7 Intense Whole-Body Workouts… With A Pumpkin

With Halloween just a few days away we thought hey, why not bring to you some pumpkin workouts you can do at home. Most people think of using them for cooking or carving, but they?re also a great alternative for a kettle or medicine ball and ? more importantly ? they?re cheap to buy.

Over at Huffington Post they have all seven workouts with easy-to-follow diagrams?that are definitely worth a go over the festive period. Trust me ? these exercises are way harder than they sound:

1. The Single-Leg Pumpkin Deadlift

The?single-leg deadlift?is a hamstring, glute and back exercise disguised as a test of balance. (If you’re new to the single-leg deadlift, let your pumpkin sit this one out at first.) While standing on one leg with a little give in the knee, hinge at the hips as you lower your pumpkin to the ground and raise the other leg behind you. Squeeze the glute of the raised leg, and then, using the hamstrings and glutes, lift your body back to starting position. Keep the back flat throughout the entire movement. Aim for three sets of 10 on each leg.

2. The Sumo Squat With Overload Pumpkin Press

Start in a wider-than-normal squat stance and point the toes slightly outward. This recruits smaller lower-body muscles into your squat routine while simultaneously working the big guns even harder. Adding an overhead press makes this a compound movement, meaning it works more than one muscle group in one exercise, effectively cutting your workout time in half. Lift your pumpkin above your head, but don’t lock the elbows. Try for three sets of 12.

Head over to the article to check out?the remaining five workouts and to see the pictures of how to do them.?Please remember to find a pumpkin which isn’t too light (or heavy) before trying any of these exercises, we don?t want you finding this too easy or ending up with a nasty injury.

These whole-body workouts are perfect for toning and will help blast the calories after you?re done scoffing candy or binge drinking over the Halloween weekend. It also makes a creative break from the usual weight exercise routine and can reawaken old muscles which you may have forgotten existed.