Staying on track during your Bachelorette Bash!
We see it all the time. Brides crush their workouts in the gym with us for weeks and months. They get up in the morning day after day “sweating for the wedding” and see great results. Their weight is down, body fat % keeps melting away, strength numbers are increasing every week, and they are looking and feeling great about their progress. All is well, until your bachelorette party rolls around.
A 5-day weekend of drinking bottomless mimosas, bottles of wine, eating out for every meal, and then nursing a hangover for 3 days afterwards, can really throw a wrench into your ability to keep progressing for that wedding bod you so desire. I’m not trying to be the fun police and tell you not to drink during your Bach party. Nor am i telling you to be super strict with your diet while on a fun vacation while the rest of your crew is breaking more bread than the last supper. You should be able do these things and have a great time with your friends! We want that for you. We also know that if you have a plan and some direction we can help you salvage your progress and keep you on track for your wedding day goals.
I would bet that many of you even have the intention of working out the weekend of your Bachelorette. However, this often doesn’t happen because
1) You are nursing a hangover that would take down an African water buffalo.
2) You don’t have a workout plan.
It is much easier to get a great workout in if you can take the thinking out of it. Personally, I hate going to the gym without a plan and I tend to not see great progress without a little prep.
Here are a few tips that will help you set a game-plan for your workout. First off, keep the workout short. You are there to celebrate and spend time with your friends, not to spend 2 hours at the gym. Nobody want or has the time to do that. So get in and out of there in 30 minutes or less, that’s all you need!
What exercises should you do? This can depend on the where you are for your Bachelorette weekend. There is usually a broad spectrum of equipment at any hotel gym . Most will maybe have a treadmill, elliptical, and/or a stationary bike. Often the hotel will have some light dumbbells, although usually nothing more than 50 pounds. Most rarely have kettlebells, bands, medicine balls or other accessories. If the hotel has those items, great, but I wouldn’t count on it. Also, body weight exercises will be your best friend. They are low-impact, low-intensity and can be done anywhere without the need for equipment. Do “big-bang-for-the-buck” exercises, like squats, lunges, push-ups, presses, rows, planks, pull-ups etc. Keep the intensity (load) low, the reps high, and keep yourself moving for 3-6 sets depending on your personal fitness level. Super-set a couple of these exercises or perform a circuit of 4-8 exercises. I know these guidelines can be unclear for some brides, so I will put together a few examples for you:
Option 1) Go for a walk. Seriously, that’s it! 20-30 minute around the block or on the treadmill, just to get a light sweat going.
- This option pairs well with a Hangover Level of 10/10.
Option 2) Go for a light jog. It’s like option 1 but just a little more intense. Go at an easy pace, for 20-30 minutes and stretch for a few minutes afterwards. You could also do this on the elliptical/bike.
- This option would work best with a Hangover Level 6 or less.
Option 3) Easy intervals. A combination of options 1 and 2; only slightly more effective and less boring. Get on the treadmill, go outside, or utilize another cardio machine. Keep the work to rest ratio low (1:2 or higher). One of my personal favorites is 15 seconds hard, 45 seconds easy for 15 minutes. 30 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy is also an option if you are feeling up to the challenge. Do these workouts for 15-20 minutes and your hangover will be almost completely flushed.
- This would work best with a Hangover Level 5 or less. (Do not attempt to do intervals if you slept hugging the toilet the night before.)
Option 4) Bodyweight circuit. Here’s a simple, but effective one: 20 bodyweight Squats, 10 Push-Ups, 10 Walking Lunges (each leg or 20 total), 50 jumping-jacks, and a 30-second side plank on each side. Repeat this for 5 rounds and it will only take about 15-20 mins.
- This option work best with a Hangover Level of 7.
Option 5) Full-Body Dumbbell Circuit. The possibilities are endless, but here is a great activity for those that want to keep some strength while away: 10 Dumbbell Front Squats, 10 Dumbbell Overhead Presses, 10 Dumb Squat Jumps for 3 sets. Then follow that up with 10 Walking Lunges on each leg, 10 bent-over Dumbbell rows, 10 Dumbbell Russian Dead Lifts for 3 sets. These two full-body supersets will keep you on the Gainz Train!
- This option works best for a Hangover Level 5.
Obviously, these are not the only things you can do, but at least I’ve given you a few options to get you through your bachelorette weekend. You can follow them exactly or get creative and modify them based on how you are feeling and what equipment you have access to.
I also wanted to take a moment to talk about damage control on your diet. As expected, you will most likely be going out to eat for most of your meals. First rule: always eat breakfast! No matter how hung over or tired you are, get up and eat something. Take advantage of the hotel breakfast and grab an omelet, or some eggs and bacon with a side of fruits and veggies. Just make sure you get something that has protein in it. This will help your body keep your metabolism up and retain lean mass while you are binging the weekend away. Second, eat some protein and nutrient dense foods with every meal. This will help fill you up and hopefully reduce your total caloric intake when dining out. Order your preference of chicken, fish, lean beef or pork, and at least get a few vegetables. Lastly, and related to the previous point – keep the carbs low. Get the burger without the bun or a salad instead of french fries. The main reason for this is that I anticipate you will be drinking the majority of your carbs. If you can at least lower our intake during meals this will provide some damage control for all of the liquid calories. You don’t want to double-up on the carb-heavy meal and then drink 8 margaritas that night. Your body composition and body weight will thank you.
With that being said, Bachelorette weekends are about having a blast with your friends, and getting rid of some of that stress before the big day! Make sure you are having fun, but do yourself and your body a favor by keep these tips in the back of your mind to make obtain all your fitness goals possible before you say “I Do”.
A big Thank You to Bells and Barbells trainer Braden Everding for this weeks blog contribution. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork