Be Well Workout of the Week: Pre-Thanksgiving Calorie Crusher
Let’s face it: We are all about to eat a lot this week. Even if you stick to your healthy plan, there are bound to be a few indulgences coming your way over the Thanksgiving holiday. So, let’s burn some of those calories in advance and make room for extra stuffing, shall we?
You’ll need some space (about 20 meters to do exercises like walking lunges and sprints) and a set of weights for this workout. First, you’re going to perform a variety of movements across the space, then you’ll do a circuit of exercises with your weights, and then some sprints. You will end up doing the entire circuit five times and the only thing that will change throughout is the number of sprints you do each round. You’ll begin with five sprints up and back for the first round, then four for the second round, three for the third round, and so on. Good luck!
Be Well Workout of the Week: Pre-Thanksgiving Calorie Crusher
Instructions: Complete this entire circuit 5 times; decrease number of sprints by 1 each round
• Do exercises out and back
Lunge walks
Burpee squat jumps
Lateral shuffle
Ski jumpers
Army crawl
• Weight Circuit
10 squat with overhead press
10 bent-over row
10 alternating toe-tap reaches (10 on each side)
10 push-ups with side steps (5 to the right, 5 to the left)
• Sprints (up and back equals one): Start with 5 up-and-back sprints the first round, then decrease by 1 each round.
Explanations of exercises:
Click links for how-to videos.
Lunge walks: Start standing with feet together and step forward with the left foot into a lunge, bending knee to about 90 degrees. Return to standing, then step forward with the right foot, until your leg forms a 90 degree angle. Repeat as you walk forward.
Burpee squat jumps: Do a burpee. When you return to standing, drop down into a squat and jump as far as you can forward. Then do another burpee.
Lateral shuffle: Standing with your feet hip-width apart and your legs slightly bent, shuffle to the left side, the shuffle back to the right. Repeat.
Ski jumpers: Start in a skier’s stance (like a squat, but bent forward at the waist slightly). Using your arms for momentum, jump up, forward and to the left, landing on both feet. Jump to the right. Repeat.
Army crawl: Start in a plank position on your elbows. Crawl forward and back.
Squat with overhead press: Hold free weights at your shoulders, and do a squat. As you stand back up, press the weights over your head. Return them to your shoulders as you squat back down.
Bent-over rows: Hold a dumbbell in your hand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward from the waist, keeping your spine straight and letting your hand fall forward in front of you. Pull the dumbbell back (you should feel like you’re rowing a boat), squeezing your shoulder blade. Do 10 on the left then switch and do 10 on the right. For more of a challenge, try a plank row in a push ups position with your hands on the weights).
Alternating toe-tap reaches: Lying on your back with your feet straight up toward the ceiling, crunch up, reaching the weight right weight toward your left toe, then the left weight toward your right toe.
Push-up with side step: In a push-up position with hands on weights, do a push-up, then step to the right with both your feet and hands, staying in a push-up position.
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