Feast season is upon us … time to call your gym buddy

It's that time of year. Candy, cookies and pastries pop up everywhere. The sweets will be around until after the new year. That's two months of self-control you have to have to avoid sabotaging the last year of hard work.

If you've already gained a few candy pounds then call up your gym buddy fast and get back on track. They, too, have more than likely fallen into a bowl of holiday treats and need a life raft. If you're not the rescuer, then don't turn down the invitation of a friend who recruits you to help hold them accountable.

Gym buddies are fearless and motivating. They rearrange schedules, make healthy snacks and have positive things to say. If you have a good gym pal already, then thank them by being there for them. Go an extra mile with them, literally. Increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts. The end of the year is full of extra days off. Who really works the last quarter anyway? You should have plenty of energy to plan a super workout. Hit a new personal record lifting or shave a few seconds off your 5k time.

Bottom line: Move more and snack less. Eat the good foods, not the sugar rich, calorie-dense, cream-filled stuff. If you must indulge, do so sparingly and plan the workout day to use up the extra energy.

Here's a little something to think about while indulging. A gram of protein and a gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories each. A gram of fat equals 9 calories and a gram of alcohol equals 7 calories. Since feasting, extra desserts and booze tend to accompany the end of the year, it's easy to see where the extra pounds come from. If you want to see something really scary, keep a food log through the holidays. Yikes!

Today's exercises require mastery of a few basic movements. Check out the archives online at www.lvrj.com to brush up on proper form of the squat, pushup and plank.

The buddy leg press is a fun exercise for two people. One person has it easy by just holding a plank while leaning. The other person has to press the weight of their workout buddy. Avoid telling jokes about how heavy your buddy is. Those don't go over well and you'll get your turn when your friend tries to leg press you.

The squat and pushup is easy enough to explain. One person does a squat while holding onto the other person's feet as they do a pushup. These kinds of pushups are more difficult than traditional ones. Having someone hold your feet up makes them quite a bit harder. If these pushups are too difficult, then just hold the plank position while the other person does the squats.

Chris Huth is a Las Vegas trainer. He can be reached at 702trainer@gmail.com. Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.