FAQ Booklet
Q1 What is more important when aiming for weight loss - diet or exercise? BOTH! You can t out train a bad diet.. The most important thing for weight loss is consistency. If you re putting in all the hard work with training you need to have the right nutrition to support recovery and gain the energy needed to workout. Your muscles do not grow when you work out. They grow only when the body is given the opportunity to rest and recuperate with the correct nutrients. Therefore, excessive working out and lack of a proper diet will make your training pointless. You will benefit a lot quicker when focusing on both. Q2 How soon will I see results? Your diet & training before the BTC will dictate how fast you will see results. Everyone is different and everybody may react slightly different to others. Be consistent with food and training, and the results will come, but make sure you re NEVER comparing yourself to others in the challenge. Q3 I am mainly aiming to lose weight but I also want to tone and add some muscle should I do a weight loss plan or muscle gain plan? Start with the weight loss plan, ideally you want to get used to eating the meal plans specific to your goal, gender and body weight. This will allow your body to get used to the macronutrients needed to help lose bodyfat without sacrificing muscle. Slowly increase your food intake, (check out the muscle gain food plans and do a bit of both) if you get stuck chat to one of our experts. If you want to increase food but you re scared to, try increasing food but including a HIIT into your workout regime. Always monitor your changes, everyone is so different. Q4 I think my plan has too much food & I am going to get fat! No, your body needs fuel to burn, but once again it s all about being consistent 7 days a week and not destroying all of your hard work by over indulging every couple of days. The meal plans have been calculated for your specific weight category to meet all your macronutrient goals & needs. You ll be surprised that eating more food will actually help you lose weight. Too many people make the mistake of eating the bare minimum and wonder why they don t progress at all. Sometimes the more you eat, actually helps to increase your strength at the gym, allowing your body to go into a higher fat burning state and allow the metabolism to keep firing. 2
Q5 I thought these meal plans were customised to me. Can I have a personal meal plan prepared? Our meal plans provided within this challenge have been created to hit macronutrient and calorie targets specific to meet weight, fitness and gender goals. Unfortunately, we cannot prepare a personalised meal plan for each individual entering our challenge. If there is a meal or food item you cannot eat, please contact your local store for alternative options. Q6 I follow IIFYM (If it fits your macros). What are the total macronutrient breakdowns in your meal plans? Go into your local store and they will give you the specific breakdown for your weight category. Q7 Are these supplements ok to take while breastfeeding? Please consult your physician prior to taking any supplements while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Q8 I don t normally eat breakfast? Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, it only takes two minutes to whip up a bowl of oats, make a smoothy or cook some toast. Having a well balanced breakfast will not only give you energy, it ll get your metabolism firing and will help burn that unwanted fat! If you are training in the morning especially weight training, you can risk burning into your muscle rather than the unwanted fat. Get in a quick banana or protein shake when on the run before your session. This will not only increase strength but will help reduce the breakdown of muscle (catabolic state). Q9 What is a cheat meal and can I have one? You will benefit more without cheat meals. This is where so many people go wrong, they eat good all week and then destroy the whole week s progress within a few hours. If you re eating perfect all week then binge all weekend, you re just going to be going backwards. The ideal cheat meal is just one meal that you can look forward to a week. Most people make this Sundays. The whole point of a cheat meal is to prevent muscle catabolism, replenish glycogen stores, boost metabolism and give the dieter something to look forward to, when dieting for long periods of time. Smaller cheat meals where you only have one meal and don t go well and truly over board is perfect! Always make sure you train on this day. 3
Q10 Can I drink alcohol? We want to limit the consumption of alcohol as much as we can. Try and leave it for special occasions. Q11 How do I go away for a long weekend while doing the challenge & not lose all my hard work? Not only do we want to lose all those unwanted kilos of body fat, we want to create a healthier lifestyle long term, meaning something we can maintain forever. Simply by packing healthy snacks in your handbag/bag such as protein bars, fruit, protein shakes, nuts etc. If you go out for lunch or dinner make healthier choices from the menu, get veggies instead of chips, or swap them for sweet potato, don t order that dessert that you normally would. Once you get used to the meal plans provided it will give you an idea of what you should be eating, making it easier for you to have options you know will be good for your body. Q12 Do I have to be a member of a gym? No, in the training programs provided in the BTC, you ll find programs that don t involve having to be a member at the gym. You can try the at home program, the HIIT style training, or even just a 45 minute walk a day, you will see huge results. Q13 Can I do my own workouts? Of course you can! Everyone has different passions and different hobbies. Including your own workouts into it will only help. If you play touch, netball, soccer etc., include these as HIIT sessions and still continue to do 3 weight training sessions (or what suits your schedule). If you get stuck, chat to our ASN experts. Q14 Do I do this with a trainer or on my own? It s completely up to you. If you are brand new to this, you can use a trainer to take you through all the main exercises so you know you re getting the correct technique. Have a look at all of our video s under training and see if this is something you can do by yourself. Otherwise get a friend/partner to join with you and do it together. You will have all your nutrition and training plans there as well as tutorials, to make it easier for you to do it on your own. If you get stuck with anything our ASN experts are here to help. 4
