Site navigation and social media links
Hi There! New to the ZGYM?
Fitness | April 26, 2019
Are you a new member of my ZGYM? Or are you thinking about signing up? Then let this post be your guide! I know that after training with me for a while, those old, hour-long workouts and cookie-cutter body split routines will be a thing of the past! Even better? You can do it right in your own home! No more traffic, expensive membership fees, parking, and crowded areas. The ZGYM is your gym, and you’ve got me and a worldwide network of fellow members to connect with and train alongside. So, if you don’t know where to start, read along to get the ball rolling!
Step One: Find Your Fitness Level
Total Newbie: If you’ve never done a single workout in your life outside of PE class, then it’s safe to say you’re a complete newcomer to fitness. And that’s perfectly alright! The Bunny Slope Beginner Workout Program is right up your alley. It’s a progressive program designed to get you in the habit of daily exercise. All you need is 3 lb dumbbells, an exercise mat, power bands, and an exercise ball (if you can increase the weight of the dumbbells, then please do so to help increase the intensity and further progress for better results).
This program is absolutely free- no ZGYM membership required!
Beginner: For the Total Newbies, after you’ve completed the Bunny Slope program, consider moving onto my other beginner programs. Those of you with some fitness experience under your belt who aren’t quite ready to call themselves experienced can start with these, too.
Mix and match or stick to one of the following beginner programs:
Beginner Cardio
Beginner Strength
Bodyweight Beginner
A caveat I want to make is for those of you who are intermediate and above with little to no experience with a particular piece of equipment, like the kettlebell, consider following the beginner program to get a good grasp of the basics and form before advancing to the harder routines.
These include:
Beginner Kettlebell
Jump Rope Cardio Beginner
Tabata Fit Slide for Beginners
Intermediate: You’ve either worked out with me at least for a few months or are used to regular workouts. Now you can start testing your skills and engaging in more challenging routines.
Here are some programs that I recommend:
15 Minute Fat Burn
Legs Like a Dancer
Black Diamond Upper Body & Abs
Intermediate to Advanced: Playtime is over. You’re either a seasoned athlete or have graduated far beyond the intermediate level and need something a good workout to keep you humble. Any workout title of mine that includes an ‘X’ in the end means it’s extreme, so know what you’re going into after you click ‘play’ on the video! (But don’t worry, we’re in this together, so you’re not alone!)
Try any of these on for size:
Jump Rope Cardio Kettlebell X
Killer Legs
Upper Body & Abs Inferno
Step Two: Commit
It’s one thing to say you plan on working out. Actually doing it- and sticking with it- is another thing. One of the strongest habits for success is consistency. You have to be consistent in order to achieve your goal. Doesn’t matter if it’s training to fit into a suit or finishing a project. Without doing what needs to be done on a regular basis, you’ll never get anywhere. Ask yourself, how much am I willing to commit in order to reach my goal(s)? In fact, I’d recommend you do a lot of soul-searching in order to figure out why you’ve chosen this journey in the first place! To get started, I recommend you the following post here on the questions you need to ask yourself before setting goals, along with this post here that teaches you the importance of setting up micro goals in order to reach bigger ones. I also encourage you to reach out to your fellow members for support and encouragement, since we’ve all been beginners at some point and are all too familiar with the struggle of turning fitness into a lifestyle. (Once you do, you’ll be glad for hanging in there!)
Step Three: Whip Your Nutrition into Shape
Time for a change of pace. While exercise is going to help you find your ideal weight and tone and shape your muscles, all of that effort might as well go into the trash if you’re not as serious about your diet. You shouldn’t be obsessed, but you do need to start looking at the food on your plate as an opportunity to nourish your body, instead of depleting it. There are two cornerstones I preach all of the time: bio-individuality (the philosophy of tailoring your diet according to your genetics, lifestyle, age, and needs) and whole foods (basically, anything coming from nature; not a machine). Finding the best diet for you is going to take some time and experimentation. The only person who can ultimately decide what’s best for you is, well, you.
But that being said, I do offer a few guided meal plans that serve as stepping stones to help you determine specific dietary approaches. First, there’s my all-time classic Z-Shred Super Food Meal Plan, which is low carb. After that is the Shred & Glow Plant-Based Meal Plan; it’s not vegan per se, but you can tweak the recipes and make them so (read how you can do that here). Otherwise, it places an emphasis on plant-based foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, lean animal protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. And finally, there’s my Keto Meal Plan for Fat Loss. This one is amazing for squashing sugar cravings and creating metabolic flexibility, enabling your body to burn mostly fat and ketones instead of only glucose (sugar).
Why do a meal plan? It provides structure. No more hours of planning your meals ahead of time or figuring out what the heck you’re supposed to eat. Instead, I’ve programmed all of your shopping lists, meals, and optional snacks. The only thing I ask of you is to once again commit by buying the food, cooking the meals, and eating what you make. That’s it. Beginners with little to no experience with nutrition who need guidance would do well in following one of these plans, especially since they’ll truly deliver the maximum results when combined with one of my workout programs.
