Christmas is the time for overeating and letting yourself go a bit. It’s the end of the year, every member of the family generally eats (and drinks) more than they should. So to get in shape before the holidays, you have to work for it. For the upper body, we will be focusing on classic weight training and your muscles will be ready for the masses of turkey that you’re going to eat during the celebrations. By doing this workout, you’ll still be able to enjoy all the festive food you want without feeling too guilty.
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Upper body Christmas program
1. Bench presses: 10-12 reps
Focus: Pectorals and triceps
Tip: Make sure to tense your pecs whilst pushing the bar or weights up
2. Shoulder presses with dumbbells: 10-12 reps
Focus: Shoulders
Tip: Try not to let your elbows drop below shoulder height.
3. One-arm dumbbell row: 10-12 reps
Focus: Back
Tip: Try to stay straight and flat, don’t arch your back while performing this exercise
4. Concentration curl: 10-12 reps
Focus: Biceps
Tip: Your body should be kept still and rigid during this exercise, only your biceps should be working
5. Three-part ab finisher: 20 seconds per position
Focus: Abs
Tip: Perfect for finishing your workout
Coaches tip: Try to work with quite heavy weights, aim for 65% of your maximum load.
Number of sets: 2/3/4 per exercise depending on your level.
Rest: 1min30 between sets
To focus on all areas of your upper body, the two first exercises are exercises that use more than one muscle. Bench presses and shoulder presses require more than one muscle to work. Then you’ll be focusing on your biceps and back before finishing with your abs to get you sweating a bit. This workout can be done two or three times a week and is perfectly suitable for beginners as well.
Check out the video above for more tips on our special Christmas workout!
