In the pursuit of optimal fitness and wellness, mastering both training and nutrition is paramount. Whether your goal is to enhance muscle growth, improve functionality, or achieve leanness, striking the right balance between these two pillars is key. In this article, we delve into the strategies and resources offered by Tighter Together, a comprehensive program designed to elevate your training and nutrition game. From structured resistance training programs to personalized meal plans, Tighter Together provides the tools and guidance needed to embark on a transformative journey towards your fitness goals. Let's explore how you can level up your training and nutrition with Tighter Together.
Mastering Training
It’s best to think about your approach to training as the fitness aspects you are most passionate about building: both aesthetic and performance! The more defined your intended outcome, the more you can focus and modify your workouts towards that goal.
On the flip side, the more random your week of training looks the slower your results will be seen and that’s simply because you are putting small investments in many different places vs. narrowing your approach. For practical purposes, we are going to narrow in on what I find to be MOST people’s primary goal during periods of time they want to add a “push in intensity” to their normal routine.
- Body Compositional Change: One common goal is to increase visible muscles and decrease body fat.
- Functionality: Moving without pain, increasing core strength, balance and mobility while progressing in weight selections, having greater cardio endurance, etc, are all examples of functionality goals.
- Leanness: Fat loss.
If one of the above, or any of several others, is your goal, there is the science-backed approach to getting there! Maximize your workouts by choosing a cohesive, progressive-overload focused resistance training program. This will be most effective when the majority of the workouts are muscle-group specific which is why you will see the split below optimizing the 3 and 4 day split as well as the 6 available workouts each week
Tighter Together Workout Split:
Monday: Lower Body
Tuesday: Upper Body
Wednesday: Full Body Burn & Core
Thursday: Lower Body
Friday: Upper Body
Saturday: Full Body Build & Core
- 30/60 minute options will still be available for all workouts!
- 1 optional DELOAD week included in the 5 weeks to optimize recovery and hypertrophy potential
- 1 optional FLEX week included in the 5 weeks to ensure easy travel-friendly workouts during or after the challenge (bodyweight & bands)
Functionality
A workout split alone is not enough to achieve the results you are looking for. The exercise selection within the prescribed workouts must be purposeful. Within MOVES, we ensure that the movements are backed by research showing the MOST muscle stimulus per the movement with the least wear and tear to the joints. There are also PT provided alternatives to ensure your form and environment and any pre-existing issues are easily modified and customized.
Deep Core is and mobility and warm-ups/ cooldowns are all woven into the full body days to ensure you stay injury free and not overly sore throughout. Full body workouts are designed to keep you feeling agile, athletic and aid in the overall goal of fat loss with greater energy output.
Within Tighter Together, you will see a larger focus dedicated to progressive overload within “challenge moves” and “challenge supersets” of the workouts that include 1-2 single exercises and a superset that repeat to ensure opportunity for progressive overload in an A/B/A+/B+ Format. You will see some variation in the workouts selection and programming as the programming progresses to ensure you are making strides and personal improvements. Woven into the TT workouts will be progression cues, increased rep ranges, encouragement to increase weight selections and sets. If you show up, you WILL be progressing.
Full Body Workout Rationale
There are two available full body sessions available each week: Full Body “Burn” and Full Body “Build”: Think of these days as opportunities to increase our activity level through modalities that are most tailored to YOUR individual goals, training preferences when choosing between them, or of course– opt for both! If you are following the 3 or 4 day split, you will CHOOSE THE ONE which fits your goals best!
- Full Body “Burn” & Core: Ensures conditioning benefits: research shows that metabolic conditioning, HIIT, etc. can improve your body’s energy pathways (how quickly your body can take materials and convert them into a useable form for energy), calorie burning ability, aerobic capacity (how efficiently and how much oxygen your body can use) etc.
- Full Body “Build” & Core: If you prefer slower sets & taking things close to muscular failure, BUILD is for you! If your primary goal is to build muscle, this workout is better suited for applying the needed stimulus.
Leanness (Fat Loss) Comes From Nutrition
One of the most widespread myths in the entire industry is that workouts alonewill achieve fat loss and leanness and it’s simply NOT the tool that has the most ability to achieve that– NUTRITION IS. So what is the key to leveling up? It’s finding a sustainably simple way to eat– WEEK AFTER WEEK (not just a day here and there) that creates an environment for fat loss. It’s equally important that your caloric intake and macronutrient breakdown (carbs, fats and protein) is aligned to your needs, WHILE being rich in micronutrients, flavor, fiber, etc. Most people do not have the confidence to assemble weekly meals that fit the above criteria and that’s OK– using the resource layered on workouts will be the accelerant most people are looking for:
Enter Tighter Together Recipe & Meal Guide, featuring 40+ high protein, minimal-ingredient recipes and a NEW! 4-week Meal Guide created by a Registered Dietitian with batch-prep guidance and grocery lists. Our family-friendly recipes cater to various dietary preferences with easy substitutions. All recipes are trackable on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst.
All recipes designed, reviewed, or approved by a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, with exclusive contributions from @laurenfitfoodie, @jordosworld, @unboundwellness, @rushingtothekitchen, and @maryswholelife. Our nutrition approach is designed to compliment your training and maximize results. We offer a personalized macro count with BOTH Fat Loss and Maintenance numbers (NEW this challenge!) to encourage sustainable habits. We also guide you through an intuitive eating approach if macro-counting isn’t for you.
So if your goals are to ACTUALLY level up and cut through the complication of doing so, choose clarity and intentionality provided by experts. Instead of piecing together your workouts, and nutrition and recovery protocols and HOPING they mesh, choose a Tighter Together and rest assured you have all the components required: structured, progressive-overload focused resistance training program and then the KEY for leanness or body recomp which is achieved through nutrition (Tighter Together Recipe & Meal Guide provides a wealth of resources, including high-protein recipes and personalized fat loss and maintenance macro counts). The reason thousands of men and women continue to see such incredible results is that we make all the above motivating, enjoyable, and completely realistic for continued progress for years to come.