And there you have it! Welcome again to my website and the ZGYM. If you’re still on the fence, feel free to connect with me or leave a comment below. I’ll be sure to help and look forward to working out with you!
Private Member |
rehon, france
Hello, I am totally new to this site, but I have already done a lot of workouts thanks to Youtube. I think to register. Actually the training does not frighten me, it’s more the dietetic side. It’s strange, I know. Food habits are so well anchored.
If I register on Z-GYM, can I use the same loging?
Thanks a lot
Stéphanie
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Yes if you have already a free account on the website and join ZGYM, you’ll have the same login.
Private Member |
rehon, france
Hi, I just registered.
Now let’s go to work!
🙂
Private Member |
woodbridge, virginia, usa
DO IT!!! Sign up! You’re worth it! I admit, I was a little intimidated about joining the Z-gym at first, and I was a personal trainer. But I’m so glad I did. You can truly start where you are and advance as you go. I can also attest to the meal plans since I have partaken in all 3. DELISH!!!! The recipes are easy to follow and so incredibly tasty! You will make so much progress. PLUS Zuzka is absolutely AWESOME!!
Private Member |
waco, tx, usa
Hi Keemi,
How long would you say it took for other people to start noticing a difference in your appearance once you started using the ZGym and her meal plans? I start feeling like I notice changes pretty quickly, but then when I ask someone if they can tell they cannot. Just curious if you had any experience with that.
Thanks!
Private Member |
woodbridge, virginia, usa
Hi Cheverly, it’s been almost 2 years since I joined the Zgym so it’s hard to remember…especially since I was already working out regularly and eating healthy. But I certainly noticed that my clothes were more loose around my waist to the point where I could no longer fit some and some of my coworkers thought I was getting too small but I was fine with that. honestly, I wasn’t pressing myself to lose right away because I know it takes time when you’re doing things the right way. But I can tell you that after a couple of weeks on the Keto meal plan, I noticed I was a way less bloated so I could see definition in my abs without flexing.
Private Member |
rehon, france
😃😃👍👍 thanks for answering me
Private Member |
woodbridge, virginia, usa
You’re welcome 🙂
Private Member |
Hi, I am new to the site but I have done several of your free videos on youtube. I’m thinking of joining the Zgym but I’m from Canada. Is it possible? Is it really a monthly membership? Because in Canadian dollars, it’s almost 20$/month.
Thanks
Eve
Quebec
Private Member |
Its possible- WORLDWIDE. I was positively surprised to see that I can do monthly payments with paypal here. It is so little money compared what you have to pay anywhere else. It is only about 8-9 euro. Worth its 10 times more 🙂
Private Member |
I’m from Canada too and it cost me 13$ canadien for the monthly membership
Private Member |
rehon, france
Hello!
I’m new here, but not beginner.
I feel a little lost. They are so many exercices!
Where to start?
thanks
stef
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Hey Stef, I would recommend you to start with the weekly workout schedule. Pick your fitness level and start following – one workout a day! The weekly workout schedule is on the home page of ZuzkaLight.com and on the homepage of ZGYM. If you’re on your phone, look at the black bar at the bottom of the screen.
Private Member |
rehon, france
Ok ! Thanks a lot !
Private Member |
hailey, idaho
Welcome!
Private Member |
rehon, france
Thanks 😄😄
Private Member |
toronto, ontario, canada
Hi Zuzka,
I am so happy and excited to be a new member of the Zgym! there is so much to do here, so many workouts. I love it! I earned about you through the zwows in Youtube which I started doing and saw great changes in my body that made me join the Zgym. You are the real deal girl! I love to workout now and you are to blame for it 🙂
My question is about how to combine meals and the routine. I am working out to develop muscle because I am thin. To achieve my goal, what routine do you suggest? As for food, I am pescetarian, allergic to nuts and coconut and I don’t eat bread/gluten, which makes meals a bit more complicated. How heavy on the proteins and healthy carbs should I go in my meals? I eat 3 times a day.
Love, Adriana
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Hi Adriana,
welcome to ZGYM, I am so happy to hear you got hooked on daily workouts, that’s really awesome. I would suggest you to follow the weekly workout schedule for your fitness level. I am assuming you’re Intermediate / Advanced. I. would start with the intermediate and see how that goes. If you start to feel that you can push yourself harder than I recommend you to jump into the advanced schedule because that will help you to build more muscles. As for your diet, I would recommend you to include a lot of protein whether it’s from fish or eggs, or even protein shakes. Also try to include healthy carbs such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, rolled or steal cut oats, faro, and maybe even legumes like black beans and chickpeas. Also if you’re think and want to gain muscles, I would recommend to include snacks between the main meals. One of the best snacks would be a hardboiled egg. Also you may want to try a recipe for a Keto bread which is gluten free.
Private Member |
toronto, ontario, canada
Hi Zuzka,
I have enjoyed so much doing exercise, I am stronger, my cardio is better and see my body is toned (doing exercise has become a routine and gives me peace of mind, yay!), however I still struggle to gain weight/muscle. Friends have suggested to do routines with less cardio and more weight, I started with a 20 pounds kettle bell and now I’ve changed to 35 pounds. Do you think I should do less cardio? What routines do you recommend me?
