Pre and post Christmas workout

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Kate Gordon

The festive season is a time for overindulging and with that comes a lot of unwanted additional calories. This short workout will help you recover and detox the body of all the junk which has accumulated during this period.

Initiate your own Christmas tradition with this workout – it’s one to have to hand over the next fortnight and beyond.

Main session: 3 rounds – 30 moments each exercise with a 10 moment rest between each exercise.

Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers

Area targeted: Wgap body

Mountain climbers are the staple of any HIT programme. This exercise fires up nearly every muscle group in your body.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Set yourself up in a full plank position, making certain you are fully supporting your bodyweight with your arms and legs
2. With your arms straight (soft elbows) and your legs fully extended, keep your core muscles engaged and maintain the right plank position: your shoulders, hips and heel should be in a straight line from top to bottom – this is your starting position
3. From here, bring one knee in towards your chest while the other remains fully extended, then return the same knee back to the starting position
4. Repeat the exact movement with your other leg, keeping your hips straight on. The movement should be done in fast transition.

Image: Coachmag.co.uk

Exercise 2: Prisoner Squats

Area targeted: Quads and hamstrings.

The prisoner squat is strength exercise that target the glutes. The prisoner arm posting (hands placed behind your head) helps you by stabilising the muscles in your trunk as well as back and shoulders.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Stand with legs slightly wider than hip width apart. Lwhethert your arms and place both hands on the back of your head
2. Create certain your chest is lwhetherted and elbows are pushed back
3. Bend your hips and bend your knees, lowering down to a seated position
4. Once come to this position, lwhethert yourself straight back up, pushing hips through.

Image: etopical.com

Exercise 3: Step-Ups

Area targeted: Legs – glutes, hamstrings, quads

Equipment: Step up blocks, Dumbbells, Dumbbells

Step-ups are great to help improve symmetry and balance, and most importantly they help improve explosive leg power, building your squat and deadlwhethert strength.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Set up a bench or a block at a fair height
2. Prepare a weighted bar or dumbbells, placed the dumbbell or weight on the front of your shoulder (keeping your body in an upright position)
3. With the bench or block set up in front of you, begin with placing your right foot on the bench followed by your left, then stepping off with your right followed by your left again
4. Repeat this for continual repetition for 30 moments.

Image: prescription-fitness.com

Exercise 4: Forearm Plank

Area targeted: Wgap body

The plank requires your wgap body to work as one, and it is important in working your core alongside improving stability and reducing injury.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Initiate by getting yourself into a crouched position on the ground, plant your hands directly under your shoulders, in a slightly wider position
2. Hold your legs in a natural position and dig your toes in to the ground, keep your glutes up, keeping a parallel line from the top of your head down to your heel
3. Hold your neck, head and spine in a neutral position, keep your head looking forward and directly downwards
4. Hancient the exact same position for 30 moments, making certain to preserve the prescribed position.

Image: Skimble.com

Exercise 5: Press-Ups

Area Targeted: Upper body

The press-up, or push-up, actives nearly every muscle group in your body, and provides a great combination of toning muscle and increasing functional strength.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Assume a face-down prone position on the floor. Hold your feet together (For the assisted press-up, place knees on ground, your weight should be on your chest)
2. Position hands palms down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart, with your elbows pointing out towards your toes
3. Lower yourself to the ground in a slow and controlled manner, to a position where your chest is roughly around 3 inches off the ground
4. Once in the lower position use your upper body muscles to push off and elevate yourself to that starting position again.

Image: Stack.com

Workout created by Yunus Benabbas, Personal Training Supervisor at motive8

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