Trust the process | Day 8 of 90
Hey guys,
Yesterday, I was having all sorts of fears about not being able to accomplish my goal of building muscle over the next 90 days…fears about not having full transparency into what’s happening with my body as I put in all of this work.
Well, this morning, all those fears vanished.
You know why?
Take a look:
Same workout, 1 week later, and I was able to increase my weight in nearly every exercise. I love being able to literally SEE my myself getting stronger. Regardless of what is happening on the scale, regardless of what I look like, the real evidence of change is that my muscles can handle more, and THAT, my friends – IS COOL.
I am 100% confident that the 90 Day Journey to muscle is heading in the right direction now and I am full of joy. I trust the process.
(BTW, I am wearing the new Alpine Bra and Hourglass Shorts from the brand new POPFLEX Basics II Collection that drops about 24 hours from now! I am OBSESSED with this mocha color. I need EVERYTHING in mocha!!!)
I am reposting my Month 1 workouts because I decided to tweak things a bit. Kinda overdid it on the lower body workouts because I was afraid my booty wouldn’t grow enough (it’s the last place to see change) but I really missed doing my arm workouts, so added in some of my fave shoulder and tricep exercises into Day 6.
Otherwise, I am DIGGING this workout plan. I can’t believe I only have 3 more weeks of it, then I gotta switch things up! Next month I am already thinking I will ladder it up and play with heavier weights and less reps as each set progresses.
Now, here is my week 2 meal plan!
Meal 1 is smashed avocado on top of rice cakes with tomatoes and an egg white omelet side.
Meal 2 is a fave from last week! My savory oats! But this time, I took out the zucchini and am using all spinach with the chicken and oats. I noticed that all the zucchini I was eating last week was bloating me weirdly.
Meal 3 AND 5 are my Supersculpt Protein Pancakes! (I just decided that THAT is what they shall be called because they really are super!) And yes. I am going to have protein pancakes 2x a day this week because I am obsessed. We’ll see if I still feel that way about em next week 😛
Meal 4 is big ole salad of chicken with air fried butternut squash with a side egg white omelet with shiitake mushrooms. Also currently testing out a homemade yogurt sauce for dressing – will update you once I perfect the flavors, but so far, very promising!
I was very satisfied, very full and had tons of energy on last week’s plan, so I wanted to keep everything the same-ish this week. Protein is still around 155g and cals are in the 1550’s.
Alright, that is all! It’s 11:09pm and I have once again FAILED my duty to go upstairs at 9pm and be asleep by 10:30pm. UGH. Need to take my sleep as seriously as my workouts. Why is it so hard for me??
29 thoughts on “Trust the process | Day 8 of 90”
There are 29 comments posted by our users.
Can you tell me how to make your savoury oat recipe?
Where do I get the workout plan? I see the meal plan, but I’m also interested in joining this challenge to improve myself. How can I do that?
hey !! been using your workout plan and was just wondering when/where month 2 will be posted? i absolutely love ur plan and can’t wait to try more!
Probably some time this weekend! I actually wanted to test it out this week first! I’m writing the workouts out every morning instead of all at once!
Good morning from Canada Cassie. I’ve always been a runner and similarly to yourself I am looking to add some muscle as I age so that I can continue to run into my 50s, 60s etc. Hence, I’ve been following along with your 90 Day Journey workouts. I am wondering how you differentiate between a sumo squat and weighted plie squat (aside from one with weights and the other without – lol)?
hi Cassey! i’ve been a fan for a long time! do you have this workout plan as a prinatable somewhere?
thanks!
