MONTHLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE
Below is our recommended order and number of workouts. Try to stick as close to this as possible. Always keep the order of the workouts the same even if you have to take days off. Ideally do not have more than one day off in a row.
| Day 1 | Cardio | Day 15 | Cardio |
| Day 2 | Workout One | Day 16 | Cardio |
| Day 3 | Cardio | Day 17 | Workout Two |
| Day 4 | Cardio | Day 18 | Cardio |
| Day 5 | Workout Two | Day 19 | Workout One |
| Day 6 | Cardio | Day 20 | Cardio |
| Day 7 | Rest | Day 21 | Rest |
| Day 8 | Workout One | Day 22 | Cardio |
| Day 9 | Cardio | Day 23 | Workout Two |
| Day 10 | Cardio | Day 24 | Cardio |
| Day 11 | Workout Two | Day 25 | Workout One |
| Day 12 | Cardio | Day 26 | Cardio |
| Day 13 | Workout One | Day 27 | Cardio | Day 14 | Rest | Day 28 | Rest |
DYNAMIC WARM-UP
The warm-up is to mobilise and prime your body, it should be specific to the exercise you are about to perform. We recommend 5 mins of gentle cardio to increase body temperature and blood flow to the muscles. Follow this with movements that mimic your exercises but at a slower pace with reduced intensity.
Try our basic warm-up or advanced version with a medicine ball.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT ONE
This concept is called Circuits. Perform 8 exercises back to back (15 reps), with minimal rest between each exercise. This constitutes a set, at the end of the set rest for 2 mins. Perform 5 sets in total. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – CIRCUITS
| Exercises in each set | 8 |
| Reps | 15 |
| Sets | 5 |
| Rest between sets | 2 min |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand on 1 leg, hold dumbbells above you, arms extended. Bring the dumbbells to your shoulders as you step laterally into a side lunge. Heels down, push the bottom back and allow the torso to hinge forwards slightly from the hips. Push back to a single leg balance, extend arms.
SWING — Kettlebell
Stand feet slightly wider than shoulder width and hold a kettlebell in both hands. Hinge from the hips with slight knee flexion and swing the bell through the legs maintaining neutral spine, do not round the lower back. Swing the bell overhead and take 2 step to change direction, repeat.
CHEST PRESS — Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Support your head and shoulders on a swiss ball and raise your hips. Hold a dumbbell in 1 hand and lower it towards the shoulder. As you exhale extend the arm above you and rotate your body bringing yourself up onto the opposite shoulder. Inhale as you lower.
QUAD SQUATS — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet close together and heels raised onto a plate. Hold dumbbells to your shoulders and lower into a squat. Take the squat as deep as possible keeping your chest lifted. Allow the knees to come slightly forward of the toes.
PLANK
Begin in a plank position on your hands with your feet shoulder width apart. Engage your core, rotate the body and take your weight onto 1 hand, raise the other hand directly above you. Return to the plank position and alternate sides. Keep the hips lifted throughout.
ROW — Dumbbells
Begin in a plank position with your hands placed onto dumbbells and arms extended. Engage your core to maintain stability and alternately pull into a single arm row. Make sure your wrists are placed directly under your shoulders and do not rotate the hips.
LUNGE — Kettlebell
Hold the kettlebell in 1 hand and swing it backwards, simultaneously take the same leg back into a lunge. As the bell swings forwards to shoulder height step together, change hands and repeat the movement to the other side. Be aware of knocking the knees with the kettlebell.
AEROBIC / SQUAT JUMP
Begin in a plank position on your hands, jump your legs forwards into a deep squat and raise the arms raised in front of you. Place the hands to the floor and jump back to plank. Keep the movement fluid and continuous.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
PRESS-UP
Begin in a press-up position, hands just wider than shoulder width and arms extended. As you perform the press-up, push away forcefully and use the momentum to clap your hands together in between each repetition.
LEG RAISES — Bench / Dumbbell
Lie on a flat bench with your legs raised and a dumbbell held between the feet. Hold onto the bench beside your head, engage your core and inhale as you lower your legs. Take the legs below the level of the bench with slight knee flexion. Exhale as you bring your legs back over head and raise your hips.
SQUAT — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and dumbbells in each hand, held to the shoulders. Squat and push through the feet into a high jump, land back into a squat position and continue the movement.
