Philosophy

Training

<h3 id="cardio-101-from-sesh">CARDIO 101 FROM SESH</h3><h4 id="what-does-sesh-recommend-for-my-weekly-cardio">WHAT DOES SESH RECOMMEND FOR MY WEEKLY CARDIO?</h4><p>When you join Sesh through the app, a program, or challenge we recommend you start your cardio at 3 times a week for 20 minutes!</p><h4 id="wait-thats-it">WAIT, THAT&#x27;S IT?!</h4><p>Yup! ﻿If you&#x27;re doing minimal cardio before you started with us, usually 3 times a week for 20 minutes plus strength training is exactly what your body needs.</p><p>We know you&#x27;ve been conditioned to think you need hours of cardio to lose weight, but it&#x27;s just not the case. More cardio isn’t always better. Overdoing cardio can cause inflammation, slow recovery times, and makes lean muscle gain muscle retention difficult.</p><p>An easy way to think about this is that cardio burns more calories while you are actually performing the workout. Strength training changes your body&#x27;s composition (hint: lean muscle) so that you burn more calories all day. Thus, strength training is the most sustainable way to lose fat and keep it off.</p><h4 id="what-if-i-wanna-do-more">WHAT IF I WANNA DO MORE?</h4><p>Feel free. BUT you&#x27;ll most likely regret it down the road. ��</p><p>When you increase cardio too quickly, your body starts to adapt to doing that amount of cardio on a regular basis.</p><p>What does that mean? ﻿You might lose some quick lbs. up front, but at some point, you&#x27;re going to stall your progress because you physically cannot increase the amount of cardio you are doing on a weekly basis. You do not want to get yourself into that situation!</p><h4 id="what-counts-as-cardio">WHAT COUNTS AS CARDIO?</h4><p>Cardio is short for “cardiovascular activity” also called aerobic exercise. It helps increase your heart and breathing rates, resulting in a great workout for your heart and a few major muscle groups.</p><p>Cardio should be tracked when your heart rate is around <strong>110-150 BPM</strong> (this varies from person to person but is a good average to use). ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿You’ll want to choose your type of cardio based on the level of intensity your fitness goal requires.</p><p>If you’re looking to gain muscle or maintain, stick to low to moderate-intensity cardio, whereas if you’re looking to lose weight you’ll want to do moderate to high-intensity cardio.</p><h4 id="low-intensity">LOW INTENSITY</h4><p>Incline walking on a treadmill, fast-paced walking outdoors, or easy pedaling on a spin bike are all great examples. Normally you’ll need to do closer to 30 minutes to ensure your heart rate is in the proper range for a full 20 minutes.</p><h4 id="moderate-intensity">MODERATE INTENSITY</h4><p>Jogging on a treadmill, Stairmaster, bike with higher resistance, elliptical/arc trainer, jumping rope, bodyweight cardio sessions, etc. are all great examples for 20 minutes.</p><h4 id="high-intensity">HIGH INTENSITY</h4><p>Spin bike with high resistance or fast speed, running on the treadmill and outdoor sprints with rest/rest walk periods between until heart rate settles to a normal pace are all good options, based on your experience level. You’ll want to limit high-intensity cardio to a maximum 3x per week and space sessions out as these are more taxing on the body and are harder to recover from.</p><h4 id="cardio-is-still-important-friends">CARDIO IS STILL IMPORTANT, FRIENDS!</h4><p>We use cardio as a tool for heart health in our programming. ﻿﻿If you’ve ever looked up “how to lose weight” intense cardio is usually right under-eating 1200 calories a day. No thanks!</p><p>We recommend 3x20 as a starting point because even though cardio is great to increase your energy expenditure (burn some calories), that’s not what we’re using it for. We’re using cardio to keep your heart healthy, and putting parameters on the amount you’re doing is going to make sure that you’re not overtraining and hindering your progress.</p><h4 id="remember-fitness-is-personal">REMEMBER, FITNESS IS PERSONAL!</h4><p>These are our informed recommendations from certified trainers, based on our years of experience training thousands of women who have seen incredible results. That said, fitness and health is extremely personal.</p><p>Work with a Sesh coach to settle on the best cardio recommendations for your body. If you aren&#x27;t able to grab one of our Sesh coaches, then use 3x20 as a starting place and tweak those numbers after weeks of consistency.</p><p>You may want to do less if you&#x27;re seeing progress, or increase by around 5 minutes / week if you&#x27;re plateauing.</p>

