Smith Machine or Barbell Squats? Lifting Q&A for Women

Nikkiey: Hey, what's up, WarriorBabes. Good morning, good evening, hi everyone. Welcome to our WarriorBabe Wednesday live Q&A. Hi, what's up? Super excited to be here with you guys. I'm just waking up, so don't mind my face. As you guys are joining, say hey, what's up. I love to see you guys on here. Let me know who's joining in.

Hi everyone, Amy here. There we go, Amy with emojis. Let's go, Amy. What's up, babe? If you guys are joining at a later time or date, comment hashtag replay so that I know who's watching it. Not only that, but more comments underneath our thread push it to the top of our community, so all of the other babes can join in and watch either this live or catch it at another day or time.

Yes, good morning guys. Hi Sean, what's up? I hope everybody had a good day, because it's almost evening time for the majority of you guys back in the States. We'll get started with this live Q&A in just a bit. If you guys have any questions, you can start leaving them in the comment section down there and we can kick it off in just a little bit.

This week we had a lot of new babes join us, which is super exciting. So if you guys are new to WarriorBabe, give a little high five or a little raised hand emoji so that I can see who's new on here. I love recognizing names. I can tell Amy's been in it for a bit. Sean's been in it for a bit. The more names I see, the better I'm able to get to know you guys. So if you guys are new, definitely put a little emoji so I can start formulating common names in my mind. I just had coffee, so it's kicking in.

Hi Allison, hi Amy, hi Heather. Amy's saying welcome new babes. Hi Dawn, hi Angela, what's up guys. Angela's another one that's been in it for a minute.

First of all, a huge welcome to those babes. You guys are a part of an amazing, amazing community. I know I'm probably biased in saying that, but I love our community. It is so freaking amazing. You guys are so inspiring, so supportive, so empowering, and you share all of your journeys here, which motivates any new babes that come in. And then all of the new babes are going to motivate you guys because they're super excited. It's this whole great environment and community that's lifting each other up to achieve the goals they're here to achieve, which is awesome.

We're all a part of a community that is getting toned and becoming stronger, more confident versions of ourselves. WarriorBabe is where strong is the new sexy. And you're learning so many tools and resources to help you get to the goals you're here to accomplish. Hashtag winning. Hashtag strong and sexy.

If you guys are new to WarriorBabe, you probably already know what I'm going to say. It's really important to go through those blast-off emails. Really, really freaking important. Because if you're a really good starter, you'll start off really excited that you're here. You'll see all the comments inside the community and you'll be like, yes, let's go, go, go. But if you don't get clear on exactly what you are here to accomplish for yourself, on your own journey inside of WarriorBabe, you're going to get three weeks or a month in and think, what am I even doing? Or if progress starts to lull, it's going to be easy for you to jump on the next shiny object bandwagon.

But let me tell you, progress is going to lull. It's you showing up every day at that point that's going to break through. It's just like that meme where the person is digging for a diamond or gold, gets right this far from it, and turns around. It's the same thing with your progress and results. It's going to lull at some point, especially if you're attached to the scale, because you guys are building muscle here.

This is what happened to me at the beginning of my journey. I started at 140 pounds, got down to 130, and lulled there for a month, a month and a half. Nothing was changing on the scale, but things were changing with my body. That's because my body was putting on and filling up muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat does. Muscle is more dense. It doesn't take up more space, but it's heavier. So the scale may not teeter, but your body is changing. I want you guys to remember that and drill what I just said into your mind so it clicks.

Nobody here is a scale slave inside this community, because guess what, guys, that scale is going to increase. I started at 140 pounds and I'm 155 pounds now, five years later, but my body is completely different. So as you continue to work here, grow muscle, get toned and change your body composition, the scale doesn't even matter anymore. I know you've probably heard that thousands of times, but I wanted to say it again.

All right guys, if you have any questions, drop them. Come on, let's kick this off. I'm not getting any yet. I could just continue to do rants, but I'm going to do some Q&A with you guys, so drop them in the comment section.

