My blog last week was made possible thanks to WEDO Canada and their (quite shocking) statistics. It's very obvious that there still is a disparity between men and women... Check it out HERE if you missed it.

This week, I thought I would share something very different. It's something I do for my own fitness. Every year, I do this 12 days of Christmas workout. Watch the full video for explanations and video demonstrations, or keep reading for the text version, along with pictures. I recommend watching the video if you'd like more guidance and tips.

You probably know the song, the one that goes: "Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree." Then you move up, and then back down: 4, 3, 2, 1... Until you reach 12. Right? Well, every year, I do the workout version of this song. I start on December 12th or 13th and I complete it every day until Christmas day. It takes about 20 minutes, and you may like to do it too.

1 Air Jack

Start in a squat position, jump and spread your arms and legs in the air, then land.

2 Burpees

Add two burpees. You can do your burpees with a jump and a plank, but you could also add on a pushup. That's the way I like to do them. Jump, do a pushup, and get back up.

Then, go back to one air jack.

3 Sit-Ups or Stand-Ups

Add three sit-ups or stand-ups. If you choose to do sit-ups, lay on your back with your knees bent and raise your hips and your waist off the ground. Make sure you keep your back straight. I like to use a hand weight, that helps me balance myself.

If you choose to do stand-ups, use your knees, bring them to your chest for momentum, and then completely stand up from the floor. Then, go back to two burpees and another one air jack.

4 Plyometric Lunges

You can choose to step forward, and just do four forward stepping lunges, or you can jump in between lunges, like the way I do them. Make sure you keep your feet on two train tracks. Don't bring one foot in front of the other, keep them hip distance apart.

Then, go back down the ladder: three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

5 Decline Push-Ups

You can do regular push-ups from the floor, or you can elevate your feet. You can use whatever you want in order to do so. Put your feet up, and do a push-up. Keep your back straight, pull your belly in and make sure that your chest squeezes at the top when you finish each of your repetitions.

Go back to four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

6 Biceps Curls

Choose the weight that you want. Remember that you will be doing this many times. There are a lot of common mistakes when people do biceps curls. Sometimes, there's too much swinging or momentum that's added with the hips and the back muscles. If you really want to tone your biceps, what you want to do is work the biceps muscles and not all the other muscles of the body, so no swinging.

You also need to make sure you keep your elbows glued back, and pointing down. Avoid moving them forward and back during the motion.

Then, back to five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three stand-ups or sit-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

7 Shoulder Presses

Make sure when you do your seven shoulder presses, that your arms are not behind you. You want to stay safe. So, make sure that your shoulder presses are staying forward, keeping your hands slightly ahead of your head so that you're not overextending your joints. Then do six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees, one air jack.

8 Mountain Climbers

Do eight sets of three mountain climbers. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1 2, 3. Keep your bum low. Keep pulling your belly towards your spine, keep your neck aligned so that you're looking down at your fingertips and keep your head in line with your spine.

Then do seven shoulder presses, six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees and an air jack.

9 Jump Squats

Start in a squat position, jump and land in the same squat position. Absorb the impact with your legs, and shoot your bum backwards as you squat, as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair.

Eight mountain climbers, seven shoulder presses, six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

10 Chin-Ups or Rows

Go for chin-ups if you have a chin-up bar. Otherwise, you can do some rows. Bend over slightly at the hips, and, holding your weights in front of you, and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the weights up to your chest, and then you go back down, keeping your back really straight.

Nine jump squats, eight mountain climbers, seven shoulder presses, six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

11 Triceps Dips

You really want to work the back of your arms now. To do so, you can use a chair, you can use a couch, you can use a piece of furniture...

Make sure that you drop your bum and then you bend the arms. It's about the back of your arms. If you're just dropping your butt, keeping your arms straight, it's not going to do the job. So, make sure that you bend your elbows. You bend at the elbow joint, you sink, and you push yourself up using the back of your arms, the triceps muscles.

Ten chin-ups or rows, nine jump squats, eight mountain climbers, seven shoulder presses, six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees, and one air jack.

12 Plank Switches

Planks switches start in a bear position with your knees bent. Turn to the side and thread your leg through.

Eleven triceps dips, ten rows, nine jump squats, eight mountain climbers, seven shoulder presses, six biceps curls, five decline push-ups, four plyometric lunges, three sit-ups or stand-ups, two burpees and one air jack.

There you have it: The 12 days of Christmas workout. 

Hopefully, you had some fun with this and enjoyed that. I do it every day, all the way up to Christmas day. You can absolutely share it with your friends and family. You can teach it, if you're a fitness instructor yourself. I am happy if you use these ideas to share with the people around you.

Stay fit throughout the holidays, and I'll see you next week!

STILL LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT?

How about gifting the THINK Yourself® HEALTHY Online Course to someone who's dear to you?

The tips and videos in course will help them program the different layers of their brain in a specific way. Instead of making up limiting stories and indulging in self-sabotage, they'll feel motivated to do what it takes to achieve transformative results and live a dynamic life.

Pssst: Get it now for 50% OFF! Use the code HEALTHY50 at checkout.

You can also start by download the FREE Health Guide HERE. The Guide includes:

• 27 Simple & Practical Applications for a Vibrant Life
• Following the 6 Layers of your Brain that Need to be Addressed in Order to Shift your Mindset
• Powerful Questions to Implement your Knowledge

Check out some of my previous blog posts...