post holiday workout {don’t get on the treadmill, do this instead}

post holiday workout {don’t get on the treadmill, do this instead}

3 reasons why you should skip the treadmill and head straight for the weights after the holiday’s.

We are in the heart of the holiday’s and if you haven’t already had your fill of pinot noir, trail mix cookie balls and brownie bites, I hope you’re ready to indulge a bit more next week.

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But if you’re anything like me you’re already planning to hit the gym on December 26th or shortly thereafter to make amends with your holiday splurge. I mean I’ve already seen posts all over social media of a fit girl with a plate of holiday cookies and a post that reads, ‘Definitely hitting the treadmill hard tomorrow.’

This makes me want to scream — ‘NO, NO, NO! Spare yourself the pain of watching seconds tick by on the treadmill as you trudge one foot in front of the other into a steady-state cardio coma.’ Unless you love to run, then by all means run your little heart out if that’s your preferred form of exercise. I’d personally recommend throwing a couple sprints into your run {1 minute sprint + 1 minute walking/jogging recovery, repeat}. But if you’re just hitting the treadmill to burn off the extra holiday calories, then I have a much more efficient workout for you — hit the weights!

3 reasons why you should skip the treadmill and head straight for the weights after the holiday’s.

1. Loading up your plate with grandma’s extra cheesy potatoes and uncle doug’s super soft sugar cookies increases your bodies insulin and cortisol levels, and puts a lot of stress on the bodies digestive system.
2. 30 minutes plus of aerobic training {aka ‘cardio’} can actually increase stress/cortisol levels while providing the least benefits to balancing out the bodies insulin.
3. Resistance training is the best way to improve insulin sensitivity; so if you want to off-set the sweet carbohydrates you consumed, hit the weights. In other words, lift heavy weights targeting your major metabolic muscles {legs, chest, back}. So exercises like squats, lunges, pull ups and bench press are much more likely to get your body back on track than jumping the treadmill or elliptical.

The truth is, weight lifting is effective for both building muscles and burning fat.

So the moral of the story is — enjoy the holiday cookies and then lift heavy.

back squat

curtsy lunge or power curtsy lunge

sumo or plie leg press

single leg side-lying leg press

post holiday leg day workout:

1. back squat – 8-10 reps x 3-4 sets
2. weighted curtsy lunge or power curtsy lunge {I highly recommend doing the power curtsy lunge in the Smith Machine Squat Rack, especially if it’s your first time giving it a try} – 8-10 reps per leg x 3-4 sets
3. sumo or plie leg press – 8-10 reps x 3-4 sets
4. single leg side-lying leg press – 8-10 reps per leg x 3-4 sets

*if you’re looking to increase your heart rate a bit more without jumping on the treadmill, try this leg day superset workout combining heavy lifts with plyometrics.

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Original article and pictures take www.nourishmovelove.com site