Are you enjoying the promise of summer in Adelaide? Have you started to attend a few extra barbeques and ‘Christmas’ parties already?! I certainly feel like the social calendar is getting busier, and so the demand for time is increasing. So I’d like to share with you my strategy for exercises to burn more calories over christmas!
Increased Strength Training to grow the ‘metabolic engine’ and burn more calories
This year I have increased my training both on the bike and in the gym in preparation for my next big cycling challenge, which is going to require much larger amounts of strength than my last (bike ride from Melbourne to Adelaide!). One of the side benefits of this extra strength training has been greater muscle mass, which I have certainly felt has helped my capacity to absorb some of those extra calories that I have eaten at the extra social events!
I feel like at this time of year we face an interesting conundrum, where on one hand the desire to get in shape for summer is matched by the gathering momentum of parties around us! So I have two thoughts for you to help you succeed this summer:
Structure your exercises to burn more calories over Christmas
There’s no question that the best way to avoid an expanding waistline is to a) limit caloric intake, b) eat wholesome foods, c) do the right types of exercise. But lets be realistic, ‘a’ & ‘b’ are particularly hard to do during the silly season (but not impossible, and a blog is coming up soon about this!), so ‘c’ can be a great way to shift the needle in the right direction. The key, considering the reduced amount of time we have because of all this socialising (!) is to be efficient. This means lifting as heavy as you can and exercising at the greatest intensity you can. Both of these strategies will ensure the best return for your time. My favourite work-out at the moment is alternating heavy deadlifts with push ups. This combination results in pretty much every muscle in my body being worked with just two exercises. Due to the very different nature of these exercises, I can back them up and do quite a few sets of each in a short period of time.
There are many different combinations you could do, but as a rule of thumb, focus on exercises that target large muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, pressing movements like push-ups, and pulling movements like chin ups or rows.
Partner an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise, so that while you are doing one, you are resting the other body part. And if you don’t have access to weights, then alternating a body-weight lower body exercise (such as squats or lunges) with some push ups (for example) will do the trick!
I’m reading an interesting book (by Sonia Arrison) at the moment that explores the health changes we need to make to ensure we live an extended, and healthy, life. A quote from the book really jumped out at me and I’d like to share it with you:
“We cannot (or should not) outsource our own lives. In whatever capacity we can – as intellectuals, scientists investors, voters, cultural leaders – we must take ownership of the future. In order to win, we must fight! We are not mere spectators.”
What stood out to me from this quote is that at the end of the day we have to take a front step to change our situation. There’s no question that our environment, and in fact society, make it difficult for us to remain healthy, especially this time of year. So we have to make a choice to resist that momentum around us! My follow up blog to this one covers a process that will help you approach the festivities in a way that will see you succeed and avoid the extra calories in the first place!
Our commitment is to help and support you with that, so don’t hesitate to contact us!
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