Going on vacation is the time that each of us looks forward to. Holidays are a time to finally rest and recharge. Nevertheless, you should not let your regular exercise sessions deprive you of your holidays. You can continue to do physical activity or you can do nothing. It's up to you. If you decide to continue a bit of sport, it will allow you not to lose the good habits whether it is outdoors or in another way. So how do you limit the damage on holiday? Discover my tips to reconcile bodybuilding and holidays without diminishing your pleasure.
Holidays and bodybuilding: How to manage?
What could be better than the sun, the beach, the rest but especially the restaurants, the aperitifs, the barbecues, the ice creams .... It's sure that it gives envy !!!
However, before leaving, several questions are bothering us.
Will I lose muscle? Will I gain fat?
Because managing your holidays doesn't have to be a headache.
Taking a break from weight training in some cases can be very beneficial for our bodies. Indeed, it allows our joints to rest and regenerate and it will be good for your mind. In this case, the resumption may be a little more difficult, but no matter, your motivation will also be there.
To speak from personal experience, I give myself a week of recovery at least twice a year. During this time, I will still practice other rather moderate cardiovascular physical activities. This is called active recovery.
There are many ways to avoid feeling bad or guilty.
When you think about it, even on vacation you can stay active and get some exercise.
You have the choice of doing cardiowalking, swimming in the sea, cycling...
Don't worry, your hard-earned muscle won't disappear in 15 days.
And if you really feel guilty, you can always go for a run in the morning and do some crunches and other bodyweight exercises to get rid of the previous day's excesses.
You have the program ZERO GYM which is a solution for your vacation. This body weight program can be taken anywhere with you.
If you can, you can also take a pair of elastics to maintain your shape with a appropriate program.
Manage your nutrition:
Of course, it's better not to chain cheat days and to try to keep a balanced diet as much as possible.
You still have the option of eating salads, fruits and vegetables, or healthy foods even on vacation. Try to stick to 2 cheat meals per week.
For me, when I plan a large meal in the evening, for example, I sometimes do a kind of intermittent fasting the next day. I don't eat in the morning because I'm not hungry. I wait for satiety to be felt, and I eat my lunch around 2pm. This meal consists of a source of protein (white meat or lean red meat) and green vegetables (broccoli, spinach or salad). The small snack in the afternoon with a fruit (usually a medium-sized apple).
Choose activities that work your muscles
Holidays are the time to discover new horizons and get out of your comfort zone. It is advisable to take your discovery walks on foot or by bike and sporting activity becomes fun.
For added motivation, a group outing is always more fun than a solitary walk. All the activities available on vacation put a strain on your muscles. It's up to you to enjoy these activities while taking care of your body.
Other tips for staying in shape during the holidays:
If you have experienced intense pre-holiday training and weight loss or fat, you should know the importance of doing some weight training or sport of some kind even on holiday. In order not to forget about your small daily session of physical activity, it is advisable to incorporate it early in the morning into your day.
During the holidays, there is a lot of activity during the day and you may not have time later on. In the morning, you can benefit from the energizing effect of a workout or sport session. However, don't do sports in the morning if you have another activity planned for that day, such as jet-skiing or cycling, which are intense and sporty activities that are more than enough to burn off some calories.
Enjoying yourself above all!
When you're on vacation, weight training is not one of your primary goals.
Above all, it is important to enjoy yourself by treating yourself. Enjoy the fresh air and forget about stress, holidays are meant to relax you and get you back in top shape.
Which sport for which type of holiday?
To reconcile weight training and holidays, you just need to be aware that certain leisure activities are by nature physical exercises. The objective would be to prefer them to other sitting or immobile activities. At the beach, water sports, swimming or long walks with your feet in the water should be preferred.
Between paddle boarding, snorkeling, beach volleyball or surfing, there will be no shortage of physical activities to fill your day. However, this is not an obligation and it is unthinkable to put pressure on yourself. The ideal would be to take the maximum pleasure and feel the fatigue only as a reward of your full days. The same goes for a holiday in the mountains, a hike or a trail is a good choice to reconcile sport and holidays.
On the other hand, if you are a seasoned athlete and already follow strenuous training all year round. The holidays are the only time you can rest. In this case, take advantage of this break to rest your muscles and your mind.
After the holidays...
In the worst case scenario, if you haven't had a chance to work out or eat healthy, look on the bright side. This will give you a new goal to set for yourself when school starts, and you'll be more motivated than ever to get a great body.
To resume training after a long break or holiday, I advise you to start again with a full body or circuit training programme for at least 1 to 2 weeks in order to gradually build up the muscle fibres and avoid the inevitable aches and pains when you resume. Moreover, it is possible that you will not carry the same loads as before. Start again slowly...
And of course you will have to readjust your food plan to build muscle mass or to lose weight, depending on your goal.
So enjoy your vacation!!!
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