STIFF LEG DEAD LIFT — Dumbbell
Stand on 1 leg and hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Place your weight into the heel as you hinge forward from the hip, bend the supporting leg slightly and lower the dumbbell towards the floor. Allow the free leg to move backwards. Only go to the point where you can maintain neutral spine, do not round the lower back. Straighten the leg as you stand upright.
JACKS
Lie on the floor with the arms extended overhead. Raise the upper and lower body reaching the hands towards the toes. Keep the back neutral, the chest lifted and the legs as straight as possible. Lower under control.
BURPEE — Bosu
Stand next to the bosu with the dome side up. Take 3 quick steps across the bosu, raising the knees. Jump back into a single leg burpee then repeat to the opposite direction.
PULLOVER — Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Support your head and shoulders on a swiss ball, raise your hips and hold a dumbbell above you in both hands. With slight elbow flexion, lower the weight behind you on the inhale. Keep the arms lengthened and bring the weight back over the body as you exhale. Maintain neutral spine.
AEROBIC / LUNGE JUMP — Bench
Begin in a lunge position with the back leg raised onto a box. Lower into the lunge and push through the front foot to hop keeping the back leg on the box. Maintain an upright position with the body, and continue the movement.
CARDIO WORKOUT
The cardio workout is split into 3 sections: Intervals, lactic acid removal phase, followed by a repeat of the intervals. You can use any piece of cardio equipment such as the cross trainer, treadmill, rower, bike or skipping rope. You can also combine equipment rather than performing the entire workout on one machine. If you are training at home, take a look at the video and choose a combination of cardio exercises to perform.
Intervals (pre LAR phase) – perform the required number of intervals. The sprint phase should be performed at 100%, the highest intensity possible and the rest phase should be performed at a low intensity to recover. For example on a cross-trainer increase the speed for the sprint phase then bring it back down on the rest phase, allowing you to recover.
Lactic acid removal phase – work at a consistent pace, but to the maximum intensity possible (you should not be able to hold a conversation) yet able to sustain it for the required length of time. The time is stated in minutes below the first table.
Intervals (post LAR phase) – perform the intervals again with the same format as the first section.
Enjoy!
CARDIO CONCEPT
| Number of Intervals | Sprints | Rest |
| 18 | 15 sec | 30 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 12 minutes | ||
| 18 | 15 sec | 30 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 39 minutes | ||
SPRINT PHASE
This video shows examples of cardio exercises to use when performing the sprint phase of your interval training. Choose one thats suits your level.
REST PHASE
This is the recovery phase. Choose from marching on the spot, an easy jog or a combination of the two.
STRETCHES
Hold each position for 1 minute and increase the length of time on particularly tight muscles.
GLUTES & BACK
Lie on your back with your arms stretched out wide, take one knee across your body and apply gentle pressure drawing the knee towards the floor.
GLUTES
Lie on your back and place your foot onto the opposite knee. Press the top knee outwards as you clasp the underneath leg and draw it towards you.
BACK
Sit back onto your heels and simultaneously reach your hands forward with your forehead resting on the floor.
ABDOMINALS
Lie prone (on your front) and place your hands beneath your shoulders. Press into the floor, straighten your arms and raise your body.
HIP FLEXOR
In a half kneeling position tuck your pelvis under, squeeze your glutes and press your hips forward.
QUADS
Draw your foot towards your bottom. Squeeze your glutes, tuck your pelvis under and keep your knees together.
HAMSTRINGS & CALF
Raise your foot onto a surface and lean your body forward. Flex the foot bringing the toe towards you.
CALF
Lean into a wall, extend the back knee and press the heel into the floor. Ensure both feet are in a parallel position.
LATERAL
Place one foot behind the other and reach the same arm (as back leg) overhead. To increase the stretch lean laterally.
UPPER BACK
Place your hands together and reach forward. Drop your head between your arms and curve your upper back.
CHEST
Place your forearm onto a wall, creating right angles at the shoulder and elbow joints. Apply pressure into the wall and turn your torso away.
TRICEP
Take one arm overhead and bend at the elbow. Apply pressure with the opposite hand and keep the head raised.
ALTERNATIVE EXERCISES
Use this section to replace specific exercises in your programme which do not work for you. This may be due to not having the correct equipment, the exercise being too challenging / not challenging enough, or possibly due to an injury. Click on the links below to find alternative exercises for the same body part or movement.