Wow- first time reading your blog and I so appreciate your honesty/transparency! So refreshing. I plan on flowing to see how your transformation goes! 💕
Thank you for following along!!
i’m worried about you. 1500 cals is not enough for the amount of training and cardio that you’re doing. In your Day 7 you said you felt stuffed with this much, but i’m assuming it’s because you’re eating more protein that usual. I hope that, as your journey progresses, you do make some tweaks especially nutrition-wise. Also, perhaps consider lowering the amount of volume you’re doing each day, like, instead of 4 sets of 20, do 2 sets of 12-16 but with a more challenging weight and getting yourself to the point of failure? like in your Day 1 where you’re doing weighted bridges with a barbell, instead of doing 4 sets of 20 with 45 lbs, up your weight to 60 or wherever you feel you won’t be able to do more than 15 with perfect form, and do 2 sets of that. THAT will help your booty grow so much more, than over exhausting your muscle with reps instead of weight. so much love & support for you <3
Nice
Hi Cassey! I’ve been following you since like 2012 and have been there through your different journeys in life. You have always inspired me and made me enjoy working out. You’re like a friend to me even if I’ve never met you irl. And as a friend I really want to underscore Mira and Longtime Lurker’s comments. Please be careful! Lots of love! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much! Going to talk more about nutrition in my next update!
Hey Cassey! Take this as constructive criticism please, but if you want to build muscle, wouldn’t be better to hire a Hypertrophy Coach? Or if you don’t want to, at least have 2-3 rest days and lessen the volume of reps and exercises (pick 4-6). And also if you still want to go for a run, why not do it AFTER your lifts
I’m also worried that you’re not eating enough.
Cassey…I’m really worried that you’re not eating enough. 1500 cals with the amount of lifting and physical exercise you are doing every day (not including your NEAT calories) just seems wayyy too little. I hope you consider perhaps upping your calorie count (at least ~2000), I think you may find that you will be able to lift a lot better.
Also, I think it might be worth considering maybe not doing this as a 90 day challenge? As in, a challenge with a time limit. Of course, I understand as much as the next person that having an “end goal” helps set things in perspective, but to be frank 90 days is not all that much. Maybe a 6-month journey, or a year-long journey, may give you more time to feel out what works for you. When you said “wasting 1month’s time” in your previous blog post I got a little worried…as you had mentioned in the beginning that you would treat this like an experiment and would give yourself freedom to “fail”, but being worried that you’re “wasting time” sounds concerningly close to the opposite. And I totally get it! I used to do those 30 day, 90 day, 100 day challenges myself. But they’re just too short to truly let your body breathe and adjust, I think. Also, your mind kind of gets caught up in the numbers sometimes.
Just some thoughts I had, as a PT myself I was getting a little worried and really want the best for you!
Thank you for the input! I’m going to talk more about calories and how I’m monitoring my intake in my next update. Everyone’s bodies react differently and so far I’m feeling good where I’m at. If I start feeling hungry (right now I’m always stuffed), like my energy levels are down, I’m not progressing in workouts, etc. I will absolutely adjust as needed.
Very true! My body reacts differently too and I’m not worried about my caloric intake. I do not count calories, but eat healthy and balanced meals, with lots of water throughout the day. My body feels strong. My recent blood work at my annual exam proved that my actions are good. We are all different and there is no ‘one technique is good for everyone’. Keep doing you, Cassey! Thank you for your inspiration.
Or – what if you DIDN’T talk about it in your next post, because this is actively causing harm. Even if you were not in a calorie deficit right now, yes – you are causing harm. In 2014 I recommended your videos to the young women I coached. This year it broke my heart but I had to take them aside and explain why we do not watch blogilates videos at practice anymore and how to identify disordered eating. This is out of your scope, and you KNOW no matter what you say people are trying to follow your plan because you’ve posted it. Talking about calories is even worse. And portraying recovery this way… absolutely SO dangerous. This is deeply, deeply hurtful to your young women followers. Please reconsider at least posting the level of detail that will allow people to attempt to copy you especially when it comes to calories
So so good Cassey! I know you say this journey is for you only, but can I still say I am so proud of you. I looked it up and apparently, you would need about 7-9 hours of sleep. Of course you would probably know more about this than I would, but still! Get your sleep!
