Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout Review
Strong has undoubtedly become the new sexy! Whether you’re a beginner at powerlifting or just an avid strength pursuer, Meg Squats might have the perfect program for you.
The Uplifted Strength Workout aims to help you on your strength journey, but is it really as good as it seems? Let’s find out.
About Meg Gallagher a.k.a. Meg Squats
The fitness industry has been booming since Arnold became a mainstream name, and in recent years, a tremendous amount of females have been rising as inspirations and role models to millions. This is an excellent thing, as every person deserves the opportunity to be their best version.
At the forefront of this change is Meg Gallagher a.k.a. Meg Squats, with the goal of getting a barbell in every person’s – especially every woman’s – hands. Creator of the Girl Gone Strong program, her overarching goal is to motivate every woman to break from the social norm, and be strong, healthy, and their best selves!
She was introduced to lifting with Crossfit but quickly transitioned to the sport of powerlifting, which is what the Uplifted Strength Workout is based on actual. She has recorded the following lifts at the USA Raw Nationals, 2018, at a 136.9lbs bodyweight:
- 308.6lbs Squat
- 170.8lbs Bench
- 407.8lbs Deadlift
Safe to say Meg knows a thing or two about being strong! She’s amassed a Youtube following of more than 450K subscribers, and through her journey of being strong and powerful inspired many more.
Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout Overview
As mentioned before, Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout is built around the three big lifts of powerlifting: Squats, Bench, and Deadlifts. These are known as the “basics” of training, as a combination of these three compound lifts is really all you need, according to some. Here is the general overview of the Workout:
- Fitness level: Intermediate
- Duration: 8 Weeks
- Workouts per week: 4
- Average workout duration: 45 – 60 Minutes
- Equipment needed: Full Gym
- Goal: Gain Strength
Included in the plan is also a Nutrition Guide, as Meg aims to improve your relationship with food and simultaneously increase your muscle mass. While experienced powerlifters might need certain equipment, Meg’s only advice is to use the following equipment only if you really need it:
- Weight belt
- Squat shoes
- Knee wraps or sleeves
- Wrist wraps
It is important to remember while this program is certainly developed with the underlying presence and essence of powerlifting, you do not have to be a powerlifter to benefit from it. You may even gain some size too!
Let’s have a closer look at what the program entails.
Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout Details
The program has the sole focus on improving strength and power using the “Big Three” lifts. You’ll be training 4 – 5 times per week, and you’ll be incorporating various kinds of lifting mechanisms and set types to improve on a weekly basis:
Uplifted Strength Training Style
The training style you follow will by and large be reflective of your goals, and certainly be a reflection of what you enjoy as well. Meg has constructed to program to incorporate certain training techniques that will not only get you stronger but potentially more conditioned as well:
- Primer Sets: These are just warm upsets that are supposed to prime you for the bigger lifts and loads coming
- Primary strength lifts top sets: The goal is to build strength using the squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press. You do have the option to use variations of these as well
- Primary strength lift back-off sets: These are the same movement as the primary strength movement, but with slightly higher reps (volume) and slightly less load (weight)
- “Builder” supersets and giant sets: Think of these as “accessory” movements to the big meaty movements. They’re still completely necessary for you to make progress, and potentially can help you avoid injury
As you progress through the 8 Week journey, you’ll be using a combination of these sets to build the most strength possible without injury.
Nutrition Recommendations
As with most physical goals, you can alter your diet to yield the best results. Meg is very straightforward with her nutrition recommendations:
Eat to Gain Strength
This plan is specifically designed for individuals looking to gain strength, and thus, you should be eating for that as well. This means that your diet should reflect the same, being both plentiful in calories, as well getting said calories from quality sources.
Prioritize Protein Intake
As we know from several studies, protein is really the only way to gain muscle mass, as a meta-analysis in 2018 found that protein intake was directly linked to muscle gain. Thus, Meg wants you to prioritize protein intake, by aiming for 1g of protein, per pound of bodyweight.
Eat your damn Carbs!
The program goes into how carbohydrates are the prime source of energy, especially for strength athletes. Thus, to really get the most of this program, you’re gonna have to eat a lot of them. If you are concerned with fat gain, timing 70 – 75% of your carbohydrate intake around your workout will ensure most of that energy will actually go towards your training, and not fat.
Supplement Recommendations
Supplements should always remain as is, supplementing an already good diet, and filling in the holes and gaps left over. Meg follows this philosophy, and only recommends the following supplements:
- Whey Protein
- Pre Workout
- Creatine Monohydrate
- Fish Oil
- Intra workout Carbohydrates
- ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6)
3 Pros of the Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout
- Exactly as advertised: This is, without doubt, a strength plan, that does not concern itself too greatly with “lean gains” or any social media ideologies of remaining lean year long. You’re here to get strong or get out. This is exactly what the vast majority of females need.
- Doesn’t overcomplicate Nutrition: Often we see calculators, funny equations, and complicated meal timings that only seem to make any form of simplicity unachievable. Meg has simplified nutrition to such an extent that anyone can follow it.
- Only 4 Workouts per Week: By only having four workouts per week, it allows you to not be overburdened with gym time, and allows ample time for your muscles to recover.
3 Cons of the Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout
- No opportunity for weight loss: This program is pretty insistent on being in a caloric surplus via just eating a lot, and avoiding most forms of cardio. This is not a good program if fat loss is your primary goal. There is also no real in-depth education on what the different macronutrients do in regards to health and performance.
- Certain movements cannot be replaced: As powerlifting is a sport that really only focuses on three lifts, replacing those can be hard. Meg does try to offer substitutions for the accessory lifts, but the main three cannot be subbed.
- No Nutrition development: As any powerlifter would tell you, the stronger you get, the more food you need. Kind of basic if you think of it in terms of Thermodynamics, more of you would require more food. This program does not discuss total calorie amounts at all, nor does it teach you the process of progressive overloading your food intake. Understandable from a mental health aspect, but for total strength development, something vital.
Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout – Final Thoughts
The world is shifting in the correct direction, with a focus on improving strength rather than glorifying pure aesthetics and unhealthy expectations. This is especially important for the female population, and Meg hits it out of the park with this program.
Yes, the major drawback of this plan is that there is really no wiggle room to run this plan and try to lose weight at the same time. That being said, that is not the goal here at all. The goal is to increase muscle mass and improve strength as much as possible, which again, is exactly what most females need.
This is an excellent introduction to strength training but does require that you have some training under the belt at least. You’ll be able to yield some amazing results if you follow the plan to the T, and put your trust in Meg.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
The post Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout Review appeared first on NOOB GAINS.