How I’m Helping My Friend Get Ready For Her Wedding In 3 Months
As I plan - err, provide moral support to my fiancé as she plans - our wedding, I’m quickly learning how insane it all is.
The time, stress, and expenses make my head spin (no, the folding chairs aren’t included and yes, they cost 10 times more than they should!). And you’re expected to exercise and eat well, too, to look all nice for the ceremony and pictures? How!
I have plenty of time to figure it out, but my friend is getting into crunch time. She only has 3 months until the big day.
Here’s our plan to get her in tip-top shape.
Phase 1 (4 weeks) - Progress Acceleration and Strength Building
Nutrition
2 weeks of 1600 calories 160g protein
2 weeks of 1800 calories 150g protein
Steps
10k steps/day (or 700 active calories on your watch, whichever comes first)
Training - 3 days lifting, 4 days cardio
Day 1 (Upper):
Dumbbell Bench Press. 3 sets x 4-6 reps.
Dumbbell Row. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Neutral Grip Pull Down - Single Arm Negative. 3 sets x 8 reps each arm.
Seated DB Shoulder Press. 3 sets x 6-8 reps.
Face Pull Apart. 3 sets x 20 reps.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise. 3 sets x 15 reps.
Day 2 (Cardio):
"Zone 2" Cardio - 60-70% Max HR. 60 min
Day 3 (Lower):
Barbell RDL. 3 sets x 6-8 reps.
DB Reverse Lunge 45 Degrees. 3 sets x 6-8 reps.
DB Back Extension. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Stability Ball Roll Out. 15-20 reps.
Stability Ball Ab Roll Up Crunch. 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
Leg Press Machine Calf Raise. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Day 4 (Cardio):
HIIT - 5 min warm up. 1 min on (90%), 1 min off x10 rounds. 5 min cool down
Day 5 (Full Body):
Low Bar Back Squat. 3 sets x 4-6 reps.
RFE Split Squat. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Machine Assisted Wide Grip Pull Up. 3 sets x 4-6 reps.
Smith Machine Push Up. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Cable Seated Close Grip Row. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Dumbbell Alternating Hammer Curl. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Cable Rope Tricep Extension. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Day 6 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 30 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
Day 7 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 30 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
Phase 2 (4 weeks) - Steady Fat Loss and Muscle Building
Nutrition
4 weeks of 1700 calories 150g protein
Steps
12k steps/day (or 800 active calories on your watch, whichever comes first)
Training - 3 days lifting, 4 days cardio (volume for both moderately increased)
Day 1 (Upper):
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
3 Point Dumbbell Row. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Wide Grip PullDown. 4 sets x 8-10 reps.
Seated DB Shoulder Press. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Back Fly. 3 sets x 12 reps.
DB Front Raise (Neutral Grip). 3 sets x 15 reps.
Dumbbell Skull Crusher. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Day 2 (Cardio):
30 sec on/30 sec off x10. 40 minutes steady state. 30 sec on/30 sec off x10.
Day 3 (Lower):
Barbell RDL. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Heel Elevated Goblet Squat. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
DB Back Extension. 4 sets x 12-15 reps.
Suitcase Reverse Lunge. 3 sets x 10 reps each side.
Kneeling Elbow Side Plank Leg Raise. 3 sets x 10 reps each side.
Leg Press Machine Calf Raise. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Day 4 (Cardio):
HIIT - 5 min warm up. 4 min on (85-90%), 4 min off x4 rounds. 2 min cool down
Day 5 (Full Body):
Low Bar Back Squat. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
RFE Split Squat. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Dumbbell Squeeze Press. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Machine Assisted Wide Grip Pull Up. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Dumbbell Upright Row (Thumbs Up). 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Single Arm Curl W Isometric Hold. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Day 6 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 45 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
Day 7 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 45 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
Phase 3 (4 Weeks - Max Fat Burning and Muscle Toning)
Nutrition
3 weeks of 1500 calories 160g protein
1 week ~2100 calories, ~120g protein
Steps
15k steps (or 900 active calories on your watch, whichever comes first)
Training - 3 days lifting, 4 days cardio (volume for both slightly increased)
Day 1 (Upper):
Alternating Incline DB Press. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Cable Seated Close Grip Row. 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Underhand Lat Pulldown. 4 sets x 12-15 reps.
Dumbbell Arnold Shoulder Press. 4 sets x 12-15 reps.
Suspension T Deltoid Fly. 3 sets x 15 reps.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise. 3 sets x 15 reps.