Thank you for doing this for yourself, regardless of what people think. This February, I’m going on a 30 day journey to get on a better routine, and a better diet. I’m gonna exercise daily, leaving one day of the week for rest, I’m gonna be in bed by 9 and wake up by 6, and no dairy, and little to no sugar! This is to test the waters to see if I could go for a 90 day journey! And if it wasn’t for you. I wouldn’t be doing it right now. You are helping me become the best version of me! I am happier, fitter, and healthier. Thank you! And good luck on your journey;)
You’ve got this!
So so good Cassey! I know you say this journey is for you only, but can I still say I am so proud of you. I looked it up and apparently, you would need about 7-9 hours of sleep. Of course you would probably know more about this than I would, but still! Get your sleep!
Thank you for doing this for yourself, regardless of what people think. This February, I’m going on a 30 day journey to get on a better routine, and a better diet. I’m gonna exercise daily, leaving one day of the week for rest, I’m gonna be in bed by 9 and wake up by 6, and no dairy, and little to no sugar! This is to test the waters to see if I could go for a 90 day journey! And if it wasn’t for you. I wouldn’t be doing it right now. You are helping me become the best version of me! I am happier, fitter, and healthier. Thank you! And good luck on your journey;)
Meals look yummy, I’m just a bit worried about the calorie count… I eat a lot, snacks included but I still did something wrong and I lost my period and my skin is just ew
Since I know u have meal specialist friend , I hope nothing bad will come from that meal plan 🙂
Wish u best of luck, and enjoy the journey <3
PS: me and early sleeping are not friends either ^^'
I’m so sorry you went through that! I’ve been there, and it’s scary! This time, I’m monitoring my body and what it needs closely. Going to explain more/update on this in my next post!
This journey is all about discipline to reach your goals and I am here for it! Would you consider focusing your next 90 day journey on mental health? The mental health benefits you will reap from the physical transformation will be awesome, but what if you exercised the same amount, ate the same healthy foods, but also focused on mental well being. It might look something like going to a counselor once a week, implementing their suggestions for improved sleep and stress management. I personally think everyone could benefit from counseling. I say this with respect as a long time follower: I sense a lot of stress in this current journey and I’m concerned that the next time your body changes (ex. pregnancy, since you’re trying), you could spiral into darkness because you’ll be unhappy with how your body looks and feels. Being disciplined about workouts and dieting are admirable, but if it comes at the cost of your mental health being reliant on what your body looks like, I personally don’t think it is sustainable.
Definitely important to focus on mental health! I love journaling to stay on top of this, especially when I am doing something to challenge myself like this!
Hey Cassey! Good to hear almost everything is going well for you, and in terms of your struggles to sleep enough I have a book I STRONGLY recommend that not only goes over the many benefits of sleep and also the dangers of not getting enough sleep, but also strategies on how to get the best sleep possible and good routines to get into. It’s called “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, not sure if you’ve heard of him, but he works in neuroscience and psychology and has his PhD so he really knows his stuff. 😊 I hope your journey continues on its good trajectory!
Love to see how it’s going so far! Thank you for sharing your plans. Just get some sleep girl lol 🙂 honestly I struggle with that one too!
You go, girl! I have a question.
I’m sure you know your body better than anybody else. I was wondering if to build muscle one should not be bulking up – eating more than their body needs. I see girls eating 2500 kcal for instance. What do you think?
Everyone is just different! I realize this is on the lower end, but I chose this as a starting point based on what is sustainable for me. I’m full (stuffed most of the time) and my energy levels are good right now, and I didn’t want to force myself to eat past fullness! I’m monitoring my body closely and will make changes as needed!
No wonder you are exhausted how are you going to build muscle in the best way possible when you are doing running almost every day and Lifting weight on a 1500 cal diet? Your workout is full of high reps and sets with Tons of diff excersizes. This Plan i expected from someone who just started out as a PT and has zero to no knowledge about how to actually train. You are not Training hard enough if you are cobstantly being able to do full 15 to 20 reps on every set. There is Tons of garbage sets which in the long run wont have any impact on your muscle growth. Please reconsider your Training Plan:) i still enjoy watching your Videos and because of you i started my Fitness journey many years ago. But your WO plan really disapppointed me.