Welcome and Congratulations

A bit of background behind this guidebook…

If we haven’t already met, I’m Sheridan! Head of Nutrition at Coach Mark Carroll. If you’re
here, you know all about Mark and his world-class training & nutrition methods. And
together, we’re taking that knowledge into the pregnancy and postnatal fitness space.

So thanks for choosing us to help guide you on your journey!

I’m proudly a mum of two under two (send help). I’m also a coach, nutritionist and
registered nurse with a key passion in pre and postnatal training and nutritIon. Before I
fell pregnant with my first daughter, it wasn’t even on my radar (let alone something I
thought I should know). Training was a huge part of my life. It was linked to my identity.
I was strong — I could squat over 100kg and deadlift over 130kg.

When I fell pregnant, I wanted to adapt my training whilst being pregnancy-safe. As

a registered nurse, I asked colleagues (doctors and midwives) for guidance. I was
shocked to be told I couldn’t lift more than 5kg throughout it — there were mixed feelings
of confusion and sadness. How could I go from squatting 100kg one week to being told
I couldn’t lift anything above 5kg? It didn’t seem right.

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Most coaches I connected with either had no idea about
prenatal training, prescribed pilates and yoga or had training
methods I wasn’t a fan of. I was still hard-pressed to know
what resistance training I could do (and how I COULD maintain
muscle mass) through pregnancy. Even advice to “just listen to
your body” and “do what you’ve always done” was the wrong
advice. So I kept searching for those answers.

And here we are now! I’ve spent three years soaking in everything
about pre and postnatal training. I’ve applied it to myself and
my clients, seeing amazing results. And now it’s my specialty.

Through my training (even before becoming a mum), I met Mark

and fell in love with his methods. He became my mentor and
coach, and over the years we found that our training strategies
were similar: hard-working, consistent, pushing boundaries.
But most importantly, having balance and education at the
core. Since Mark’s clients are mostly women and he trains
with education-driven methods, we had an idea to combine
our knowledge and make something really special for them
(aka. you!). This idea stemmed from noticing there was little
information out there for women who loved resistance training
and were in the pre and postnatal stage of their pregnancy. So
it was a no-brainer for us to team up and bring this guidebook
to life.

The goal is simple: educate you on the fundamental principles

of safe AND effective prenatal training. Underpinned by the
why and how you’ll have everything you need to know your
body through these changes. The best bits?

Confidence and motivation to try something new, different,

a little scary but very exciting

You still get to exercise (our body and mind will thank us)

Maintaining your muscle mass (yes, you actually can!)

Protecting your pelvic floor

Minimising abdominal separation

Building you up for your postnatal period to be strong AF.

Trust us, you’re still strong and capable.

So let’s get it!

Sheridan and Mark.

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Let’s Begin
Training during pregnancy sounds a bit scary — I know it felt like that for me. But once
you’re cleared to exercise it’s not so complex. Sure, there are a few changes that need
to be made as you progress through your pregnancy, and there are definitely hurdles
that mean exercise is contraindicated, but for the most part, there are a few minor
changes you need to make.

Now, there are a few Pelvic floor

terms you will hear A Core
LOT of in this guidebook:
And breathing

If you’re like most women, these things probably have never even crossed your mind
when thinking about prenatal training. You likely just want to know how heavy you can
lift, whether you can gain muscle and still do hip thrusts (and we’ll get to that!).

Why do we care so much about these terms? Because they underpin the most
important aspects of safe prenatal training. Correct or incorrect training can and WILL
directly affect your quality of life for years to come. We want to make sure we’re on the
right side of that equation. Incorrect training protocols can increase the risk of major
abdominal separation and pelvic organ prolapse (yes, I said prolapse!) — it’s serious. So
while I know it’s tempting to allow your ego to guide your training in pregnancy (believe
me, I know), we want you to take a step back and focus on what matters most — the
safety of your baby and the safety of YOU!

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 Recentre Your Focus

MINDSET
Usually, when women ask
“what is safe?” they’re
really asking what is or isn’t
safe for their baby. Most
of the time they aren’t
thinking about what’s safe
for them, their pelvic floor
or core strength. But you
will be once you finish
reading this guidebook.

Whether you’re a fan of Mark’s methods or into resistance training, I believe (much like
me) you’re quite used to training a particular way for a certain strength or aesthetic
goal. That isn’t the goal of this program, but it’ll help you get to an optimal position to
start using his methods afterwards. Isn’t that exciting?!

We want to switch your mindset from wanting to achieve performance or aesthetic

based goals and instead focus your attention on maintaining and supporting a
healthy pelvic floor.

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It sounds a little less Your pelvic floor is protected and strong

glamorous, but we Prevent prolapse

cannot stress enough
Minimise postpartum abdominal
how important this is.
separation
Doing these exercises will
make sure: Quicker postpartum recovery and return to
exercise (that’s all we all want, right?!)

Before we get into the grit of your new training regime, let’s do some groundwork. You’re
probably itching to know how much your training needs to change during pregnancy.

Think of it this way. It’s a new challenge. A new training method. Not a light version of
what you’re doing, but what your body needs during this time. So yes it WILL change.

Even for the seasoned bikini competitor.

Even for advanced level athletes.

But it’s only for a season. Your hard work won’t go undone. Because it’s not a question
of your strength or ability.

It’s more a case of

Can I? vs. Should I?

Training can feel like it’s a part Have patience and kindness toward
of who you are (as it did for me). yourself.

It’s normal to feel you might lose Adjust expectations of what progress
part of yourself through these look like. Ignore fancy(and flat out
changes. With this season... unattainable) prenatal exercises on
socials.

Stay in your lane and focus on your main objective.

Have intention now so that you can have intensity
later!

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 LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
KEY TERMS TO KEEP
IN MIND

PELVIC FLOOR
BASICS

PELVIC ORGAN
PROLASE

INTRA-ABDOMINAL
PRESSURE

You’ll hear me refer to intra-abdominal

pressure (IAP) a lot in this guidebook
and in the postnatal guidebooks. It’s
important. Constant abdominal tension
affects breathing and pelvic floor muscle
activation.

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THE ‘CONNECTION
BREATH’

The connection breath starts with an When you ascend from the bottom part,
inhale on the eccentric (lengthening you will exhale. If we use a lat-pulldown
of muscle) and an exhale on the as an example, you will inhale as the bar
concentric (shortening of the muscle). ascends away from your chest and exhale
Explained more simply, it involves as the bar descends toward your chest.
performing the most challenging part Then we want to coordinate your pelvic
of the movement on the exhale. Let’s floor with this system. But to do that, we
use a squat as an example; when you need to chat about the 360° breathing
descend into the squat from the top strategy.
position, you will inhale with a 360°
breath (no breath-holding).

THE
CONNECTION
BREATH

360° BREATHING

This breathing strategy is crucial for

you to master in your pre and postnatal
period. A 360° breath allows the ribs
and torso to expand in a 360° direction.
Therefore, you need to allow your chest
and abdomen to expand on each
breath fully and not breathe into your
chest or belly in isolation. In addition,
you need to avoid shallow breathing too.

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HOW DO YOU KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE?

If you are a shallow breather, you will I know that it’s a lot to take in. Read it a
notice your breath travels upward few times over and remember that it is
toward your upper neck muscles. If you a skill that needs to be learned. Learning
are a belly breather, you will see that this skill is particularly challenging
your ribs don’t fully expand when you when used to breath-holding, but
take a breath. To assess your breathing taking the time to master this skill is
pattern, you can wrap your hands the most crucial part of your pre and
around the entire portion of your chest. postnatal training. Not implementing
When you take a breath in, you should this breathing technique places you
feel the back, sides and front of your ribs at higher risk of abdominal separation,
fully expand in coordination with your prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction.
abdomen.

When you attempt this breathing

strategy, I want you to notice what your
pelvic floor is doing. For example, do you
feel an intense relaxation or a ‘drop and
opening’ of your pelvic floor? If this is
the case, you might have a weak pelvic
floor. Or, do you feel like no matter how
hard you try, you can’t get the breath
down into your abdomen? You might
have a tight pelvic floor. If you’re unsure,
it’s best to see a women’s health physio
for an assessment.

