exercise – Fit by Whit

A Halloween workout? Well, it doesn’t take a mad scientist (or a person dressed as one) to realize that a pumpkin can be used as a weight. The pumpkins grown for carving typically range from two pounds to 25 pounds… though the biggest pumpkin ever weighed in at a monstrous 2,323 pounds!!!

But enough pumpkin trivia. We are here to sweat.

Halloween Pumpkin Workout Exercise Routine

Two types of pumpkins are needed for this routine… For the push-up, use a flatter, heavier pumpkin so you don’t lose your balance and take a nosedive into the squash. You’re going to have to be a little careful which actually makes you work a bit harder for balance and stability. For the other exercises, choose a second, lighter pumpkin.

Here are weighted pumpkin exercises to ensure that you’re a fit gypsy, a limber ghost, or just a downward-dogging little devil in the pumpkin patch this year. Aim for 15–20 reps per move.

Halloween Workout - Staggered Hand Push Up Exercise

Pumpkin Staggered-Hand Offset Push-Up

Target Muscles: Chest

Assume a push-up position (feet together, body straight from head to heels, arms straight, hands in line with and slightly wider than your shoulders) with a pumpkin three inches in front of your right hand. Place your right hand on the middle of the pumpkin, squeezing your glutes and bracing your core to keep your body rigid (and your hips from sagging). This is the starting position. Keeping your elbows tucked, lower your chest until it almost touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position. Switch sides for each set.

Halloween Workout - Overhead Press Exercise

Pumpkin Pick Up and Press

Target Muscles: Glutes, quads, shoulders

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and turned out 15-degrees with the smaller pumpkin between them. Keeping your back flat, straight, and core braced, lower your body and grab the pumpkin with both hands. This is the starting position. Straighten your legs as you lift the pumpkin to chest level. Now press it overhead until your arms are straight. Pause, and then reverse the movement, lowering the pumpkin to the floor. That’s one rep.

Halloween Workout - Weighted Lunge Exercise

Pumpkin Loaded Lunge

Target Muscles: Quads, glutes, shoulders, core

Stand tall holding the smaller pumpkin straight overhead with both hands. Keeping your back flat, straight, and core braced, take a large step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (don’t let your left knee touch the ground). Pause, and then push back up to the starting position. Do equal reps with both legs.

Halloween Workout - Seated Twist Exercise

Seated Pumpkin Twist

Target Muscles: Core

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, holding the smaller pumpkin in front of your chest with both hands. Lean back slightly. Keeping your back straight and core braced, rotate your torso as far to the right as you can, and then as far to the left as you can. That’s one rep. Not challenging enough? Hold the pumpkin farther away from your chest.

Halloween Pumpkin Workout Exercise Routine

If your results have hit a brick wall even though you’ve been following your fitness routine faithfully, maybe it’s time to try cross training. What’s that, you say? It’s when you change your regular workout and add in other types of exercise.

6 Reasons to Cross Train

Here are 6 of the best reasons to cross train:

1. Prevent injury.

Doing the same workout over and over again stresses joints, muscles, and ligaments without giving them full recovery. Overuse is one of the primary reasons for injury. Working the same muscles in a different way, or completely different muscle groups, can give your muscles the rest they need to help prevent problems that keep you from training!

2. Balance your muscles.

By working different muscle groups, you will maintain muscular symmetry. If you’ve been doing mostly squats and lunges, focusing on your lower body, your upper body may lack the definition that your legs and buns have. Add in an upper-body workout, one that includes resistance training to help you achieve total-body balance. Plus, you’ll get the extra benefit of looking toned all over!

3. Gain strength.

With cross training you can increase the overall strength of your muscles. For example, if you run, or do mostly cardio-based workouts, add a sculpting routine. Resistance training dumbbells or bands) can translate into faster running times, and better endurance, not to mention a speedier metabolism.

4. Prevent boredom.

Doing the same old thing gets old. Spice up your workout by trying something—or someone—new! If you’ve been following a particular trainer’s programs, try someone else’s. Each trainer has a different style and will challenge—and even entertain you—in different ways. If you’ve done ’em all, maybe you just need to get outside for a bit. Consider a sport that’s always interested you.

5. Keep making progress with your muscles.

Progress with a training routine plateaus somewhere between 4 and 12 weeks. By changing your workout, you make more consistent progress!

6. Rest tired muscles.

OK, so you don’t want to give up your workouts, but you feel like your performance is going downhill? Maybe you just need to rest the groups of muscles you’ve been working relentlessly for months on end. Give em’ a break by doing something different. Go for a hike, a bike ride, or a swim.

Fit by Whit

Tag: exercise

4 Fun Pumpkin Exercises