Kayla’s Army

I have decided to join the army, Kayla Itsines army and we are on a mission to be bikini ready in just 12 weeks. Kayla Itsines is an Australian personal trainer and her greatest weapon is a little something called the Bikini Body Guide (BBG). The Bikini Body Guide is a 12 week workout plan and after seeing 1000s of before and after pictures on Instagram, I have decided to join in on the fat burning and body toning fun! Kayla’s plan is based on performing a mixture of resistance circuits and cardio exercises. Each workout lasts for 28 minutes and you can do it in the gym or in your home.

I exercise to feel good but I mostly exercise to look good, which is why I have decided to do the Bikini Body Guide. I have just started the plan so I thought I would do a post on my intentions for the next 12 weeks and how I am fitting Kayla’s guide into my existing exercise routine.

Why am I doing it?
I’m doing it because curiosity got the better of me and I have been on the hunt for a personal trainer for some time but I just haven’t found the “one”. I am after a specific look and most personal trainers don’t offer taster sessions, so how will I know if their training methods are going to work for me and give me “the look”? Kayla’s plan has been designed to give you the look that I am after and if you have seen some of the before and after results that are posted on Instagram, the plan does a fine job of mirroring Kayla’s physique.

Am I still going to weight train?
I have spent a considerable amount of time building up my strength and perfecting my lifts so of course I am going to continue to weight train!  I usually weight train 2-3 times a week and my weight lifting sessions include one powerlifting session, a leg day and a back and shoulder day. Kayla’s plan includes an arms and abs day, leg day and a full body day so I think that the BBG will compliment my current training plan.

Cardio?
The plan includes low intensity cardio and high intensity cardio is introduced in the later weeks. My favourite form of cardio is running so I intend to continue to do 5km runs, but I will also add a few long walks to my routine to ensure that I hit the cardio targets which have been highlighted in the plan.

Food?
Kayla does have a generic meal plan to go with her guide, but I believe that meal plans should be designed specifically for my body and my nutritional needs. For this reason I will not be following Kayla’s meal plan, but instead I will be tightening up my diet. I know what my body likes and what it doesn’t like so I will eat according to my needs and of course I will still enjoy a glass (multiple glasses) of wine and a cheat meal on the weekends!

Progress?
Kayla’s plan isn’t designed to make you lose weight, it’s designed to make you look a certain way. The plan makes some girls lose weight and others gain weight (they gain muscle, not fat!) so I won’t be using the scales to track my progress. I prefer to track my progress through taking pictures of myself and compering them because the scales have a tendency to lie (that’s what I tell myself anyway) and pictures always tell the truth!

I am excited to see what happens over the next 12 week and if it all goes to plan, I will have finished this guide by the first week of July and be bikini ready just in time for summer!