One thing before we get started: if you are new to WarriorBabe, please, please take the time to go through all of the resources that are literally at your fingertips. You've got the application that has so much material inside. You've got the gym workout, the home workout, the hypertrophy side of things, the macro calculator, and the videos about mindset and macros in the WarriorBabe basics section. Take the time to go through that material before you jump inside the community. As I keep talking, my veins are popping out like crazy right now. Anyway, I got sidetracked.

If you have a question, take the time to search it out inside the application. If it's not answered inside the app, swipe left on the home screen and click the need help section. That goes to the frequently asked questions resource page, an entire platform we've built out and are always adding to, with all the common questions we get from the community, each with a full article answering it. If your question isn't on that page, go to the Facebook community and ask the babes there, and I guarantee somebody will answer within about 30 seconds. But that should be toward the end. We don't want to flood the Facebook group with new questions when the babes are just going to tell you to go to that section and learn it for yourself. Support should literally be the last place you go, and only for membership questions or app technical issues. Support isn't going to answer macro and workout questions. That's for the Facebook group, the application or the frequently asked questions resource page.

All right, here we go, some questions. Beautiful.

Jodi asks: I've decided to do the hypertrophy program, but I'm super nervous I'm going to get fluffy. I've been lifting 20 years and competed in figure shows 10 years ago, so I'm no stranger to this, but I've never allowed myself to eat this many calories. What can I expect to happen?

That is a great question. And you know I love telling stories, so I'm going to use one of my VIP babes, Cheryl. You've seen her pictures inside the community; she shared her progress with you. She's 64 years old. She was in the cutting phase and got down to around 129, we broke 130. She's only moved up to 133 pounds, so that's about four pounds extra. She's been in hypertrophy for about two months now, maybe a month and a half of transitioning out. She was at about 95 grams of carbs, and now she's up to 225, I just bumped her up, and she's only gone up in weight about three pounds. The thing is, her body composition has completely changed. She dropped the body fat and got to a point where she was happy and confident in her body, and then we started transitioning to get her metabolism to recognize all of this food.

Guys, it is a process, and it is a must-do in building your body. You have to go from cutting to maintenance to building if you want to put on muscle. That's the only thing that's going to change your body composition. And you have to get confident eating this much food. I'm eating 340 grams of carbs, and one day a week up to 400. If you'd told me to do that when I first started, I would have run for the hills. I'd have said no, I'm just going to get fat and fluffy.

Now, you know I'm brutally honest and I'm giving it to you straight, because you deserve the honest truth rather than looking at someone and thinking, wow, this person looks amazing, what are they doing, but I'm afraid to do that. I'm telling you exactly what needs to be done. You will transition, move up and start increasing calories, and yes, you will put on a little bit more. But it shouldn't get sloppy. You shouldn't be gaining a ton.

Jodi, I'm speaking to you because you've competed. I just met a bikini competitor in the gym I go to here in Bali. She said she competed eight times, two years ago, and then she looked at me and said she wants to be able to achieve the body I have by staying lean year-round. That's because I take this so seriously. I think competitors go into this wanting to be lean and have that body composition, but as soon as the show is done, they rebound. I've done it, and I'm sure you have too, Jodi. That's where your brain is going: that if you eat this much, you're going to gain tons and tons of fat. But that's not true. Do this the right way with the tools I'm giving you, and you're not going to get sloppy. You're not going to gain tons of weight. You're going to gain some, because you're putting on muscle and you want to grow that side of things with your body. That's the brutally honest truth: Cheryl's story, my own story, and what you can expect.

This is inside the Blueprint too. I don't know if you're inside the Blueprint, Jodi. Oh my god, why am I drawing a complete blank? She's a star. Janet. She's great. She shares all of her progress inside the group, and she's also transitioning up and eating more calories. Guys, food is good. Food is what you need to grow your body. Think back to when we were kids and mom and dad said you need to eat because you're growing. The same applies now. Let me know, Jodi, if that answered what you were looking for and gave you clarity.

