Email to a friendBeat holiday weight gain
Don't be a slave to the holiday buffet. Use these six, time efficient workouts to power through the gluttony and head into 2009 as lean as ever
December 1, 2008
This month, there is a red flag warning in effect for those of you out there that like to keep fit year round. The holiday tradition of consuming in excess, which kicked off with Thanksgiving Thursday, puts your physique is in the crosshairs. Plus, with the seasonal parties and shopping underway, it's going to be tough to keep up unless you find ways to make the most of your time.
Luckily, 20 minutes is all you need when your day proves hectic. What follows are three cardio routines, each guaranteed to burn 300 calories (based on a 145-pound female), designed by Jeramie R. Hinojosa, MS, senior clinical exercise specialist at East Texas Medical Center Olympic Center in Tyler, Texas. Each can be done in the confines of your neighborhood gym or even at home with basic equipment.
"For those short on time, increasing exercise intensity with these 20-minute power bouts is an effective way to burn more calories in a short period," Hinojosa says. "Your exercise session will be more efficient and your metabolism will stay elevated long after you're done exercising."
Twenty minutes - that's all it takes for a 300-calorie-burning, fat-blasting cardio workout. So just choose carefully at the table this Thursday and beyond - you should be just fine come 2009.
Interval Program No. 1 Equipment: Treadmill This 20-minute jaunt keeps your actual running speed constant (outside of the warm-up and cool-down), but alters the grade of incline to produce two separate gradual climbs that are six minutes in duration. The steepest, most intense part of each climb (6% incline) is also the shortest (one minute).
Equipment: Treadmill
Here's a more gradual climb, offering one-minute plateaus between each interval. The workout peaks in the middle with one minute at an 8% incline before returning to longer, less steep climbs in the second half.
Equipment: Exercise mat, flat bench
This military-inspired workout may be bare-bones, but it's as effective a form of cardio as any machine can provide. Execute each exercise at a pace that elicits the corresponding PE (perceived exertion). Move immedi-ately from one exercise to the next, or rest a few seconds between exercises if necessary by marching in place - just don't stop moving.
2 Start in a lunge position, then jump and switch your feet in the air, landing in the lunge position with your feet in the opposite position.
3 Step up and down on a 10-12-inch step, alternating feet.
4 Support yourself on your forearms, fists (pinky side down) and toes, keeping your body rigid and straight.
5 Jump from side to side, landing on one foot and swinging your arms with each jump like a speed skater.
6 Jump straight up in the air as high as you can, bringing your arms overhead on the leap and landing in a squat position.
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Luckily, 20 minutes is all you need when your day proves hectic. What follows are three cardio routines, each guaranteed to burn 300 calories (based on a 145-pound female), designed by Jeramie R. Hinojosa, MS, senior clinical exercise specialist at East Texas Medical Center Olympic Center in Tyler, Texas. Each can be done in the confines of your neighborhood gym or even at home with basic equipment.
"For those short on time, increasing exercise intensity with these 20-minute power bouts is an effective way to burn more calories in a short period," Hinojosa says. "Your exercise session will be more efficient and your metabolism will stay elevated long after you're done exercising."
Twenty minutes - that's all it takes for a 300-calorie-burning, fat-blasting cardio workout. So just choose carefully at the table this Thursday and beyond - you should be just fine come 2009.
Interval Program No. 1 Equipment: Treadmill This 20-minute jaunt keeps your actual running speed constant (outside of the warm-up and cool-down), but alters the grade of incline to produce two separate gradual climbs that are six minutes in duration. The steepest, most intense part of each climb (6% incline) is also the shortest (one minute).
SPEED INCLINE (%) TIME (MIN.) 6.5 0 3 7 2 3 7 4 2 7 6 1 7 0 1 7 2 3 7 4 2 7 6 1 7 1 1 6.5 0 3Interval Program No. 2
Equipment: Treadmill
Here's a more gradual climb, offering one-minute plateaus between each interval. The workout peaks in the middle with one minute at an 8% incline before returning to longer, less steep climbs in the second half.
SPEED INCLINE (%) TIME (MIN.) 6.5 0 2 7 3 3 7 0 1 7 5 2 7 0 1 7 8 1 7 0 1 7 5 2 7 0 1 7 3 3 7 0 1 6.5 0 2Boot-Camp Blitz
Equipment: Exercise mat, flat bench
This military-inspired workout may be bare-bones, but it's as effective a form of cardio as any machine can provide. Execute each exercise at a pace that elicits the corresponding PE (perceived exertion). Move immedi-ately from one exercise to the next, or rest a few seconds between exercises if necessary by marching in place - just don't stop moving.
EXERCISE TIME (MIN.) PE March in Place (warm-up) 3 2 High March in Place 1 5 Glute Kick 1 6 Jog in Place 1 5 High March in Place 1 6 Push-Up 1 7 Squat Thrust1 1 6 Crunch 1 7 Split Jump2 1 6 Step-Up3 1 5 March in Place 1 4 Plank4 30 sec. 5 Skater's Step5 1 7 Reverse Crunch 1 5 Side Lunge 1 5 Plank4 30 sec. 5 Squat Jump6 1 8 March in Place (cool-down) 2 31 With feet together, squat down and put your hands on the floor outside your feet. Keeping your hands on the floor, jump your feet behind you to a push-up position. Jump your feet back between your hands and stand up.
2 Start in a lunge position, then jump and switch your feet in the air, landing in the lunge position with your feet in the opposite position.
3 Step up and down on a 10-12-inch step, alternating feet.
4 Support yourself on your forearms, fists (pinky side down) and toes, keeping your body rigid and straight.
5 Jump from side to side, landing on one foot and swinging your arms with each jump like a speed skater.
6 Jump straight up in the air as high as you can, bringing your arms overhead on the leap and landing in a squat position.
RELATED ARTICLES:
30 MINUTES AND DONE
MORE SMASH HITS
TANK TOP BOOT CAMP