Once you have mastered the 360°

breathing strategy, I want you to
coordinate your pelvic floor with your
breathing. Practically, this means
allowing your pelvic floor to relax on
the inhale and drawing it up and
contracting your pelvic floor on the
exhale.

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WILL YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO USE
THIS BREATHING STRATEGY?

No, you won’t. But for a while, you will. If this all feels too overwhelming, I want
Breath-holding in itself isn’t ‘bad’. you to focus solely on your pelvic floor
Some women can coordinate their during movements. Knowing what it is or
breathing with their pelvic floor well isn’t doing during exercise requires you to
during training. Some women don’t even understand how it feels when you contract
realise that they do this. But breath- your pelvic floor compared to when you
holding becomes an issue when pelvic drop and open or ‘bare’ down on your
floor strength breaks down. Naturally, pelvic floor. So let’s do a bit of homework!
having a baby grow on your pelvic First, find a comfortable lying position (in
floor and then delivering your baby your third trimester, find a side-lying place
compromises the power of your pelvic instead). Now I want you to practice ten
floor. So when we apply a breath-hold in 360° breaths. Next, I want you to add the
the presence of a weak pelvic floor and connection breath. Draw up your pelvic
intra-abdominal pressure increases, floor on each exhale and relax or drop
we cannot contract our pelvic floor and open your pelvic floor on each inhale.
efficiently. The connection breath aims Repeat this for ten rounds. Please pay
to minimise the downward pressure attention to what it feels like when you
placed on the pelvic floor. contract your pelvic floor compared to
how it feels when you relax it. Then I want
you to push down on your pelvic floor
forcefully (like you are practising birthing
or doing a poo, yes, I said poo. I know, it’s
DIASTASIS RECTI awkward for me too). Can you feel the
AKA. ABDOMINAL difference? This is what you need to avoid

SEPARATION during your training. The connection breath

aside, if you feel this sensation during your
workout, you need to stop and reset.

Before we get into what Diastasis Recti

is and how it occurs let me make one
thing very clear:

The reason I’m pointing this out is that

unfortunately, abdominal separation
has become a buzzword and a smart DIASTASIS
marketing strategy that will convince RECTI
you that you can avoid it with the right
program. It’s with the right program, but it
isn’t true. It’s going to happen, and that’s 100% of women will
okay. Let’s control the variables we can have some degree of
and make sure that your training doesn’t
Abdominal Separation by
add to the degree of your separation.
their third trimester!

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 Now that you know and
understand more about IAP
and the Connection Breath,
let’s chat about what kind
of training IS and ISN’T safe
during pregnancy.

Every woman’s pregnancy,

biomechanics and skill level is unique.
There is no one size fits all when it
comes to training throughout this
period.

I won’t make it complicated.

Remember...
Prenatal training is uncomplicated when you’re applying the
principles and not worrying about methodologies (inserts
question about a specific exercise such as a barbell hip thrust).

Though all the exercises in this Am I able to breathe efficiently AND

guidebook are safe (and effective!) effectively throughout this movement
to do during pregnancy, check in with or under this load?
yourself to see if the exercises in this
guidebook a safe for you: Do I notice any ‘doming’ of my
abdomen throughout this exercise or
movement?

Do I feel any heaviness or dragging in

my pelvis?

Do I experience any pain while

performing this exercise or movement?

If you answer no to ALL of these

questions — It’s safe for you to do.

If you answer yes to ALL or SOME

of the questions — We need to make
some adjustments or that exercise is
NOT safe for you.

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 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS,
ANSWERED

MUSCLE GROWTH AND

PREGNANCY

If you’ve not previously done resistance The reality of prenatal training is that you
training, or you’ve had substantial time tend to do LESS over time. You can still be
off training before falling pregnant, then training 4-6 days per week but you can’t
you could potentially gain muscle during bring the same intensity to your training
pregnancy. But if you are even somewhat as before, that’s at least if you’re following
trained, it’s not the goal. the principles in this guidebook.

Pregnancy requires A LOT of energy. Many of Mark’s other programs use

Growing new muscle tissue is a very advanced training methodologies such
laborious metabolic process. Your body as undulating periodisation and wave
will prioritise the nutritional needs of your loads because he has one goal in mind:
growing baby above your own which to get you to build and improve every day.
makes it diffcult to signal muscle protein Now, as I said you can gain muscle in this
synthesis. program if you are a complete beginner.
But if you’re a trained athlete, the goal is to
Even in a perfect world where you have maintain the muscle you have!
the perfect diet, pregnancy still isn’t an
optimal environment to grow muscle. It Our goal is to keep you in an optimal
comes down to your ability (or inability) place to grow muscle after a dedicated
to apply progressive overload to your postpartum rehab program.
training.

Mark goes into a lot more detail in his other

programs about progressive overload but
simply: Progressive overload is being
able to do MORE over time and it is the
cornerstone of muscle growth.

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 MUSCLE MEMORY

If you’re reading this, you’re definitely a highly-driven,

motivated and ambitious woman who wants to get
stronger day by day. Women like you love Mark’s
programs for this reason and I’m hoping not to leave
that motivation behind with this guidebook.

If you’re feeling a little disappointed, I totally get it!

Pregnancy comes with A LOT of mental challenges —
this is one of the mindset challenges to overcome. AND
YOU WILL. We may not be applying progressive overload
but there’s a lot to be said about maintaining too.
Maintenance is a skill and you’re going to nail it. Channel
that confidence and inner strength from your pre-baby
training into this program.

There are some amazing silver linings too when it comes to

maintenance:

1. It takes less volume and frequency to maintain muscle versus

building it.

This means even as your training decreases throughout pregnancy, you’ll still
maintain the muscle mass you have (if you’re strategically training to facilitate
muscle maintenance).

2. Regrowth of old muscle tissue isn’t as diffcult thanks to muscle

memory.

Building muscle is an expensive metabolic process and requires the right

training program, diet and recovery time to facilitate growth.

What does muscle memory mean? Let’s do a quick deep dive.

Muscle cells are unique in that they can have multiple nuclei (let’s call them
command centres) which are unlike many of the other cells in our body.

The advantage of this is over the years you have developed a number of
myonuclei within your muscle cells from resistance training. When you take
some time off training or decrease your overall volume say in pregnancy, you
will have more than one command centre stimulating and regulating muscle
growth when you return to resistance training. So all your hard work won’t go
undone. How good!

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If that’s gone over your head just know that:

More command increase in volume/ A quicker return

centres overseeing + return to resistance = of muscle tissue.
muscle growth training

So don’t worry if you lose muscle.

You’ll regain any lost muscle in
your postpartum period when
you are fully recovered and

GLUTE TRAINING IN
PREGNANCY

After ‘how do I work out how many calories

I need in pregnancy?,’ the most common
question I get asked is ‘are barbell hip
thrusts safe to do in pregnancy?’.
But if you’ve taken anything away from
Sadly, no. Barbell hip thrusts aren’t safe Building the Bikini Body or Your Glute
to do throughout pregnancy. Placing a Coach, I hope it’s that it’s important to
bar across the pelvis increases the risk understand what a given exercise is trying
of injury to the uterus and your baby. to achieve. In the case of a barbell hip
The exact timeline of when they should thrust, the aim is to train the upper portion
be adjusted is different for each woman of the glutes in a shortened position. And
depending on the growth of her uterus this can be achieved with modifications: a
which is why they aren’t in this guidebook. 45 degree back extension and kickbacks
will get you the same results. How good?!
The reason I mention it is because in my
experience as a pre and postnatal coach,
the barbell hip thrust is the exercise
that women struggle to adjust in their
programming.

