Ramadan Fitness: What’s the perfect workout?

While fasting during Ramadan, the last thing you want is to lose hard gained muscle mass or even worse, miss out on our training for one whole month. Smart, well balanced training is what people should strive for during this month and it is highly possible with the right ideas and work ethic.

The ideal time to train is just after you end your fast. Exercising later in the night will increase the production of the hormone cortisol in your body and disturb your sleep, and we should avoid that. Overeating is also a key thing you should look to avoid... it will only increase stress on our gastro intestines and make you feel tired, weak and bloated.

So you need to be smart with your workouts. Our body simply doesn’t have enough nutrients or energy for hard or intense workouts and we should focus more on form, time under tension and muscle and mind connection. Focus on technique, lower the weight you are lifting, master every single repetition, make sure you are engaging the muscles you are targeting and this will then pay off when you go back to working out 100 per cent.

My perfect Ramadan workout has an ideal mix of upper and lower body exercises, targeting big muscle groups. Also, with what was mentioned above, I think it is a great idea to focus on body weight exercises with good technique.

Push ups 12-15 reps,3 sets

A great body weight exercise, which is primarily targeting our upper body. Push ups are convenient to do anywhere; you don’t need a specific environment or equipment! Make sure to tense your core, keep your body in a straight line, and do the push up with a full range of motion.

Walking lunges 24 reps,3 sets

Probably one of the best fat burning exercises, which is targeting our quadriceps (front upper leg muscle), hamstrings (back upper half of your leg muscles and the gluteus (your bum). Make sure you engage your core so you can maintain stability during this exercise.

Dips (triceps emphasis) 12-15 reps,3 sets

Keep your body in upright position when doing these dips and make sure to maintain a neutral spine angle/position. Slightly bend your knees and perform the exercise in the full range of motion. Once this exercise is done properly, it will most likely be a consistent part of your programme design.

Body weight squats (heels elevated) 12-15reps,3 sets

With this exercise, it is vital to keep your body in upright position and again make sure to maintain a neutral spine position. Make sure you elevate your heels so you can improve ankle mobility and the depth of your squat. Very effective and safe and probably one of the best exercises to effect human body.

Plank 60 sec,3 sets

This is what most people consider to be a standard plank. Lie facedown with legs extended and elbows bent and directly under your shoulders; clasp your hands together too. Feet should be hip-width apart, and elbows should be shoulder-width apart. Contract your abs, then tuck your toes to lift your body (forearms remain on the ground); you should be in a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 60 seconds or as long as you can. This is essentially a position which can be replicated by holding the top of the push up position.

Jogging 60 seconds at 75 per cent of your max heart rate... 3 sets

The main intention is to increase physical fitness, with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking. The goal is to maintain a steady speed for longer periods of time. Endurance is key.

– Ivan Djordjevic is a master trainer at Technogym Emirates.

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