"Have yourself a very merry (healthy) Christmas..."

It's that time of year again, your house is lined with chocolates, your fridge stuffed with food and the cupboard over-flowing with alcohol.

What can you do about it? Go completely without and constantly say "No thank you." ?... Unlikely.

While the heading of this blog might be a little misleading ("healthy"?..) here's a few ideas that you can try to focus on to make sure that all of your hard work in 2012 wasn't a complete waste of time. Remember, "Even when you're being bad, be good."

EXERCISE:
Lets get it right - you should NOT stop exercising over Christmas! In fact, you probably have more free time and rest time than during your normal week. Get outside, get moving and be active. Even if it's a long walk over varying terrains one day, be creative. Many gyms will close for Christmas so you'll need to use your imagination. Get outside, wrap up and at least do some interval running and bodyweight exercises: If you're working with just your bodyweight here's 21 exercise ideas: 21 BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES 

Or if you live anywhere near a kids park, here's a decent workout you can try:
PARK WORKOUT

DON'T leave it until late in the day. Something will come up, a film will come on, a family member will come round, a game will come out, you'll drink alcohol, you'll get too comfy at home or you'll fall asleep. Get it done early and spend the rest of your day enjoying yourself with family.

BREAKFAST:
So there's a packet of celebrations already open in the morning - this is no excuse. Don't fall at the first hurdle and head for chocolates - start your day right. Make sure every breakfast has 20g + protein content as a starting point. If you want to join in with a nice cooked breakfast that is being shared in some format, load up on the meat and eggs portions and avoid toasts, cereals and fruit juices. No one will even notice but you can be safe in the knowledge that you're not spiking your blood sugar levels and encouraging fat retention from the get-go.

SNACKS:
Stock up for the winter - before it gets too near to Christmas I'd recommend stocking up on protein powder and small snack protein bars. PhD diet whey bars are tasty, deceptively filling and will give you a little taste of green tea and CLA to help keep fat cells mobilised and minimise fat storage (not to say it's a free for all and you should eat as you please). Also a "blend" shake can be a great way to get a sweet fix, add nutrients to your day and keep you full while maintaining energy levels. Eating chocolate will add sugar, give you peaks and drops in energy levels, encourage fat retention and also take a long time to fill you up meaning you continue to reach for more. A blend shake will give you a chocolate fix but digest over a longer period to avoid these issue.

CHRISTMAS DINNER:
No issues with loading up on Turkey and other meats. Use self control for portion control when it comes to: Potatoes, stuffing and other High GI carbs. Drink water before and during your meal - not alcohol.

THE ALCOHOL THING:
Firstly, do NOT mis-read this and think the following suggestions are "good for you" - we're talking damage limitation. If you're intent on having a drink then these are the less "bad" options. NOT "good for you" options. Bloody Mary, Vodka & Soda and Guinness made this list - 9 drinks options here: http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/07/the-nine-healthiest-alcoholic-drinks/

FURTHER DAMAGE LIMITATION:
There are a few supplements available that are designed to keep your immune system strong, limit damage caused to the liver by alcohol, minimise fat consumption from food and keep bodily functions working full throttle in order to maintain energy levels and digest food efficiently. Multivitamins, milk thistle, CLA, electrolytes and plenty of water usually come top of the list.

SELF CONTROL AND PLANNING:
The main two things that you'll need in order to not let Christmas ruin your hard work is self control and planning. You might not be able to eat what you want "because you fancy it". Instead being aware of what you're eating and what you're likely to eat that day should impact each meal. ie: If you have a big Christmas dinner coming up and friends coming over for a drink, be aware of this when selecting snacks and lunch choices.

Likewise, planning in your training, planning meals and structuring your day rather than just seeing what happens is the only way that you'll be able to stay on track in some form. Look ahead and plan the Christmas period. When do you have social engagements? When are you likely to be out all day or with visitors? When might you feel a little tired or worse for wear? These will all impact your training structure for the week. If you're pushed for time, don't be afraid to go for a quick 20-25 min interval run or some form of bodyweight circuit at home.

SLEEP:
As I have said in many blogs, the importance of sleep is heavily under-rated. Christmas can be a great time to get an early night, or lay in, or nap during the day. Try out short naps at various times and see what impact they have on your mood, appetite and energy levels. You may uncover something that you want to try and use regularly during the year - even if it's only practical to do so at the weekends.

SNACKS:
If your home is anything like mine then there will be more chocolates around your home than every before. You might find yourself enjoying a mini chocolate at breakfast time but try to create some simple, tasty and more nutritious snacks that you can eat while everyone else is reaching for the chocolates and snacks.

EASY RECIPE:
- 2 x cups of oats
- 3 x scoops of chocolate whey
- 1 tbl spoon organic crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- handful of raisins
- large sprinkle of flaxseed (optional)

Stir well in a bowl, move into baking tray and place in freezer for 2 hours + for a cheeky chocolate oat and protein pieces - great snack for a little protein and keeping you full between meals but still getting your chocolate fix.

Christmas time is a time when families and friends are much more readily available so it can be easy to completely neglect your lifestyle of clean eating and exercise. Planning and structuring your days ahead of time is the only solution.

BUT... make sure you enjoy it - Christmas comes but once a year.

