Six carnival road-ready exercises you should know

The mission to sculpt carnival-ready bodies has pushed a slate of personal fitness countdowns into full-throttle mode over the last three months. The Carnival in Jamaica Road March is serious business, and fitness trainer Andre ‘Supreme’ Brown understands why body image matters.

Christened ‘The Booty Maker’ in the local gym realm for “training my clients, especially females in getting refined looking glutes”, Brown is among the most sought-after trainers at Express Fitness’ Constant Spring Golf Club branch.

With T-minus 11 days until Kingston’s streets teem with thousands of costumed revellers – plenty of whom are his clients – Brown has been hard at work in the gym, leading intensive carnival prep sessions.

Besides one-on-one client sessions, the trainer’s schedule includes ‘Soca Buns’ classes, co-sponsored by Xodus Carnival, which have seen plenty of women and men working up a sweat with cardio-intensive routines since early February.

“For these classes, my instructions focus on exercises to help develop stronger, firmer glutes. It’s about feeling confident in their skin, especially in the carnival costumes,” Brown said.

Beyond the soca buns tutorials, the 35-year-old shared six essential workout routines to get ready for the road. On Brown’s drill-sergeant docket are elbow planks, box jumps, hanging leg and knee lifts, hip thrusts, deadlifts, and barbell back squats.

For Brown, he encourages persons to see the advantages of physical fitness, not just for carnival season prep, but on a regular basis.

“Working out for carnival gives you that extra drive and extra motivation but it’s good to be self-motivated and working out for life, not just for carnival. It’s very crucial because your health is your wealth and being consistent with exercise brings lasting benefits,” says the International Sports Sciences Association-certified professional who has worked for Express Fitness for the last decade.

“Consistent exercises makes prep time [in the gym] way easier and reduces the risk of you being injured, burned out, or even frustrated. It allows you to build that physically fit foundation and stand on firmer ground when it’s time not just for carnival but other festivities that come before or after carnival,” he added.

Here’s a breakdown of the six core moves on Brown’s drill-sergeant docket and their benefits as you prepare for the road.

ELBOW PLANKS

This involves holding a straight-body position on the forearms, targeting the core (abdominals), shoulders and lower back, and helping to tighten and flatten the midsection.

Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 30 to 60 seconds.

Carnival benefits: Makes wearing crop tops, tank tops and carnival costumes more comfortable and flattering.

BOX JUMPS

An explosive jump onto a box or elevated platform that targets the glutes, quads and calves, helping to build power, burn fat and tone the legs quickly.

Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps (rest between sets).

Carnival benefits: Improves endurance to survive the morning-to-night partying hours of Carnival Sunday.

HANGING LEG/KNEE LIFTS

An exercise performed while hanging from a bar, lifting the legs either straight or bent to target the lower abs and hip flexors, helping to carve out lower stomach definition.

Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (beginners should start with knee lifts).

Carnival benefits: Great for generating control and power for energetic dance moves.

HIP THRUSTS

Performed with the shoulders resting on a bench and weight placed on the hips, this movement lifts the hips upward in a controlled motion to target the glutes and hamstrings, and is considered one of the most effective exercises for building fuller, rounder glutes.

Reps: 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps (squeeze at the top for 2 seconds).

Carnival benefits: Makes hip action and those ‘wining’ movements a breeze.

CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT

A full-body strength exercise performed by lifting a barbell from the ground to hip level while keeping the back straight, targeting the glutes, hamstrings, lower back and core to define the posterior chain (backside), improve posture and build overall strength.

Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Carnival benefits: Builds strength for jumping and marching.

BARBELL BACK SQUATS

This is performed by placing a barbell across the upper back, squatting down and driving back up, targeting the glutes, quads, hamstrings and core to build lower-body strength and create a lifted, rounded look in the legs and glutes.

Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps (begin moderate before transitioning to heavier weights for shaping)

Carnival benefits: “Persons will be walking miles and that’s what makes squats so important for prepping for carnival,” Brown told Lifestyle. The movement builds strength and endurance needed for long hours on the road.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com