Alicia says: Hi Nikkiey and all the babes. 21 days in now. Former collegiate athlete and gym rat, now 50 pounds overweight, but clothes are fitting looser already since joining WarriorBabe. That's amazing. Trained with bodybuilders, never a competitor myself, but hoping it's not too late for me with your help. Read tons of Muscle and Fitness, received tips from the pro coaches, yet I've never felt more informed and empowered than I do now. A goldmine for sure. Recently switched to lifetime membership, a no-brainer for me.

Amazing, awesome, babe. Thank you. I'm so excited you're here. And let me throw this out there: Alicia is thinking about competing, Jodi is a former competitor, and everybody has their own journey here. Don't sit on the back end thinking, oh my god, I have to compete now. You don't have to. What I teach you is how to achieve the body a competitor has, just more sustainably, making it a lifestyle. You see the people who step on stage and think, how do I do that? Let me tell you, that's not realistic for the long term. The people who sit at that for a long period of time are not healthy. They don't have a healthy relationship with food. What I've learned in bodybuilding is that it's restrictive, restrictive, restrictive to get you to stage presence, and afterwards you want to keep that body and it's just not maintainable. It's really not. I pushed my body to the point of hospitalization three times. I've learned how to balance it and live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, eating as much food as I am now but still staying in such a lean state, and I'm happy with where I am. That's where I want all of you to get to: realizing that you need to eat a lot of food to build the body you want to have.

So remember, you don't have to compete. This isn't an area of the program that's only for competitors. You're here on your own journey, and everybody's inspiring each other with whatever goals they have in mind, because in the end all of us want to get toned, and these tools and resources are going to help you get there. I'm so excited that you're here. That's awesome.

Francine asks: I'm an endomorph trying to lose fat in my midsection and waist. Do you think it's a good idea to reduce my carbs and some of my fats?

No, I don't. I think you need to eat the food. You need to train inside the gym, do the weightlifting and do the cardio I recommend for you, and I promise you, with time your body is going to take shape and lose the fat. It's just like what Sterling shared, which I've been sharing on my Instagram stories: everybody wants results like yesterday. Well guys, when you're building and changing your body composition, it's not going to happen yesterday. It's not going to happen in two weeks or one month. Yes, you're going to see some results that move you forward, but the key mentality to push through is that you're not going to see results every single day, especially when you're looking at yourself in the mirror. As long as you keep your mind focused on the end goals you want to accomplish, you'll keep showing up for yourself, and six months later you'll look in the mirror and say, oh my god, look at the results I've achieved just by showing up and doing the work. Small wins.

So Francine, that's going to come off around your waist. You don't need to reduce anything. If anything, with the style of training we're doing, you want to keep that food in before you start pulling it away. Increase your energy expenditure inside the gym. Push yourself with the workouts. Make sure you're doing the cardio. And I promise you it's going to come off.

Laura says: Hi Nikkiey, I'm in need of some tough love. Let's go. Back spasms and the holidays caused me to fall off for a while. I need to get back into my workouts. I'm dreading the pain, but I know I need to do it.

What I recommend, babe, is letting go of what derailed you over the past couple of months. Let go of the mindset of, oh, I've fallen off, and think: I'm starting again, I'm doing this for myself. Instead of going balls to the wall, getting back into the gym and then not being able to move three days from now, start off with three sets of everything. Don't do four, just start with three. Get back in there and start. The hardest thing people face is just starting, because there's so much resistance. It's exactly what you're saying: I don't want to feel the pain, or I have this, or I have that. Break through that resistance, get to the gym, show up for yourself, do the three sets and some cardio, and let your body get back into the groove. Hit your macros, because the macros are what's going to help you with the recovery process inside and outside of the gym.

And just do it. Let go of what happened. Let go of the excuses: I am starting again, I'm doing this again. Remind yourself of the goals you want to accomplish, and get the fuck out of your own way and go do it. We overcomplicate everything. It's so simple when you sit back and say, I just have to do it, I just have to go. Get out of your own head and just show up.