TRAINING HAMSTRINGS
IN PREGNANCY

GLUTE TRAINING IN TRAINING UPPER BODY

PREGNANCY IN PREGNANCY

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 CHALLENGING YOURSELF
(WHEN YOU CAN’T ADD WEIGHT)

You are going to hit a point (not a plateau!) where

you can’t add any more weight to your movements if
you are following the Connection Breath. Especially
on lower body exercises. Why? The Connection Breath
will limit the amount of weight you can safely move. It
may be tempting but do not breath-hold or Valsalva.
Depending on how advanced you were in your training
before pregnancy, you might feel like the weights you
are moving are quite lower than what you’re used to.
That’s okay, just remember this is just a season and you
will have time later to rebuild your strength. With that
said, there are other ways you can challenge yourself in
your sessions. Here’s how:

Increase the tempo

Each of the training volumes will suggest a certain tempo. You can
TIP #1 increase the tempo or simply move slower through a movement to
increase difficulty without needing to breathe hold or Valsalva to
stabilise the weight.

Add reps

TIP #2 We don’t want you doing an absurd amount of reps in your sets but you
can add a reasonable amount of reps once you’ve hit a ceiling on the
weight. This can be combined with tempo.

Decrease you rest periods

This program recommends a certain amount of rest between sets. You
TIP #3 can choose to decrease these if you have hit a ceiling on the weight
you can lift, and the tempo is becoming too slow. I’d caution using this
option if you are in your first trimester or above 33 weeks pregnant.

TIP #4
We have taken care of this step for you by including training strategies
such as paused reps and 1 & ¼ reps.

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THE PROGRAM

There are many variables to consider when creating a prenatal training program. Why?
Every woman is different. We have to factor in symptoms such as nausea, pain, fatigue
and gestation which all matter when it comes to prenatal training.

Allowing your pelvic floor to follow the natural

To recap, the rhythm of your breath (aka. The Connection
Breath!)
principles of safe and
Distributing intraabdominal pressure evenly
effective prenatal
throughout a given exercise or movement
training are (be mindful of doming)

Maintaining good posture throughout

movement

Being aware of ‘red flags’ that arise you during

exercise

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YOUR STAPLE MOVEMENT Sadly, these positions also make it
difficult to move out from without
PATTERNS crunching and often cause doming.
But don’t worry, with a little creativity
There’ll be fewer movements to play we can modify and keep it interesting.
with since we’re minimising pressure on
your stomach. Sadly this means Mark’s Most of all, basics are king. In our
signature exercises you may know and experience from working with
love won’t be included such as: thousands of people over the years, it’s
more a mindset barrier. People WANT
more and more variety but they don’t
Lying leg curls or a chest supported
necessarily NEED it. The basics always
row as you can’t lie on your stomach
win and that’s what we are going to
give you because you are limited in
Flat DB Bench Press in the supine
some aspects. Now that might mean
position (flat). This position can
that you don’t love every single exercise
place too much pressure on a major
programmed here but know that EVERY
vein that runs up the centre of your
exercise serves a purpose and a WHY.
abdomen.

Trust the process.

HOW TO READ
TEMPO

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OVERVIEW OF THIS 16-WEEK PROGRAM

PHASE 1 6-8 x reps, paused. 4 weeks

Paused reps make an exercise harder by increasing time under

tension. This in turn decreases how much weight you can lift while
still providing a decent hypertrophy stimulus.

PHASE 2 8-10 x reps controlled eccentrics. 4 weeks

Controlled eccentrics strategically increase time under tension.

If we consider the use of time under tension for the pelvic floor, it
means that you are able to lift lighter weights for a longer period of
time than to use heavy weights for fewer reps (your pelvic floor will
thank you).

PHASE 3 Antagonist partnerships 8-10 x reps. 4 weeks

Antagonist means using opposing muscle groups together (quads

and hamstrings). The purpose of an antagonist program is to give
you longer rest between sets of the same muscle group.

PHASE 4 15 x reps, decrease in volume and intensity. 4 weeks

For most of you, this program will come around when you are later
in your pregnancy (you may even complete it twice depending
on when you start this program). We have increased your reps to
challenge your cardiovascular fitness (great for birth). We have also
changed from an upper and lower body split to a full body split. We
have done this for two reasons: pelvic pain may make performing
a lot of lower body volume on one day difficult and you can have
the option of dropping from four training sessions to three training
sessions if needed.

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How to approach
your training

The challenge we had when designing this program (given it is a

16-week program) is that pregnancy is far longer than 16 weeks.
Ideally, you’ll start this program as soon as you find out that you
are pregnant. But we know that a lot of women coming into this
program will be well into their pregnancy. Which no doubt leaves
you wondering, “Well, where do I start?” or “If I start immediately,
what do I do for the remainder of my pregnancy?”

No matter how many weeks pregnant you are, we want you to start
at phase one. Also take note of the section that talks about training
throughout the trimesters (specifically, the RPE we recommend) and
monitor for any red flags! If something doesn’t feel right, it’s because
it isn’t. Revisit the video that talks through training adjustments. Then
when you complete the final phase, move back to phase one.

For example, if you start this program when you are 6 weeks
pregnant, your timeline will look like this:

6-9 weeks Phase one

10-13 WEEKS Phase two

14-17 weeks Phase three

18-21 weeks Phase four

22 weeks + Repeat from phase one

HOW THIS PROGRAM

DIFFERS FROM
MARK’S OTHER PROGRAMS

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There might be some exercises that don’t Before you consider completely removing
feel right for your mechanics. Examples them (and you might have to), try and
include lunges, squats, leg press and change your position or depth. For example,
back extensions. Some overhead pressing take a shorter stride on your lunge and use
movements might feel a little off toward support. In addition, you can try decreasing
the end of your pregnancy too. the range of motion of your leg press and
lunges. If this doesn’t help, you can swap
the exercise for something of the same
resistance profile. For example, a leg press
and a lunge train the glutes in the lengthened
position; you can use a dumbbell step up or
romanian deadlift. When we look at a 45°
back extension, the pad’s height might be
an issue for your bump. If you feel secure,
you can place a plate underneath your feet
to make sure your hips fully clear the pad.
Adjust the exercise if you think there is any
pressing against your lower belly, change
the movement. A back extension trains the
glutes in the shortened position so we can
swap to a DB Kas glute bridge, hip thrusts
and cable or band kickbacks

For upper body movements, we want to

avoid seeing abdominal doming or poor
posture (aim to keep your ribs stacked
over your pelvis and prevent rib flaring).
Common exercises you’ll see this on are
lat pulldowns. It can be helpful to record
your movement to make sure you don’t rib
flaring. If you are, try decreasing your range
of motion and stack your ribs over your
pelvis.

CORE
TRAINING

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 TRAINING
THROUGHOUT THE TRIMESTERS

There isn’t a whole lot that needs to change in your first

TRIMESTER 1 trimester when it comes to training (provided you are
feeling well and you are able to manage your pregnancy
<12 weeks symptoms). But there are definitely things that need to
change immediately:

NO VALSALVA BREATHS

NO BREATH-HOLDS

THE CONNECTION BREATH

Even though it takes time for your uterus and baby to grow, working on your breathing
strategy is still important in this phase.

From personal experience and coaching a lot of prenatal clients: learning the Connection
Breath is hard! It feels a little unnatural. So like any skill, you need to work on it to become
proficient.

Now, is it the end of the world if you hold your breath for a few seconds or accidentally
Valsalva for a set? No! But we want the focus to be all about nailing your Connection
Breath. That way, once you’ve mastered it and your pelvic floor starts to be placed
under high demands, you’ll be ready.

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 During your first trimester

Always keep 2-3x reps “in the tank, aka

work to an RPE of 7-8

This means that you could have performed

2-3x more reps before being unable to
do any more. Don’t forget! Check any
symptoms you need to manage during
training.

