Expert Advice / teamreflex / How #TeamReflex Stays Motivated Over the Holidays

How #TeamReflex Stays Motivated Over the Holidays

Staying motivated to hit up the gym over the holidays can be a challenge. Between the crazy schedules, mountains of delicious food and holiday parties – it’s no wonder most people get out of their normal fitness routines. The good news is you are able to maintain your fitness routine and actually enjoy the holidays with a bit of planning and flexibility. We asked our #TeamReflex ambassadors for their expert advice about how they stay fit and happy over the holidays. 

 

 

Sarah Connolly

Bodybuilder // Calgary, AB // @sarahjcon

During the holidays, I make sure to make the most of my time with friends and family while prioritizing the things that are important to me and help me thrive – particularly staying active and eating healthy! I allow myself to indulge and enjoy good food with good company, but I also plan ahead and continue to do the things I do daily that contribute to my health and fitness goals, such as meal prepping, taking my daily vitamins, consuming enough water and getting adequate rest.

The winter can be a very un-motivating time of year. I like to think of my workouts as a way to stay warm and a means of getting those endorphins in that I’m no longer getting from spending time playing in the sunshine. Hot yoga is an amazing new addition I’ve added to my workout regime and I’m excited to continue incorporating it in the winter months.

Fave Holiday Workout Routine:

• Glutes/Hams
• Shoulders/Triceps/Abs
• Glutes/Quads
• Back/Biceps/Abs
• Glutes/Legs
• Shoulders/Chest/Triceps/Abs

Motivational Mantra: “Someone once told me not to bite off more than I could chew. I said I’d rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity”

 

Matthew Boykowich

Bodybuilder // Abbotsford, BC // @boykowich

Fave Holiday Workout Routine:

My favourite workout to keep me motivated through the holidays is a good old heavy leg day! If I eat a little extra than I am supposed to, this workout will usually kick my butt and whip me back into a motivated mindset for the rest of the week! (Holidays call for baking and treats, so leg day gives a good balance to keep the extra calories off.)

Motivational Mantra: “Everyday is a new opportunity to be better than who you were yesterday.”

 

Josh Cloherty

Strongman competitor // Calgary, AB // @okayest_strongman

Being a Strongman, I love the holiday “bulking season” but it’s easy to fall off track. One way I like to stay motivated during the holidays is to make small goals and work towards them. Nothing crazy, little fun ones that make me want to be in the gym. My girlfriend and I also like to get a group of our friends together each weekend for “Strongman Sunday’s” — a day where we all just go in and have fun lifting together. 

Fave Holiday Workout Routine:

• Yoke Walks
• Log Pressing
• Atlas Stone Loading
• Bicep Curls 

These keep us all motivated to push ourselves and push each other to get better. We also tend to try and outdo one another because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a friendly little competition 😉 

Motivational Mantra: “CONSISTENCY IS KEY” “Swole is the Goal and Size is the Prize”

 

Jamey-Lyn

MMA fighter // Squamish, BC // @jameyhorth

Fave Holiday Workout Routine:

My go to workout is hitting pads. It’s an easy way to get a good sweat while challenging your brain with patterns in a short period of time. Pad rounds usually last 3-5 minutes and consist of combinations such as:

• Jab, Jab-Cross, Jab-Cross-Hook
• Kicking 1-10 (1 kick, 2 kicks, 3 kicks etc.) 
• Jab-Cross-Hook-Kick
• Cross-Hook-Cross, Sprawl (half burpee)
• **Try these combinations one at a time or done all together. For 3-5 minutes you are doing the same drill over and over.

Motivational Mantra: I believe in the saying “built by a village,” which to me has kept me motivated all these years, year round. I am constantly reminded of my capabilities and how I am a role model to so many young men and women. I believe women in sport, especially a sport where a lot of people would consider male dominated empower other women to get out of their comfort zones. My motivation is my hometown!

 

Adam Braidwood 

Boxer // Surrey, BC // @braidwoodboxing

When someone asks me how I stay motivated through the holidays I have to admit that it’s the same for me no matter what time of year it is. Sure, running on the beach on a summer day is a lot easier than the winter but, what I’ve learned over the years is that you just have to “do what’s necessary.”

Motivational Mantra: In our gym we never quit when we are tired, we stop when we are done! We do what’s necessary and our comfort zone is hell and when things are uncomfortable we seek out more discomfort. It’s not a superhuman process we are all simply an accumulation of our failures and our decisions on how we come back from adversities.

 

 

What do you do over the holidays to keep yourself in check? Do you have a favourite workout routine that works for you?  Let us know what has helped you by tagging us @reflexsupplements on Instagram and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReflexNation to keep us in the know.