Sean asks: I've got a question about how different equipment works on the body and how to progress. I'm at the point with my squats where the barbell is getting almost too heavy to raise above my head. I'm afraid of pulling a muscle just getting it over my shoulders, plus the bar makes my traps sore after a while from resting on them. So I'm thinking I need to move to the Smith machine, but I see you squatting heavy weights with barbells. Will the Smith machine give me a good workout using those same squat muscles, or should I stick with barbells? Boy, that's a mouthful. Makes sense?

Yeah, totally makes sense, babe. Let me remind you: for years at the beginning of my journey, I never touched a barbell. I used strictly the Smith machine. Why? Because I developed my form with that machine, and I recommend that for all of you. You don't have to do it just because you see me on Instagram. Remember, all of us are at different parts of the journey. Let me inspire you with what you can accomplish, but at the same time remember where you are and what you have to do to get to where I'm bringing you. I'm holding your hand and helping you along the way, but we have to remember where you are right now. Use that Smith machine, because it's a great tool to help you establish proper form.

Let me tell you guys, about three and a half, maybe four years in, I just started doing the free-weight barbell. If you see me doing it now, it's because I established myself on the Smith machine first. I graduated myself to the free-weight barbell and just started pushing that heavy weight. I built my body with the supersets I'm giving you inside this program, strictly by doing those gym workouts, the high intensity strength training. That's how my body has been built. I've just recently transitioned over to the power side of things.

So use that Smith machine. Honestly, I don't think I would ever push that barbell over your head. And have you seen me pushing this? My traps are so sore, and that's where stretching, recovery and getting massages work that out. That's a really important part of recovery. But I definitely think you should stop doing that, because you're going to limit how much weight you can squat, and it's just going to be really heavy pulling it up and over. So definitely get on the Smith machine. It's going to make a world of difference, and it'll help you keep working your way up to other things.

Jennifer says: I figured out my one-rep maxes and have incorporated about 80% of my one-rep max when I'm doing six reps. That's awesome. My question is, I want to increase my one-rep max. Should I increase by...

So this is how I'd recommend you do it. If you've figured that out, I would even start at about 70%, then the next week do 80%, and the following week 85%. By doing that, you don't ever have to keep going back to hit your one-rep max, because you're building strength along the way. Guys, I just increased my one-rep max on squats from 205. I was only at 205 because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to push it out by myself; I didn't have a spotter. I had a spotter for this last round and increased it by 50 pounds. It's amazing what your body can do when you believe in yourself and believe you can push the weight. It all starts here, guys. And I had a spotter to help me push it. The only reason I was able to increase my max is that I did four or five weeks focusing on 60%, 70%, 80%, 85%, and then I go back and retest my max. And I guarantee you, because you've done the rep scheme and the set scheme for those four weeks, your max is going to increase.

Kayla asks: I get so hungry at night after dinner. Can I eat something? If so, what?

Well, that's a very broad question, babe. If you don't have macros left over, I wouldn't recommend eating more. But if you've been hitting your macros consistently for about two to three weeks, you're still hungry, and results are happening, this is how I'd do it for my VIP babes. If they're hitting their macros, they're 100% true to their numbers, they're hitting their workouts and doing their cardio, and they come to me saying, Nikkiey, I'm ravenous, and results are moving, they're dropping weight and body fat, then I would give them more carbs. Since I'm not hands-on with you, Kayla, I'd give yourself about 100 more calories, which is just 25 grams of carbs, and see how that goes with your body. Your body's just going to absorb it. Think about it: your energy stores are inside your muscles. Glycogen gets pushed to your muscles, and your body goes to those stores first for energy. Once they're depleted and empty, that's where you're feeling that hunger, and you've got to give more, because that's how your body is growing. Your body's saying, hey, I want more food. So I'd start by adding about 25 grams of carbs, maybe even 5 grams of fat, and that's going to make a world of freaking difference, and you're still going to see results.

Jodi asks: Lastly, I asked this on Facebook. We're wondering why the hypertrophy workouts are so lower body focused. I really don't need to grow my legs, glutes or back, mostly arms and shoulders. Could I alter the workouts? Does the Blueprint do that?