Frst trimester Fatigue

I can’t count the amount of DM’s I have And if that’s not enough, I’ll remind you that
received from women who’re wondering your body is busy building another organ!
how the hell they find the energy to get Yes, another organ. Can you imagine how
to the gym in their first trimester. Most of much energy this takes? Throw in the fact
the time those DM’s sound a little like “I’m that you’re probably up every few hours in
X weeks pregnant and I have only trained the night to pee and it’s no wonder you’re
ONCE in the past four weeks. I’m exhausted feeling exhausted.
and I am constantly nauseous. How do I
work up the motivation to get to the gym?”. All of these variables change your ability
to train. I want to encourage you to be kind
My response is always the same: it’s got to yourself, remember what I said about
nothing to do with motivation. Trimester muscle memory! Do not expect too much
one can feel rough, to say the least. You’re of yourself. Usually, you’ll start to feel a lot
exhausted, your boobs hurt and if you more like yourself in the second trimester
aren’t throwing up constantly, then you and your training will still be there when
probably have morning sickness (or all day you do.
sickness). And the shortness of breath isn’t
all in your head. Your cardiac output (how
often your heart beats) has increased.

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 PRO TIPS!

MY TOP 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU

MANAGE FATIGUE DURING
TRAINING

Find a different time to exercise, such as switching from early morning sessions to a
lunchtime session, or early evening sessions.

Decrease the number of training sessions you do.

Decrease the overall volume you do in a session.

Take longer rest periods between sets. Listen to the feedback your body is providing
you, if the program says to rest for 60 seconds but you feel you need more, take it!

Remove neurologically taxing movements such as squats, deadlifts and high-

intensity training and focus on isolation movements or moderate-intensity cardio.

TOP THREE THINGS TO AVOID

Using caffeine for a hit of energy. High

intakes of caffeine have been linked to
miscarriage.

Not listening to your body and pushing

past fatigue.

Feeling guilt or shame if you do not do

X amount of training sessions per week.

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 For some of you, training through the first trimester
TRIMESTER 2 presented challenges. Perhaps you experienced symptoms
that limited your intensity or prevented you from training
Weeks 12-24 regularly. The good news is that for many women, things
get much better in the second trimester!

You’ll also notice that your belly will look a little less like
bloating and more like a pregnant belly (phew). But this
means that your pelvic floor is starting to be placed
under more pressure and breathing strategies are more
important at this stage of your pregnancy. Remember, no
breath-holding and no Valsalva! If you’re unable to breathe
freely throughout the movement you have gone too heavy!

Let’s not forget abdominal doming. Be mindful of this

during phase two (and future phases). It can happen on
any exercise and it’s important that you monitor and adjust
for it when it happens.

Aim for an RPE of 6-7x in your second trimester. This means

you’ll have 3-4x reps ‘left in the tank.’

If you weren’t showing before this phase I’m certain you’re

TRIMESTER 3 showing now, meaning even more pressure on your pelvic
floor! You’ll probably start peeing a lot toward the end of
>25 weeks this phase, too. Hot training tip: if you do, avoid doing a
‘just in case’ pee. Training with a somewhat full bladder is
important.

Another phase means new symptoms may affect you:

Aka. “practice” contractions or preparation contractions.

Some women don’t notice Braxton-Hicks contractions

whilst other women need to take a second to allow the pain
to pass. Make sure you’re taking the rest throughout your
sessions as needed and don’t be afraid to decrease your
training altogether. You can opt for a light walk instead.

Braxton-Hicks Contractions

Aka. “practice” contractions or preparation contractions.

Some women don’t notice Braxton-Hicks contractions whilst other women need to take
a second to allow the pain to pass. Make sure you’re taking the rest throughout your
sessions as needed and don’t be afraid to decrease your training altogether. You can
opt for a light walk instead.

24
Pelvic Girdle Pain

Take it from me, pelvic girdle pain

sucks! Most women will experience
some level of pelvic girdle pain
as they approach the end of their
pregnancies. The pain is generally
felt in your public symphysis or the
sacroiliac (SI) joints, or sometimes
both.

But some women (hi, it’s me!) will have

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or SPD. I
had it in both pregnancies — it was
mild with my first, but in my second
pregnancy, even walking caused ADJUST YOUR TRAINING
excruciating pain from week 18. The AROUND PELVIC PAIN
difference between pelvic girdle pain
and SPD is that the pain is usually
noticed during movement with PGP,
whereas the pain is constant in SPD.

Increased pressure on your pelvic floor

Things like deep squats might start feeling a little uncomfortable in the groin area. You
don’t have to remove them completely but you might want to start decreasing the
depth you go to or swap it out for a box squat. Walking might also start feeling a little
uncomfortable. Try reducing the length of your stride and breaking walks up into shorter
intervals.

25
Daily Step Target

Unlike Mark’s other programs, you won’t be Instead of aiming for a certain step count,
given a daily step target in this program. we want you to aim to go for a walk every
Why? Because as your belly gets bigger day. Even if it’s only for five minutes. Listen
you might eventually find walking more to the cues your body is giving you and ask
and more diffcult. The waddle struggle is yourself:
real, trust me.

Do you feel any heaviness in your pelvis?

Let’s not obsess and ignore any pain we
may endure. Long walks can place a lot of
Do you feel any bulging or pain?
pressure on your pelvic floor in your third
trimester. BUT, let’s make sure we do some
walking anyway. Walking is extremely If you do, stop and rest. If you do more steps
beneficial, especially at the end of your without pain and without any red flags —
pregnancy. It can help to bring your baby’s that is perfectly fine. If you do fewer steps
head into the pelvis in preparation for because you are experiencing red flags –
birth. Plus it’s good for your mental health! that is perfectly fine too!

Cardio
YGC, The Challenge and The Bikini Body In the physique world, some people
Series all suggest adding cardio if you are overplay or underplay the need for
in a fat loss phase. If you’re in a building cardio. In the prenatal world, we know
phase, the programs recommend that that cardiovascular health is important
you focus on steps and resistance training for:
only. The reason for this is that additional
cardio increases your energy expenditure A healthy pregnancy to support
which increases your deficit. the added pressure that pregnancy
places on your body
In our pregnancy program, we
recommend that you do regular cardio A healthy delivery (you certainly need
throughout your pregnancy. endurance when you are labouring).

26
For the purposes of this program, aim for 20-30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio
per week. High-intensity training will be back later, I promise.

Luckily, strict heart rate monitoring isn’t required during your pregnancy, (very outdated
research suggests this) but be mindful not to exert yourself too much either. Think of it
this way:

if you’re able to carry on a conversation, you’re doing it right. If you’re struggling to get
a word in, you’ll want to slow down.

Also, make sure you choose a form of cardio that doesn’t cause a lot of impact. This
means to avoid running or anything plyometric unless you’re working with a women’s
health physio.

27
 TRAINING TEMPLATE
PHASE 1
4 WEEKS PAUSED
REPS

CLICK THE WORKOUT NAME

TO ACCESS THE VIDEO
EXERCISE PLAYLIST WARM UP

DAY WORKOUT STEPS WARM UP CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT REMINDER
MONDAY LOWER 1 8,000
Mobility is an integral part of your
TUESDAY UPPER 1 8,000 pregnancy routine. It decreases intra-
abdominal pressure, allows you to
breathe freely and decreases pressure on
WEDNESDAY REST 8,000 your pelvic floor. Perform this warm-up
routine before every training session.

