Training camp on public holidays: staying in shape at year’s end
In the first week of December, about a third of people disappear from the gym. In January they come back and start practically from zero, because three weeks off takes more away from your strength numbers than anyone wants to admit. The gap is avoidable. December 24, 25 and 26 fall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; add three leave requests and you get a nine-day block for a southern camp.
Five hours of evening that nobody plans for
The second workout ends around six. After that there are five hours of free time in the day, and that is exactly where most camps fall apart. In many countries, resort hotels are built with a gaming hall right next to the lobby, so sooner or later the conversation turns to how foreign casinos 2026 let new visitors in. Passport, minimum age 21, a jacket in some places. Opening hours depend on public holidays, and in early January they differ from an ordinary week.
Going to bed at two in the morning wipes out the next morning. If you do plan an evening program, put it on the eve of an easier day, not before intervals.
Where you can get to in nine days
Tenerife is still the first choice among Estonians. The flight from Tallinn via Frankfurt takes about 9 hours, it is 21 degrees on the coast in December, and at the foot of Teide you can do altitude work at around 2000 meters. The downside is that the north is cloudy and windy in January.
Cyprus works differently. Fewer flights go there off-season, but around Limassol there are three 50-meter pools and a road for cycling where Polish and Czech clubs train in winter. The water is 17 degrees in January, so open-water swimming is worth planning only with a wetsuit.
Malaga is a third option, mainly for runners. The Sierra Nevada base sits at 2320 meters, and it is an hour and a half away by car. The snow is there, and so is the track.
What it all costs
Nine days in Tenerife in a room shared by two costs about 750 to 900 euros per person in December, flight included. Cyprus comes out similar. Malaga comes in slightly lower if you can put up with a bus-and-train combination.
A rental car adds 180 euros a week, but without one, half of the training spots are out of reach. For a group, three cars usually make more sense than a bus, because the workouts end at different times.
Nine days doesn’t mean nine workouts
The most common mistake is doubling your volume right away. The body can’t keep up, your heart rate drops off at the start of the second week, and you come home exhausted.
Our recommendation is simple. Two days of settling in at normal volume, then four days with an increase of about 30 percent, then two easier days and one completely free day. Keep your sleep at 8 hours at least. If that number drops to six, the whole calculation falls apart as early as the third morning.
Measure your morning heart rate right after waking and write it down. A rise of five beats means you should make the day easier, whatever the plan said.
Food and water decide more than the program
In the south you lose fluid without noticing. Two liters a day in Estonia means three and a half in Cyprus, and even more on a morning-workout day. A salt tablet or mineral water comes on top of that, otherwise the cramps arrive on the fourth day.
Hotel breakfast is usually heavy on carbohydrates. For protein, bring your own powder or buy it on site, because scrambled eggs at seven won’t cover your needs.
What to pack
Buy your supplements in Estonia. In a Spanish pharmacy, magnesium costs twice as much, and the terms of sale for creatine differ from country to country.
A heart-rate strap’s band breaks in salt water faster than you’d think. A spare band weighs 20 grams and costs 15 euros.
And one last thing. Book your return flight so that you get home at least a day before you go back to work. Going straight from the airport to the office wipes out half of the camp’s effect.
