Do You Need to Stretch to Build Muscle? Lifting Q&A

Nikkiey: What's up, WarriorBabes? Hey guys, Nikkiey here. Finally got it working. Don't know what was going on, but anyway, we're live and I'm super stoked to be here with you guys. Welcome to our WarriorBabe Wednesday live Q&A time together. As you guys are joining in, comment and say, hey, what's up? Let me know that you guys are here and you're tuned in, or give me the wave emoji. The more that you guys comment beneath this video, the more it pushes this live video to the top of our Facebook group, so that anybody who is new and hasn't ever chimed into one of these live Q&As before is able to find it in our Facebook community, tap on it, see that we're live and tune in. So let me know that you guys are here. Comment, say hey, what's up, and we will get this live rocking and rolling.

Okay, it's working. I see it live in the Facebook group now. Cool. Betty, hey there, first live. Nice. Welcome, Betty. I'm stoked that you're here. We'll get started in just a few minutes. If you guys are tuning in at a later date or time after this live Q&A is complete, then give me the hashtag replay and keep all of the questions that pertain to this Q&A here beneath this video in the comment area, in one area, so that Kate can come back into the Facebook community when she's checking on you guys tomorrow, supporting and answering questions. She can then come back into this live Q&A and answer the questions that were asked after this Q&A isn't live anymore.

Anyway, there's still something on my hand and it's tripping me up, but we're good. Okay, there it is. What's up, Jocelyn? What's up, Scarlett? Hey, babes. Keep commenting so that I know it's working, so I know that we're live and I'm not getting glitchy or need to check the internet. But we should be pretty solid.

We'll get started in just a few seconds with this Q&A. What you guys can do is start commenting your questions, because there is a lag time between Zoom and Facebook. If you start commenting your questions now beneath this video, then after I'm done welcoming all of our new babes and running through my little spiel that I normally do, I can fire into our Q&A and get started with the questions. So just leave your questions beneath in the comment area and we'll get started.

What's up, Beau? What's up, Bianna? Yeah, I wonder if you guys could hear me be like, come on, at the beginning. This delay kills me. What's up, Kate? Kate is joining us. Hello. Awesome.

So before we get started, I do want to give a huge welcome. We had so many new WarriorBabes join us this week. If you're new, I want you to know that you are literally a part of a community of thousands of women who are getting toned and becoming a stronger, more confident version of themselves. What's so freaking cool about this is that we're all doing it together. We're all supporting each other on this journey. We all have a goal in mind, and we know that another WarriorBabe is working towards that goal. So when you wake up in the morning, you know that another fellow WarriorBabe is out there doing that same workout that you're doing, and that can motivate you even more in your workout. So that's super, super exciting. WarriorBabe is where strong is the new sexy. We want to be toned. We want to look muscular. We want to look fit. We want to look like we do the work. That's what this community is all about. So if you guys are new, welcome. I am stoked that you are part of this freaking amazing community. You guys all rock.

If you guys are new, I've got the Revolution program and I've got the Blueprint program. I already see a comment coming from the Blueprint program. Oh wait, no, it's not. That's my Revolution. My bad. But if you're a part of my Blueprint program, then keep all of your Blueprint questions for the Blueprint Q&A, which is at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. If you're part of my Revolution program, then keep the Revolution questions here on this Q&A.

And if you guys are new to the Revolution program, make sure that you are going through the WarriorBabe Revolution blast-off emails. They are so freaking important to transition you into this lifestyle. WarriorBabe is probably something that you've never done before. It's a different style of training. You're eating way more food to facilitate the goals that you want to accomplish here. So it's really important to go through those first 14 days, where I'm giving you one task to complete each day, and that task is something that's going to set you up for long-term success inside this program. You're going to run through your goals. You're going to run through why these are your goals. You're going to run through making a committed decision for yourself. You're going to run through macros. You're going to run through workouts.

