It’s almost Hallowe’en so we had a fantastic PUMPKIN BOOTCAMP this morning to round off the first month of early sessions!

Pumpkins are not just for carving, soup or pie – they are also an awesome piece of training equipment!!

You can jump over them, throw them, use them like a kettlebell, use them to add resistance to any move or use them to support your hands while you do squat thrusts and press ups…and we did all of that and more at 6.15am today!

Sadly it was too dark to take photos of all the action but you could grab a pumpkin and try the workout below for a great, calorie-burning, seasonal workout in your garden this weekend.

1. Prepare with a few minutes of walking or easy jogging; add arm movements to loosen the shoulders; add a few squats and lunges to get the legs fired up.
2. Pumpkin pass: stand a few feet away from a partner and start with some simple throwing & catching. If it’s too easy move further away; if you drop it you get 3 press-ups! Once you’ve got the hang of it try it with each of you standing on one leg. Complete 8-10 passes on each leg.
3. Pumpkin twists: hold your pumpkin around waist height with arms bent; squat as low as you feel comfortable then return to start; rotate your body and pumpkin to one side then back to the centre; repeat with alternate squats and rotations, going opposite sides each time. Add more challenge by holding the pumpkin further away from the body or lifting it to different heights as you twist. Complete 10-20 repetitions.
4. Pumpkin jump:place your pumpkin on the floor and stand to one side of it. Jump over the top, from side to side, and keep on jumping for 20 seconds; rest for 10 seconds then repeat. Complete a total of 8 sets (4 minutes). If you need to make this easier, step over the pumpkin with a high knee lift instead of jumping. If you want to make it harder, line up several pumpkins and jump along the line and back as if they are hurdles.
5. Pumpkin shoulder press: hold your pumpkin at chest height while you squat down as low as you can go; as you come back up press the pumpkin overhead and then return it to chest height. Continue for 10-20 repetitions or until your shoulders have had enough!
6. Pumpkin challenge: place your pumpkin on the floor, bend at the knees and place your hands on the pumpkin (make sure it isn’t going to roll away). Keeping your shoulders above your wrists, jump both feet back until your body is extended; jump them back in and repeat for 20 seconds then stand behind your pumpkin. Perform toe taps by hopping from foot to foot as quickly as you can and tapping the pumpkin lightly with your top foot for 20 seconds - if the pumpkin rolls you just go with it. Take 20 seconds rest then repeat the whole sequence 3-5 times.
7. Pumpkin under and over: You’ll need a few people for this one. Stand in a line, one behind the other with the person at the front holding a pumpkin. Pass it down the line alternating between overhead and between the legs passes; once it gets to the person at the back of the line, they run to the front and the whole thing keeps going until you’ve had enough!
8. Pumpkin V drill:place 3 pumpkins in a large V shape with about 5 metres between each one (you can use other things as markers if you only have 1 pumpkin). Start at the bottom of the V and run as quick as you can to one corner, touch the pumpkin then side step back to the start; repeat to the second corner, touching each pumkin as you get to it. The aim is to go as fast as you can for 20-30 seconds, rest 20-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times
9. Pumpkin swings: hold the pumpkin between your hands and stand with feet wide and knees slightly bent. Keeping the spine lengthened, bend the body forward to swing the pumpkin between your legs. As it swings forward again use the muscles in your legs and bottom to bring you back to an upright position - your arms should only come to around chest height. Repeat 10-12 times, rest and repeat again.
10. Pumpkin slalom: place your pumpkin on the ground and mark out a route by placing objects on the floor at random. The aim is to reach down and roll the pumpkin around your obstacles in the shortest time possible – time your first go and then try to improve on it for the next few tries!
11. Perform some easy stretches for the main muscles in your arms and legs to finish.
12. And now, if you didn’t break it, you can still use your pumpkin for carving, soup or pie!!

This workout is generally suitable for the whole family. Kids can join in too but make sure they use small, light-weight pumpkins and adapt the moves if they need to. Make sure you try this away from anything that might get damaged if you drop the pumpkin or miss your target when throwing it…

Please remember to check with your doctor before undertaking any new exercise routine, especially if you have any existing health concerns. Taylor-made Fitness takes no responsibility or liability for injuries or damages resulting from participating in this activity.

PS the best local pumpkins I have found are available just past Golford crossroads on the road between Cranbrook & Tenterden. Great pumpkins at great prices - and fabulous eggs too!

I hope you enjoy your pumpkin workout & have a great Hallowe’en!