The holidays are a time to celebrate with friends and family. They’re also full of social events, shopping lists, meal prep, and countless other obligations. Before you know it, your schedule is jam-packed and your stress relief – the gym – didn’t make the cut.
Without adequate planning, the holidays can blindside you. Before you know it, you’ve gone weeks without a workout and have found comfort in the endless dessert tables at your family dinners. These factors can easily, and quickly, result in unwanted weight gain. While it was easy to put on the holiday pounds, it can take weeks or even months to burn it off again.
To help you stay on track this holiday season, KAGED MUSCLE is offering you a solution with three different workouts. These workouts will enable you to maintain your training (even when you only have short time frames available to you), keep off the unwanted pounds, and not miss a single event with your loved ones.
Here are three workouts to get fit in a flash!
Workout 1: Full Body 30-Minute Circuit
This full body workout will hit every major muscle group in just 30 minutes. You will also burn plenty of calories, deplete your glycogen stores, and create the afterburn effect. The afterburn effect will have you burning calories for hours after you’re done sweating – even when you’re at your in-laws house indulging in Christmas cake.
Additionally, research has shown that this type of training can boost growth hormone production by 200-300%. Growth hormone is responsible for the creating new tissue, burning more calories, and most importantly, altering how you partition and utilize your nutrients. What does this mean? You’ll use more of your calories as fuel for muscle growth and less will be stored as fat.
To attain these benefits, you’ll need to do these circuits with intensity. Keep your heart rate high, use challenging weights, and get ready to sweat.
Circuit A: 15 Minutes
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Exercise
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Pair
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Sets/Rounds
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Reps
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Rest
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Dumbbell Chest Press
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1a
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3
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12
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None
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Dumbbell Goblet Squat
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1b
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3
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20
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Pull Ups
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1c
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3
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To Failure
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Stiff-legged Dumbbell Deadlift
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1d
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3
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10
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Directions: Move quickly from one exercise to the next, without resting between sets. After completing all four exercises, rest for 2 minutes. Repeat the circuit for a total of 3 rounds, rest for 2 minutes and then move onto Circuit B.
Circuit B: 15 Minutes
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Exercise
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Pair
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Sets/Rounds
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Reps
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Rest
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Deadlift
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1a
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3
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8
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None
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Dumbbell Bicep Curls
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1b
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3
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10-12
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Tricep Press Up / Bench Press
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1c
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3
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To Failure
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Dumbbell Walking Lunges
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1d
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3
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12 per leg
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Workout 2: Kettlebell Death Circuit
This kettlebell circuit will burn the lower body and core. It’s a great workout to use if you need to train at home or have limited equipment.
Modification: if you don’t have access to a kettlebell, you can use dumbbells. Replace the goblet squat with dumbbell front squats, and do dumbbell deadlifts to target the posterior chain in place of kettlebell swings.
25 Minutes
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Exercise
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Pair*
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Sets/Rounds
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Reps
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Rest**
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KB Goblet Squat
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1a
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10
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20
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None
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KB Swings
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1b
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10
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20
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Directions: Complete both exercises back to back, then rest for 30 seconds. This combination will place a large amount of stress on the lower body so you may need to start with a slightly lighter weight than normal. If you find that your lower back is fatiguing before everything else, add in longer rest periods.
Workout 3: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT has been scientifically proven to be the most effective workout principle in the world on a time for time basis. In fact, many studies have shown that it can provide similar, if not better, results than a 30 – 60 minute cardio session in just 10 - 20% of the time.
HIIT is extremely unique in its ability to alter the cellular function of your mitochondria, which work as the engine in the human body. For this reason, HIIT basically ignites your metabolism for up to 48 hours, so you continue to burn calories and will utilize your food more efficiently (storing less fat), exactly what we need during the holiday period.
Including this workout, three times per week will noticeably reduce the stressful effects of the holiday period. Plus, it only requires a total of 90 minutes per week, and can even be executed at home or outdoors.
Here are three different HIIT protocols you can do in less than 30 minutes.
Workout A: 30 minutes
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Time
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Warm Up: 5 minutes / Work: 20 Minutes HIIT / Cool down: 5 minutes
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Work options
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Bike, running, rower, elliptical, prowler, battle rope slams
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Protocol
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20 x 20 second sprints, 40 seconds full rest between sets
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Workout B: 30 minutes
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Time
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Warm Up: 5 minutes / Work: 20 Minutes HIIT / Cool down: 5 minutes
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Work options
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Bike, running, rower, elliptical, prowler, battle rope slams
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|
Protocol
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10 x 60 second sprints, 60 seconds full rest between sets
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Workout C: 20 minutes
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Time
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Warm Up: 5 minutes / Work: 10 Minutes HIIT / Cool down: 5 minutes
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|
Work options
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Bike, running, rower, elliptical, prowler, battle rope slams
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|
Protocol
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20 x 20-second sprints, 10 seconds full rest between sets
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Print out these workouts to have on-hand over the holidays. Set time aside each day to be active, using one of these fit in a flash solutions to get your heart pumping and muscles active. Taking the time to workout throughout the holidays will have both physical and mental benefits. Physically, you’ll burn calories and rev up your metabolism. Mentally, it’s time for you to do something you enjoy, which relieves any stress you may be experiencing from the demands of the holidays. Keep your health in mind so you can thoroughly enjoy the time you spend with friends and family.
