In preparation for Bloaty Gras

It's Carnival time! 

In most of the U.S., that means...funnel cake? Tilt-o-whirl? That HBO show?

In New Orleans, it means...

Carnival is the season of Mardi Gras, lasting from Twelfth Night/Epiphany/Three Kings' Day/January 6 until Fat Tuesday, (which is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the kickoff to Lent, which is when you swear off vices 'til Easter, which is why you have to binge on them ahead of time -- behold, Mardi Gras in its entirety, expertly explained in a parenthetical run-on!). Carnival means king cake (above) and protracted mirth (above above) and drinking a lot, possibly out of someone's bag o' wine teats (above above above). It means Popeyes and so much dancing and naps in random people's houses and glitter all over your house. It means bloating and wearing revealing clothing anyway. 

In Brazil, it means YOU BETTA WORRRK, as this New York Times article illustrates. Because marathon samba dancing in teeny weeny outfits is the order of the day, some folks go through rigorous boot camp-style training in the weeks and months leading up to the five big days of Carnival (Friday through Fat Tuesday).

Some bits in that article that jumped out at me:

           ...25 flights of stairs she climbed each day in her hotel...

                                                                      ...best shape of the year, and perhaps their lives...

                                 ...a lot of pressure to get our bums in perfect shape...

                                                 ... carnival is their Olympics...

That last sentiment I relate to; Carnival is a New Orleanian's Olympics, too, but more in terms of libational and outfit-planning endurance. (HOW MANY COSTUMES CAN YOU WEAR IN FOUR DAYS???) But I dig the Brazilians' intense fitness focus, because I know from experience that some extra exercise and healthy eating in the run-up to Mardi Gras (as in, now) can give you greater stamina for dancing in the street and begging for beads, less of a beer belly and some pounds you can blithely gain back until reality sets in on Ash Wednesday. 

So in the spirit of good times and a great ass, I'm gonna work extra hard this Carnival season. I've noticed several Brazilian Carnival-inspired workouts on the market, so we'll see what they have in store...