THURSDAY LOWER 2 8,000 Thoracic mobility x 10

Toe taps x 10

FRIDAY UPPER 2 8,000 Cat/Cow x 10

Thread the needle x10

SATURDAY REST 8,000 The connection breath x 10 (relax

your pelvic floor on the inhale,
contract on the exhale)
SUNDAY REST 8,000

28
 PHASE 01

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
MONDAY
A DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

B SEATED LEG CURL

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

C DB BACK FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010

D 45° BACK EXTENSION

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

E 45° STRAIGHT LEG CABLE KICKBACKS

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 each leg 60 2010

2 3 12-15 each leg 60 2010
3 3 12-15 each leg 60 2010
4 3 12-15 each leg 60 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

29
 PHASE 01

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
TUESDAY
A DB STANDING OH PRESS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

B SINGLE ARM DB ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 3110

2 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 3110
3 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 3110
4 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 3110

C PRONATED MIDGRIP PULLDOWN

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

D 45 0 CABLE ROW (REAR DELT FOCUSED)

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

E PALLOF PRESS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 Each Side 60 2010

2 3 12-15 Each Side 60 2010
3 3 12-15 Each Side 60 2010
4 3 12-15 Each Side 60 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

30
 PHASE 01

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
THURSDAY
A TRAP BAR OR BB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

B LEG PRESS FEET MIDDLE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

C DB SINGLE LEG HIP THRUST

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Leg 90 2010

D LEG EXTENSION
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

E SUPPORTED DB REVERSE LUNGES

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 Each Leg 60 2010

2 3 12-15 Each Leg 60 2010
3 3 12-15 Each Leg 60 2010
4 3 12-15 Each Leg 60 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

31
 PHASE 01

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FRIDAY
A 60 ° INCLINE DB PRESS NEUTRAL GRIP
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

B PRONATED MID GRIP PULLDOWN

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 3110

2 3 6-8 120 3110
3 3 6-8 120 3110
4 3 6-8 120 3110

C 45° CABLE ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

D FACE PULL
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

E UNSUPPORTED DB CHEST PRESS

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 30 seconds 60 -
2 3 30 seconds 60 -
3 3 30 seconds 60 -
4 3 30 seconds 60 -

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

32
 TRAINING TEMPLATE
PHASE
4 WEEKS
2 CONTROLLED
ECCENTRICS

CLICK THE WORKOUT NAME

TO ACCESS THE VIDEO
EXERCISE PLAYLIST WARM UP

DAY WORKOUT STEPS WARM UP CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT REMINDER
MONDAY LOWER 1 8,000
Mobility is an integral part of your
TUESDAY UPPER 1 8,000 pregnancy routine. It decreases intra-
abdominal pressure, allows you to
breathe freely and decreases pressure on
WEDNESDAY REST 8,000 your pelvic floor. Perform this warm-up
routine before every training session.

THURSDAY LOWER 2 8,000 Thoracic mobility x 10

Toe taps x 10

FRIDAY UPPER 2 8,000 Cat/Cow x 10

Thread the needle x10

SATURDAY REST 8,000 The connection breath x 10 (relax

your pelvic floor on the inhale,
contract on the exhale)
SUNDAY REST 8,000

33
 PHASE 02

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
MONDAY
A1 45º BACK EXTENSION 1 & ¼ REPS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 90 4010
2 4 8-10 90 4010
3 4 8-10 90 4010
4 4 8-10 90 4010

A2 LEG EXTENSIONS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 90 4010
2 4 8-10 90 4010
3 4 8-10 90 4010
4 4 8-10 90 4010

B1 BB OR DB RDL
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 75 3010
2 3 10-12 75 3010
3 3 10-12 75 3010
4 3 10-12 75 3010

B2 SEATED LEG CURL OR DB STIFF LEGGED DL

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 75 3010
2 3 10-12 75 3010
3 3 10-12 75 3010
4 3 10-12 75 3010

C LEG PRESS FEET HIGH

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 60 3010
2 3 10-12 60 3010
3 3 10-12 60 3010
4 3 10-12 60 3010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

34
 PHASE 02

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
TUESDAY
A1 DB 45° BENCH PRESS 1 & ¼ REPS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 120 4010

2 4 8-10 120 4010
3 4 8-10 120 4010
4 4 8-10 120 4010

A2 ILIAC PULLDOWN
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 Each Arm 120 4010

2 4 8-10 Each Arm 120 4010
3 4 8-10 Each Arm 120 4010
4 4 8-10 Each Arm 120 4010

B1 SEATED PRONATED CABLE ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 3010
2 3 10-12 90 3010
3 3 10-12 90 3010
4 3 10-12 90 3010

B2 PRONATED MID-GRIP PULLDOWN

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 3010
2 3 10-12 90 3010
3 3 10-12 90 3010
4 3 10-12 90 3010

C SIDE PLANK (ON KNEES IF NEEDED)

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 45 seconds each side 45 -

2 3 45 seconds each side 45 -
3 3 45 seconds each side 45 -
4 3 45 seconds each side 45 -

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

35
 PHASE 02

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
THURSDAY
A1 TRAP BAR OR BB RDL 1 & ¼ REPS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 90 4010
2 4 8-10 90 4010
3 4 8-10 90 4010
4 4 8-10 90 4010

A2 DB HIP THRUST 10 + 10 METHOD

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 90 4010
2 3 8-10 90 4010
3 3 8-10 90 4010
4 3 8-10 90 4010

B1 BB BACK SQUAT OR DB GOBLET SQUAT

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 75 3010
2 3 10-12 75 3010
3 3 10-12 75 3010
4 3 10-12 75 3010

B2 STIFF LEGGED RDL

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 75 3010
2 3 10-12 75 3010
3 3 10-12 75 3010
4 3 10-12 75 3010

C 45 ° STRAIGHT LEG CABLE KICKBACK

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 45 3010
2 3 12-15 45 3010
3 3 12-15 45 3010
4 3 12-15 45 3010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

36
 PHASE 02

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FRIDAY
A1 STANDING ONE ARM OH PRESS (NEUTRAL GRIP)
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010

2 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010
3 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010
4 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010

A2 SINGLE ARM DB ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010

2 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010
3 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010
4 3 6-8 Each Arm 120 4010

B1 65 ° DB INCLINE PRESS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

B2 STANDING DB LATERAL RAISE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 90 2010
2 3 10-12 90 2010
3 3 10-12 90 2010
4 3 10-12 90 2010

C DB SUITCASE CARRY
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 30 seconds 60 -
2 3 30 seconds 60 -
3 3 30 seconds 60 -
4 3 30 seconds 60 -

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

37
 TRAINING TEMPLATE
PHASE
4 WEEKS
3 ANTAGONIST
PARTNERSHIPS

CLICK THE WORKOUT NAME

TO ACCESS THE VIDEO
EXERCISE PLAYLIST WARM UP

DAY WORKOUT STEPS WARM UP CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT REMINDER
MONDAY LOWER 1 8,000
Mobility is an integral part of your
TUESDAY UPPER 1 8,000 pregnancy routine. It decreases intra-
abdominal pressure, allows you to
breathe freely and decreases pressure on
WEDNESDAY REST 8,000 your pelvic floor. Perform this warm-up
routine before every training session.

THURSDAY LOWER 2 8,000 Thoracic mobility x 10

Toe taps x 10

FRIDAY UPPER 2 8,000 Cat/Cow x 10

Thread the needle x10

SATURDAY REST 8,000 The connection breath x 10 (relax

your pelvic floor on the inhale,
contract on the exhale)
SUNDAY REST 8,000

38
 PHASE 03

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
MONDAY
A1 DB OR KB GOBLET SQUAT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 75 3010
2 4 8-10 75 3010
3 4 8-10 75 3010
4 4 8-10 75 3010

A2 BB GOOD MORNING
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 75 3110
2 4 8-10 75 3110
3 4 8-10 75 3110
4 4 8-10 75 3110

B1 STRADDLE LIFT GLUTE FOCUSED

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 75 2010
2 3 8-10 75 2010
3 3 8-10 75 2010
4 3 8-10 75 2010

B2 LEG EXTENSION
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 75 2010
2 3 8-10 75 2010
3 3 8-10 75 2010
4 3 8-10 75 2010

C B-STANCE DB HIP THRUST

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Leg 60 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Leg 60 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Leg 60 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Leg 60 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

39
 PHASE 03

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 1
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
TUESDAY
A1 SEATED DB OH PRESS NEUTRAL GRIP
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 60 3010
2 4 8-10 60 3010
3 4 8-10 60 3010
4 4 8-10 60 3010

A2 SINGLE ARM DB ROW NEUTRAL GRIP

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 10-12 Each Arm 60 3010

2 4 10-12 Each Arm 60 3010
3 4 10-12 Each Arm 60 3010
4 4 10-12 Each Arm 60 3010

B1 LEANING DB LATERAL RAISE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010

B2 KNEELING CABLE ILIAC PULL (EACH ARM)

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Arm 90 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Arm 90 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Arm 90 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Arm 90 2010

