Keep Your Figure During This Holiday Season:
Enjoying special treats over the holidays shouldn’t derail your fitness and nutrition routine. It’s no surprise that the holidays consist of parties, family gatherings, traveling and yummy – but “not so good for you” – foods! Rather than feel guilt or frustration, focus on getting your mind and body back to where it matters, focus on YOU, your goals, and enjoying moments as they occur.
With one holiday celebration down and another soon approaching, it’s best to redirect your energy by sticking to a consistent diet and workout schedule. Staying focused on your health will not only help reduce stress, stay fit and active, but it will also keep your spirits high during this busy time.
So no worries for last week’s treats, no stress of daily chores… let’s get back on track with this week’s new workout plan!
Integrating The Sweat Burner Workout Into Your Holiday Fitness Program
This is the 5th week of the 8-week holiday program; so if you’re just joining in now, please refer back to week 1’s blog to get the full program details! If you haven’t already, I recommend printing or saving the 8-week schedule to your phone/iPad for an easy reference plan (found on week-1’s blog) as well as each new week’s workout.
Week 5 focuses on 3 Sweat Burner workouts that move at a moderate to intermediate pace to sculpt your body and burn calories. You will perform:
- 3 cardio/ strength/ core interval workouts on the Total Gym
- 2-3 cardio sessions (30-60 min of your choice)
- 2-3 stretch/ yoga of your choice or week 4’s series of yoga/ Pilates movements
Listed below are the holiday goals along with week 5’s ‘Sweat Burner’ routine.
HOLIDAY GOALS
- Stay fit & active over the holidays.
- Stay committed & disciplined.
- Remain stress-free.
- Enjoy the festivities but do not over-indulge.
THE WORKOUT
NOTE: Week 5’s workout contains exercises from previous week’s routines with an added challenge and in a slightly different format. Therefore, if you have been following the series consistently, the exercises will be familiar when performing the workouts. The new changes are highlighted.
Look over the changes before performing the workout!
WEEK 5: Sweat Burner – moderate/ intermediate pace
INSTRUCTIONS: Follow the plan for each day listed. On the Sweat Burner days, perform each exercise in the grouping as a circuit.
SETS & REPS:
DAY 1 Sweat Burner- 1 SET (perform ALL exercises one after the other with no rest)
DAY 3 Sweat Burner- 2 SETS (as noted in workout)
DAY 5 Sweat Burner- 3 SETS (as noted in workout)
DYNAMIC WARM-UP:
Perform the same dynamic warm-up on ALL 3 Sweat Burner days: 10 REPS/ 2 SETS.
– 2 Jacks, 2 Jack Squats
– Side-to-Side Hops
– Plié Hops
– Toe Touches (R/ L), Reverse Lunge (R/ L)
– 2 Push-ups, Burpie Hop Up/ Hop Back
DAY 1: SWEAT BURNER– cardio/ strength/ core circuit
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Total Gym, Squat Stand, Cables
Squat stand on, medium-high level
1. Cardio: Jump Squats
2. Strength: Kneeling Glute Presses (using squat stand)
3. Core: Incline Side Crunch w/ Leg Lift
REPEAT this circuit 2xs on DAY 3 & 3x on DAY 5
4. Cardio: Jump Squats & Pendulum Hops
CONNECT CABLE, low-medium level
5. Strength: Kneeling V & T (+Curl)
6. Core: Torso Rotation (+Pulse)
REPEAT this circuit 2xs on DAY 3 & 3x on DAY 5
DISCONNECT CABLE, medium-high level
7. Cardio: Jump Squats, Pendulum Hops, & Star Jumps
CONNECT CABLE, low-medium level
8. Strength: Seated Hi/Low Chest Flies (+Static Equilibrium Presses)
9. Core: Pullover Crunch (+triceps extensions)
REPEAT this circuit 2xs on DAY 3 & 3xs on DAY 5
DAY 2: 30-60 min cardio session & yoga/ Pilate’s series of your choice
DAY 3: SWEAT BURNER– cardio/ strength/ core circuit
Perform each circuit listed 2 SETS.
DAY 4: 30-60 min cardio session & yoga/ Pilate’s series of your choice
DAY 5: SWEAT BURNER– cardio/ strength/ core circuit
Perform each circuit listed 3 SETS.
DAY 6:
Optional workout: 30-60 min cardio session & yoga/ Pilate’s series of your choice
*Make different from other days. (ex: take a class, video, be creative)
DAY 7: REST
NOTE: Check out the video to see how these exercises are performed.
Be sure to spend a few minutes stretching post workouts. This will help to recover your muscles and to prevent injury.
Stay tuned for week 6’s ‘Holiday Heat’ workout designed to increase your energy while conditioning and shaping your body during the pre-holiday festivities.
Best Always,
Maria
http://www.groovysweat.com.com (website)
http://www.groovysweatstore.com (purchasable workout videos)
http://www.youtube.com/groovysweat (workout clips)
