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 consists of 4 sets of 3 exercises. In each set the first 2 exercises are heavy power exercises (perform 10 reps of each). The third is an aerobic exercise performed for a length of time rather than a number of reps. Perform 3 rounds and the length of time for the aerobic exercise drops from 1 minute in the first round, to 45 seconds in the second round, to 30 seconds in the final round. The rounds are performed back to back with no rest in between. Once you have completed 3 rounds take a 3 minute rest and then progress to the next set. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – POWER & AEROBIC
| Exercises in each set | 3 |
| Reps for power exercise | 10 |
| Time for aerobic exercise | 1 min / 45 sec / 30 sec |
| Rounds | 3 |
| Sets | 4 |
| Rest between sets | 3 min |
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. Press the heels into the floor as you extend the legs. Make sure your knees track inline with your toes.
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.
AEROBIC / BREAKDANCE
Begin on all 4s with the knees raised just off the floor. Take your weight onto 1 hand and the opposite foot and simultaneously twist the body and pass the free leg under the body. Straighten the leg then return to centre and repeat side to side. Keep the movement continuous.
Set Two
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.
CRUNCH – Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Lie with your back extended over a swiss ball 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. The further back over the ball the harder the exercise.
AEROBIC / BURPEE
Stand with your feet hip width apart and jump as high as possible. 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.
Set Three
STIFF LEG DEADLIFT – Dumbbells
Stand, feet hip width apart and dumbbells held in both hands. Place your weight into your heels, hinge forward from the hip with slight knee flexion and lower the weights towards the floor. Only go to the point where you can maintain neutral spine, do not round the lower back. Engage the glutes and straighten the legs as you stand upright.
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 / PLANK
Place your weight onto your hands and toes and extend the body into a hand plank position. Engage the core, rotate the body and take 1 hand to the ceiling. Alternate side keeping the temp fast.
Set Four
LEG RAISES
Lie on your back with your legs raised to the ceiling. Engage your core, maintain neutral spine and lower the legs towards the floor on the inhale. Do not allow the lower back to over arch and keep the legs as straight as possible. Exhale as you raise the legs.
PRESS-UP — Bosu
Begin in a press-up position, feet raised on a bosu (dome side up), hands just wider than shoulder width and arms extended. Engage your core and keep your body straight. Bend the arms, elbows flared to the side slightly and lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Extend the arms.
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.
Set One
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand with 1 foot forward and the other foot back behind you with the heel raised. Hold dumbbells in both hands. Lower into a lunge position until the back knee is just off the floor and both knees are at right angles. Keep the pelvis slightly tucked under so you do not over arch the lower back. Straighten the legs.
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.
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.
Set Two
CHEST PRESS — Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Support your upper back on a swiss ball and lower your hips towards the floor. Hold dumbbells above you with your arms fully extended. Inhale as you bend your arms bringing the hands towards the shoulders with your elbows flared to the side and exhale as you extend.
PLANK
Lie on your side and place your weight onto your forearm with your shoulder directly over your elbow. Stack your feet, draw your navel to spine then continuously raise and lower the hips.
AEROBIC / ICE SKATERS
Spring laterally from foot to foot, traveling as far as possible. As you land, take the free leg behind you and touch the touch the floor with the opposite hand the supporting leg. The movement should be continuous and fast pace.
Set Three
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 – Band
Stand in a slight squat position with your shoulders retracted, arms extended and hold the band at chest height. Pull the band towards you with your elbows close to your side. Draw your shoulder blades down and together then extend the arms.
AEROBIC / ANKLE TOUCHES
Begin in a plank position on your hands. Lift your hips, keep your legs straight and reach a hand backwards to touch the opposite ankle. Return to the plank position and repeat to the other side.
Set Four
PRESS-UP
Begin in a press-up position, hands just wider than shoulder width and feet together. Perform a press-up then take 2 step laterally, using the opposite hand to leg. Repeat the press-up and reverse the lateral move.
HORIZONTAL WOODCHOP — Dumbbell
Stand with feet apart and hold a dumbbell in both hands at chest height with the arms extended. Engage your core, keep your arms lengthened and rotate the torso in a smooth motion from side to side.
AEROBIC / SQUAT THRUST
Place your weight onto your hands and toes. Extend the body in a straight line with the shoulders placed over the wrists. Alternately draw a knee towards your chest, springing from 1 foot to the other. Keep the movement continuous and core engaged.
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.
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 then take a look at the videos below 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 |
| 8 | 20 sec | 40 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 20 minutes | ||
| 8 | 20 sec | 40 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 36 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.