So Jodi, they change almost every single month, and those two accessory workouts are always going to change. One month it's going to be chest and shoulders, one month glutes and legs, another month arms. So those are always changing. And the shoulders and arms you want to focus on are secondary muscles. You're hitting shoulders in deadlifts. You're hitting arms in deadlifts. Jesus, my biceps are so sore just from doing deadlifts. You're hitting triceps and chest. They're secondary muscles, so remember that, and I'm always changing them up monthly. Plus, with the compound movements I help you focus on in hypertrophy, you're naturally boosting your natural growth hormone, which is going to help you build, but it's also going to help you get toned and stay in a lean state. God, I love sharing the why behind things, because I'm sure it's blowing your mind. I hope it is. So that's my why behind it all, and I'm always changing up the accessory side of things.

Does the Blueprint or the VIP program tailor things specifically for me? Yes. The Blueprint is the middle-level program I have. It goes way more in depth with what I'm sharing here: how to know when to adjust your macros and how to build your own workout programming. That's all done inside the Blueprint, and the link to learn more is right above here in the description, warriorbabeblueprint.com/register. Plus you get access to me two times a week, where I can talk to you directly instead of basically just talking to a computer screen like this. I'm able to hear you out inside the Q&As and help with your situation. In the VIP, I take it all into my hands and do all your programming for you based on the body structure I see. I look at your body: you need these macros. I look at your body: you need these workouts to change your body. That's what I do inside the VIP. So the Blueprint is do it yourself, but at a higher level, with someone to bounce ideas off. VIP is me doing it for you.

What's up, Lisa. Lisa's a VIP babe and has killed it from the start. She went from 100 grams of carbs to 180, dropped six pounds, then we bumped her up to 210 and we're still seeing results. Now the scale is just teetering, but her body is constantly changing. So Lisa, if you want to share what it's like inside that group, that'd be awesome.

Jennifer says: Yeah, I never have a spotter. I put the safety rails on the rack, but I'm still scared.

Yeah, I'm still scared too. If you watched me on Instagram with the squats, that was just my first set. Then I did another set of three at 240 or 250, and then one more, and I don't even remember what that one was. It was definitely higher. On that last one, if I didn't have a spotter, guys, I got down and I thought, oh shit. There was no way I was pushing that weight back up, and I was so grateful I had somebody watching me to help me back up, because it was an oh shit moment. What would I have done? I probably would have hurt myself. That's why the Smith machine is awesome, because you can drop the Smith machine. But if you're using free-weight barbells, you've got those rails. You've seen those rails on the racks? Move them up and throw the weight back. That's your spotter.

Sean says: Okay, thanks Nikkiey, I get it. Totally makes sense. This is actually a good challenge for me, because I've been avoiding the Smith machine since I don't know how to use it. I'm afraid of looking like a dork trying to figure it out.

Step outside that comfort zone, babe. Really. You just go. It's not that hard. What the hell? I'm a WarriorBabe. Just get my ass over there and learn it. Yeah, for sure, Sean, knock that shit off. Don't ever think you're going to look like a goof using equipment. Once you go and try it, you're going to say, oh wow, that was so easy. I spent the last four months just using the EZ bar for curls, not really fully challenging myself, and then I spent only minutes figuring out this machine and it was so easy. I guarantee that's what's going to happen. Sean says even if she has to get one of the trainers, she's going to squash this fear. Yes, good.

Scarlett asks: Should I be doing the reps as fast as possible?

Absolutely not. If you're a monkey inside the gym going like this, guys, you're not working anything. You've got to take a second to create the mind-muscle connection. So nice and easy: negatives down, then pushing it up, for a two to three count. Not that slow, but you really want to focus, say, on your chest here. Really focus on feeling that muscle. Eliminate the noise and the people around you, and get in tune with you and your body, because that's the only thing you're there to accomplish. You're not there to have a conversation with the person on the squat machine or the person doing shoulder presses. Don't worry about them; they're doing their own thing. Worry about you. Really get in tune with yourself inside the gym, focus on the muscles you're targeting, create that connection and really engage them on all the reps you're doing.

