Do you know what a “weekend warrior” (weekend warrior)? They are those people who do not do physical exercise during the week due to their work and other obligations, but do carry out intense activity on the weekends: long sessions in the gym, cross-country races or bicycle routes, for example.
According to data from the Survey of Sports Habits in Spain12.3% of people do sports only on the weekend, compared to 48.5% who do it from Monday to Friday, and 39.2% for whom the day is indifferent. This explains why many gyms are as full on Saturday and Sunday as they are on weekdays.
The good news is that, according to a recent study Led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, exercising on the weekend itself has very beneficial effects, compared to not exercising at all. Specifically, those who did a total of 150 minutes in two long weekend sessions had similar results to those who did shorter sessions during the week that added up to the same time regarding the reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
However, adding more days of exercise to the weekend multiplies the positive effects of exercise. Exercising more frequently allows you to maintain more stable levels of metabolic activity, which helps improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure, and control body weight more effectively. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2017 He compared “weekend warriors” to other people who spread their physical activity throughout the week. Although both groups showed benefits, those who trained more frequently had better results in markers of metabolic health and, as expected, a lower risk of injury.
More frequent exercise also optimizes the body’s adaptation processes to training. In the case of increasing strength and muscle mass, the synthesis of new muscle requires that each muscle be stimulated at least two to three times a week, according to a review by studies published in Sports Medicine. The same goes for resistance training, such as running, where another article in the same publication states that the benefits are obtained when you exercise between two and five times a week.
An exercise plan to degrease during the week
With just a few minutes a day during the week we can do some simple exercises that will help us maximize the health benefits of a more intense workout on the weekend. The idea is to keep the metabolism high, stimulate the main muscle groups and increase the heart rate to improve aerobic capacity. The schedule below is easy to follow from Monday to Friday, but it is also possible to do it on alternate days during the week, for example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday:
Monday: Full Body Strength and Stability
With this routine we can activate all the main muscle groups in less than 25 minutes:
Warm-up: jumping in place, circular movements of arms and legs, 3 minutes total.
Circuit with 40 seconds of effort, 20 seconds of rest, repeat 2-3 times, 20 minutes maximum:
- Bodyweight squats (40 seconds, 20 seconds rest).
- Push-ups, supporting the knees if necessary (40s/20s).
- Front plank with shoulder touch (40s/20s).
- Glute bridge (40s/20s).
- Burpees (optional to add more intensity, 40s/20s).
Dynamic stretches (2 minutes).
Tuesday: high intensity intervals (HIIT)
With this very short workout we will be able to maintain cardiovascular capacity and improve recovery.
Warm-up: jumping in place, circular movements of arms and legs, 3 minutes total.
HIIT workout lasting 15 minutes in total, 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest:
- Climbers (mountain climbers): hands resting on the floor, bring the knees alternately until they touch the corresponding elbow (30s/30s).
- stars (jumping jacks): with the maximum range of arm movement (30s/30s).
- Sprints in place with maximum intensity raising the knees (30s/30s).
- Jump squats or, if not possible, normal bodyweight squats (30s/30s).
Stretching (2 minutes).
Wednesday: core and flexibility
With this short training we can improve the abdominal belt (core) and mobility.
Warm-up: jumping in place, circular movements of arms and legs, 3 minutes total.
Circuit with 3 rounds of 5 exercises, 40s of work/20s of rest:
- Dynamic plank: from a standing position, place your hands on the floor, walk forward until you are in a plank position and return back.
- Side plank, first right and then left (40s/20s).
- Abdominals: bicycle (40s/20s).
- Lying leg raises (40s/20s).
- Superman: face down, lumbar extension raising hands and feet (40s/20s).
Static stretches (4 minutes).
Thursday: full body strength
With this training with resistance exercises, the aim is to maintain the stimulation of the muscles during the week.
Warm-up: jumping in place, circular movements of arms and legs, 3 minutes total.
20 minute workout, 2-3 rounds with 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest:
- Push-ups with a 3-second pause below (40s/20s).
- Alternate backward lunges (40s/20s).
- Chair dips for triceps, (40s/20s).
- One-leg deadlift with or without weight (40s/20s).
- Jump on a box, bench or step, jumping with both feet and going down with just one alternately. It is important that it be a stable surface (40s/20s).
Stretching (2 minutes).
The day before the intense training on the weekend it is advisable to do a gentler exercise.
Warm-up: jumping in place, circular movements of arms and legs, 3 minutes total.
Mobility routine:
- Deep squat, with 30 seconds in the lowest position.
- Dynamic stretches for hamstrings and hips, with 40s of gentle movements of one leg forward and back while the other is supported on the floor, maintaining balance.
- Cat-cow posture, resting hands and knees on all fours on the ground, slowly arching the back backwards (cat) and slowly arching the back (cow), 5 times.
- Static lunge by raising the opposite arm to the front leg and maintaining the downward posture for 30 seconds per side.
- Yoga sun salutation for 5 minutes.
With less than 25 minutes we can increase our weekend exercise performance, improve recovery and, ultimately, have better health.
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