PaleoFit FAQ

 

Who is PaleoFit for?
These workouts are designed for people who are busy and don’t have time for a gym, or who just prefer doing workouts on their own. They are designed to be done on a weekly basis, three days a week with an optional fourth day mini workout.

How should I use these workouts?
Simple. Do them. As hard and fast as you can.

Am I a beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
Do our first workout; 50 burpees (VIDEO LINK)

If it takes you:

  • 3 minutes or less, you are advanced
  • 3-6 minutes you’re intermediate
  • 6+ minutes you’re a beginner
  • could only do 30, very beginner :)

That’s the basic, basic break down.

When should I start this?
Today. You should start today.

But first, I wanted to…
No, you should start today. EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE starts tomorrow. Then tomorrow, then tomorrow. These workouts are generally designed to take you around 15 minutes or less to accomplish. You have 15 minutes right now, or you wouldn’t be surfing the inter-webs. Honestly. Click over here to do our first workout, and see where you’re at. Then plan for the day after tomorrow.

Do I need any equipment?While almost all of the workouts can be done without equipment, there are a few things that will make the workout more effective.

  • A stopwatch to time your workouts. This will also give us a way to measure progress. Most people’s phones have a stopwatch!
  • A notebook/journal to keep track of your workouts, times and stats. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth writing it down!
  • A yoga mat/foam pad to cushion the floor. We want to get you fit with the minimal amount of bruising.
  • A jump rope for workouts with a jump rope. There’s a reason boxers have been doing this for years. Nothing is better for heart rate & hand/foot coordination. If you can’t find one locally, they’re about $5 through this site.
  •  A pull-up station for pulling. This can be something very simple, to something more dramatic, check here for suggestions if you’re unsure of what to do.

If you don’t have some of these things yet, don’t let that stop you from starting! Go here for a list of substitutions of movements!

Can I just do the workouts or do I have to do Paleo Plan meals as well?
I have some news for you. YOU CAN’T EXERCISE AWAY A BAD DIET! If your nutrition isn’t dialed in, at LEAST 75-80% of the time, you should really be examining that first. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll lose it way faster if you concentrate on your diet. Sure, you’ll get some results with this, but not NEARLY as much as if you cut out all that wheat and sugar, and start taking ownership over what goes into your body! Even if you don’t follow Paleo Plan’s meal plans per se, check out Paleo in general. You’ll likely be very pleased with the results.

If I’m already a subscriber to the Paleo Plan meal plan, how do I add PaleoFit to my subscription?
We have a dual membership option that costs $15/month that you can sign up for. If you’re not already a member, you can just sign up for that plan here.

If you are already a member of Paleo Plan, the only way to add the PaleoFit subscription is to cancel your existing account and re-sign up for the dual membership here. That’s kind of a pain in the butt, but at least you get the 14-day free trial again!

I’m overweight/diabetic/have heart disease. Are these workouts safe for me?
As always, you should consult your doctor or primary health practitioner before starting any workout program. These workouts are designed to be approachable for the vast majority of people. Some people will need to take them very, very slowly. Yes, we want you to push yourself, and yes, the results are based on how much work you put in, BUT we want you to keep coming back for more workouts – NOT HURTING YOURSELF! A motto that I repeat often at my gym is, “Don’t be stupid.” This applies here. Use your own judgement: know when to push, and when to go a little easier.

I’m pregnant. Is this ok for me?
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE ANSWER! If you’ve already been doing some form of working out and these workouts are similar to what you’ve been doing, then yes, you should be fine. You should not, however, be trying to break records with your time or fitness while pregnant. Pregnancy is not the time to push your body to its limits: that’s going to come somewhere between 37-42 weeks. Pregnancy is also NOT the time to start a completely new workout regimen. It is NOT a time for intensity. Though being strong is good, it shouldn’t take much to convince you that movements that are more “opening” in nature will help with your pregnancy and birth. If you can find a good prenatal yoga class, I hear they are amazing. P.S. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I can’t do even one push-up/pull-up/other movement. What do I do?
We have a growing list of movement substitutions. Head over to this page to find a way to make the workout work for you!

Will such a short workout make me fit?!
Yes, it will, assuming you’re keeping your nutrition in check. If you’re already Paleo Planning, then these workouts will give you some really good results. If you’re looking for a way to “pay off” the Oreos you had last night, we have other things to talk about.

Don’t I need to do tons of cardio to get fit and burn fat and/or calories?
No.