And, I do snack on plan-based protein shakes but now would like to have something for my joints since I am using more weight. What do you recommend?
Thank you so much
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
The type of cardio we do in the ZGYM is not the type of cardio that will make you loose muscles. If it’s short, intense bursts of cardio, you will be burning fat and building muscles. As for adding more weight to your workouts, I agree. If you can increase the weight you workout with, it will have a great impact on your muscle growth. However do not underestimate the roll of food when it comes to building muscles. You need to nourish your body with enough calories and also protein if you want to see progress. Sleep plays a big role as well as stress. Also patience. It takes months to build muscles, it doesn’t happen very fast, especially for women.
Private Member |
shalimar, florida, united states
🌈🌸Hi Zuzka❤️ Hi ZYGM mates❤️ Been member now for over 6 months now and love it so much! My two favourite trainers are You—>Zuzka and Jillian Michaels. Ok so sometimes I’m Advanced so when I have time I do all three levels of Weekly workouts back to back so that if one or two of them wind up being a learning or practice for me I know one will be a workout where I feel I’ve done a good job. Sometimes that changes for me. Like yesterday I repeated Beginner Kettlebell 3 times for 6 rounds because I was perfecting my form. You see sometimes there will be some moves in all the workout levels that are very new to me. I love the flexibility of ZGYM. I worked out with Jillian everyday for 3 years and got into good shape but I love your style Zuzka for a change and new fitness education challenges😁👍 So that’s it. Just wanted to pass on happy happy❤️❤️
Love your forever fan Christi Lee Higgins 😁👍
Private Member |
los angeles, ca
Hi Zuzka!
I’m technically new to the ZGym, but I started following you on bodyrock in 2010 😀 After you left bodyrock my interest started drifting, and at the same time I found a really cool workout/running group in NYC. The more I was running/doing triathlons, the less I did strength workouts. I moved to LA in 2016, and I have been 99% running since then, but I recently decided to start back up with your workouts for strength training to prevent injuries. I forgot how much I LOVE your workouts, I am SO hooked (again)! There’s so much more to your workouts than just the individual moves themselves; the way you design the workouts and the order you put the exercises really gets me to push myself hard on EVERY SINGLE move. The workouts kick my butt, give me much-needed core & arm strength, and the dancer/flexibility workouts help me to release a lot of tightness that comes with the repetitive movements of running. Thanks for doing what you do!!!
-Natalie
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Hi Natalie, thank you for sharing this. I’m so happy to hear that and I hope you’ll keep enjoying ZGYM for years to come! XO
Private Member |
eerbeek, the netherlands
Hi, I am doubting to get a membership because I have only 3 times a week to exercise. I am a working mom, and 4 days a week I am early up and late at home. In the past I tried this before, and every time I stopped because 7 days a week is not manageable for me. My energy is getting to low, my recovery time to short, sleep to short, eating is getting a mess because of all this.. it’s just not for me (at this moment in my live). So is it possible to do this only 3 times a week, and if so, which kind of exercise would you recommend most out of the weekly schedule?
Private Member |
We are in the same situation except I can only work 4 days a week. I am waiting for advise because I want to do the program or even if follow the weekly schedule. For now I skip the active rest maybe not a good advise but better not doing nothing at all.
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
I am a working mom too and have been working out 3-4 times a week for a long time , with full rest days . I chose workout based on equipment I have , time and energy level. I could never follow a weekly schedule neither adhere fully to a program, but that is OK .
The “worst ” time, I just did push ups on knees in my pyjama just before crawling into bed, but tried to beat my record every day or other day. Currently I have shoulder injury and working on glutes only, I can still do things and happy to be creative with what I have when I have. There are always ups and downs. Just be true to yourself and trust the process.
Private Member |
Is there a substitute for jump rope? I have a treadmill and a large space. My ceilings are just too low to jump rope in (found that out the hard way haha!)
Private Member |
Sometimes I use rope less jump rope, you can control how much weight is in the handles. Can be useful for travel. Alternatively, you can do the movements without jump rope, you’ll just have to go faster to make it more difficult.
Private Member |
vaughan, ontario, canada
Hi Zuzka!
I joined your sight recently and loving your workouts!
already sent you few questions, waiting for your reply.
here is another one, please.
I am not sure I understand: if I purchased a one year membership, do I have a full access to your meal plans or should I purchase a meal plan that I want to try?
Thanks in advance,
Eleonora
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
And I have already replied 🙂
The meal plans are not included in the ZGYM membership. Which meal plan do you think you’re interested in?
Private Member |
vaughan, ontario, canada
Sorry, I realised that you sent your reply only today. just still learning you website.
I am thinking to try Keto
Private Member |
vaughan, ontario, canada
Oh, sorry!
and what do you suggest in terms of intermittent fasting?
Fasting and Keto? while working out every day!
how to schedule all this and realistically fit into busy life?
Maybe you already have an article on this topic in your archives, I just did nit find it yet.
Thank you
E.