Q15 Can I do F45 or Cross-Fit & get the same results? You sure can. Both F45 and Crossfit or any other classes that keep you moving are a good mix of both resistance training and Cardio. Q16 What is a good meal to have before I train? You want to try and consume a meal with a good source of carbohydrates & protein to ensure your body has sufficient fuel to burn. If energy stores are low, your body may sacrifice muscle as an energy source. You should always base your carbs around your sessions, ensuring carbs pre and post workout. Q17 What is a Catabolic State? Catabolic state basically means a state of breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones. This can mean breaking down fats into fatty acids or proteins into amino acids. We generally refer to catabolic state (as written above) when your body breaks down muscle for its energy source as it doesn t have enough carbohydrate or protein to use. Which isn t good as muscle burns fat. This is why we can t express enough for why it is so important to eat before your session. Q18 What is fasted cardio? Performing low intense cardio in a fasted state (eg. first thing in the morning on an empty stomach). When performing fasted cardio, the goal is to utilise fat as an energy source, we can achieve this by doing low intensity cardio first thing in the morning before breakfast or straight after our training session when our glycogen stores are low. Q19 Best time to do cardio? Fasted cardio (low intensity cardio) is best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or immediately after training. Products like Evolve Carnitine RX will help accelerate the fat burning process and should be taken before your fasted cardio. Cardio that requires more energy like running, circuits, bootcamps, group fitness classes, crossfit, F45 and HIIT training are best performed 30-60 minutes after eating to ensure your body has enough fuel and you won t sacrifice muscle. Q20 I only do cardio, will weights make me look bulky? The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will be, allowing you to burn more body fat. Weight training is the key to 5
fat loss. It takes years of training to build big muscles, it won t happen overnight. So NO, weights won t make you look bulky. Q21 What is HIIT? Check out the introduction to training on what HIIT training is. A quick 20 minute HIIT session will be a lot more beneficial than slogging yourself for a long period of time. For example, once your finish your long run the fat burning process will stop. Whereas after a HIIT session you will keep burning fat throughout the whole day. Q22 How long should I rest between sets? Depending on what you are training, if you are heavy training or doing big compound lifts you can rest up to 2-3 minutes. The general rule of thumb is anywhere between 30 seconds to 120 seconds. Q23 Do I mix Carnitine RX or L-Carnitine with Pyro? Pyro doesn t contain L-Carnitine in its formula, so Carnitine RX can definitely be mixed in. Mixing the two together will boost the fat burning process. However, on your non training days you can still have the Carnitine RX by itself. Q24 How does L-Carnitine work? Evolve L-Carnitine is the go-to supplement for anyone looking to slim down in weight and reduce body fat by utilizing fat stores in the body to create energy to increase performance. Take ½ a teaspoon, twice a day. Q25 What s the best protein shake to have, to lose weight? The best protein shake to have if you want to lose weight is the Evolve Lipo whey, as its high in protein, low in fats and carbs with added fat burning ingredients. The next most important protein would be your general WPI as it s a fast absorbing quick releasing protein that is also low in fats and carbs. It s great for snacks or post workout recovery. 3-Whey or blends are great for cooking or if you want a slower releasing protein as a snack that will keep you fuller for longer. 6
Q26 Why take protein powder? Protein is one the best supplements for fat loss. You ve just burnt up all your calories during exercise, you need to fuel it with protein, not only for better recovery but to stop you going into a catabolic state. It is great for snacks and in between meals to keep you full and stop those cravings. Most people can t meet their protein intake, so it s an easy option to get a few more calories in. Q27 Will I get bulky if I drink Protein? Protein is one of the best supplements for fat loss. You ve just burnt up all your calories during exercise, you need to fuel it with protein, not only for better recovery but to stop you going into a catabolic state. It is great for snacks and in between meals to keep you full and stop cravings. Most people can t meet their protein intake so it s an easy option to get a few more calories in. Q28 How long will my supplement pack last? Will I have to repurchase this pack during the challenge? Depending on how often you train and use these supplements will determine how long the supplement pack will last. However, we highly recommend you continue to use these supplements to maximise results. Although, this is not compulsory to repurchase and will not affect any judging for the challenge. Q29 Everyone uses pre-workout, should I take a pre-workout? You don t have to, however it can help with performance and motivation to want to train. Pre-workouts come in different kinds to suit what you re after. They can help with better strength gains, focus, performance, energy and more blood flow for better pumps and so much more. Q30 Pre-workout vs Fat Burners? Pre-workout is more designed with weight training to help with strength. You wouldn t use a pre-workout before a big run or HIIT session as it can leave you feeling a little lethargic. Fat burners work as a thermogenic by heating the body up with aim to increase your fat burning and fire your metabolism at the same time as giving you that extra bit of energy to get you through your session. Ideal for high intensity, cardio or weight training. 7
Q31 There are so many proteins! What works well for me? Importance of BCAA s (Branched-chain amino acids) Second most important supplement for training to increase lean mass and performance. Best to have during your workout. It acts by moving through the blood to the brain lowering mental fatigue (what creates the sense of tiredness). When you re doing big weight training sessions it is essential to use BCAA s to fuel your muscles, speed up recovery and decrease catabolism (loss of muscle). Q32 What is the difference with a Pre-Workout and a Fat Burner? Do the ingredients in pre-workouts scare you? Is there something in particular you are looking for out of a pre workout? What do the main ingredients in pre-workouts do? This will make looking for a pre-workout so much easier: Beta Alanine: Delays fatigue leading to longer and more intense training Creatine Monohydrate: Increase strength and muscle volume Agmatine Sulfate: Increase pump and vascularity Caffeine Anhydrous: Sustained and focused energy AmpiberryTM: Decrease water weight and provides a steady release of clean energy DL Choline Bitartrate: Reduces inflammation and symptoms of muscle fatigue A lot of these ingredients can also be bought separate if there is another pre-workout you like; however, you want added benefits of other ingredients. The ASN experts are THE BEST at whipping up nice concoctions for you, so head in store and try one out. 8
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