Really?
Really. And “tons of cardio” may even be bad for you.

How soon will I notice a difference in my body?
You’re gonna hate this, but… it depends. If it’s been a looong time since you got sweaty on purpose, and you have a lot of “extra”, then you will see results more quickly. The more fit you are, the more you’re going to have to push to get those results. However, most people notice a difference in their clothes in the first 2 weeks or so. THIS DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD STOP!! It means that it’s working, and you’re just starting to build momentum!

When should I do my workouts? Monday, Wednesday, Friday? Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday?
Whenever they fit into your schedule is fine. We recommend the Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine, just because if fits best with most people’s work week. If you find that something else works better, do it! It’s more important that you DO them, as opposed to being obsessed about when. :)

That last workout seemed a lot harder/easier than the others!
Good! If a workout seems particularly hard or easy, it’s usually because you happened to hit a strength or weakness that day. Sometimes, we also schedule an easier workout to give you a little “active rest.”

I see Max owns a CrossFit gym. Are we doing CrossFit?
We’re doing something similar to CrossFit in that we are going for high intensity workouts, with all the benefits they provide. What we are NOT doing is moving around any weight besides our bodies. So in that sense there is a large strength component that is “missing” from the typical CrossFit prescription. Can we still get really fit using just our bodyweight? Heck yes. So go get it! And just so we’ve said it, CrossFit Inc., the larger body that is legally “CrossFit” is not associated in any way with PaleoPlan.com.

We do share similar goals with CrossFit in that we want to bring health and fitness to people. Many times these goals overlap. CrossFit, as a general rule, embraces the “clean” eating that a typical Paleo prescription provides. I (Max) am a CrossFit trainer because I believe it is the best, most efficient way to get people to their fitness goals. My experience with CrossFit does inform the workouts we provide, but our workouts are not necessarily completely defined by CrossFit.

I’m really sore. No, I mean REALLY sore, like I can barely move… I hate you.
I feel bad, but I don’t. Seriously, you should be fine in a day or two, a week at the most.

If you actually think you injured yourself (twisted an ankle, hurt your shoulder, etc.) then go see a health practitioner that you trust. If you’re just really, really sore, it may last up to a week. And if it does end up lasting more than a couple days, it probably happened for one of two reasons…”

1. You pushed too hard. Your brain thought you were more fit than you are, and you pushed through where you shouldn’t have. The good news is that having that mentality will help in the future. The bad news is that you’re not at that future yet.

2. You’re really, really out of shape. There are a lot of people out there who think, “I’m not that bad, I can get it back real quick if I wanted.” Well, now you know how far off you are. If any of these workouts (especially in the beginning) make you sore enough that you won’t go up stairs, or you find yourself crashing down onto the toilet seat, you know how far you’ve fallen off your game. Basically you just found out that there’s a hole in your fitness, right where you’re sore. Stick with us, and we’ll get you back on your game!

Do I really need to warm up?
Unless you’re 15 and full of hormones, or just finished playing tag with the kids for half an hour, then yes. Warming up is a good idea. Our workouts are designed to be a pretty good smack-down. You should prep your body for that stuff. Seriously.

Is three workouts a week enough?
If you’re pushing yourself as hard as you can, and eating Paleo, then yes.

I want to do more abs.
Really? Why? Because you’re so vain? I bet you think this song is about you, don’t you? Don’t you?

You’re making your abs by eating Paleo. Sure, we’ll have “ab days”, but your abs are made primarily in the kitchen. A professional colleague of mine, Katy Rickman, even did her last training for a figure/bikini contest without doing any “abs” at all. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for you. Stop worrying about your abs, and start worrying about what you’re putting in your face.

When’s the best time of day to workout?
Whenever you can. Seriously, whenever you have the time. If you’re one of the fortunate few that have a choice, then do it in the morning, before breakfast, but with a huge caveat – DON’T LET THIS KEEP YOU FROM STARTING. Workout when it fits for you, and you’ll be better off than stressing about the “perfect” timing of your workout.

I have a question. Where do I send it?
Post them after the comments if it’s appropriate, or send them to me via
this email link
.

How do I cancel my membership?
Why are you canceling? Seriously!
Send us an email at [email protected]
– we’d love to know!

But if you must, you can cancel your account at any time by logging in and going to the My Account page. You will see a link at the bottom of the page with information on your active Subscriptions, along with the option to cancel.