It’s the 6.20 am on 1st February and southern England has just had a night of snowfall.
This morning for the first time ever since launching Fitter Stronger You I’ve had to cancel a live bootcamp session.
I love teaching fitness in a bootcamp style format because I make sure no two workouts are the same and try to get some fun and games in at least once each session.
Kettlebells, Boxercise, HIIT, circuits, games, team challenges – the ways people can get fit and have fun doing it are endless.
The village where I live looks absolutely breathtaking in a blanket of snow but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed that bootcamp members aren’t able to enjoy each other’s company and work out.
I too need a workout and due to the low temperatures I’m not keen on hitting my garage gym – oooh kinda ruins my tough guy bootcamp instructor image (if there is one).
Oh and if you think I’d ever run bootcamp sessions outdoors during the Winter months then YOU my friend are crazy.
So instead I’ve devised a fiendishly good home-based workout that you can do when the weather outside is frightful.
Now before you begin this workout always start with a warm up to get you ready for the main event.
Aim for about 3-5 minutes for your warm up doing one exercise after the other, 10 reps of each of the following, repeating the it three times:
- Jumping jacks (making sure to touch the hands at the top of the move)
- Body weight squats (no need to go very low, we’re just warming up)
- Slow jog on the spot (count to 10 and make sure your elbows are moving back and forth)
- Push ups (go slow and make sure the back is straight and elbows do not go out to the side)
After the warm-up and a short rest go directly to the Snow Day Workout below.
Start by setting a timer on your watch/phone/tablet for 20 minutes and perform each exercise one after the other without stopping – this counts as one circuit.
If you do need to stop to catch your breath or take a drink then stop and then carry on from where you left off.
The object is to complete as many circuits as possible within the 20 minute time frame.
Ready?
The Snow Day Workout
Perform 20 reps of each of the following exercises:
- Body weight squats
- Push ups
- Laptop bag rows* (10 reps each side)
- Calf raises
- Jumping jacks
Points to remember: with the body weight squats keep your back straight and chest high. With the push ups if you’re new then simply place your knees on the floor on a suitable surface like a yoga mat.
*Laptop bag rows – if you have a laptop bag make sure the laptop is in it. If you don’t have a laptop bag use a suitable alternative like a 1 or 2 litre bottle filled with water, rucksack or even a heavy book!
Nutrition For Weight Loss
Maybe you’re here because you want to try something new to mix up your routine.
Maybe you like exercising because it makes you feel good.
These are great reasons to get and remain fit and active.
But if you’re here because you want to lose weight I’ve got some news for you: exercise contributes approximately 10-20% towards weight loss results.
The other 80-90% of weight loss results come from what you eat and drink.
Like I said I’m a big advocate of working out simply to feel good, get strong and improve mental well-being, whatever body shape you have.
But if you want to fit into last years jeans again then you simply need to eat as well as exercise for weight loss.
This is why our live bootcamp memberships come with nutritional coaching as standard.
It’s also why I’ve developed an online nutritional coaching membership for those who are unable to make it to our live bootcamp sessions.
But in a nutshell here are the types of things things you need to do in order to eat and drink for weight loss whilst exercising at least three times a week.
Eat a source of whole protein at every meal, even for breakfast – eating whole proteins (lean meat, fish, eggs, zero fat yogurt) will make you feel full and reduce the need for snacking throughout the day. The protein will also help prevent muscle loss and promote fat loss so that you’re more likely to achieve the coveted ‘toned’ look.
Remove processed foods from your nutrition intake – if it was made in a factory chances are it will contain lots of sugar and chemicals that will scupper any attempt at losing weight no matter how many push ups and jumping jacks you do. That goes for fizzy drinks as well as the chocolate and ready meals.
Learn to cook wholesome great tasting food – look I get it we live busy lives and the kitchen is the last place we have time to spend time in. I have two little fitters of my own so I know how hard it can be so to make life easy why not try Simply Cook if you’re in the UK. There are free apps like Tasty or Veganized that host dozens of recipes to follow.
Focus more on complex carbs rather than simple carbs – I’m not here to debate the good v bad attributes of carbs because frankly omitting carbs from your diet will likely lead to a crash, then a binge then regret. Instead focus much more on complex carbs (sweet potato, berries, broccoli, peas/beans, carrots) rather than simple carbs (cereals, baked goods, fruit juices and biscuits).
What’s the point of making a conscious effort to workout diligently three or four times a week to not see results?
May as well go ‘all in’ and eat the way your body needs to be nourished for weight loss as well.
When I first started taking much ore care about what I ate I was a hopeless chef still cooking as if I was back in my student digs.
Jacket potato, beans, cheese, butter was my go to meal at least three or four times a week.
I wrongly assumed that because I was working out regularly this meal was the right mix of carbs and protein that I needed.
It wasn’t until I started taking nutrition courses, changing my own diet and taking charge in the kitchen that I truly understood just how much of a part nutrition plays in body transformation results.
If you don’t want to make the same mistakes as me and just want someone to tell what to do for transformation results my 1 to 1 online nutritional coaching program might be right for you.
Schedule a free deep dive consultation call by clicking the image below:
Get the transformation results you want
I hope today’s post helps you to change up your routine a bit whilst your stuck at home.
Functional fitness for all – training for real-life everyday movements and activities no matter where you’re starting from – is at the heart of our bootcamp sessions giving you more confidence and energy to take on the day.
It will help you climb those stairs without getting out of breath.
9 shopping bags to get to the house?
No problem!
The Snow Day Workout will also help you improve the way your body looks and moves – just stick with it three times a week and see how much you will improve every time you do it.
Eat for weight loss and you’ll notice even bigger changes to your energy, body shape and overall fitness.