The Sesh Cardio Philosophy

Nutrition

<h3 id="sorry-no-quick-fixes-here">SORRY, NO QUICK FIXES HERE.</h3><p>We don’t build programs that get you down a certain number of pounds and then encourage you to go back to your old lifestyle. We love repeat clients, but we don’t want you to stay with us only because you fell off when you couldn’t stick to some 1200 calorie diet and insane cardio routine.</p><p>Our nutrition guidance is sustainable. It’s built to be taken with you, and while you may not always need the support we give you, you can always pick them back up without dreading the process.</p><h4 id="start-with-our-macro-calculator">START WITH OUR MACRO CALCULATOR</h4><p>It&#x27;s simple to find your macros for your goals by downloading the Sesh app and walking through the macro calculator function. Your recommended macros will be calculated based on your age, height, weight, sex, activity level and goals.</p><p>Start there, and adjust <em>no earlier</em> than 4 weeks of following your macros consistently.</p><h4 id="were-in-this-for-the-long-haul">WE&#x27;RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL</h4><p>We’re in this for life, not for a short term fix. <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/calories-vs-macros">Macros allow for extreme flexibility</a> and aren’t restrictive which is why they work best for most of our clients for the longest amount of time. Eventually, you&#x27;ll just understand what a well-balanced diet consists of and won&#x27;t have to track at all, because you&#x27;re now educated enough to understand what is actually in the food you&#x27;re eating.</p><p>We find that most of our clients need to track for around 8-12 weeks consistently, and from there it becomes easier and much more intuitive for most people.</p><h4 id="8020-rule">80/20 RULE</h4><p>Counting macros is not synonymous with dread. The 80/20 rule means that 80% of your food intake while you&#x27;re tracking macros will be nutrient-dense, whole foods. 20% will be any food you love, but isn&#x27;t great from a macro-prospective, like pizza, ice cream, french fries, fatty steak, cookies, etc.</p><p>Want to make progress faster? Switch to a 90/10 breakdown. This normally looks like maybe 1-2 &#x27;treat&#x27; meals per week (note: did not say treat days!)</p><h4 id="macros-101">MACROS 101</h4><p>“Macro” is short for “macronutrients”. These nutrients are required in very large quantities by the body and are not to be confused with micronutrients. Micronutrients are also important and include vitamins, minerals, and fiber.</p><p>If you’re following that 80/20 guideline that we mentioned above, then you should be getting the appropriate amount of micronutrients in your diet. When you use the Sesh app, you’ll be focused on hitting your macronutrients within 3-5g every day, calculated just for you based on your age, height, weight, sex, activity level and goals.</p><h5 id="protein">PROTEIN</h5><p>Proteins are the building blocks of your body, and they’re made up of amino acids. They play a huge role in the structure, strength, hormone production, cell signaling, and production of enzymes in your body. As you become more active, your body will require protein to repair the damage that naturally occurs through exercise.</p><p>TIP: Each gram of protein has 4 calories in it. However, your protein goal will typically be around 1g per pound that you weigh. If you weigh 150 pounds then your protein goal for the day will be close to 150g unless you&#x27;re adjusting for a certain goal (like muscle gain).</p><h5 id="fats">FATS</h5><p>You need fats to thrive! Fats provide the body with energy, help control the balance and production of hormones, and play a key part in brain function, nervous system operation, and cell formation. They also help your body digest fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Your ideal fat intake may vary depending on the day and your individual needs. Just like with carbs, different bodies thrive off of different amounts! Figure out what works for you, and don’t be afraid to adjust based on what your body is telling you.</p><p>TIP: Each gram of fat has 9 calories in it. However, your fat goal will typically be 0.3g-0.6g of fat per your body weight a day. We do not recommend you dip below 45g of fat a day.</p><h5 id="carbohydrates">CARBOHYDRATES</h5><p>At Sesh, <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/carbs-good-or-bad-for-you">we LOVE carbs</a>. Carbs give you energy and can play a helpful role in exercise performance. We mainly rely on carbs for use in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), or usable energy for your cells.</p><p>Carbs are broken down in both simple and complex forms, and are digested based on their glycemic index (GI). Simple carbs (with a high GI) are easily broken down by your digestive system and provide quickly released energy. Simple carbs include candy, juice, soda, white rice and rice cakes.</p><p>Complex carbs (with a low GI) are broken down by your digestive system and are delivered to your bloodstream much more slowly. Complex carbs include brown rice, sweet potatoes and quinoa.</p><p>TIP: Each gram of carbs has 4 calories in it. However, your goal will typically be 1.5g of carbs per your body weight a day.</p><h4 id="counting-your-macros">COUNTING YOUR MACROS</h4><p>Tracking your macros starts as tedious, but becomes something you just do naturally in no time. As we said previously, you’ll want the <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/getting-started-tracking-macros">MacrosFirst app</a> on your phone, or something similar.</p><p>The goal here is to track the total grams of fats, carbohydrates and protein you eat over the course of a day. For example, if you consume 55 grams of fat, 160 grams of carbs, and 135 grams of protein in one day, you would show that by using the notation 55f/160c/135p (<sub>1,675 calories). Your macros are written this way to mirror what you see on nutrition labels: fats are listed first, followed by carbs and protein.