So make sure that you are taking the time to go through those WarriorBabe blast-off emails. They are so important to your success, because a lot of people, two weeks after they join a program, start giving up because they're not seeing the results, or they want this quick, instant fix. Well, guess what? You're going to take the time first to establish your foundations in those first two weeks. And with motivation, because your goals are massive, your goals are so big that they almost scare you, that makes you want to start showing up even more on a daily basis with logging your meals, tracking your meals, meal prepping, getting your workouts in, making sure you're drinking your water. Those first 14 days are going to help you get in the right mindset. And if you're in the right mindset, then going and working out is going to be easy, and with tracking your macros there are going to be no excuses that trip you up, because you know that the person you're working towards becoming isn't going to make these freaking lame-ass excuses. So if you need a little refresher on the mental side of things, it's a good thing to go back through, or make sure you are going through, the WarriorBabe blast-off emails.

Then before we get started, really quick, I've got to say: if you guys have questions, this is the fastest way that you can get them answered. One, make sure you're going through all of the material inside of the application. I bet you that when you're starting off, your questions can be answered easily inside the application. You just have to take the time to go through it. There are tons of golden nuggets that I'm sharing with you inside of there. Now, if it can't be answered inside of the app, then go to the home screen, click Need Help, and then go to the FAQs page. It's this entire resource area that my team has just recently updated to make it super user-friendly, where you can find answers to your questions that pertain to nutrition, fitness, our programs, anything like that, in one area. Super simple, and you can use a search button as well.

And then say you can't find the answer in the app or the FAQs: pop into these freaking Q&As. They're so valuable to you, your time and your journey here inside of WarriorBabe. You literally have the ability to ask me any question that you need clarity on. Hello. Utilize these Q&As. Let's say you can't pop onto a Q&A. There's always a replay. You can type in the replay and Kate will pop back in and answer any questions that were left after the Q&A has been completed. Or you can pop into the Facebook group and ask the other fellow WarriorBabes. But please, if you're new, make sure you're going through those first, the app and the FAQs. Don't come into the community and flood it with beginner questions that we know can be answered inside of the app. The community is for motivation, for uplifting support. But let's say you can't find it in any of those places that I just said, then pop into the group and ask the other fellow WarriorBabes to help you out.

And another thing really quick before we kick off this Q&A: if you guys have questions, start leaving them in the comment area below. Please don't DM my team. Please don't DM me on Instagram. Please don't get into anything like Messenger on Facebook. I say that not to be rude, but because it's personal boundaries, and you could get lost in the shuffle of my DMs, of my team's DMs, and we don't want you to feel like you're ignored. So the best spot to come and get answers to your questions is here in the Facebook group and on these Q&As. You guys know that I'm going to be here every single Wednesday. So come to these calls every single Wednesday, or pop into the replays.

All right, let's pop off this Q&A. If you guys have questions, start firing them so I can see what needs to be answered.

Lauren asks: looking at the printables under the WarriorBabe Basics, I found the reward system for body type pinup, which led me to the refeed calculator for endomorphs. Am I really supposed to do a refeed two times a week if I'm an ectomorph and want to build muscle? If so, on which days?

Yes, yes, yes. You ectomorphs have a really, really fast metabolism. You can get away with eating a lot of food, and it's really hard for you guys to put on muscle. So you have to make sure that you're eating enough to facilitate that muscle-growing environment in your body. So yes, two refeeds. What I would do is a refeed on Wednesday and probably a refeed on Saturday. Guys, listen loud and clear: you definitely want to space your refeeds or your cheat meals. You don't want to put them back to back, or else you're going to notice a massive spike in weight. There's a natural spike that's going to happen, but if they're back to back, your metabolism is going to be working overtime to try to work through that food and distribute it properly. So you never want to do back to back, because you're going to be like, oh my God, I'm gaining weight. You're going to freak out. You're going to think it's not working, and you're going to give up. Am I right? Look, there's going to be a natural spike with cheat meals or refeeds, but if you space them out, it gives your body that efficient time to process those meals and then be ready for the next time you have one.

All right, my screen is literally frozen with me going like this. That's great. Next question. Hello, Charlene. What's up, babe?