I'm realizing this with somebody I'm helping while I'm here. She's been working out with us and she's not getting sore, and I'm thinking, why the fuck isn't she getting sore? I'm pushing her inside the gym, but she's not getting sore, and what I think is that her connection just isn't there. That's what happens: if you're not sore afterwards, you're not creating a connection with your body and your muscles as effectively as you possibly can. Her form is good, her weight is good; her weight could probably go up a little more. Another reason you might not feel sore is if there's not enough time under tension: if you're taking long rest periods, if you're having conversations with other people, if you're playing on your phone. You're not going to feel challenged, because you're losing that connection with your body. Put the phone down, stop the conversation, stop the long rests and get right back into your next set, and I guarantee you're going to feel sore. So take your time on the reps. You don't want to go as fast as possible. You want to take it nice and slow, really engage the muscles, focus on the muscle you're working and feel that freaking burn.

Jamie asks: Is the VIP on a waitlist?

Yes, it's currently on a waitlist right now, but I'd say probably five more spots will open up. We just had a big round come through, 15 babes came in right before the new year, and we're still getting them settled. So probably five more spots will open at the end of January. I really want to keep opening it up for you guys at the end of each month, so remember that we'll always have some spots open at the end of each month to move more babes into the group. But it's on the waitlist right now, and you can put yourself on the waitlist. I think that's the link; if not, I'll share it with you inside the group as well.

Lisa says: VIP is awesome. I love having Nikkiey right there to help you, but only if you are ready to help yourself.

Oh my god, that is so well put, because we've got to meet each other 50/50. Lisa's and my relationship inside the VIP is just on point. She came in and did the work, and I got to do my work on the back end, adjusting, understanding how her body works and being in communication with her. You really have to want to put in the work. Like I say in the emails I send to those of you on the waitlist: you come to my VIP program with a goal in mind, and I'm going to give you the tools and resources to accomplish that goal. But it's also my job to call you out on any actions that aren't in alignment with your goal. If you're not putting in the work, if you're not showing up for yourself, I'm going to call you out. And guys, I've kicked people out of my VIP program after one month because they weren't doing the work. Me and my assistant coach Kayla have so many amazing systems and processes set up for you to succeed. Literally, there's no room for failure. The only way you're going to fail is if you don't put in the work, and if you're not going to put in the work, I'm not going to keep you in the program. It's not worth my time or energy to keep pushing you when you're not doing it, and it's not worth your money to keep paying when you're not showing up for yourself. That's my vibe in there.

I'm here inside the Revolution pushing you guys, but I know some of you are still working through things and have to go through these challenges on your own. In the VIP, I'm going to push you, and you may not like it. I'm going to push you outside your comfort zone and push you to do things you don't want to do. That's the only way you're going to get results faster. That's how I am inside the VIP.

Lisa says I will bluntly tell you to get the hell out of your own way. Legit, I do. I'm on face-to-face calls with the babes, and I block excuses out so well because I don't let that come into my space, and I expect you guys to work through it. So if you're on a call with me and I hear an excuse, I'll just say, no, that's an excuse. Stop it, because you're only holding yourself back. This needs to happen. Go do that moving forward.

Lisa says: She is tough love, but she is real. Love her to death, and I love the support of the VIP babes.

Yes, our group is so amazing. You guys are amazing. The Blueprint is amazing, the VIP is amazing; don't get me wrong, I love all of these groups. But the VIP is way more intimate. I'm working with you one-on-one, and because I'm putting my energy, my work and my passion into you, I expect you guys to show the fuck up.

Marissa, what's up? Yes, hi. Hi, Laura. Kelly is a WarriorBabe in the VIP as well. She is. Kelly, I love you, you are amazing. She's been through it these past couple of months.

Pam asks: Nikkiey, I started hypertrophy at the beginning of the year and love it. Question: when I'm doing, say, Arnold presses, if I can't quite go up in weight to the next set of dumbbells, do I just stick with the 12 reps, or should I do more reps with the weight I'm using?