</p><p>Tracking macros isn’t just about noting your intake, but tracking each macronutrient and making sure you meet your prescribed numbers. You’ll want to aim to come within +/- 3-5g of your set macronutrient goals every day. Over time, this kind of consistency will lead you to your physique and lifestyle goals.</p><h5 id="counting-macros-for-fat-loss">COUNTING MACROS FOR FAT LOSS</h5><p>If your goal is fat loss, you will need to be in an overall caloric deficit with a higher protein goal. Your macros should be as high as possible while still seeing progress. If you feel like you need to adjust, t<a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/7-ways-to-overcome-a-weight-loss-plateau">hen start very small and slow</a>.</p><p>Let us say that again: You want your macros to be <em>as high as possible for as long as possible</em> when you are trying to lose fat. This will help safeguard against some of the <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/hacking-your-metabolism">major metabolism issues</a> you&#x27;ve probably heard about (or experienced).</p><h5 id="counting-macros-for-muscle-gain">COUNTING MACROS FOR MUSCLE GAIN</h5><p>If your goal is muscle gain, then you’re going to need to be in a caloric surplus. If you’re plateauing, then you may need to add more calories. Do this slowly and gradually before diving in head first.</p><p>TIP: it may seem counterintuitive, but some of our best transformations have been from women who decided to build muscle first (&quot;bulk&quot;) and the move into a caloric deficit later (&quot;cut&quot;). As a reminder, lean muscle burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, thus you&#x27;ll automatically be burning more fat the more muscle you put on your body.</p><h5 id="counting-macros-for-maintenance">COUNTING MACROS FOR MAINTENANCE</h5><p>If you’re in a maintenance phase you’ll want to find the macro amount that keeps you right where you are (-/+ 3-5 lbs.) This actually can be deceivingly difficult if you&#x27;ve been in a deficit or surplus for an extended time! Give yourself grace, and plenty of time, to figure out what works for your body.</p><h4 id="adjusting-your-macros">ADJUSTING YOUR MACROS</h4><p>After about four weeks of real consistency, if you feel like you need to <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/when-and-how-to-adjust-macros">adjust your macros</a>, this section is for you. Before you get started, check-in with yourself. Make sure that you’re prioritizing rest and recovery, getting your cardio sessions in, meeting your macros consistently, not restricting food, and getting enough water.</p><p>If you’re not doing one of these things, fix that first! If you are doing all of those things, and progress is stalling, <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/when-and-how-to-adjust-macros">you may need to adjust your macros</a>.</p><h4 id="tips-and-tricks-for-counting-macros">TIPS AND TRICKS FOR COUNTING MACROS</h4><ul><li>When counting macros, attempt to come within 3-5g of each macronutrient every day to make sure that you’re consistent.</li><li>When you weigh your food, always weigh your food dry or always weigh it uncooked (and track it appropriately depending on what you choose!)</li><li>Fiber is underrated! The recommended fiber intake for women is 25g a day. You can easily reach this goal by eating foods like:<ul><li>Chia Seeds</li><li>Beans</li><li>Apples</li><li>Whole Grains</li><li>Berries</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Avocados</li></ul></li><li>Always <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/why-a-food-scale-is-important">weigh your food in grams or ounces</a> - often it’s more accurate than using measuring cups, spoons, and other tools.</li></ul><h4 id="advice-from-the-sesh-fam">ADVICE FROM THE SESH FAM</h4><p>At this point, we&#x27;ve had thousands of women use Sesh to build a healthy, sustainable life for themselves. We think we&#x27;ve learned a few things along the way, and we get feedback from our Sesh Fam on a daily basis. Here are the major takeaways from us when it comes to nutrition.</p><ul><li>Start slow: don&#x27;t make any changes until you&#x27;re very consistent for at least 4 weeks.</li><li><a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/what-s-happening-if-the-scale-isn-t-moving">The scale fluctuates</a>, get used to it: this doesn&#x27;t mean you&#x27;re gaining or losing fat overnight!</li><li>Drink. The. Water.: this is <em>literally</em> the easiest thing you can do to stick to your macro goals and it is <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/drink-the-water">absolutely critical to your success</a>.</li><li>Hit your protein first: the rest of your tracking will go smoothly if you remember to hit protein in every single meal.</li><li>Don&#x27;t sleep on fiber: it&#x27;ll help fill you up, and keeps digestion moving at a healthy rate.</li><li><a href="https://fitbykaty.com/blogs/fit-blog/why-a-food-scale-is-important">Use a food scale</a>: there&#x27;s nothing worse than realizing you&#x27;ve been incorrectly tracking a food for weeks (and small inconsistencies can really add up over a week!)</li><li>Give yourself grace: you didn&#x27;t come to the body you have over night, and you will not reach your goals over night either -- remember that consistency is the key to success.</li><li>Use the Sesh Fam! Join the Sesh Fam Community, follow us on Instagram, and always reach out to support@seshfitnessapp.com if you ever need <em>anything.</em></li></ul>

Blog | Philosophy

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The Sesh Cardio Philosophy

The Sesh Nutrition Philosophy