Yun says: “You can approach Halloween one of two ways. The first option is to go pig out on all the Halloween candy and treats you can. But you will pay for that with an expanding belly and all the extra sugar. The second is to indulge in moderation and then burn off some major calories lifting and carrying a pumpkin around. I recommend the second one… it’s a lot more healthy and better for your body.
Pumpkins can be used just like medicine balls for an unlimited number of exercise options. A lot of rotational exercises, strength, power. Yun likes to take it one step further and usees total body exercises that combine upper body, lower body, and core movements into one. That is the best way to make your body respond to exercise. You burn the most calories and build the most muscle, which is crucial for stoking your metabolism.
Yun has provided his top three total body pumpkin exercises that guarantee to help you burn fat and build muscle in minimal time. He recommends performing at least one circuit of the following three pumpkin exercises, with little to no rest between movements, for every Halloween treat you eat, so your best to keep the indulgence to a minimum:
1) Pumpkin Overhead Presses: Holding a pumpkin in your hands resting at chest level, stay on your heels and push the pumpkin past your head all the way to full extension of your arms. Exhale as you push the pumpkin up. Bring the pumpkin back down to your chest level and repeat. Repeat for reps or time.
2) Pumpkin Squat to Front Raise: Holding a pumpkin in your hands with your arms extended squat down until your front thighs are parallel to the floor with your eyes up and your weight on your heels. Then stand up to the starting position and with your arms strait raise the pumpkin up to eye level. Repeat for time or reps.
3) Pumpkin Squat Thrusts: Holding a pumpkin in your hands with your arms extended, squat down to the floor, then jump your legs out to assume a push-up position. Perform a push-up with your hands on the pumpkin and then reverse the movement to stand back up. Repeat for time or reps.
Yun will be holding his first annual Halloween Charity Boot Camp Workout on Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at the Dexter Falls Park in Columbus. For more information on this event, please go to http://www.yunbootcamps.com/