C1 CABLE Y RAISE
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 45 2010
2 3 10-12 45 2010
3 3 10-12 45 2010
4 3 10-12 45 2010

C2 BIRD DOG
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10 (each side) 45 2010

2 3 10 (each side) 45 2010
3 3 10 (each side) 45 2010
4 3 10 (each side) 45 2010

40
 PHASE 03

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE LOWER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
THURSDAY
A TRAP BAR OR BB ELEVATED DEADLIFT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 75 3010
2 4 8-10 75 3010
3 4 8-10 75 3010
4 4 8-10 75 3010

B1 DB STEP UP’S (QUAD FOCUSED)

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010

2 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010
3 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010
4 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010

B2 STRAIGHT LEG KICKBACKS

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010

2 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010
3 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010
4 3 8-10 Each Leg 75 3010

C1 SEATED LEG CURL OR BANDED LEG CURL

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 60 2010
2 3 10-12 60 2010
3 3 10-12 60 2010
4 3 10-12 60 2010

C2 HEELS ELEVATED GOBLET SQUAT

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 60 2010
2 3 12-15 60 2010
3 3 12-15 60 2010
4 3 12-15 60 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

41
 PHASE 03

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE UPPER 2
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FRIDAY
A1 HALF KNEELING OH PRESS NEUTRAL GRIP
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 60 3010
2 4 8-10 60 3010
3 4 8-10 60 3010
4 4 8-10 60 3010

A2 SEATED CABLE ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 4 8-10 60 3010
2 4 8-10 60 3010
3 4 8-10 60 3010
4 4 8-10 60 3010

B1 ONE ARM Y RAISE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010

2 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010
3 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010
4 3 10-12 Each Arm 60 2010

B2 CABLE PULL ACROSS BENT ARM

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 10-12 60 2010
2 3 10-12 60 2010
3 3 10-12 60 2010
4 3 10-12 60 2010

C1 DB BICEP CURL
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 45 2010
2 3 12-15 45 2010
3 3 12-15 45 2010
4 3 12-15 45 2010

C2 PALLOF PRESS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 12-15 Each Arm 45 2010

2 3 12-15 Each Arm 45 2010
3 3 12-15 Each Arm 45 2010
4 3 12-15 Each Arm 45 2010

42
 TRAINING TEMPLATE
PHASE
4 WEEKS
4 TRI-SETS

CLICK THE WORKOUT NAME

TO ACCESS THE VIDEO
EXERCISE PLAYLIST WARM UP

DAY WORKOUT STEPS WARM UP CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT REMINDER
MONDAY FULL BODY 1 8,000
Mobility is an integral part of your
TUESDAY FULL BODY 2 8,000 pregnancy routine. It decreases intra-
abdominal pressure, allows you to
breathe freely and decreases pressure on
WEDNESDAY REST 8,000 your pelvic floor. Perform this warm-up
routine before every training session.

THURSDAY FULL BODY 3 8,000 Thoracic mobility x 10

Toe taps x 10
FULL BODY 4
FRIDAY
OPTIONAL
8,000 Cat/Cow x 10

Thread the needle x10

SATURDAY REST 8,000 The connection breath x 10 (relax

your pelvic floor on the inhale,
contract on the exhale)
SUNDAY REST 8,000

43
 PHASE 04

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FULL BODY 1
MONDAY
A1 DB QUAD SQUAT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 2010
2 3 15 45 2010
3 3 15 45 2010
4 3 15 45 2010

A2 FACE PULL
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 2010
2 3 15 45 2010
3 3 15 45 2010
4 3 15 45 2010

A3 45° BACK EXTENSION

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 2012
2 3 15 45 2012
3 3 15 45 2012
4 3 15 45 2012

B1 65 ° DB INCLINE PRESS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

B2 DB HIP THRUST HAMSTRING FOCUSED

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

C DB HAMMER CURLS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 30 2010
2 2 15 30 2010
3 2 15 30 2010
4 2 15 30 2010

44
 PHASE 04

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FULL BODY 2
TUESDAY
A1 DB OR BW FRONT FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

2 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
3 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
4 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

A2 SEATED CABLE ROW

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 2010
2 3 15 45 2010
3 3 15 45 2010
4 3 15 45 2010

A3 BW OR DB STEP UP
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

2 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
3 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
4 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

B1 KNEELING ILIAC CABLE PULLDOWN

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 Each Arm 45 2010

2 2 15 Each Arm 45 2010
3 2 15 Each Arm 45 2010
4 2 15 Each Arm 45 2010

B2 DB HIP THRUST QUAD FOCUSED NOTES - KNEE OVER TOES

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

C STRAIGHT ARM ROPE PULLDOWNS

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

45
 PHASE 04

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FULL BODY 3
THURSDAY
A1 DB RDL
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 3010
2 3 15 45 3010
3 3 15 45 3010
4 3 15 45 3010

A2 45° DB CHEST PRESS

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 45 2010
2 3 15 45 2010
3 3 15 45 2010
4 3 15 45 2010

A3 CABLE KICKBACKS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

2 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
3 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010
4 3 15 reps each leg 45 2010

B1 DB STANDING LATERAL RAISE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

B2 LEG EXTENSIONS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2010
2 2 15 45 2010
3 2 15 45 2010
4 2 15 45 2010

C POOR MANS SHOULDER HORN

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 15 45 2011
2 2 15 45 2011
3 2 15 45 2011
4 2 15 45 2011

46
 PHASE 04

CLICK THE WORKOUT

NAMETO ACCESS THE
VIDEO EXERCISE PLAYLIST
FULL BODY 4
FRIDAY
A1 BB BOX SQUAT
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 45 3010
2 3 8-10 45 3010
3 3 8-10 45 3010
4 3 8-10 45 3010

A2 INCLINE PUSHUP
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 8-10 45 3010
2 3 8-10 45 3010
3 3 8-10 45 3010
4 3 8-10 45 3010

A3 BW BACK FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3
8-10 Each Leg 45 3010
3
2 8-10 Each Leg 45 3010
3
3 8-10 Each Leg 45 3010
3
4 8-10 Each Leg 45 3010

B1 FACE PULLS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 10-12 45 2010
2 2 10-12 45 2010
3 2 10-12 45 2010
4 2 10-12 45 2010

B2 CABLE ABDUCTIONS
W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 2 12-15 Each Leg 30 2010

2 2 12-15 Each Leg 30 2010
3 2 12-15 Each Leg 30 2010
4 2 12-15 Each Leg 30 2010

E DB KAS GLUTE BRIDGE

W EE K SET S REP S RE S T T E M PO SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1 3 6-8 120 2010

2 3 6-8 120 2010
3 3 6-8 120 2010
4 3 6-8 120 2010

47
 PRENATAL
NUTRITION
There’s no doubt that Foetal brain development

A healthy birth weight

quality nutrition is
Reducing the risk of anaemia and many
important for:
birth defects like spina bifida.

We often have the best of intentions to eat well during pregnancy (I know I did). But
after having two back-to-back pregnancies where I spent 16 weeks (give or take) with
my head in the toilet, unable to look at a vegetable and let alone consume one, I know
it’s not always possible to reach what is ‘optimal’ in this situation. Nausea and food
aversions can certainly make consuming a well-balanced diet challenging.

48
 MORNING SICKNESS
What causes morning
sickness?

The exact cause for morning sickness is

My top 5 tips for managing
unknown, but the current thinking is that
genetics and a rapid increase of hCG,
morning sickness
oestrogen and progesterone in early
pregnancy play a role in morning sickness. Supplement with ginger or vitamin
Whatever the cause, it sucks! B6.

If you’re in your first trimester, you might be Proactively eat small meals or
nodding your head in agreement. And also snacks and avoid an empty
wondering: How the hell can you make stomach.
yourself eat one meal that isn’t hot chips
Avoid spicy or bitter food or foods
or toast, let alone do a training session?!
that have a strong odour

But it will get better around the mid-second Try soups, they may be easier to
trimester and until then, don’t be dogmatic tolerate.
about hitting a certain macro split (another
reason why I don’t love tracking during Modify training sessions to a time
pregnancy). of day where nausea is lowest.

