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 | 10 |
| Sets | 5 |
| Rest between sets | 3 min |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
LUNGE — Bench / Dumbbells
Stand on 1 leg with the opposite foot placed onto a bench behind you with the knee flexed. Hold dumbbells to your side. Bend the supporting leg and lower the body, keeping the torso upright. Maintain ankle and knee alignment. Extend the supporting leg.
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 / 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
Place your weight onto your forearms and toes and raise the body. Engage your core, create a straight line through the body and raise 1 leg. Make sure your elbows are beneath your shoulders, maintain neutral spine throughout and hold the position.
ROW — Dumbbell
Begin in a long lunge position with the back leg extended, and hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand to front leg. Lean your torso forwards creating a straight line from head to toe. Bend the elbow and pull into a row. Keep the elbow close to the body then extend the arm.
HAMSTRING CURL — Swiss Ball
Lie on your back with 1 foot on a swiss ball (leg extended) and the other raised above you. Lift your hips and place your arms by your side for support. Bend the knee as you roll the ball towards you. Lower the hips to the floor, immediately raise the hips then extend the leg.
AEROBIC / SQUAT JUMP
Begin standing with your feet together, jump and land in a wide squat with the feet and knees turned out slightly. Jump back together, keep the movement 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 bend the arms, raise your right knee and place it on top of your right elbow. Turn your head to the same direction. Extend the arms as you place feet together and repeat with the left.
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 and engage your core as you lower the legs. Maintain neutral spine and lower the legs as far as possible with slight knee flexion. Raise the legs.
LUNGE — Box
Stand in a split stance with the front foot placed on a box and hold dumbbells to your side. Bend the front knee, bring your weight forward and keep the back leg extended. Allow the knee to come forward of the toes. Body upright. Extend the leg.
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.
CRUNCH — Bosu / Dumbbell
Lie with your back extended over a bosu 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.
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.
LAT PULL — Cable / Medicine Ball
Perform a plank on 1 hand, with the hand balanced on a medicine ball. Take hold of a low cable in the other hand. The cable should be positioned forward of your head. Begin with the arm extended and pull, bringing your elbow into your side. Maintain neutral spine throughout.
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.
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.