A Winnipeg Life & Style Blog
One of the biggest changes the past year forced into our daily lives was at-home workouts! Many of us went from studio fitness classes multiple times a week to being forced into figuring out how to work out from home and stocking up on whatever …
While we may not be traveling quite as much this summer due to COVID-19 and all the restrictions, I for certain will be spending most of time outside the city at my cottage which means I’m in need of free at-home Instagram workouts that are …
I finally took the plunge and joined The Fit Girl Gang workout program, and I’m never looking back!
I’ve never been one to develop and stick to my own at home workout program. I’ve always gone to classes like OrangeTheory or Spin when I want to push myself, or I’d just settle for very mediocre gym workouts that typically consisted of cardio and a few machines I probably wasn’t using correctly. So when I got the opportunity to join The Fit Girl Gang after a summer of traveling and not working out, I was stoked to get my butt back in gear with a real fitness program I could do on my own!
Now what exactly is The Fit Girl Gang? Since joining, I’ve realized that it’s almost impossible to describe without actually being a part of. My best explanation follows:
The Fit Girl Gang is a lifestyle and workout program created by Johanna Seier, a fitness instructor and personal trainer (and all around badass, well-being GURU and total babe) of Winnipeg, MB. It’s a 10 week training program of professionally designed workouts to be completed on a weekly basis, as well as a whole suite of healthy food recipes you can pick from. The main idea is that The Fit Girl Gang is a program for every woman, anywhere in the world, and at any level of fitness as you can tweak and modify both your workouts and meals however works best for you. It’s not a 10-week weight loss program, its a 10-week program to help you start creating and living a healthy mind & body lifestyle that’s attainable for you in the long term.
Despite being designed to complete at home or on your own, the truth is with The Fit Girl Gang, you are NEVER alone!
For me, knowing that ~1000 other women are a part of this program, completing workouts at the same time I am made me feel the best sense of motivation and even a little self-inflicted competition… if everyone else is getting their workouts in, I sure as hell better be getting mine in too!!! I love having that little extra mental push from knowing so many others were working hard and feeling like that meant I obviously had to keep up and work hard too!
The workout plan is separated by 5 blocks that last 2 weeks each. Each block, you should plan to work out 5 days/week and the block has a day for the following:
You can select which 5 days of the week you want to work out, and decide which of the above workouts you want to do on each of those days. This makes it easy to work around your schedule! Of course, as you progress through the blocks each of those days gets progressively more difficult, but thankfully, TFGG provides video reference for every exercise you will encounter! This is so so helpful and something I reference quite frequently.
If working out 5 times a week doesn’t fit your lifestyle (I’ll admit, there were weeks when I couldn’t get all 5 in!), then you can select the workouts you were able to fit in.
Basically all you will need for the workouts are:
I complete the majority of my workouts at the University of Manitoba Active Living Centre but could also do them at home very easily with the above listed equipment!
What I love about TFGG is there is no specific meal plan to follow. It’s about eating a diet that is right for you! TFGG provides a massive bank of meals including sweet & savoury breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, bowls, dinners, snacks, and even desserts that are all healthy and can be modified to your choosing! I think this is a great way to develop healthy eating habits without depriving yourself of things, or eating in a manner that is unattainable or unrealistic for your lifestyle. One thing I would recommend: MEAL PREP, MEAL PREP, MEAL PREP! I always cook in big batches and then prep my lunches for the week on Sundays so I’m good to go for work/school, and I even often prep my smoothie or chia pudding overnight for quick breakfasts to make mornings easier. But remember, “everything in moderation, including moderation”.
I didn’t take advantage of the recipe bank this round as much as I could have, as I have my own healthy recipes that I tend to cycle through, however, the variety in the TFGG food bank is STELLAR and has some very creative ideas for appetizers/desserts/etc for even social gatherings. I may be using some of these this holiday season!!
What I expected to be a program that would provide me with set workouts to do on my own wound up becoming a program and community of women of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles all working at the same goal: to create a healthier & happier life for themself — whatever that may look like. This community is supportive, motivating, and so much more than just a “fitness community” but rather a real-life girl gang of women who are constantly looking to better themselves and better each other with advice, opinions, and sometimes just listening. Johanna and TFGG have made this community into a safe place for all members to be fully open and vulnerable with everything from fitness journeys, to self confidence issues, mental health, and any and all other life struggles. Again, so. much. more. than. a. fitness. group.
Despite many of TFGG conversations being held in a Facebook Group, Instagram comments, and Live Videos from Johanna and her team, there are also opportunities for real life interaction between members, specifically here in Winnipeg since there is such a large number of us. From Pop-Up workout sessions, to TFGG photoshoots, running clubs and a big celebration party at the end of the 10 weeks, there always seems to be ways to get together IRL too!
Becoming a member comes with a one-time cost of $149, and once you pay for it, you’re a member FOR LIFE. Meaning you’ll get new workouts each round for free! You’ll also have access to all members-only events, presales, and more. I love that it’s just a one-time purchase, and not a monthly membership. I also love that you can download a PDF of each workout, and keep these forever! You won’t lose access to any of it. BUT WAIT — you can get 15% off with this link by entering “cassidycoutts” under the question “Who told you about the Gang?”!
I am SO grateful to have found The Fit Girl Gang! No, I didn’t lose 15 pounds, but I found an appreciation for consistently working out and being active that I had previously lost. A community of inspiring and amazing women to support and be supported by. And finally, a reminder to LOVE MYSELF, always, as I am.
I know this post could not even put a dent in the amazingness that comes with being a part of The Fit Girl Gang, but I hope it provides you with just a little more insight for those of you interested. I cannot wait until the next round, Round 5 starts up in January and I hope that some of you babes decide to join and become another bad-ass member of TFGG!!!
SIGN UPS ARE NOW OPEN! BUT ONLY NOW UNTIL MAY 20, 2019!
If you do want to sign up, enter my name (cassidycoutts) under the “Who gave you this link?” field at the sign up link here and you’ll save 15% off your membership!