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
DURING PREGNANCY

Disclaimer
This information is general in nature and is NOT intended to replace
medical advice. Careful consideration should be taken if deciding
to count calories during pregnancy. Dieting is not recommended in
pregnancy and can lead to dire consequences for an unborn baby
and its mother. Always follow the health advice of your treating
team and ensure you are gaining enough weight to support yourself
and your baby.

All of Mark’s programs follow a flexible dieting approach so if you have done The Bikini
Body Series or Your Glute Coach, then you are probably well versed in the whole area of
calories and macros.

49
Now, I am usually an advocate for
flexible dieting outside of pregnancy and
postpartum but I am quite the opposite
when it comes to pre and (early)
postnatal women. Here’s why:

Energy requirements during

pregnancy are COMPLEX!

Rather than tracking calories/

macros we recommend you follow ENERGY
non-tracking nutritional strategies REQUIREMENTS DURING
(more on this later) If you choose PREGNANCY
to track macros during pregnancy
it needs to be in consultation with
your healthcare team.

Mark and I both stay in our lanes

when it comes to things outside of
scope as coaches. This is one of
those areas.

50
MACRONUTRIENTS DURING PREGNANCY

PROTEIN
Mark would usually recommend a protein intake of 1.6-2.6g per kg of body weight per
day (the lower end in a build, the higher end in a deficit). But the amount of protein
required during pregnancy is debatable.

The RDI (recommended daily intake)

during pregnancy is astoundingly low
(60g per day yes, per day). The issue with But let’s put aesthetics to the side.
just meeting the RDI is that it is designed Protein also has a lot of important
to prevent deficiency! It’s not designed to benefits during pregnancy:

Is an essential macronutrient for They form the building blocks for all
survival living cells and are an essential part of
the human diet.
Helps with satiety (when we feel full
from eating protein) which helps with They support foetal development
weight management in pregnancy
They are responsible for the
Helps maintain as much lean body production and development of
mass as possible (so needed in important pregnancy hormones

So just meeting the RDI may not be the best move if we’re thinking about what is
optimal. On the flip side, the need to take protein as high as 2.6g per kg of bodyweight is
attenuated by the fact that you’ll be consuming your maintenance calories (no deficits
in pregnancy please, it’s not safe). Assuming that you’re choosing to track during
pregnancy (please refer to the section on energy requirements during pregnancy), we
would recommend aiming for at least 1.6g per kg of your pre-pregnancy body weight.

51
 PROTEIN CALORIES PROTEIN CALORIES PROTEIN CALORIES
EXAMPLE PER 100G EXAMPLE PER 100G* EXAMPLE PER 100G*

Egg whites 48 Chicken breast 115 whole eggs 140

Flathead fillet 93 Protein powder 120 Alskan salmon 142

Kangaroo mince 104 Rump steak 125 Scotach fillet 167

Barramundi 108 Chicken mince 134 Ingham turkey mince 180

Extra lean beef nince 112 Steggies turkey mince 137

*raw weight

NOTE : Calorie content may change depanding on your choice of brand.

52
FAT
Consuming dietary fat promotes healthy levels of sex hormones such as testosterone,
oestrogen and DHEA. To have a holistic approach to health, it’s crucial that our sex
hormones are functioning optimally which is why I recommend eating no less than 1g
of dietary fat per kg of body weight during pregnancy if you’re choosing to track your
macros.

PROTEIN CALORIES PROTEIN CALORIES

EXAMPLE PER 100G EXAMPLE PER 100G*

Cherry tomatoes 13 Pumpkin 49

Zucchini 17 White potato 67

Mushrooms 19 Sweet potato 87

Bok choy 19 FRUITS CALORIES

EXAMPLE PER 100G

Eggplant 20 Strawberries 12

Red capsicum 25 Pineapple 48

Broccolini 30 Granny Smith apple 49

Broccoli 30 Blueberries 52

Green beans 31 Rasberies 55

Chinese broccoli 41 Banana 89

53
CARBOHYDRATES

Aside from the performance-based Other benefits of carbohydrate

benefits carbohydrates provide, they are consumption during pregnancy include:
rich in folate. This is a B-group vitamin
needed for the healthy development of Improved mental clarity
babies in early pregnancy.
Improved gut microbiome

High-fibre foods are mostly carbohydrate- Improved performance

containing foods which are important to
Again, assuming that you’re aiming to
increase satiety and manage bowel health
track your intake, you’ll fill the rest of your
(your pelvic floor will thank you too!).
calories with carbohydrates once you’ve
met your fat and protein intake.

FIBRE

Fibre is a complex carbohydrate and key to a thriving gut microbiome. Fibre will keep
you feeling fuller for longer, meaning healthy weight maintenance during pregnancy.
Fibre will keep your bowels regular which is great for your pelvic floor! The recommended
daily intake of fibre is 25-30g is recommended during pregnancy.

54
 SUPPLEMENTS &
MICRONUTRIENTS

NON-TRACKING NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES

Whether you are counting calories or following a habit-based nutritional regime it can
be helpful to have some structure and non-negotiables around meals.

55
PORTIONS AND SERVING SIZES A standard serving of:
Protein is the size and thickness of your
Monitoring portion size is an important skill
palm.
to master. It is unrealistic and impractical
to suggest that everyone carries a food Vegetables should cover half of your
plate or the size of your fist.
scale with them everywhere they go.
Adequate portion control is an important Healthy fat is the size of your thumb.
part of managing total caloric intake
Cooked starchy carbohydrates is the
without the need for calorie counting size of a cupped handful.
to ensure healthy weight gain during
pregnancy.

How to
build a
plate
Your hand is
proportionate to
your body, its size
never changes, and
it’s always with you,
making it perfect
tool for measuring
food and nutrition
- minimal counting
required.

56
MEAL NON-NEGOTIABLES

1 Include a serving of protein at every meal.

This might be difficult when you are Benefits of protein:

experiencing food aversions and you will
need to do the best you can. Refer to the They form the building blocks for all
module on morning sickness and nausea living cells and are an essential part of
for further guidance on managing the human diet.
food aversions.
They increase satiation (feeling of
Sometime during the second trimester fullness) after a meal.
you will likely experience a decrease
in food aversions and nausea. Take They increase retention of lean body
advantage of your change in appetite mass and muscle.
and prioritise having a serving of protein
at every meal. They support blood sugar levels.

2 Include a serving of vegetables or fruit with every meal.

Vegetables and fruit contain important Constipation can be detrimental to pelvic

micronutrients, minerals and floor health which is why is it important to
antioxidants that are needed for overall manage throughout pregnancy.
health. They are also a major source of
fibre which increases satiety and can Vegetables and fruit are often a common
assist in regular bowel movements. food aversion. Again, do your best to get
in some vegetable and fruits when you are
experiencing food aversions or nausea and
know that there are better days coming.

57
 Fibre Rich Food
Broccoli, cabbage, strawberries, blueberries, legumes, black beans,
oatmeals, All Bran, psyllium husk

3 Include a serving of essential fats with every meal

Essential fats cannot be made by the EXAMPLE

human body and must be consumed
through our diets. Essential fats are
Fatty fish such as salmon (major
important for:
source of EPA and DHA)

The development of a baby’s brain

and eye site Nuts

Managing blood sugar levels

Seeds
Satiation

Optimal functioning of sex-hormones Avocado

Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins

such as vitamins A, D, E and K Olive Oil

4 Include a serving of starchy carbs at every meal

Carbohydrates have a bad rep!

But did you know the brain’s

Other Benefits of
Carbohydrates
referred source of energy is a simple
carbohydrate known as glucose? You
may have even experienced a ‘foggy’
feeling yourself when you have tried a
low-carb diet: blame the lack of glucose! Including a wider variety of plants
and legumes have been shown to
Furthermore, there are some cells in improve hut health by promoting
our bodies, such as red blood cells, that a wider range of healthy bacteria
cannot function without receiving an within the gut.
ongoing supply of glucose, so it is fair to
say carbohydrates are incredibly Carbohydrates may increase
beneficial to our health. energy expenditure by increasing
energy levels and performance

Carbohydrates may have a positive

effect on LBM

And a personal bias... they are

delicious!
58
HOW MANY MEALS SHOULD I HAVE
PER DAY?

