the workouts at home, I would suggest ordering the equipment of Amazon immediately so you’ll have them for next week. Otherwise you can always head to your local Target.

Nutrition + Meal Plan

For the next 6 weeks, Lee and I will release the upcoming week’s meal plan + grocery list each Sunday. We’ve already gotten a few questions in our Facebook group if the recipes are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and/or geared towards weight loss. Below I’m providing some more info so that you can decide what’s best for you.

The meal plans are mostly based off of recipes from Ambitious Kitchen and Fit Foodie Finds (which means they’re awesome!). We understand that everyone has different dietary needs and want you to be able to modify the recipes as you see fit. They are meant to be an inspiration to help you stay on track, eat clean and plan your meals ahead of time so that you are prepared to eat healthy and have energy!

The meal plan itself includes meat (mostly chicken and fish) and some dairy. We did this because we wanted there to be plenty of protein and because Lee and I both eat meat on a regular basis. Don’t worry though, there are many vegetarian recipes, too! Above all, you’ll be eating plenty of processed-free clean food that’s mostly gluten free. You’ll enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and one snack per day. If you find that you are needing more, we recommend grabbing something healthy such as fresh fruit instead of reaching for chips or candy.

The meal plan is for one person and also based on a female’s caloric consumption. We decided to create the meal plan this way because most of our readers are single females. If you would like to cook for two, you’ll just need to either double each recipe, or modify the meal plan itself by adding different recipes. Also please note that if you are a male, you will more than likely need to eat more throughout the day.

The best part is that if you see a recipe that doesn’t fit your dietary needs, you can ask us in the Facebook group if we have a substitution suggestion for you.

We want to be mindful of not being too restrictive. We did decide to include to overall calories per day because Lee and I both typically include nutrition facts. Please know that they are all overall daily caloric estimates. By no means are we trying to encourage you to under or over eat but rather listen to your body and use these meal plans as a guideline for clean eating meal inspiration. The most important thing to remember is that if you eat unprocessed, nourishing, healthy foods that your body will both look and feel better. It really isn’t about the numbers, but rather the quality of the food you consume.

We’ve created some awesome downloadable and printable PDFs to make your meal planning easier! This information will be posted every Sunday during the series. If you are part of the #SummerSWEATSeries facebook group, we will be giving weekly sneak peeks and sharing this information on the Friday before, so please request to join our FB group!

Just remember, the realer the better when it comes to food! All of the recipes in this plan incorporate lots of different colors, food groups, and flavors! Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland and boring! We’re here to show you how to make it creative, fun and delicious. Oh and I think I forgot to mention that you get dessert every night! Amazing, right?!

Don’t forget about our $500 cash prize giveaway! To enter, all you need to do is use the #SummerSWEATSeries hashtag on Instagram and show us your meal prep, or workout selfie (etc.). The more you hashtag, the more you enter!

SEE YOU SUNDAY. xoxo.