No matter where you live, November is the month you’re most likely to start slacking off on your fitness goals. Between the cold weather in much of the U.S., Thanksgiving travels, and the time and financial demands of the approaching holidays, gym attendance drops like a dumbbell from a sweaty palm. In an effort to keep you on task, Gold’s Gym franchises around the country are opening their doors free to non-members on Friday, November 27—aka “Black Friday”— which they’ve renamed “Trim The Fat Friday.”
“It varies by location, but there’s a five to 10 percent drop in gym attendance in November right before the holidays,” says Jeff Na, Gold’s Gym’s VP of fitness. So, in an effort to keep people motivated to work out when “interest is at its lowest and distractions are at their highest,” Gold’s created Trim The Fat Friday. Not only will participating franchises wave their day fee so you can train free of charge, they’re also pumping up their class schedule throughout the weekend so you have more opportunities to experiment with different types of training you can use to burn off that bird.
Gold’s even created a specific workout for it, appropriately called the “Wing & Thighs Workout,” which consists of deadlifts, single-leg training, and shoulder moves. Since the back and legs contain the body’s biggest muscles, they burn the most calories and contribute the most to staying lean. To see the complete workout, click HERE.
Healthify Your Feast
Of course, burning calories through exercise isn’t enough to keep (or see) your abs. You have to control your calories too, which isn’t easy on the biggest pig-out day of the year and when you’re staring down leftovers on the days that follow it. That’s why celebrity chef Robert Irvine—nutrition adviser to both Muscle & Fitness and Gold’s Gym—created some Thanksgiving recipes that let you enjoy your meal but restrict calories and carbs.
“You can make stuffing without bread,” Irvine says. “You could take chorizo or ground beef, mix them together, add onion and garlic and celery and make it in a casserole dish.”
The next day, when you have excess vegetables and potatoes left, Irvine recommends sautéing them. “Put a poached egg or some salmon on top of it for a breakfast, lunch, or brunch meal.”
For more on Gold’s Trim The Fat Friday deal, and its recipes from Robert Irvine, go to goldsgym.com.
