Perform this quick but intense 25-minute holiday damage control workout to burn off those excess calories.
25-Minute Damage Control Routine to Blast Holiday Fats
Pillar Position Definition: It’s a push-up position where you place your forearms flat on the ground instead of your hands.
The Best After-Holiday Workout Routine
After a holiday dinner party, all you can think about is how much junk you ate the night before. Instead of wallowing in sadness, get off your ass and bust out some post-holiday workout exercises.
This damage control routine will help you burn the majority of the excess calories, fats, and carbs you ate over the holidays. Instead of storing them as fat and blubber, the body will use these nutrients as a potent energy source.
You’ll perform each exercise for 20 seconds with a 10-second rest in between each move. After finishing the circuit, take a one-minute breather before going through the circuit four more times for a total of five sets.
Step 1: Bust Out Some Split Squats
Split squats are great compound exercises that work the different muscle groups. They’ll target the post-holiday fats in your thighs, calves, and even abs.
How to:
- Stand upright with your arms at your sides.
- Step your right foot about two feet forward, then lower your body down until your left knee is only inches away from the floor.
- Make sure your back foot’s heel is hovering above the ground and your lead foot’s knee bends at a 90-degree angle.
- From there, drive your feet through the ground to push your body up. Repeat everything for 10 seconds before shifting to your other leg.
Step 2: Set Your Legs on Fire with Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are explosive exercises that engage all your lower body muscle groups. It’s a great move to help burn those after-holiday fats you accumulated.
How to:
- Stand upright and place your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees to go down to a half squat position while bringing your arms down to your crotch area.
- From there, do a vertical jump as high as you can while throwing your arms out in the air.
- Land with a shoulder-width apart foot stance then repeat for 20 seconds straight.
Step 3: Strengthen Your Quads and Hammies with the Sumo Squat Pulse
The sumo squat pulse is a great exercise to strengthen your thighs. The goal of this move is to flex and contract your muscles each time your body moves up and down.
Also, don’t go all the way down or up when you perform a rep. Stop at the right moment when your thighs fully contract.
How to:
- Stand upright with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees a bit and clasp your hands in front of you.
- Lower your body down just before your thighs become parallel to the floor.
- Flex your muscles then push your body up a bit. Stop just before your knees fully extend.
- Perform as many high-quality reps as you can in 20 seconds.
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Step 4: Explode with Some Alternating Plyo Lunges
Alternating plyo lunges are explosive exercises that work every single muscle group in your lower body. They strengthen your calves and thighs while sculpting a solid pair of glutes. It’s also a HIIT move that helps lower your overall body fat percentage.
How to:
- Stand upright with your right foot about two feet in front of your left foot.
- Lunge down until your front foot’s thigh is parallel to the floor.
- From there, jump up as high as you can and switch your left and right foot with each other.
- Do everything from the top while switching your front and back leg every time you jump.
- Perform as many as your legs can in 20 seconds.
Step 5: Sculpt Your Legs and Abs with Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are great high-intensity exercises that shape your abs, improve endurance, and strengthen leg muscles. The goal here is to perform each exercise as swiftly and accurately as you can.
How to:
- Start in a pillar position with your legs extended behind you.
- Keeping your back straight, bring your right knee toward your right elbow.
- Next, kick your right foot back while simultaneously pulling your left knee in toward your left elbow.
- Perform this movement as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
Step 6: Strengthen Your Core with Some Up-and-Down Planks
No damage control workout routine is complete without some core-strengthening plank exercises. If you’re sick of doing the same old plank every day, then this is for you.
It’s a belly fat-trimming, core-strengthening move that engages every abdominal muscle. The goal here is to contract your ab muscles all throughout the exercise.
How to:
- Start in a push-up position with your legs extended behind you.
- Keeping your back straight, lift your right hand and place your forearm flat on the ground.
- Do the same with your other arm to assume a pillar position.
- Next, lift your left arm and plant your left hand on the ground. Do the same with your other hand to lift yourself back to a push-up position.
- Alternate between your arms and perform as many reps as possible in 20 seconds.
Tip: Are regular up-and-down planks too easy for you? Challenge yourself by using a pair of resistance bands.
Step 7: Blast Belly Fat with Jackknife Sit-Ups
To sculpt a solid six-pack, you need to bust a few high-quality crunches. Instead of regular crunches and sit-ups, opt to squeeze out some fat-burning jackknife sit-ups instead.
These are ab-sculpting moves that target your upper, middle, and lower abs. A few of these jackknife sit-ups is exactly what you need to sculpt a rock-hard six-pack.
How to:
- Lie flat on the ground with your arms extended above your head.
- Keeping your legs together, lift your limbs off the ground toward each other by crunching your ab muscles.
- Your hands should reach your shins at the top to form a V shape.
- Lower your limbs back down to the ground.
- Do as many reps as your abs can for 20 seconds.
Step 8: Target Your Love Handles with Some High-Knee Raises
The last move in our damage control circuit is the high-knee raise. It’s a full-body workout to blast overall body fat. It’s the perfect routine to burn off that extra slice of pie you had last night.
Try to do this move as swiftly and accurately as you can. Propel your legs up with each rep; don’t just drag them.
How to:
- Bend both your elbows around waist level so your forearms are parallel to the floor.
- Next, lift your right foot off the floor to bring your knee up to your right hand.
- While your right foot is going back down, simultaneously lift your left foot off the ground.
- Alternate between your left and right foot as fast as your legs can handle for 20 seconds.
Take EVERTRAIN PRE before your workout for sustained energy, superior focus, and increased endurance:
It should take you about 25 minutes to go through this circuit five times. The key here is to perform each exercise explosively without sacrificing quality.
While this may offset a few of your excess holiday calories, the best way to avoid gaining weight is to watch what you eat. Combine healthy food options with regular exercise and you might be able to avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain.
What do you think of this damage control workout routine? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
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