I think I'm understanding that. If you're doing the 12 reps and can't move up in weight, but you're still feeling that challenge and fatigue at the weight you're at, then you can stay there and just keep focusing on form and on engaging that muscle. The muscle is getting stronger by you doing that. So I would stay there. But if it's not a challenge anymore, I'd try going up to maybe 15 reps. I know that's not what I have inside the program, but see what you can do with 15 reps at that same weight. Those last three are going to be killer. So I'd try that, babe.

Jodi asks: What if squatting heavy hurts my knee? I do know proper form, as I have a background in exercise science, but at four sets of eight reps I can't get to a heavy enough weight without my knee hurting. The only time my knee hurts is when I do heavy squats.

Yeah, I can resonate with you on that, babe, because I've had ACL surgery twice on my left knee, and I definitely feel it. I don't feel it during; I feel it after. For me, I've got to find a brace. Squats, deadlifts and compound movements are always heavy on your joints. So what you can do is find a brace for compression and support. If you don't have one, I'd highly recommend it. I have a DonJoy back home, and we were just talking about this yesterday. You can also take really good recovery measures afterwards: stretching, ice, heat. That would really work as well.

Unfortunately, guys, my orthopedist told me that because of all the pounding when I was younger, running track and playing basketball all those years, my cartilage is just shot in my knees. I still lift because I love lifting, but my orthopedist said, Nikkiey, you've got no more cartilage left, girl. So keep that in mind when you're doing this kind of stuff.

Is the minute to minute and a half of rest in hypertrophy after the whole superset is done, or a minute after the first exercise? It's after the whole superset is done, and it should only really be about a minute.

Marina. Wow, that's really pretty, I like that name. She says, literally, I'm so glad I'm here. Welcome, babe. Hello, Narcissa, what's up, babe.

Jodi asks: Do you have a good brace you like? It's scary. I get clicking if I lift too heavy.

I do. I love DonJoy. I'm going to put that here; I think that's how you spell it. I got mine through my insurance company after I had surgery, but those are hands down some of the most supportive braces I've ever used. They're a little bulkier, but they're so good because they put the padding right in the right spot for your knee. I think they even make compression ones that you just pull up; I'm pretty sure they do. I love DonJoy and would highly recommend them. But yeah, I get clicking too, I still do. I'm looking at the scars on my knee right now. It's just part of the journey, I guess. I have the clicking because I have no cartilage. Well, not no cartilage, but yeah, it's fun.

All right, any more questions for me?

Robin asks: I do the four-day program. Is it okay to do 30 minutes of cardio on my optional Wednesdays instead?

Yeah, absolutely. But if you're not doing any weights that day, remember to do the cardio on an empty stomach. That's the most effective.

Megan asks: I know you've been asked this before, but I can't remember the name of the straps or gloves you recommend for exercises.

Yep, Versa Gripps. Amazing. I would get the pro ones. You can get them on Amazon. They're great.

Marla asks: When in hypertrophy, I know it's different for everyone, but how long do you stay there? Is it reasonable to be there for two months and then switch back to HIST? Can you build in that short time and then start to lean out again?

Yeah, you can definitely build in that short time. Not as much, but you'll definitely put on some muscle mass. In my own personal opinion, I'd recommend three to four months. It depends, too. The way I look at it, if you need to put on muscle size, if you don't already have a good muscle structure and you have to put on that lean muscle, you should honestly spend your time building and getting your body up. If you already have a good structure, you could totally bounce back and forth. But it's different for everybody; that's just my recommendation. I'd do about three months building, then turn to HIST for about three to four months.

If I were to start all over again, if I went back five years, I would focus on building first. I went straight into HIST. I'd focus on building for the first couple of months and then transition into cutting down. Why do I say that? Because in a cut, you're in a deficit to lose weight and decrease body fat. When you're on the building side of things, you're allowing your metabolism to recognize all of this food without getting fat, if you're doing it the right way with the tools I'm giving you. You're letting your body get used to all of that, revving your metabolism up and making it hold on to all of this food. Then you can cut down from a great spot where you're not going to crash your metabolism.

