Nothing beats summer in Ontario. Soon we will all be overcome with barbecues, cottage weekends and my personal favourite, Blue Jays baseball. But with so many summer activities we tend to get away from our training regiments. Training frequency and consistency goes down, caloric intake goes up, nutrient density goes down and we simply try to mask it all with a good sun tan. June, July and August should be your maintenance months.
Don’t get down on yourself for the extra 500 beers you take in this summer to wash down the alarming amounts of extra calories, just put a simple plan in place. Aim for 3.5 hours per week of exercise. This amounts to breaking a sweat for 30 minutes a day on average. Muscle Hypertrophy, or growth, may not be happening this summer, but you can at least maintain what you have. A smart combination of exercises that combine big muscle groups and isometric holds can and will do the trick. Throw in all the water sports, golf, travel and work projects around the house and you are in good shape to maintain what you got and maybe even build on it.
The Warm Up – This is maintenance training so try to get a good sweat going that will be present throughout the whole workout. A light 15-minute “out and back" jog is perfect. In plain English: jog for 7-8 minutes turn around and come back.
1.
Reaching Jump Squats
Reps: 10
Body Parts: core, legs, hips, and the cardio respiratory system
Description: Set up with feet outside the shoulders and lower into a wide stance squat. As you finish the squat and extend your hips, jump off the ground and reach like your blocking a volleyball from being spiked. Land back in your low squat with a neutral spine.
2.
“Toe Taps" from Bridge
Reps: 50
Body Parts: core through co-contraction of the abdomen and back, plus rotational stability, shoulders, and hips
Description: With arms at a 90 degree angle and elbows directly under shoulders, maintain a good neutral spine position, brace your core musculature and contract your glutes. Slowly take one foot away from the midline at a time, touch to the side and bring back.
3.
Turkish Getups with Double Jump Lunge
Reps: 10
Body Parts: core, legs, glutes, cardiorespiratory, stability and balance
Description: Lay on your back with one arm straight above your head and the leg on the same side extended. Have the other leg bent at the knee so your foot is planted and your other arm at your side. Complete a sit-up while keeping your arm above your head and bring your extended leg in to join the other foot, stand up with the help of the other hand and keep your hips as square as possible. Do two jump lunges at the top.
