Stephanie Mansour’s

Create New Habits That Stick Year After Year

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HOW THE CHALLENGE

WORKS 9 For 21 days, you’re committing (along with hundreds of other women!) to changing your mindset, improving your body image & self-esteem, and establishing a habit of exercising and eating healthy.

9 Complete the daily challenges that are sent to you each day viaemail.

9 Follow the workout & eating plan in this guide.

Want to win prizes? Here’s how to enter:

- Email your before pics to info@StepItUpwithSteph.com.

- Post a Before picture to your social media accountsbefore you start the Challenge; use #StepItUpwithSteph- Post the daily challenge and how you completed it on your

social media accounts: use #StepItUpwithSteph

- Email your after pics to info@StepItUpwithSteph.com

- Post an After picture to your social media after you completethe Challenge; use #StepItUpwithSteph

- Tag Steph in all of your posts:

On Instagram, tag @stepitupwithstephOn Twtiter, tag @stepitupwstephOn Facebook, tag “Stephanie Mansour Step It Up with Steph”

How to take a before & after photo:

Make sure to have one front view and one side view photo

Keep your feet together (ankles touching)

Keep your arms by your side

Stand naturally + relaxed!

Take pictures on same angle (vertical or horizontal)

Make sure to capture your whole body!

Take the pictures in the same spot (bedroom, bathroom, etc)

#STEPITUPWITHSTEPH 321 MANTRA

Create Your

First, let’s get clear on what your goal is and how you want to feel at the end of this 21 Day Challenge.

9 What is your goal? Why is it your goal? Think deep.

9 Put it all into a positive sentence:

Now post your mantra, the one positive sentence that you just created, onto your social media. By enlisting the support of others, you are more likely to reach your goals! Remem-ber to let Steph know your mantra by tagging her and using #stepitupwithsteph!

My Mantra:

Complete Your Daily Confidence Challenge!

Every day you’ll receive an email with the daily confidence challenge! Having more con-fidence in yourself is imperative for the success of any health & fitness programs you are working on. When you feel good about yourself, you WANT to do good things for yourself.

Once you complete the daily Confidence Challenge, you can share it by using #stepitupwithsteph

Schedule YourWORKOUTS

Step It Up with Steph Signature Slimdown 30-Minute Workout

Good news! For this Challenge we are working out 3 days a week with 30 minute workouts that include cardio & strength training: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is all laid out below, with pictures and descriptions. You can do this workout at the gym or in your living room!

In addition, 2 other days per week it would be wonderful if you could do 30 minutes of interval cardio. The interval cardio is described below.

#STEPITUP

• “I am Stepping It Up to feel energized, confident, and proud of myself by followingthe 21 Day Challenge.”

• “I am Stepping It Up to commit to myself and my body through the 21 Day Chal-lenge.

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Strength training is necessary, even if you’re trying to lose weight, because you MUST gain muscle.

Muscle burns fat VERY quickly, and toned & lean muscles are imperative to the health of your bones, body in general, and also for weight loss.

As far as cardio is concerned, if you’re in the gym you have a few options:

You can run, walk, jog, use the elliptical, bike, rowing machines, etc.

The key is to do quick bursts of either speed or strength, and then slow it back down. Fol-low this pattern, especially if you’re aiming for weight loss.

It is also helpful to do circuit training, where you’d do a quick cardio burst (anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes), and then do one round of exercises (see below), instead of just doing all of your cardio at once, and then all of your strength exercises.

Every workout will be similar on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Here is the workout:

Every workout will be similar:

12 minutes total of cardio, about 10 minutes of strength training (depending on how fast you go), 5 minutes of Pilates abs, and 3 minutes of stretching.

For your cardio, do bursts of 30 seconds fast, then 30 seconds slow. You can do all of the 12 minutes at once, OR you can break it up into 4 different sets of 3 minutes each.

For your strength training, you will do 3 rounds of 10 repetitions per exercises.

#STEPITUPWITHSTEPH

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STRETCHES

Hamstring Stretch:Stand with feet as wide as hips. Slowly lean forward and fold forward, keeping quads engaged. Allow your torso to hang down, letting your arms dangle. If you have really tight hamstrings, you can bend your knees. Hold this for at least 20 seconds at the end of each workout.

Hip Flexor Stretch:Stand with right foot about 3-4 feet in front of the left foot, feet as wide as hips. Bend front knee, keeping front foot flat. Come on to the back toes, lifting heal off the ground. Gently arch your upper back up, and feel a stretch in the front of your right hip. Repeat left side. Hold each side for at least 20 seconds at the end of each workout.

Side Stretch:Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Reach upward with both arms and clasp your hands above your head. Stretch to the left side and then the right side. Hold each side for at least 20 seconds at the end of each workout.