Mariela asks: I feel like I am bulking. Is this a myth?

That's really hard for me to answer, babe. I don't know. Give me a little more detail. Why do you feel like that? How long have you been in the program? That's such a broad thing. In terms of bulking, the myth out there is that women are going to start looking like men, and that's so far from the truth. Guys have way more testosterone in their bodies than we do, so they have the ability to build more muscle than we do. And this is five years of work, you guys. Remember that. I didn't always have this muscle structure. Honestly, my friend said to me, Nikkiey, you look so much bigger online. In person, I'm definitely not the average female, but I'm not insanely jacked. I just have a nice composition. If you're bulking, you're doing it sloppy, I should say. So that's hard for me to answer, Mariela. Seriously, my mind goes to five different spots. I need your story: how long you've been in here, where your macros are at, how consistent you are. Are you someone who's good Monday through Friday and then all over the place Saturday through Sunday? Okay, good to know, she's going to comment with more details. Beautiful, awesome.

Laura asks: Are you against intermittent fasting? I don't weight train until after I eat. That's good. I'm looking to lose 15 pounds around my ab area. I'm fluffy there.

To me, we all do some kind of intermittent fasting. You stop eating after your last meal at night and go to rest. Your metabolism is still revving while you're sleeping; you're burning fat while you're sleeping. Then you wake up in the morning, and that's about a 12-hour window where you haven't eaten. Just because you go to sleep doesn't mean your whole body is at rest; your metabolism is still going. So you wake up in the morning and have your first meal. Sometimes I wait about an hour. Recently I've been waiting; I haven't eaten yet. I'll eat right after this call, and I've been up since six o'clock in the morning. Some mornings I don't notice a difference. So we all do intermittent fasting in some way. And if you don't lift until after you eat, that's the right thing. You should eat before you lift. I've hammered that many, many times, all three reasons why you shouldn't lift in a fasted state. So yeah.

Laura says: I feel like since I have higher testosterone, this will happen to me, and I want to lean out. I have extra fat in the midsection, and I overworked out.

Guys, the midsection. It's the midsection for everybody. It's going to come off; you just have to commit time to your journey. It takes time. That section may be the last to go for you; it may be the first to go for somebody else. As long as you keep showing up and putting in the work, that midsection is going to take shape. Your whole body's going to take shape. It's not going to happen overnight, and it's not going to happen in three months for everybody, especially if you're someone who has a lot of pounds to lose. You've got 15 pounds to lose, and those 15 pounds didn't come on overnight. It takes time for that weight to come off. Commit to your journey and I promise you it'll come off.

Jennifer says: I'm an ectomorph. I've been building since November. I plan to go back into a deficit in March to get ready for a bikini competition. Should I stay in hypertrophy because I'm an ecto?

Yeah, babe, I would continue hypertrophy for at least the first month of your transition, and then you can turn over into HIST after that. The same workouts you're doing inside hypertrophy, especially for ectos, are going to help you maintain the muscle you just put on.

Joining hypertrophy, should I still eat the higher macro plan on off days? I don't work out on Saturday or Sunday. Yes, yes, yes.

All right, babes, it's been real. It's been fun hanging out with you all. This was a good Q&A. I love all the questions you asked me. Continue to show up to these, especially if you're unsure about something. Don't assume you know the answer. Come to these Q&As and get clarity moving forward. That's my goal for all of these: that you know exactly what you need to do when you get off this call. Anybody who's in the Blueprint, I'll see you on our call in 30 minutes for our Q&A.

Bye, everybody. Have an amazing evening. Show up for yourself. Keep showing up for yourself. Believe in yourself, take action, get the results, and then the feedback: wow, this is working, this is amazing, I'm going to keep going. Belief, action, results, feedback. Belief, action, results, feedback. You guys can do this. I know you can. Why do I know? Because I've been in your shoes. Show up for yourselves. All right, bye, everybody.