Total Gym’s Stay In Shape Over The Holiday Workout Series: Week 3 – Tone Zone



Tone Zone Video

 Keep Your Figure This Holiday Season

 

Sticking to a fitness routine around the holidays can be challenging.  Schedules become busy and time seems to pass quickly each day.  It’s always good to set expectations for yourself when you may be surrounded by tempting treats, festive foods, and family/ friend gatherings. Rather than not partaking and enjoying the moment, you can learn how to make better choices for yourself without overindulging!

 

6 Healthy Tips To Remember During Your Holiday Meals

 

Here are some healthy tips and fitness strategies that will help you maintain your physique during the season!

 

  1. Plan A Workout Before A Party Or A Big Meal:

Your metabolism will be heightened and you will effectively be burning the little “indulgences” at the event!  You will feel less guilty for the hard work you put in before hand.

 

  1. Eat Slowly:

Try to enjoy what you are about to put in your mouth before you go to grab another serving. It also takes about 20 minutes for your body to know it’s actually full, therefore, by eating slower, you will consume less calories and may just enjoy it more!

 

  1. Pleasure To The Senses:

The sight, smell, and taste of food signals brain chemicals to have pleasure. Typically, the first bite is the best, but the more you have the less pleasure you will receive. So take A BITE at the pleasure of 10% the calories knowing you don’t have to finish it all.

 

  1. Bring A “Healthy” Dish To A Party:

It’s always a great idea to bring something you enjoy and is a healthier option incase there are slim healthy options to munch on! A great example could be sliced cucumbers, celery, and carrots with homemade hummus or guacamole!

 

  1. Modify Recipes:

Making a modification to your favorite recipes can make the dish healthier and tastier!  If you bake, you may use egg whites instead of the whole egg, applesauce instead of oil, or coconut flour instead of wheat flour!  Pinterest has some great recipes modifications and ideas to check out for your next party!

 

  1. Sneaky Bev’s:

Festive drinks can be tasty and fun to try, but be careful with the extra alcohol calories and sugars they contain. Rather than gulping down some bubbly or beer, try a less caloric drink like vodka (Tito’s) and a fun flavored soda water (LeCroix has some excellent flavors)!

 

Now that you have some healthy tips and fitness strategies to try at your upcoming events, let’s go over this week’s ‘Tone Zone” Workout!

 

Holiday Workout Plan- Week 3

 

This is the 3rd week of the holiday program; so if you’re just joining in now, please refer back to the first blog of the series to get the full program details! I recommend printing or saving the 8-week schedule to your phone/iPad for an easy reference plan.

 

This week focuses on exercises that ‘Tone the Zone’ at a moderate pace.  You will perform:

  • 3 Strength days (lower body/ core, upper body/ core, TB Combination)
  • 2 days cardio (1 shorter 15-30, 1 longer 30-50)
  • 2-3 days stretch/ yoga/ Pilates of your choice (take a class/ video/ YouTube)

 

Listed below are the holiday goals as a reminder and week-3’s new exercises.

 

Holiday Goals:

  1. Stay fit & active over the holiday’s
  1. Stay committed & disciplined
  1. Remain stress-free
  1. Enjoy the festivities but do not over indulge

 

Week 3: Tone Zone – The Workout & Weekly Schedule:

Strength & Core Circuits

– Perform each exercise listed one after the other with no rest.
– Use a dynamic warm-up of your choice for each workout.
– Low-medium level
– 10 reps, 2-3x sets

Warm-Up: On floor

Choose 6 ‘dynamic warm-up’ exercises from weeks 1 &/or 2.

Day 1: Lower Body & Core Strength Circuit

1. Lateral Lunge Pulses
2. Step Up/ Outer Thigh
3. Reverse Crunch Twist
4. Prone Leg Taps/ Back Extension
5. Bridge Presses
6. Crunch & Press

Repeat Circuit 2-3x!
Day 2

Cardio session (15-30 min) of your choice
Stretch/ yoga/ Pilates of your choice

Day 3: Upper Body & Core Strength Circuit

(Pull-up bar & Cables needed)
7. Forearm Plank Slides
8. Pull-Ups
9. Straight Leg Lifts
10. Kneeling V & T
11. Lateral Raise Crunch
12. Back Extension Sweeps

Repeat Circuit 2-3x!
Day 4:

Cardio session (30-50 min) of your choice
Stretch/ Yoga/ Pilates of your choice

Day 5: Full Upper/ Lower/ Core strength circuit

Perform all exercises (1-12) in circuit format with no rest.

REPEAT CIRCUIT 2x!
Day 6:

Stretch/ yoga/ Pilates of your choice

Day 7:

REST

NOTE: Check out the video to view the strength exercises and the performance order.

 

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 4’s “Sweat Slimmer”.

Good luck always and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Best,

Maria

http://www.groovysweatstore.com (purchasable workout videos)

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Maria Sollon

Maria Sollon Scally MS, CSCS holds a Master’s Degree in Performance Enhancement/Injury Prevention and Kinesiology. She has obtained numerous certifications in various areas of fitness and is a national conference presenter. Maria specializes in Pilates, Performance Coaching, and Corrective Exercise Techniques and Kettlebells. She is the creator of the Plyo Pilates Method and has developed a series of amazing workout DVDs. She is a Master Trainer for Total Gym, Resist-a-Ball, Body Blade, Peak Pilates, Kettle Bell Concepts and is a freelance writer for Fitness accredited magazines, newsletters, and fitness blog sites. Maria demonstrates her knowledge each day and uses her dynamic creativity throughout her specialized line of work. http://www.groovysweat.com http://www.groovysweatstore.com (purchasable workout videos) http://www.youtube.com/groovysweat (workout clips)

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