The Turkey Burner: A THANKSGIVING DAY WORKOUT!
The typical Thanksgiving feast is high in calories, especially for those partaking in the time-honored American tradition of eating oneself into a holiday food coma. On the high end of estimates, Thanksgiving dinner can total about 4,500 calories, which would equate to: 7.7 hours of running, 10.3 hours of hiking, or 15 hours of cycling. While you can’t simply work off calories, you can work to keep a sense of routine with your fitness on Thanksgiving day to keep your health a priority.
Themed-workouts are always an awesome way to maintain the holiday spirit. So this Thanksgiving day, work up your appetite with the Turkey Burner before you indulge! This workout combines bursts of cardio and good old-fashioned strength training with a Thanksgiving twist. By doing this intense workout before Thanksgiving dinner, you'll create a huge metabolic demand and ensure that your calories will go toward replenishing your energy stores, stopping muscle damage, and fueling muscle repair and growth.
All you will need is a yoga mat, a jump rope, dumbbells or a kettlebell, and a can do attitude! Do each exercise below once for 40 seconds on 20 seconds off in a circuit. Go through this circuit 3-4 times. It is under 30 minutes so you can easily fit it into your day. Ready, set, gobble gobble!
Turkey Feather Flappers (Jumping Jacks)
Start standing with your feet together and arms at your sides. Jump your feet out past shoulder-width. As you jump your feet out, make a half circle with your arms, bringing them out to side and then up overhead. Jump your feet back in and bring arms back down to your side.
Goblet Gobblers (Goblet Squats)
Stand with feet about hip width apart. Hold a medium-weight (dumbbell or kettlebell) in close to the chest with both hands like a goblet. Send your hips back and drop down into a squat as low as you can go, keeping your torso upright and knees pointed out. You don’t have to stop at 90 degrees if you have the mobility to drop down further.
Timed Turkey Trot (Sprints)
Find a long stretch outside or hop on a treadmill. Run as fast as possible for the full 40 seconds.
Wing Workers (Bicep Curls)
Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides. Hold a light-weight dumbbell in each hand, palms facing away from you. Bend at the elbows and slowly curl the weights up toward your shoulders. With a slow and controlled motion, curl the weights back down to starting position.
Harvest Hops (Jump Rope)
Hold each handle of jump rope at about hip height, with the hands close in to the body. Swing the rope around and jump over it, keeping the legs straight and the hands in the same position. No jump rope? Try squat jumps to get your heart rate up.
Planksgivings (Planks)
Get into a plank position on your forearms, insuring your elbows are directly under your shoulders. Keep the hips in line with the torso, engage the core and hold. If this gets difficult, you can drop to your knees or raise up onto your hands.
Pilgrim Popups (Burpees)
Start standing with feet hip-width apart. Jump or step feet back and drop your hands under your shoulders (so you land in a plank position). Jump your feet back in and hop back up to stand, clapping your hands overhead as you do so.
In addition, a second holiday inspired metabolic workout aptly named the Turkey Throwdown can be found on our Instagram @successstudiofitness if you’d like demos to follow along to!
While a morning workout can help you burn off a few extra calories, it will not 'cancel out' your Thanksgiving feast. It is also important to keep in mind that one bad meal won't ruin your overall health, just like how one good meal won't magically make you achieve your fitness goals. It's about consistency and having a long-spanning healthy diet throughout the year. So if you want to skip your Thanksgiving Day workout, that’s fine, too. Taking a day off from your workout routine to spend time with family and friends will not wreak havoc on your health.
P.s. Holiday Sweat-ers if you complete this workout or the Turkey Throwdown, send us a sweaty selfie to info@successstudiopt.com or tag us on social media for +5 extra sweater points.