V Bar Pushdown. 3 sets x 15-20 reps.
Day 2 (Cardio):
1 hour 15 minutes steady state
Day 3 (Lower):
Trap Bar RDL. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Walking Lunges. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Single Dumbbell Deadlift. 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
Cable Pull Through. 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
Reverse Crunch. 3 sets x 15-20 reps
Dead Bug W/ Foam Roller. 3 sets x 12 reps each leg
Leg Press Machine Calf Raise. 3 sets x 15-20 reps.
Day 4 (Cardio):
HIIT - 30 second sprint (100%), 90 second recovery. x15 rounds
Day 5 (Full Body):
Machine Leg Press. 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
DB RDL. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Barbell Close Grip Bench Press. 3 sets x 10-12 reps.
Neutral Grip Pull Down. 3 sets x 10-12 reps *3 sec negative
Dumbbell Curl 21s. 3 sets.
Leaning Cable Lateral Raise. 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Band Tricep Pushdown. 4 sets x 100 total (light band)
Day 6 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 60 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
Day 7 (Cardio):
Incline treadmill walk (if no soccer game). 60 min, 10 incline, 3.2 speed.
My miscellaneous notes to her:
Do your best to get 7-8 hours of sleep and stick to high protein, high fiber foods most of the time. If you'd like, you can throw in a moderate "free" meal once/week (don't worry about going slightly over your calories on this day). Alcohol intake should be moderate-minimal, especially in the first two weeks (1600 cal "progress acceleration" phase) and final 3 weeks. All rules are off during your bachelorette party, of course.
No need to go crazy with supplements, but I'd recommend 5g creatine monohydrate/day and you may consider throwing in this "fat burner" from Legion for the final 4-8 weeks if hunger and energy become an issue. I'm not sure how much it actually does, but the ingredients make sense, it's safe, and it has a ton of positive reviews.
I chose the exercises based on feedback from the brides-to-be I've worked with in the past. I heavily emphasized lats, shoulders, arms, and moderately emphasized hamstrings/glutes. Feel free to modify the exercises/mobility as you see fit based on your aesthetic goals (i.e. if your goal is to have a more defined back, feel free to add more back volume) and restrictions (like your limited hip mobility that you’ve mentioned).
We'll monitor your stats and adjust accordingly (i.e. if you're down 10 pounds in 2 weeks or something whacky like that, we'll bump up the calories or drop down the cardio).
Last, this is an aggressive plan. It's not going to be easy! I'd love for you to stick to it with 100% consistency given the stakes, but it's designed with a "life happens" buffer built in. If you can hit an 80% across the board, I'm confident you'll be pleased with the results!
Wrap Up + Key Considerations
I designed this plan specifically for my friend based on her training experience, history, goals, and timeline. Feel free to follow it (or send to a future bride) if you’d like, but know that the ideal numbers - especially calories, protein, and amount of cardio - are likely different from my friend’s targets.
I set the daily step and calorie target with the goal of 1-2 pounds lost/week on average. I fluctuated her calories with these thoughts in mind:
1600 for the first two weeks, when hunger and fatigue is low
Back up to 1800 (a moderate deficit) for the next two weeks
Down to 1700 for the middle 4 weeks (a moderate deficit)
Down to 1500 for the final 3 weeks (a significant deficit)
Up to 2100 for the week leading up to the wedding. 1. To reduce stress/stress related water retention and to “fill out” her muscles. 2. Nobody (including the bride!) wants a hungry bride the week before the wedding
This plan is intense and not intended to be followed for months or years at a time. The significance of the calorie deficit and the amount of cardio is likely unsustainable for most. That said, it’s totally fine to follow an extreme plan in the short term to prepare for a photo shoot, wedding, etc.
Maintaining a calorie deficit, eating a high protein and fiber diet, strength training, and getting quality sleep will help my friend earn an eye-popping transformation. That will get her 80% of the way there.
The nuance of the calorie cycling and training progressions may get her an additional 10% of progress. In wedding season, every little bit counts! (P.S. terms I used above like “toning” are nebulous buzz words that mean “maintain as much muscle as possible while losing fat.”)
There you go. The full training and nutrition plan to get my friend in the best shape of her life for her wedding.
Last, I promise you this - my friend paid way less for my coaching than those dang folding chairs.
Best,
John
P.S. This past weekend Kelly presented her research at a national PT conference and benched 50 pound dumbbells for 6 reps. What a beast!
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
Sign up for my newsletter - If you’d like to hear more, sign up for my mailing list here.
Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.