Built in 60: Resolve to Live Your Best Life

Published January 27, 2021 04:39PM

Deep in the backwoods of Maine on a large plot of land, a newly transplanted duo is planning to take over the world, one fit human at a time.

This fall, Amber Dodzweit Riposta and Andrew Riposta were busy decking out their new house, transforming their garage into a workout haven, rescuing dogs and learning to love madras. Now, as they battle the unfamiliar winter weather, they are looking toward the future, envisioning Maine-based retreats and wellness weekends where they invite people into their “home” and send them back with a new lifestyle.

This transformative concept is what laid the foundation for their new online education program called Built in 60 — a total-body wellness plan in which Amber created the workouts, Andrew designed the nutrition and together they aim to, as they say, “optimize the human state.”

“The goal is to lay a strong foundation to get quick, lasting results,” Andrew says. “It’s important to us that people have tools for life, not just for the duration of our programs, and if you build new habits, they turn into a lifestyle.”

The Ripostas are the perfect pair to design such a plan: Amber has the training chops to compile a killer workout regimen, and Andrew has the nutrition know-how to help fuel those workouts while also burning fat. Thus, the workouts and meals work symbiotically.

“A periodized training program is effective, but when paired with a periodized nutrition program, you get both the performance results and the aesthetic results you want,” Andrew says. “As the training routines increase in difficulty, the nutrition shifts to optimize the body’s capacity to build muscle and burn maximum amounts of fat,” Amber adds.

The Workouts

The Built in 60 workouts were created with results in mind. “They are simple routines, but they sneak up on you and you’ll be wondering, What the heck just happened?” Amber says.

The workouts incorporate a bevy of protocols, including supersets, drop sets, Tabatas, EMOMs (every minute on the minute) and AMRAPs (as many reps/rounds as possible). “These progressive routines use highly effective moves for serious muscle building and major fat burning,” Amber says. “There is a wide range of routines that target agility, balance, endurance and strength with a gradually progressing schedule that constantly challenges the body and gets you results.”

Here’s a sample of the kind of workouts you’ll get when you sign up for Built in 60.

Built in 60 Full-Body Circuit

Warm-Up

Complete 20 minutes of light- to moderate-intensity cardio and dynamic stretching.

Circuit

6-Minute AMRAP

The Nutrition

Exercise	Seconds
Burpee	20
Rest	10
Jump Squat	20
Rest	10
Mountain Climber	20
Rest	10
Crab Toe Touch	20
Rest	10

Exercise	Reps
Dumbbell Squat Press	10
Dumbbell Renegade Row	10
Single-Arm Snatch (right)	10
Single-Arm Snatch (left)	10
Dumbbell Sit-Up to Stand	10

The goal of the Built in 60 two-phase nutrition plan is to rid the body of excess toxins, boost immunity, shed body fat and prime the system to build lean muscle. “This is a program built around what matters to us all — health, performance and physique — wrapped up into a plan that doesn’t alienate us from having a normal life,” Andrew says. “You don’t have to eat like a competitor to feel like one or to have the body you want.”

“The problem we see with a lot of nutrition programs is the lack of sustainability,” Amber says. “The Built in 60 nutrition [program] supports lean muscle building, optimizes the metabolism, and allows the body to burn excess fat with a stable and sustainable breakdown for results you can actually keep.”

Here is a sample recipe designed by Andrew that complements the workouts you’ll be doing for energy and results. “Enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, enjoy your food and learn how to be built for life,” Andrew says.

Yellow Curried Chicken

Place coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in curry paste. Add chicken, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Add green beans and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Cut chicken into smaller pieces and add salt (to taste). Serve with . cup rice (if using).

Nutrition Facts (per serving = 6 oz): calories 314, fat 18 g, carbs 9 g, protein 29 g

Nutrition Facts (per serving = 6 oz + ½ cup rice): calories 442, fat 18 g, carbs 41 g, protein 29 g

Q&A with Amber and Andrew

We caught up with Amber Dodzweit Riposta and Andrew Riposta to discuss the finer points of chopping wood, s–tkickers and who can do the most push-ups.

Andrew: We lived in a loft in Fort Lauderdale, [Florida], with three dogs and no space. We loved it, but we really wanted to spread out and have some land and a beautiful view. We both needed more nature and more hikes and to be able to focus on the more important things in life.

Amber: And Andrew’s lifelong dream has always been having a farm with grass-fed beef.

Q: So you’re living on a farm — do you plan to get a bunch of livestock and overalls and s–tkickers for slopping the pigs?

Amber: I bought s–tkickers the first month we were here and walked out of the house in a plaid robe like a true Maine-er. Overalls are on order for Andrew, stat!

Andrew: Our barn is bigger than the house, so we definitely have room for animals, but I don’t think Amber would let me kill the animals for food when it was time.

Amber: We will most likely stick to dogs — we have four dogs now and our serial-killer cat — maybe some chickens and some goats eventually.

Amber: Well, I was raised in the Northeast by parents who pride themselves on having daughters who could take care of themselves, and my dad taught me how to chop wood when I was 12! So yeah, I chop the wood!

Andrew: Whew, it’s a toss-up. I make the best omelets, but she makes the best pancakes and bacon — at 2 a.m.!

Amber: It depends on what you’re looking for. Savory steak and delicious veggies in butter? Andrew. Something out of the box like healthy chicken and waffles? Me.

Amber: He might take me for the first 50 meters, but after that, he’d be toast! However, he is surprisingly fast for a large man.

Amber: Andrew can do more at one time, but if you put those push-ups into a HIIT circuit — bye-bye!

Andrew: Definitely me. She would do half-reps to try to beat me, though, because she hates losing. You should see her play Dominoes.

Amber: I would fix his back. The man loves to deadlift and squat and, frankly, I love to watch him! But he has some disk issues, so I’d change that for him so he could do what he loves pain-free. (And so I could watch!)

Andrew: I wouldn’t change anything about Amber, but I would implant a chip in her brain so she could see inside my brain. Then she would see herself how I see her, and she would never have another insecurity.

Amber: We rarely train together — I am a lone wolf when it comes to the gym, but if I want a great back workout or don’t feel like thinking for myself, I follow him around and let him do the thinking. And I always end up sore.

Andrew: We do once in a while. Amber has to be moving fast all the time. I get exhausted watching her.

Andrew: I am. Motorcycles, skydiving, living in a bus, whatever — I’m in.

Amber: Yes, he would absolutely live in the bus down by the river, but we’re both the life of the party. We always say that neither one of us has brakes!

Amber: The whole purpose of life up here in Maine is to escape, and we want to allow others to escape, as well, and connect with each other through health and fitness retreats.

Andrew: We have held retreats in the past but were always renting space from someone else. We want to have our own location — like a bigger version of bringing people into your home for a retreat — and send them home with a new lifestyle.

Amber: Around the house, it is classical or jazz, and for workouts, I only listen to DJ mash-ups on Fit Radio — anything by Jason Jani is on my go-to playlist. And I apologize in advance for Andrew’s list. …

Andrew: None of my tunes are for the faint of heart! Pantera, Rose of Sharyn, Ice Nine Kills … check out my full playlist below.

Andrew’s Workout Playlist

Stats

Amber Dodzweit Riposta, CPT

Sponsors: Essentia Water, Revision Skincare, Organifi, LMNT, Lebert Fitness, 1st Phorm, Built Bar, NordicTrack