Lifestyler with Josie McKenlay: Top tips for your summer workout

Josie McKenlay 15:51 03/07/2014
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  • Intense workout: Push ups are just one part of the HIIT training programme.

    The top two fitness trends for 2014 are HIIT (high intensity interval training) and body weight workouts (no equipment).

    HIIT works you at a high intensity for shorter periods of time, but is just as effective as the longer, slower aerobic form of exercise such as jogging, cycling or using the cross-trainer for hours on end.

    Twenty minutes of HIIT is worth around 40 minutes of these other cardiovascular workouts.

    The beauty of the body weight workouts is that you don’t have to go to a gym, a class or invest in any expensive equipment.

    Put these two together and you have a highly effective, quick workout to take you through the summer when many classes will stop due to poor attendance.

    As temperatures soar, you can do these workouts indoors.

    WARM UP: ALL LEVELS
    Start by marching on the spot, shrugging your shoulders. Gradually march your feet wider beyond shoulder width apart and take a squat and tap right as you reach your right arm up, then repeat left several times.

    Add a squat and hamstring curl (alternate heels to butt) as you pull down both arms, stretching them up on the squats.

    This should last for 3 or 4 minutes as you pick up the pace and feel your pulse rate rise.

    Finish by crossing one leg in front of the other and roll down to stretch your back and back of legs. Scoop the belly as you roll down and back up and repeat with the legs crossed the other way.

    Stretch the front of thighs by lifting a foot behind, grab hold of it with your hand and gently push the foot into your hand as the thigh moves back.

    Repeat on the other side.

    INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED
    Twenty Seconds building to 50 seconds for each exercise, 10 second rest between.

    Repeat if you want a workout longer than 10 minutes. Finish by gradually bringing the jog down to marching to cool down and stretch your legs and arms.

    • Jogging on the spot: get the heels down
    • Narrow squats: keep hips, knees, toes aligned, knees behind toes, back straight
    • Jumping jacks: jump in the air and land with feet and arms wide, knees/toes aligned
    • Wide squats: turn the knees and toes out and keep aligned
    • Burpees: jump in the air with feet and arms wide, land in a deep squat, jump back to full plank position, jump forward to deep squat
    • Push ups: stay on your knees if full push ups are too difficult or mix them up
    • Jogging on the spot, knees high
    • Side plank, rotating: either on your hand or forearm, top foot in front of lower foot; stretch arm up to ceiling, come through the centre to plank before rotating to the other side
    • Jog as fast as you can on the spot
    • Straight leg abdominal toner: lay on your back, legs outstretched, head lifted and resting in your hands, engage abs drawing navel to spine and as you exhale raise a straight leg, inhale to bring it back down. Alternate.

    BEGINNER MODIFICATIONS
    • Replace jogging, jumping jacks and burpees with marching on the spot. As you become fitter, start to build to a jog.
    • Stay on your hands and knees for push up, gradually moving your knees further back.
    • Don’t rotate the side planks. Set yourself up on one side on your forearm with your knees bent and hold the position, repeat other side.
    • For the straight leg abdominal toner, keep your pelvis level but bend your knees.

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