BODY-TYPE EXERCISE / INFO
You are a Power body type on a fat loss programme. Your muscle leans towards fast twitch fibres: the powerful fibres that produce a lot of force but tire quickly. You build and keep muscle easily, and that is your biggest asset when losing fat.
The trade off is that your body tends to store fat readily. When you eat less, your body takes some of the weight it loses from muscle unless you give it a reason to keep it. That reason is resistance training. Lifting while in a calorie deficit protects your muscle, so more of what you lose comes from fat. Holding on to that muscle keeps your strength, your shape and your metabolism where they should be as you get leaner.
Your plan combines resistance workouts with high intensity interval cardio. The intervals build your fitness and help your muscles get better at using fat for fuel by increasing their mitochondria (the parts of the cell where fuel is burnt). Most of the energy you use comes from the workout itself, not from any after burn, so completing your sessions matters more than anything else. Train consistently and try not to have more than one rest day in a row.
Your resistance workouts are built around compound exercises: big movements that work several muscles at once, so you use more energy per session and train your whole body efficiently. Because your muscles produce a lot of force but tire quickly, you lift heavier, with fewer reps, move fast and rest a little longer between sets. Every working set is taken to failure, the point where another good rep is not possible. As a beginner, learn each movement with good technique first, then build the weight.
Every month your training concept changes (the concept is the way you perform your workouts). Within each concept we set the exact sets, reps, time, tempo, rest and effort for your body type, goal and level, and your schedule shows how often to do each workout.
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 | Session | Day | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Hi Virginie,
Welcome to this month’s programme. Your goal is to burn as much energy as possible while keeping your muscle. As a Power body type training at beginner level, everything here is set around how your muscles work best. Your muscles are built for strength and power. Short, heavy, fast sets with longer rests get the best from them, and your cardio is short sprints on low-impact equipment to look after your joints.
This month you have 2 different workouts. Each one is set out below.
Workout One: Superset Three (Full Body)
Three blocks of three exercises. Perform 15 reps of each of the three exercises back to back: this is one set. Complete 3 sets in total, with 1 minute of rest between sets: this completes a block. Rest for 3 minutes between blocks. There are 3 blocks in total.
| Workout One: Superset Three | |
|---|---|
| Blocks | 3 |
| Exercises per group | 3 |
| Reps | 10 |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest after each set | 80 s |
| Rest between blocks | 3 mins |
| Tempo | 1-0-1-0 |
| Effort | To failure |
This workout has 3 blocks:
- Block A, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set, rest 3 min before the next block. Exercises: SQUAT — Dumbells, AEROBIC / ANKLE TOUCHES, LUNGE
- Block B, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set, rest 3 min before the next block. Exercises: PULL OVER – Swiss Ball / Dumbbell, QUAD SQUATS — Dumbbells, PRESS-UP
- Block C, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set. Exercises: LUNGE — Dumbbells, DEADLIFT — Kettlebell, AEROBIC / PLANK
Workout Two: Superset Three (Full body)
Three blocks of three exercises. Perform 15 reps of each of the three exercises back to back: this is one set. Complete 3 sets in total, with 1 minute of rest between sets: this completes a block. Rest for 3 minutes between blocks. There are 3 blocks in total.
| Workout Two: Superset Three | |
|---|---|
| Blocks | 3 |
| Exercises per group | 3 |
| Reps | 10 |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest after each set | 80 s |
| Rest between blocks | 3 mins |
| Tempo | 1-0-1-0 |
| Effort | To failure |
This workout has 3 blocks:
- Block A, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set, rest 3 min before the next block. Exercises: SUPERMANS, AEROBIC / BURPEE, LUNGE — