Fuss-free fitness Two simple circuits that will get you sweating HEY, IT’S HARD ENOUGH COMING UP WITH A FRESH LUNCH IDEA EVERYDAY let alone devising a kick-ass workout every time you hit the gym. So if a supersimple, super-effective routine sounds like your idea of exercise heaven, make this sesh your BFF. A high-intensity interval training circuit, it’ll put your body to the test in minimum time with minimal equipment. And because it uses compound moves (the kind that recruit a few muscle groups at a time), it’ll get your metabolism revving so your bod continues to slay well after you’ve slipped of your sneakers. Too easy!
HOW TO DO IT: Start with 20 reps of each move in circuit 1, doing them back to back without rest. Repeat the circuit twice more. Take a two-minute breather then move on to circuit 2. Perform five reps of each move in circuit 2, again without resting. Do the same for four reps, then three, then two, then one. Rest for one minute and repeat twice more. Done! YOU’LL NEED: Bench, barbell, medicine ball, 2 x dumbbells
CIRCUIT #1 1 / HIP THRUST GREAT FOR: BOTTOM, REAR THIGHS, CORE ■ Sit on the floor with your legs bent, feet close to your bottom and your upper back resting on a bench. ■ Place a barbell across the soft part of your hips. ■ Raise your hips up as high as you can. ■ Lower with control and repeat.
HIP THRUST
2 / RUSSIAN TWIST GREAT FOR: STOMACH, SIDES, CORE Technique ■ Sit with your feet of the floor and your upper body slightly reclined, holding a medicine ball in front of your chest. ■ Twist your upper body to bring the ball towards the floor, then twist the other way, reversing the movement. ■ Repeat fluidly, alternating sides.
RUSSIAN TWIST
3 / GLUTE ROTATION GREAT FOR: BOTTOM, HIPS Technique ■ Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, and knees under your hips. ■ Raise one knee to the side and lower.
■ Perform all the repetitions on each leg to complete a set.
GLUTE ROTATION
4 / PLANK TRANSFER GREAT FOR: CORE, REAR UPPER ARMS Technique ■ Start in a plank position on your forearms with your core engaged. ■ Come up on to your hand on one side and then follow with the other. ■ Go back down to your forearm on the side you started with, then the other. ■ Repeat fluidly.
PLANK TRANSFER
CIRCUIT #2 1 / DEADLIFT GREAT FOR: LOWER BACK, BOTTOM, THIGHS Technique ■ Holding a barbell with both hands, push your hips back and bend your legs to lower the bar towards the floor. ■ Push your heels into the floor and extend your legs and hips to stand up tall, shoulders back. ■ Lower and repeat.
DEADLIFT
2 / BENT-OVER ROW GREAT FOR: UPPER BACK, UPPER ARMS Technique ■ Keeping a bend in your knees, hinge at your hips so that your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Hold the barbell with both hands, arms extended towards the floor. ■ Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you row the barbell up and in towards your rib cage. ■ Slowly lower with control and repeat.
BENT-OVER ROW
3 / SQUAT PRESS
GREAT FOR: BOTTOM, THIGHS, SHOULDERS, REAR UPPER ARMS Technique ■ Holding a dumbbell by each shoulder, bend at your knees and hips to lower your bottom out behind you as low as possible. ■ Extend back to the start position and press the dumbbells overhead. ■ Slowly lower and repeat.
SQUAT PRESS
4 / PUSH-UP
GREAT FOR: CHEST, REAR UPPER ARMS, CORE Technique ■ Start in plank position on your hands. ■ Bend your arms to lower your chest to the floor, keeping your body in a straight line and your elbows close to your body. ■ Push back up to the start position and repeat.
PUSH-UP
Bibliography 1. Website: http://fitnessmotivationtv.com/ 2. Amazing Muscle Fitness 3. Wikipedia