For all the time it takes you to go through the basics of building lean muscle mass, just a week or two of high-stress coupled with mindless snacking, partying, and back-to-back-to-back binge dinners can do some serious damage—and quick. You know what it's like. With every passing day and awkward office holiday party, the lines that define your abs slowly smooth out into a belly. The best way to combat the holiday bloat is to keep your game up—no matter how much, or little, time you have. Feel free to dabble in the finger food, but accept the fact that you'll inevitably gain fat unless you've got a counter attack.
HOW IT WORKS
The good thing is: the workouts are only about 30 minutes. The bad thing is: those 30 minutes are going to be spent kicking the hell out of every extra calorie you laid your hands on. Because you're most likely tight on time, the plan is built around big lifts, extremely low (or no) rest periods, and bodyweight exercises. The big lifts like your squats, deads, and presses, will use up the most amount of calories. Structuring them with very short (or no) rest periods will bump up the intensity even further. And the bodyweight circuits are quick, effective ways torch calories and ignite your metabolism without needing to schlup (or rush) it to the gym. All five workouts should take approximately 30 minutes each.
DIRECTIONS
Hit the gym every other day for the big lift workouts. In between gym-days use the bodyweight circuits to keep your metabolism in overdrive mode. For example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the gym and Tuesday and Thursday from home. To further increase the intensity of these workouts you may completely remove the rest periods.
Don't forget—you can download four complete 21-day programs + a diet plan in PDF form. Get The 21-Day Shred and Shred Series.
THE WORKOUTS
DAY ONE (at the gym)
Complete all of the exercises in a circuit for five rounds. Or rest 30 seconds between exercises.
Complete all exercises in a circuit for five rounds. Or rest 30 seconds between exercises.
Complete all exercises in a circuit for five rounds.
Complete all exercises in a circuit for five rounds. Or rest 30 seconds between exercises.
Back Squat 10 reps
Lat Pulldown 10 reps
Incline Bench Press 10 reps
Dumbbell Front Squat 10 reps
