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
There are 9 exercises in your workout. Perform 15 reps of each exercise back to back to complete a set. Perform 5 sets in total, rest for 2 minutes in between sets. Record the length of time it takes to complete each set and aim to beat your best time in subsequent sets. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – TIMED
| Exercises in each set | 9 |
| Reps | 15 |
| Sets | 5 |
| Rest between sets | 2 mins |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
CHEST FLY — Bosu / Dumbbells
Support your head and shoulders on a bosu, raise your hips and squeeze your glutes. Hold the dumbbells above you with slight elbow flexion. Inhale as you open 1 arm out to the side until it is parallel with the torso. Exhale as you raise the dumbbell. Alternate sides and use your core to stabilise the body.
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.
DEADLIFT — Dumbbells
Stand feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips, bend the knees and lower the dumbbell towards the floor. Do not let the lower back round, maintain neutral spine. Engage your glutes, push the feet into the ground and you straighten your legs.
PLANK — Dumbbell
Lie on your side and place your weight onto your forearm with your shoulder directly over your elbow. Stack your feet on top of each other and raise the body. Hold a dumbbell in the free hand then rotate the torso taking the weight underneath the body then extend the arm to the ceiling.
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand feet hip width apart and hold dumbbells in both hands. Alternately step one foot backwards into a long lunge position keeping the back knee extended as much as possible. Allow the torso the lean forward slightly over the front leg and maintain ankle and knee alignment.
PRESS UP
Begin standing, feet hip width apart. Take a long step backwards and place your hands either side of your front foot, take the other leg back to join feet and perform a press-up. Step the foot back in between the hands then step the other leg in to join feet and stand tall. Alternate legs.
CRUNCH — Wall / Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Lie with your back extended over a swiss ball. Place your feet onto a wall with the knees bend and hold a dumbbell to your chest. Curl up into a crunch, keeping a slight gap under the chin and simultaneously tilt the pelvis under. Lower under control.
HAMSTRING CURL — Swiss Ball
Lie on your back with your legs straight, feet on a swiss ball and hips raised. Place your arms by your side for support. Turn your toes and knees outwards as you bend your legs and roll the ball towards you, do not allow the hips to lower. Extend the legs.
AEROBIC / BURPEE
Stand with your feet hip width apart. Jump as high as possible and simultaneously turn 180 degrees. As you land, place your hands on the floor and jump your legs back into a plank position with your body extended. Jump your feet back towards your hands and begin again. Keep the movement as fluid as possible.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
LUNGE – Dumbbells
Stand with 1 foot forward and the other foot back behind you with the heel raised. Hold dumbbells to the shoulders. Lower into a lunge position until the back knee is just off the floor and both knees are at right angles. Jump and change legs, simultaneously moving laterally.
PRESS-UP
Begin in a press-up position, hands just wider than shoulder width and arms extended. Bend the arms, elbows flared to the side slightly and lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Extend the arms and raise 1 knee to the opposite elbow twisting the torso, repeat with the other knee and continue back to the press-up.
DEADLIFT — Dumbbell
Stand on 1 leg and hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Bent the supporting knee, hinge forward from the hip 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.
STATIC JACK — Medicine Ball
Sit upright with your knees bent then lean the body backwards and raise the feet off the floor. Hold a medicine ball in both hands with the arms slightly bent and engage the core. Rotate the torso taking the ball side to side, keep the chest lifted and navel drawn to spine.
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.
ROW — Dumbbell
Begin feet hip width apart. Take your weight onto 1 leg and hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Hinge at the hip and bring your torso parallel to the floor with slight knee flexion. Pull with the arm to perform a single arm row, elbow close to your body. Stand upright to join the legs.
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand with 1 foot forward and the other foot back behind you with the heel raised. Hold dumbbells to the shoulders. Lower into a lunge position until the back knee is just off the floor and both knees are at right angles. Push through both feet, jump and land in the same position, continue.
LEG RAISES – Swiss Ball
Lie on your back with your legs raised to the ceiling and a swiss ball held between the feet. Engage your core, maintain neutral spine and lower the ball towards the floor. Do not allow the lower back to over arch and keep the legs as straight as possible. Raise the legs.
AEROBIC / PLANK
Place your weight onto your hands and toes, draw your navel to spine and create a straight line through the body. Make sure your hands are underneath your shoulders and maintain neutral spine. Jump the legs apart and together.
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 |
| 12 | 35 sec | 25 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 12 minutes | ||
| 12 | 35 sec | 25 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 36 minutes 20 seconds | ||
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.