This will vary from person to person and if there are factors
such as nausea and food aversions to consider. You may not
be able to follow these guidelines if you are struggling through
nausea and vomiting. This is particularly common in the first
trimester where you might need to have small regular meals
and stick to foods that do not have a strong smell.

HABIT #1 EAT SLOWLY

The speed that we chew our food can impact hunger signals and
digestion. Focusing your attention on your meal will help you to enjoy
your food while allowing you to tune in and pay attention to your body’s
hunger signals and needs. By eating slowly, you will be able to notice
when you are beginning to feel full and know when it is time to stop
eating.

While this might seem like a simple task, implementing it can be a

challenge! If you have taken the time to notice how fast most people
chew, you would surely understand why.

Here are some tips:

Purposefully take a moment before your meal to become in tune

with your senses. How does the food smell? How does it take up
room on your plate and what colours and textures can you see?

Aim for 15 chews per bite.

Take smaller bites of food.

Place your fork down between each bite.

Take sips of water.

Purposefully check in with yourself. Are you feeling hungry or

beginning to feel full?

59
 HABIT #2 EAT WITHOUT DISTRACTION

That means:

Be present with your meal and ensure you are sitting at the dinner table
when consuming your meal.

HABIT #3 USE APPROPRIATELY SIZED DISHES TO SERVE YOUR FOOD

HABIT #4 STAY HYDRATED

General recommendations suggest that pregnant women should

consume three litres of fluid per day. However, this varies among
individuals. A basic guideline to follow is:

If your urine is
yellow, you need to
drink more.

If it is clear, you are

well hydrated.

60
 FOOD SAFETY IN
PREGNANCY

Your immune system is lowered during pregnancy.

The theory is that this prevents your body from
recognising your baby as an intruder and fighting
it off. A lowered immune system makes you more
prone to illness which is why food safety becomes so
important during pregnancy to prevent foodborne
illness caused by listeria and salmonella. Infection
with these ‘bugs’ can be quite dangerous to you and
your baby.

WEIGHT GAIN

From personal experience, I know Before you ask, yes — you will
the thought of gaining 10+kgs can gain some fat. Emphasis on
be daunting. You might wonder how some! Weight gain mostly
your body will look after pregnancy consists of:
or whether you’ll get stretch marks.
I know I did, a lot. Yes, you will gain
The baby
weight during pregnancy. There’s no
avoiding it. Blood volume

Extracellular fluid
The amount of weight you should
gain depends on your pre- Breast tissue
pregnancy BMI. But the average Uterus
is between 12-16kg if you’re in a
‘normal’ BMI range. Amniotic fluid

Placenta

61
 The best advice I can
give you is to:
Focus on the variables you can control

Surrender to the ones you cannot.

My top five habits for a healthy

pregnancy:
You can’t control if you get stretch
1. Include a serving of protein with every meal
marks (sorry, the oils don’t work).
2. Include a serving of vegetables with every
meal
You CAN control how much weight
you gain to an extent! But it can still 3. Aim for 2-3 servings of fruit per day
be so varied, so keep that in mind.
4. Limit ‘soul foods’ to no more than 300 calories
on most days
And foremost, what you CAN control
are your habits and your behaviours. 5. Stay active.

62
 FOOD SAFETY
IN PREGNANCY

During pregnancy, a woman’s immune system

is lowered, so it is more difficult to fight off
infection. Pregnant women have a higher risk of
developing a food borne illness caused by listeria
and salmonella. Infection with these ‘bugs’ can be
dangerous to the health of your baby.

Tips to avoid food-borne

illness during pregnancy:

Reduce the risk of listeria infection by

eating foods that have been freshly
cooked or prepared

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in

running water before preparing

Avoid raw sprouts

Follow safe food handling practices

including washing hands, food
preparation surfaces and utensils
thoroughly

63
 NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
DURING PREGNANCY
Some food should be avoided during pregnancy because
they may be harmful to the mother or the unborn baby.

FOODS TO LIMIT REASON HOW MUCH?

Oily fish. For example: These types of fish contains Limit your portions to no more
Salmon omega 3 fatty acids which are than two per week (roughly 130-
Sardines helpful during pregnancy as they 150g of meat). NOTE: Tinned tuna
Fresh tuna (not can aid the baby’s brain and isn’t considered an ‘oily fish’. You
canned) retina development. However, can consume up to four tins of
Trout, they also contain small amounts tuna each week.
Mackerel of pollutants and mercury which
can be harmful to the unborn
babu in large amounts.

Caffeine I love my coffee. I’m sure you No more than 200mg per
do too. But too much caffeine day. This includes caffeine in
can increase the risk of low birth chocolate, teas, etc.
weight babies and miscarriage.
EEEKKK!

Alcohol Alcohol can increase the risk of There is no safe level of alcohol
miscarriage and low birth weight consumption in pregnancy. It is
babies. If consumed in large safest not to drink alcohol while
amounts it can cause foetal you are pregnant.
alcohol syndrome.

64
FOODS TO AVOID

Liver, liver products, fish liver oils or other

supplements containing vitamin A.

Swordfish, marlin or shark.

Pate including vegetable pate.

Raw or undercooked foods including

meat, fish, shellfish, eggs or ready meals.
Unpasteurised food or food which may
contain raw eggs such as home-made
icecream, home-made mayonnaise or
home-made cheesecake.

Credit: MAC NUTRITION UNI

65
More foods to AVOID

Buffets, salad bars and sandwich bars.

Meats that are raw or undercooked, cold deli meats,

packaged/ready-to-eat meats including cooked cold
ready-to-eat (unless reheated until steaming hot).

Pre-packaged or pre-prepared fruits and vegetables.

Chilled seafood e.g. raw oysters, sashimi, sushi and

cooked, chilled.

Raw or undercooked eggs.

Foods pregnant women DON’T

need to AVOID

Prawns & other types of shellfish

Soured cream

Honey

Spicy foods

You can eat ice-cream, mayonnaise and salad dressing

provided they don’t contain raw egg

Certain cheese: cheddar, cream cheese, parmesan, feta,

ricotta, mascarpone, mozzarella, & cottage cheese,

Peanuts

66
 WHAT’S NEXT?
You’ll all be joining us in this program at different stages of your pregnancy. But one
thing is for sure: You’re all patiently waiting for the arrival of your little bean!

If you’re in the third trimester already, I have no doubt that the days are starting to feel
like weeks and the weeks are starting to feel like years (I pray that you don’t have to do
the third trimester is summer!).

No matter where you are in your pregnancy I (Sheridan, Mark can’t really relate to this
ha!), want to wish you the very best of luck. Becoming a mother has been by far the
most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life (and I’m an ICU Nurse). It’s challenged
me physically, mentally and it’s completely unearthed a different identity in me (which
was a painful rebirth, let me tell you). But it’s also been the most rewarding experience
of my life. Watching my little humans grow has been my greatest blessing to date and
I know it will be for you too, despite the challenges.

Please be patient with your mind and body

after the birth of your baby. Birth takes a huge
toll on your body and I hope you give yourself
permission to rest, heal and learn the new
role the universe has in store for you. It’s best
to avoid any planned training for at least six
weeks (until your postnatal check-up) and
limit exercise to walking only. In fact, walking
will probably feel like a generous workout
for a little while and it should be something
that you slowly work up to. I delivered a great
podcast on the first six weeks postnatal over
on my podcast ‘Barbells to Babies’ which I’m
sure will give you some guidance.

Once you are cleared for exercise you

can jump into our Postnatal Level One
Guidebook which will focus on restoring your
core strength, building up your pelvic floor
muscles and getting you back into training
in a safe and effcient manner. We hope to
see you in the next program.

Good luck Mama.

YOU GOT THIS!

(Mark also says good luck).

67
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