Yana asks what I drink at Starbucks. When I was doing Starbucks pretty much every freaking morning, which I have since stopped, I got a Keurig and am budgeting myself, because spending money at Starbucks every day is just silly. But when I did do that, I was getting the nitro cold brew, just black. If you guys need a little bit of sweetener, they do have a sweet foam, which is only about 40 calories. I'm not sure how many carbs it is because I never got it, but you can add that little sweet foam. Or if I wanted something hot, I would do a venti Pike Place with two Stevias and sometimes some sugar-free vanilla. I used to do that a lot and then I stopped, because sugar-free vanilla is not good to do every single day. So really, I like my coffee black. That's the best bet. Here at home I got the Starbucks pods, and I do 12 ounces of coffee and then pour a little bit of my Stevia inside of it.

Another one: I know you answered this question before, but what's your routine for stretching? Do you attach it to your workout, pre or post workout, or later in the day? How much time do you spend on stretching?

To be honest, Yana, I am so freaking terrible at stretching. Horrible at it. And look, take it from me, who has a lot of muscle mass: you need to be implementing stretching on a daily basis. It's really starting to catch up to me now and it's really affecting my workouts. I'll be blunt and honest with you. I did shoulders and I was literally lifting 10 pounds. I was doing seated clean and presses, and then I ended up doing 10 pounds for side laterals supersetted with 20 pounds for upright rows, and I was so tight. It's so bad, because really what's happening, guys, is when you're trying to build muscle, your muscle is looking for space. I bet you if I stretched, I would have more muscle than I have right now. But my muscles are so condensed because I don't stretch them out. It's actually starting to get really freaking painful, and it sucks.

So what I actually just started this week, because I can't go from zero to a hundred... It's kind of like weaning yourself off coffee, or implementing something new like meditation. You can't go zero to a hundred, or you're never going to do it. So I started doing it in the morning every other day. On the days that I'm not doing my cardio in the morning, I'm doing my stretching, and I'm only doing 10 minutes right now, because I feel like if I do 15 or 20, it's going to be like, okay, I need to stop this, I need to go do something else. So I'm giving myself 10 minutes in the morning as my routine to just stretch and open up my body.

Really, you could do it in the morning, you could do it post-workout, or you could do it right before bed. You never want to do static stretching before a workout, because it opens up more opportunity for an injury. Before you work out, you always want to do active range of motion: start firing it up, moving the muscles around, getting them used to what you're going to do. But you definitely want to implement some stretching. Guys, please take it from me, implement some freaking stretching. Morning, after your workout or at night is the best time to do it. And literally what I'm doing: I searched YouTube for 10 minutes of stretching, and there's this girl I've been watching who I just follow. It's more like yoga in the movements, so it opens up every aspect of my body.

Yeah, guys, if this is making sense, smash that freaking like button. Smash it, hit it, if it's making sense and you're like, oh my God, Nikkiey, what you're saying, yes, I need to stretch. I need to make sure you guys get it and that you're going to start doing this. So smash that like button right now.

Karina asks: can your body type change as your body changes? Yes. Abso-freaking-lutely. You could be overweight and have a lot of weight to lose, but underneath, your body resembles more of that athletic figure. So as you start losing the weight, you'll start seeing that figure come to life, and that's where you'd probably want to start adjusting your macronutrients. If that makes sense, smash that like button as well. This is why I have my Blueprint program. Your body is always going to change through phases, and what works one time won't always be the thing that works three years from now. There are going to be different methods and different strategies. So as your body changes, your macros will change as well. That's why I have a more in-depth program that teaches you how to adjust your macronutrients over time.

Karina continues: I think I'm a meso or meso-endo now. I'm five feet two inches, 103 pounds, and my shoulders are more muscular than they used to be, defined waist. But I think I used to be an endo. Five years ago I weighed 130 pounds. When I gain weight it's on my lower hips; my lower half is quite round. So, to your question after that story: yes, your body type can change.

Yana, you're welcome, babe. Joanna says she rolls every morning before her lift, for 10 to 15 minutes. Yes, that's another really good thing: getting a foam roller. Thank you. That's something that I could easily bring into my new apartment and make sure that I do, the foam rolling as well. That's a great point.

