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 programme consists of 7 exercises performed consecutively for 45 seconds each with 15 seconds to move into the next exercise. This constitutes a set. Rest for 3 minutes in between each set. Perform 4 sets in total. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – 45's
| Exercises in each set | 7 |
| Time of each exercise | 45 sec |
| Sets | 4 |
| Rest between sets | 3 min |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
DEADLIFT — Kettlebell
Stand feet shoulder width apart, bend the knees, hinge from the hips and take hold of the kettlebell in both hands. Perform a deadlift by pressing the feet into the ground and straightening the legs. Do not let the lower back round, maintain neutral spine. Lower under control.
SQUAT — Wall / Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Lean your lower back onto a swiss ball positioned against a wall. Place your feet hip width apart, slightly forward of your body and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keep the chest lifted. Extend the legs.
PRESS-UP
Begin in a press-up position, hands just wider than shoulder width and arms extended. Engage your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to toe. Bend the arms, elbows flared to the side slightly and lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Extend the arms.
CLIMBERS
Begin in a hand plank position with your shoulders over your wrists. Engage your core and use the abdominals to draw a knee up to your chest allowing your back to curve. Return to neutral spine as you join the feet and alternate legs.
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. Allow the momentum to lift the bell up to shoulder height, do not lift with the arms. Keep the core engaged.
CRUNCH
Lie on your back with your hands to head. Exhale as you curl up into a crunch, keep a slight gap under the chin and simultaneously tilt the pelvis under. Inhale and lower under control.
AEROBIC / BURPEE – Box
Stand facing a box with your feet hip width apart. Reach overhead then place your hands on the box and jump your legs back into a plank position with your body extended. Jump your feet back towards the box and begin again. Keep the movement as fluid as possible.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
ROW – Band
Stand with the opposite leg forward to working arm. Hold a band in 1 hand with the other end attached at chest height. Pull the band towards you keeping the elbow flared to the side. Rotate the torso as you pull.
SQUAT — Kettlebell
Stand with your feet wide, toes turned out slightly and hold a kettlebell in both hands. Bend the knees pressing them outwards into a sumo squat. Push your heels into the floor and extend your legs. Maintain neutral spine throughout.
CHEST PRESS — Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Support your head and shoulders on a swiss ball and raise your hips. Hold dumbbells above you with your arms fully extended. Inhale as you bend the arms bringing the hands towards the shoulders with your elbows flared to the side and exhale as you extend.
BACK EXTENSION
Lie face down on the floor with your arms by your side, palms up. Engage your core and raise your upper and lower body off the floor. Simultaneously turn your palms down and draw your shoulder blades down and together. Keep the head in line with the spine. Lower the body.
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet together and dumbbells in each hand, held to the shoulders. Step laterally into a side lunge, keep the heels down, push the bottom back and allow the torso to hinge forwards slightly from the hips. Step together and repeat to the other side.
PLANK
Place your weight onto your forearms and toes and raise the body. Engage your core and create a straight line from head to feet. Make sure your elbows are underneath your shoulders, maintain neutral spine throughout and hold the position.
AEROBIC / SPRINTS
Spring from foot to foot on the spot. Do not raise the knees high, instead make the movement as small and fast as possible. Lean the body forward slightly and use the arms in a running action.
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 |
| 6 | 20 sec | 40 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 16 minutes | ||
| 6 | 20 sec | 40 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 28 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.