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GUEST BLOG: Rope Training Exercises by the CRAZE Pre Workout Guys

With 365 days in a year, doing the same workout can be boring and unproductive in the long run. Instead of the usual cardio-weights-cardio routine, I'm going to introduce you to something way more interesting and way more fun - rope training exercises! Working with rope is great for your body. And hey, getting to tangle with a 2 - 3 inch diameter rope is just plain awesome.

Rope Training Benefits

This amazing training regimen is one of the few exercises classified as "core training." Basically, rope or heavy rope trains the core of our bodies which includes deep muscles like abdominal muscles and back as well as the large muscle groups like pectorals, deltoids and thighs. Targeting your core also has several benefits:

Increased Metabolism

Training the core of your body leads to increased metabolism. Exercising with a heavy rope combines resistance, flexion and extension at various degrees of force. Doing this will require using the large muscle groups in your body, which consume a lot of energy.

Fat Loss

As your metabolism increases with rope training, you also burn fat. Metabolism is the balance of catabolism or cell destruction and anabolism or cellular growth. Catabolism isn't all bad as it is also useful in reducing the number of fat cells. Still, anabolism or cell growth is a great energy burner which can also help because we need more energy to grow cells than to destroy them.

Better Fine and Gross motor coordination

There are two types of motor coordination. Fine motor coordination involves minute movements such as curling a finger or batting an eyelash. Gross motor on the other hand is general movement of legs, arms, torso, neck etc. Over time, we develop reflexes that can ruin our body coordination. Rope training can actually help return fine and gross motor coordination - there have actually ben studies on this! The key lies in repetition and form. The heavy rope keeps your body in perfect form and repetition brings back precision in movement.

Availability

Instead of working out in a gym full of people, you can do rope training exercises with, of course, a piece of rope. Many recommend a heavy rope with smaller diameter for new enthusiasts, bodybuilders and athletes.
All you need is a piece of rope - this can be bought in most hardware stores. In fact, you can use old heavy ropes and perform the exercises efficiently.
There are various experts on rope training who can help you begin your exercises and provide the proper guidance. If you're located near Windsor, UK - you're in luck! Michael Darren is a personal trainer able to guide your rope training exercies. If you are located somewhere else, check your local gym if they have heavy rope for your training needs. Your local gym might have someone with similar expertise in rope training.

Types of Rope Training

Let's talk about a few things you can do with the ropes. Get ready to get worked!

• Pull-Ups - Setup your thick rope to hang over a supine row setup. Now grab a hold and do pull-ups. Your forearms and smaller muscles will be screaming, and you'll do far less than you can do normal pullups. Do them before doing regular pull-ups!
• Rope Battling - From the image above (courtesy of the Art of Manliness), take one in each hand and whip them in alternating movements for time. Make that rope MOVE!
• Sled Pull - Attach your rope to the end of something heavy that can move - like a sled. Pull it towards you in rowing-style movements. Do this outside or somewhere where you won't damage the floor!

It's not easy at first, but these are REAL functional exercises that will give you the forearms of a cattle rancher!

Another Benefit Reduced risks of Injury

That's right, one of the benefits of rope training exercises include a reduced risk of injury. Exercising your core body strength actually increases body coordination. With increased body coordination, you can easily avoid injury especially athletic injuries. Sports scientists have found that people with lower core stability or joint integrity are at a higher risk of developing sports injuries.

Preparing for Rope Training

Training with ropes will still take a lot of energy and effort from you. It's always best to prepare for rope training with the following guidelines.
Have a medical check up: Make sure that you are medically healthy before doing any training with rope. If your doctor tells you rope training is too strenuous for you, listen to him, and ask for alternatives.
Diet before, during and after Rope Training: What you eat will still affect how you train. If you want to bust the fat while maintaining nutrients for your muscles, Fat Loss Factor by Marc Lobliner is one of the best diet management books you can read, and it's free.
Choosing a rope: Most gyms will have heavy ropes available for you to use. If you train at home, check your local hardware stores.
Choose a Trainer: Initially, it is best to get expert advice from someone. As mentioned, people in Windsor, UK can turn to Michael Darren and to do rope training with him.
Take a Pre-Workout drink and Supplements: Warm ups will be able to prepare you but a pre-workout supplement will rev your body for a nice workout with ropes. It's highly suggested that you choose a PWO that can help release stored energy in your body, specifically geared for cutting fat tissue. CRAZE from Driven Sports is one of the best supplements you can use for rope training. You can also take protein supplements like BCAA during the actual workout and replenish yourself with a whey protein isolate after workout.
Cool down: After playing with the ropes, initiate cool down to properly rest muscles. Stopping abruptly might stop the awesome muscle pumps you get from training.
A brand new workout with great benefits to spice up your usual routine will keep you fit and motivated at the same time. Add in an extra boost with CRAZE and you'll be mastering those ropes in no time!

References:

• Ozer D, Duzgun I, Baltaci G, Karacan S, Colakoglu F., "The effects of rope or weighted rope jump training on strength, coordination and proprioception in adolescent female volleyball players."
• Alessandra Bianchi, "They get a lift from their workouts" Boston.com
• Revive Your Routine With Heavy Rope Training - Mensfitness.com

This article was written by Mike at http://www.CrazePreWorkout.com - Thanks for reading!