Forget all the Halloween hype. This isn’t about trick or treating. We’ve got all the info you need to stay on track this Halloween. Ready to start? If so, then read on!

It’s that time of year again for trick-or-treat, creepy stuff and all things pumpkin. Hop on the Halloween train and become a beast with a monster workout to gain size and get in the best shape of your life. Making gains is not quite as complicated as some make it out to be. Yes, you definitely have to put in a lot of hard work and eat right, but we’ll give you all the keys to success to make it as simple as possible.

Boo! If That Didn’t Scare You, This Will

Most new exercisers will abandon their routines within two weeks of their New Year’s resolution. Half of those people will quit by June (good thing you’re starting on Halloween). A whopping 67% of gym members never go and one-third of the people who buy online fitness equipment and videos, never use them.

Why am I telling you this?

Because if you want this plan to work, you can’t ever give up! Stay dedicated, motivated and fully committed. Be part of that percentage that trains like beasts, lives, sleeps and breathes fitness, and who have a reason to keep going.

Write Down Your Reason For Starting

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing this for years or if you’re starting today, you have a reason. Whether it is for health, for family, for you, for strength, for job-related skills or to just look damn sexy, there is always a reason. Write it down, remember it and use that as your motivation.

Say Cheese (Or Candy Corn)!

Take a picture of your starting point. Or, if you’ve been doing this a while, take a progress picture. Get your front view, side view and back view. Print that picture and hang it up. After a few weeks, take another picture and compare. That alone is motivation to me. To see where you began versus your where you are at should definitely keep you going.

Find A Buddy

Working out with a friend or partner is way more motivating than going at it alone. If you make a plan to meet after work for a sweat session, chances are you won’t cancel on your friend like you might on just yourself.

Also, you might find that you’ll workout a little bit harder when your friend is around. Why? It’s because you might have a bit of competition in you and that’s a good thing! Another great reason to have a workout buddy is that you’ll always have a spotter.

Bonus!

Follow A Plan

That’s the plan I’m going to give you today. Making a plan is a great way to keep the momentum rather than just jumping in and winging it. When you have a schedule and a workout plan, it will make your life more organized and easier to succeed.

Set Some Ghouls (Or Goals)

Find out what your goals are. Is it to become bigger?

Stronger?

Do you want less body fat?

How about all of the above?

Great. Write down what you want. Take measurements. Weigh yourself. Test your strength and grab yourself a body fat caliper. Write down where you are with all of that, then do it again after a few weeks and compare your results. Set small realistic goals. Don’t go for the full picture just yet. Take it one step at a time.

Here’s The Halloween Workout

Let’s get right to it!

The sooner you start, the sooner you will get results from this plan. So make the commitment and get it done. Be sure you get a good warm-up in and some dynamic (active) stretching in for best results.

This is a split workout plan with four days of work per week. That gives sufficient time for your muscles to recover/grow. Weekends are off days so make sure you rest or just do cardio, but no strength. This plan is designed for men and women and you will need to make use of gym equipment such as a barbell, dumbbells, and machines.

Monday Is Triceps And Chest Day

Chest

Exercise                            Sets                              Reps

Barbell Bench Presses          4                                 10/8/8/6

Decline Bench Presses          3                                 8/8/6

Incline Bench Presses           3                                 8/8/6

Dumbbell Pullovers             2                                 8

Dumbbell Flyes                    2                               10

Triceps

Triceps Extensions               4                                 10/8/8/6

Triceps Dips                        3                                 10

Triceps Push-Ups                3                                 10

 

Tuesday Is Biceps And Back Day

Back

Exercise                            Sets                               Reps

Pull-Ups                             2                                     8

Dumbbell Rows                 3                                     8

Seated Rows                      2                                     8

Bent Over Barbell Rows   2                                     8

Lat Pulldowns                     3                                    10/10/8

Biceps

Exercise                          Sets                                Reps

Barbell Curls                     3                                    8/8/6

Preacher Curls                   3                                    8/8/6

Dumbbell Curls                 2                                     12

Concentration Curls           2                                     10

 

Wednesday Is A Rest Day Or Cardio

 

Thursday Is Forearms And Shoulders Day

Shoulders

Exercise                                  Sets                                Reps

Machine Shoulder Presses         3                                      10

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes            3                                      10

Military Presses                          4                                      10

Dumbbell Lateral Raises           2                                      10

Dumbbell Shrugs                      2                                      10

Upright Rows                             2                                      10

Forearms

Exercise                                  Sets                                Reps

Standing Wrist Curls                4                                       10

Barbell Wrist Curls                   4                                       10

 

Friday Is Legs Day

Legs

Exercise                                 Sets                                    Reps

Barbell Squats                          4                                         6

Leg Extensions                         3                                          12

Leg Curls                                 3                                          12

Calves

Exercise                                Sets                                      Reps

Standing Calf Raises               4                                             12

Calf Presses On Leg Machine 2                                             12

 

Saturday And Sunday Is A Rest Day Or Do Cardio

Repeat this workout schedule for up to six weeks.