And someone says: I definitely appreciate your honesty compared to other programs. You're always truthful. Love it. And your meals are crazy simple. Thank you. Yes. You guys, I will always be brutally honest with you. Please take it from me, like I said, implement your stretching. If your body wants to change and grow and you want to become more toned, then you definitely want to make sure that you're stretching. It's silly, stupid simple, but it's what will help your body in becoming more defined, getting more lean, showing more muscle fibers and muscle definition. So it is really freaking important for you guys to be implementing stretching. If there's one thing to take away from this live Q&A, that is it. So if you guys hear me loud and freaking clear, throw a one in the chat box if that makes sense, or a two if it doesn't make any sense, which I doubt, but anyway, throw a one in the chat box if that makes sense.

Yana asks: when you first started lifting, did you have a tough time with the mind-muscle connection? When I first started lifting, the only trouble I had with the mind-muscle connection was my lats. That was the only time I had trouble, when I was doing lat pulldowns. I had a really hard time connecting to my lats. As women, we never train our back. We don't really train our chest. It's natural for legs because we're walking on our legs and we already have that kind of connection. But anything that we're not used to doing, it's hard for our mind to recognize what we're doing. So you almost have to train your mind to understand what you're doing.

The way to do that is to implement some lightweight exercises to start recognizing that muscle. What I mean by that is, when you're doing lat pulldowns, you're going to be pulling down, but you want a lighter weight so that when you're pulling, you can start focusing on the fact that your lats are being engaged. Not your biceps, not your forearms. You want to make sure that you're pulling down and focusing: okay, I'm using my lats, which are in the back, and I'm creating that connection. The same goes for your chest. A lot of people kind of cave in like this when they're doing chest, and then you're not targeting your chest muscles at all. You want to stick your chest out nice and firm, and then use a light weight so that your mind isn't overcompensating in other areas like your shoulders or your triceps, so it recognizes, okay, you're using light weight and you're focusing on your chest.

So make sure you hit that like button. Why I'm asking you guys to do that right now is that it helps us as a community. It keeps this video at the top of the Facebook group, but it also helps with the YouTube algorithm when we post this onto YouTube for people to watch after the Q&A is live. So smash that like button for me, you guys, I appreciate it. And if this makes sense with the mind-muscle connection, put a one in the chat box as well.

Jason asks: on a superset, by the fourth set I am super fatigued and having trouble getting 10 reps. Should I reduce my weight or take a short break between the two exercises? No break; you just want to drop your weight. When you're doing a superset and by that fourth set you're getting super tired, you want to just drop your weight, because that weight is still resistance, and it's still going to feel like it's a hundred freaking pounds. So reduce the weight and then go right back into finishing out the movement.

Laura says: yes, when your muscles are weak, we don't always get that mind-muscle connection right away. Yes, 100%. That's exactly what I was trying to get across. If you've never engaged your lat muscles or your chest muscles, you can't be expected to go in there and push up 30 pounds on either side. There's just no way. You've got to start at 15 or 20, or whatever is realistic for you, to be able to create that mind-muscle connection.

Lauren asks: so the refeed days for an ecto don't have to be on days that I lift? I recommend that you have the refeeds on days that you do lift, but at the same time, it doesn't matter 100%. I personally would put them on a back day or a leg day, because you burn more calories on those days. But at the same time, on a rest day, you're utilizing that food to recover during your rest periods.

Yana says: I need to concentrate more, definitely tough for me. Yeah. So another thing, you guys: the mind-muscle connection doesn't just come from the weight. It also comes from eliminating distractions. It comes from not taking long rest periods. If you're distracted, constantly looking around at other people or constantly on your phone, then you're going to lose that mind-muscle connection. Be in the moment with you, the weights and your workout. And if you're somebody who chit-chats or decides to talk to the person next to you, don't. It's not social hour inside the gym. Give me the heart emoji or the heart button if that makes sense. You don't want to be somebody who's losing focus when you're there to do one thing, which is to work out. If you're losing focus, you're losing that connection with your muscle, you're losing that blood flow to the muscle. So make sure that you're doing that.

