From: Xpress Fitness
As you get prepared for your Thanksgiving holiday, it’s going to be important that you make sure not to let your workout fall by the wayside. There’s no question that you’ll likely take in a few more calories than you ideally would with your usual diet plan during this meal, even if you are making healthier choices. But, by performing a good workout session the day before, the day of and the day after, you can reduce the impacts this meal has on your overall physique.
Choose your approach. Cardio, strength or intervals?
The key to coming out of Thanksgiving without an ounce of weight gain is making sure you plan for it carefully. Try this strategy for the three days surrounding the meal. You should perform a longer duration cardio session to really boost your overall calorie burn leading up to the meal, then perform a higher rep strength training workout to deplete the muscle glycogen levels and provide a calorie ‘sink’ for the coming meal to go into, and then follow that up the day after with an interval training session that will boost the metabolic rate to help burn off any of the left-over calories that you may have taken in.
By using this strategy you can eliminate chances of unwanted body fat gain or put the calories to good use if you are wanting to gain some size.
Let’s have a look at two of the workout methods mentioned so you can get your game plan in gear for the holiday of feasting.
Cardio
Since many of you may be traveling over to relatives for the holiday, you may not have access to your normal gym cardio equipment. As such, you’re likely only left with a few options.
Going out for a long run tops the list of choices as this is not only going to be easy equipment-wise, but it’s also great for your total calorie burn. Since running does get the heart rate up higher and is one of the best forms of cardio in terms of how much energy you utilize, this makes it rank right at the top of what you could choose to do.
If running isn’t an option – either because of injury or because you simply dislike it, then going for a long walk is another method that you could consider. Get the whole family (or whomever you’re sharing the holiday with) involved as walking is something that almost anyone – fit or unfit can do.
Strength training.
Hit the weights, especially on the day that Thanksgiving hits, you’ll want to perform a strength training utilizing higher rep training with shorter rest periods. This is going to help to deplete the muscle glycogen in the muscle so that when you do eat your Thanksgiving meal, you can intake a higher level of carbohydrates without having them spill over into the body fat stores.
We recommend a full body workout to maximize the calorie burn during the workout as well as after and to get those muscles hungry for more carbs.
Note: This process works most effectively for high volume weight lifters and those bulking to add more size. It will be best if you can focus on the lowest fat, highest carbohydrate foods at the Thanksgiving table.