It doesn't matter whether you're going to be celebrating in Times Square, Las Vegas, Sydney or Maui — you're going to want to look your very best to bring in the new year. We've only got five weeks, so we've got to get to it.
But I'm also aware of the fact that we're heading into the holiday season, and most of you are going to struggle to try and fit in your workouts on top of all the parties and shopping and other commitments. So the workout I'm designing is going to focus on getting results in the most time-efficient manner.
Your cardio workouts are going to be short but intense. You'll be working out for only 20 minutes, but I'd like you to focus on hitting an intensity that is quite a bit higher than you'd normally train. If we're going to reduce the duration of your workouts, you've got to pick up the intensity and go hard.
Your muscle-conditioning segments are going to involve movements that combine lower body and upper body exercises; so again, we can be more efficient and get the desired results in a shorter period of time.
By the end of the five-week period, each of your workouts should take no longer than 45-60 minutes and will include a warm-up, cardio, muscle-conditioning segment and cool-down stretch.
Start with a short, easy 5-minute warm-up. Then begin your 20-minute cardio segment involving any activity of your choice like running, walking, cycling, or stair climbing. Start with 4.5 minutes at a moderate pace and then for 30 seconds, pick up the pace and perform a high-intensity interval. Perform this set four times for a 20-minute workout. Do this workout three times this week on alternating days.
Forward hinge + bent row: Perform 8-12 reps for one set.
Chest press + leg lifts: Perform 8-10 times on each leg for a total of 16-20 reps for one set.
Side-lying abdominal stabilization: Hold for five seconds and do this five times on each side.
Want more tips on staying fit over the holidays? Read this blog post on holiday fat-buster ideas that I wrote last year at this time!