Yana asks: do you ever find your forearms engaging instead of your biceps? Not sure what that's all about. Yeah, then the weight is too heavy. Plus, it may be good for you to incorporate some forearm curls with the barbell. But if your forearms are coming into play, the weight you're doing for the lat pulldown or whatever is too heavy, so your body is compensating in other areas.

All right, babes, any more questions? Nice. Love the hearts, you guys. There's such a lag time between Zoom and Facebook. We'll give it a couple more minutes. If you have any more questions, fire them off in the chat box and I'll answer them before we turn off this Q&A.

One thing that I do want to say, and give some tough love to you guys: don't ever use excuses that get in the way of your goals. I'm too busy. I don't have enough time. Guys, remember that your goals aren't going to get accomplished with you passively not doing anything about it, just wishing, wanting and hoping. Your goals aren't going to get accomplished that way. So stop making the excuses of I don't have enough time or I'm just too busy. There are moms out there who literally have four kids, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, who are putting in the work and getting the results. You all have the same 24 hours in a day.

Give me a one if you are somebody who puts in the work and doesn't allow excuses to overrun it, or a two if you're still throwing out excuses, not putting in the work, and trying to get past them, someone having a hard time even getting started because you have excuse after excuse. I want to know this now. You all have the same exact 24 hours in a day. What it comes down to is your time management: the way that you meal prep, the way that you plan ahead, the way that you track your meals.

Good. I see a lot of ones. Beautiful. Great. Yana says one for workouts, two for food. Okay, well, guess what? Your food is a big driver in the results that you want to see, Yana. So make sure that you plan ahead. Look at you guys: one for the workouts, but two for nutrition. 1.5, need to work on consistency. All right, guys. Some tough love for you all: planning ahead is how you can be successful, reach your goals and get the results.

One, I have seven kids. Let's go, Bo. Let's go. Shiana's like, I know, shut up. Well, if you knew, then you would actually be doing it. Don't say I know, because if you know, you would do it. So you know it, but you're not doing it. So do it. Plan ahead.

And then as you get faster and faster at tracking macros, you don't have to log your meals until later. Literally, I just put all of my meals into MyFitnessPal later, because I've done this for so many freaking years that I know, okay, I'm at this point of the day, and maybe at six o'clock, towards the end of the day, I should log my meals to see where I'm at. But you've got to put in this work of creating these habits for yourself now, and then you can get to this point. If you don't, it's literally going to be like you're on a hamster wheel and not getting anywhere, because you're not putting in this type of work with nutrition and planning ahead.

Bonnie says one, after some tough love from Nikkiey Stott. Yeah, guys, let's go. Come on. We're WarriorBabes. You don't put up with excuses. You put in the work. Your goals aren't going to get accomplished by wishing, wanting and hoping. You're not going to get to your goals by taking passive action. You have to take forward action. You have to show up. You have to be on the front line, the one that's going towards the goal. Yes, Kate, time management is huge in being successful.

So I'm going to leave you guys on that note. Soak in that tough love. If I'm speaking directly to you, do something about it. Don't take it tongue in cheek. I can say this until I'm blue in the face, but guess what? You came to WarriorBabe with a goal in mind. It is your job to put in the work, and it's my job to call you out if your actions aren't in alignment with the goals that you want to accomplish. I'm not going to help you food prep. I'm not going to help you go grocery shopping. I'm not going to help you do your workouts. That's something you have to do, and the only way you're going to get ahead towards your goals is by showing up for yourself. So let's go put in the work and plan ahead. When you're doing it consistently, it literally becomes a subconscious thought that you don't even have to think about anymore. You know you've got to do it, you do it, and it becomes really simple.

All right, let's go. Love you guys. Give me a bunch of the heart emojis right now as I close out this call, and smash that like button. Let's go. Hell yeah, love this stuff. It fires me up. Let's go, team. We're in it together. I know there's somebody else who needs this, and you guys showing up for yourselves and then showing up inside the community only motivates every single other WarriorBabe to show up as well. Peace out. Everybody have a good rest of your evening, and plan ahead for tomorrow. Bye, everyone.