Why Do Cardio On Rest Days?

I’m not saying that you have to, but if you’re looking to trim some body fat off, this will definitely be helpful. Cardio is also heart-healthy, brain healthy and works your muscles in a completely different way than strength training does. That’s why it’s okay to do this type of active recovery. If you need some thoughts as to what type of cardio to do on off days, then what follows are a few good ideas.

Hop On Your Broom! (Or Bike If You Don’t Happen To Have A Broom)

A good bike ride will get your heart rate up, burn calories and keep the momentum going until Monday when you get back in the gym. It is also a great way to elevate your mood and get some vitamin D. You don’t have to go hard, just a nice medium pace for about 30 minutes. So get some fresh air, meet new neighbors and peddle away.

Walking Dead

Sometimes I feel like the walking dead the day after leg day, but that’s another story. A brisk walk early in the morning is a great way to kick off a rest day. Walking is low impact, helps with blood flow and sending healing blood to those hard worked muscles. It’s also a great mood elevator.

Swimming With Swamp Thing

Swimming will not only get your heart rate up, but it’s also fun and low impact. Do a few laps in the pool or splash around with a game of water volleyball. Just have fun whatever you do.

Treading Through the Graveyard (Or Gym)

If being outside isn’t your thing, taking a walk or a run on the treadmill is also a good choice. As mentioned, you don’t have to go hard, just go!

Trick Or Treat! Let’s Talk About Nutrition

Nutrition is a huge part of seeing any type of results. You can’t just eat fast food, candy, and soda, and expect to get results. Like they say, “You can’t outrun a bad diet,” and there’s plenty of truth to that. If you’re looking to grow those muscles, there are a few things you’ll need to do.

Track Your Macros

The three main macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. For your body to do what it does, you need all three of them.

We are literally made out of proteins, fats, and carbs!

In a nutshell, protein is for building muscles. Carbs are for energy and to keep your body from digging into your protein stores while you’re building muscle. Fats are for brainpower and hormone processes. There’s a lot more to it than that, but I did say in a nutshell. Great, now I want pistachios.

If you are looking to add muscle, your protein consumption should be at about 25 to 35% of your daily caloric intake. Your carbs should be at about 40 to 60% and your fats should be at 15 to 25% of your daily intake. That’s a tried and true method for building muscle.

Of course, if you have other goals in mind such as fat loss, you would increase your proteins to 40 to 50%, fats to 30 to 40% and lower your carb intake to 10 to 30%.

Looking for maintenance?

That would look more like 30 to 50% carbs, 25 to 35% protein and 25 to 35% for fats.

If That’s Too Much Of A Pain In The Butt, Then Try This

If you’re not into tracking macros and counting calories (like me), just make sure you find a good balance. You know what healthy looks like and by now you know which foods are good and bad for you. That includes knowing foods that are high in carbs, what good carbs versus bad carbs are and which foods contain protein and healthy fats. If not, then Google it.

Let’s start with breakfast. Don’t ever skip it. Breakfast is awesome, and by this time your body needs to refuel after running that smart brain of yours all night while you slept. If your breakfast is going to be your pre-workout meal, make sure to give yourself one to two hours to digest before you hit the gym.

Why?

Your blood is much needed in the digestion process and if you’re hitting the weights too early, this blood is rushed away from your stomach and to your muscles. This can cause bad things like stomach cramps and more.

Get The Right Mix

Eat a mix of fats, carbs and proteins. And, don’t be afraid to add a pre-workout protein shake if you are going to be pumping hard. You can easily get the amount of protein necessary for normal body function through diet alone, but when you add factors like, age, muscle mass, weight and activity level, you’re going to need to bump it up a lot. That’s why I like to have a protein shake on hand. After you’ve worked out and depleted everything, refuel! Whether it’s a high protein snack, lunch or shake, just get it in you.

Healthy fats like those found in eggs, fish, oils, nuts, grains and seeds, are the ones you want in your life. These contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential. That means our bodies can’t manufacture them on their own. These healthy fats are needed for many processes going on in your body from hormonal to brain function and even in the heart. These are definitely a type of fat that you don’t want to skip.

Not all carbs are created equal. The ones you want to stay away from as much as you can are the simple ones that come from junk food like cakes, donuts, sodas and other sugary foods. Instead get your carb needs from a healthy source like oatmeal, whole grain breads, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, quinoa, brown rice and more.

Protein can be found just about anywhere, but it’s complete proteins that you’re looking for. Those mainly come from animal sources, though there are quite a few plant sources as well. Protein is found in milk, cheese, beef, chicken, pork, fish and many other meats. You can also find a complete source of protein in quinoa, peanut butter, hemp seed and buckwheat.

Conclusion

Halloween is always a fun time of year, but you need to be smart about it. Make sure you get a good balance of healthy foods, add in fresh fruits and veggies daily, drink plenty of water and try not to eat too much of your kids’ Halloween candy. You’ll be on your way in no time.

Good luck!

By Heather Neff, CPT