EXERCISE MONTH 3

 

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 Workout Two
Day 3 Cardio Day 17 Cardio
Day 4 Rest Day 18 Rest
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 Workout Two
Day 9 Cardio Day 23 Cardio
Day 10 Workout Two Day 24 Workout One
Day 11 Rest Day 25 Rest
Day 12 Cardio Day 26 Cardio
Day 13 Workout One Day 27 Workout Two
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 7 exercises back to back (15 reps), with minimal rest between each exercise. This constitutes a set, at the end of the set rest for 2.5 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 7
Reps 15
Sets 5
Rest between sets 2.5 min
 

 

Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.

SQUAT — TRX

Stand facing the TRX. Hold both handles with the arms straight and lean back slightly. Extend 1 leg out in front of you and perform a single leg squat. Take the free leg behind you and perform a second single leg squat. Keep the arms straight throughout.


 

ROW — Dumbbells

Stand feet hip width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips with slight knee flexion and bring the torso forwards maintaining neutral spine. Pull with the arms into a row position, elbow flared to the side. Extend the arms.


 

CHEST PRESS — TRX

Start in a press-up position with the TRX attached behind you. Take your weight onto your toes and walk your feet further underneath you to make the exercise more challenging. Maintain core stability and bend the arms lowering yourself into the press-up, keeping the hand position still, then extend the arms.


 

PLANK — TRX

Suspend your feet in a TRX and place your weight onto your hands. Engage your core and create a straight line through the body. Raise your hips slightly and simultaneously open and close the legs. Maintain neutral spine throughout.


 

SQUAT — TRX

Stand facing the TRX and hold both handles. With your feet shoulder width apart, lower into a squat and then push through the feet, pull slightly with the arms and jump as high as possible. As you land bend the knees and go straight into the next squat jump, keep the movement fluid.


 

ROW — TRX

Turn the TRX into a single handle. (Info on technique page) Start feet hip width apart, hold the TRX in 1 hand and step forwards so your body is leaning back slightly. Squat, extend the arm and rotate the torso away. Extend the legs as you pull to a single arm row and switch hands.


 

AEROBIC / LUNGE JUMP 

Begin with your feet shoulder width apart. Jump and land into a squat, push through the feet, use the momentum of the arms and jump into a lunge with the right foot forward and then the left. Keep the movement continuous.

 

RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO

Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.

CHEST PRESS — Bench / Dumbbells

Lie on a flat bench and hold dumbbells with your arms fully extended in a vertical line. Lower the dumbbells towards your chest by bending your elbows, allowing the elbows to flare out to the sides. Press back to full extension.


 

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 feet shoulder width apart and hold dumbbells to your shoulders. Bend the knees into a deep squat, push the bottom backwards and maintain neutral spine. As you straighten the legs, press the dumbbells overhead. Make sure your knees track inline with your toes.


 

ROW — Bench / Dumbbell

Place 1 hand on a bench and hold a dumbbell in the other. Take the legs back into a plank position so the body is in a straight line from head to toe. Use your core to maintain stability. Begin with the arm extended towards the floor then bend the elbow and pull into a row. Keep the elbow close to the body and extend the arm.


 

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.


 

LATERAL FLEXION – Bench / Dumbbell

Kneel on a box/bench with your glutes contracted and hold a dumbbell in one hand. Laterally flex the body, lowering the dumbbell towards the floor, then pull over to the opposite side keeping your core engaged and shoulders retracted.


 

STEP-UP — Box / Dumbbells

Stand holding the dumbbells to your side. Step up onto a high box or bench, push through your heel and straighten the leg. Do not push off with the underneath leg. Lower under control and step back into a deep lunge.

 

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.


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 30 sec 30 sec
Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 14 minutes
12 30 sec 30 sec
Total Workout Time - 38 minutes
 

 

CARDIO EQUIPMENT

This video shows examples of cardio equipment to use when perform your interval training.  

 

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.