Before your workout, hold these for a few seconds or up to 10 seconds.After your workout, hold these for up to 30 seconds each.

EXERCISESRegular Squat:Start with feet hip width apart. Bend the knees, and sit back as if you were sitting back in a chair. Look at your toes, and make sure you can see them. Make sure to keep your knees just slightly over your ankles. Press down through your heels, and stand up. Repeat 10 times.

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Open Leg SquatStart with feet wider than hip width apart. Bend the knees, and repeat just like the Regular Squat.

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Open Turned Out SquatStart with feet wider than hip width apart. Turn the toes out. (In Ballet, this is a 2nd position.) Instead of sticking your butt out, tilt your pelvis and remain upright, with your shoulders over your hips. Bend the knees out, and sit down as if you are sitting down on a chair directly underneath you. Press down through your heels and come back up to standing. Repeat 10 times.

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Bicep Curl:Stand with feet as wide as hips, with a slight bend in the knees. Hold 3 to 8 lb weights in your hands. Keep elbows hugging in towards your sides (as shown to the left, be-low). Slowly curl up towards shoulders (as shown to the right, below) and slowly lower back down. Repeat 10-15 times.

Side Extension:Stand with your feet as wide as hips, with a slight bend in the knees. Hold 3 to 8 lbs weights on your hands. Arms by your side, slowly raise the arms up to the height of your shoulders, and then slowly lower them back down. Be sure not to hunch your shoulders or scrunch your neck while doing this. You may have to lower the amount of weight you are lifting, and that is OK! Repeat 10-15 times.

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Overhead Press: Stand with your feet as wide as hips, with a slight bend in the knees. Hold 3 to 8 lbs weights on your hands. Hold the weights at a 90 degree angle, with elbows bent, weights at the height of your ears. Inhale, then slowly exhale and press the weights up over your head, but make sure you can look up and still see them. They will be a little bit in front of your head at full extension. Then bring them back to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

Pelvic Tilt: Lie down on the ground, with knees bent and feet as wide as your hips. Take a deep breath in, and feel your back arching up slightly off of the ground, filling your stomach up with air. Exhale, and gently pull your naval in towards your spine, as if you are zipping into a tight pair of pants. Feel your back pressing onto the ground, getting rid of the arch, and engaging your low abs. Inhale, release, and repeat 10 times.

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Basic Crunch: Prepare as if you are doing a Pelvic Tilt. Once your back is pressing into the ground, abs engaged, place the hands behind the head. Slowly curl up, and pretend like you're holding an egg between your chin and your chest. Exhale and pulse up for a crunch, and inhale to lower down. Repeat 10 times.

Criss Cross: Prepare like the Basic Crunch. As you crunch up, criss cross to the right, and then come back to center. Criss cross to the left, and come back to center. Repeat 10 times to each side. If you are more advanced, you can add in the bicycle legs. Remember to keep your abs tight and to keep the movement slow and precise!

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3MEALS

FOOD

Plan Your

9 The formula is simple: Eat protein + a vegetable or a fruit every 3-4 hours. So you will be eating 5 times per day!

9 Any food outside of protein, vegetables, and fruit are considered “extra”. It is OK to eat them, but realize that they are not giving you much nutritional value. Ideally, this would mean no junk food, crackers, chips, soda, artificial sweeteners, or chemicals.

9 Avoid gluten and dairy, as these are inflammatory ingredients.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayBreakfastProtein + Veggie OR FruitSnackProtein + Fruit

1/2 LunchProtein + Veggie OR Fruit

2nd 1/2 of Lunch or SnackProtein + Veggie OR FruitSmall DinnerProtein + Veggie OR Fruit

WaterAt least 5 glass-es

I, _______, eat protein every 3 to 4 hours for energy.

Your Wellness

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SUGGESTIONSProtein:One eggOne handful of nutsOne fist-size serving of meat or fish1/2 cup quinoa2 TBS almond butter (or any nut butter)Protein powder (for smoothies)1/2 cup beans

Breakfast Options:Scrambled eggs with spinach or any other vegetableHard Boiled egg with a piece of fruitGluten free granola with nuts and berriesQuinoa with berries

Lunch Options:Salad with protein (chicken, beans, fish, eggs, or any meat)Beans and greensLeftover dinner (protein + at least one vegetable)

Dinner Options:Same options as lunch!Meat or fish + veggieQuinoa pasta + veggie

Snacks:Handful of nuts with an appleKind Bar (my favorite protein bar) and handful of berriesAlmond Butter + celery sticks or apple slices

*Please note that snacks can be the same size as meals! It doesn’t matter what you eat as asnack or a meal. They can all be the same amount of food.

Remember to check in on social media with #stepitupwithsteph! You can do this every time you eat, workout, and do the daily challenge in the emails!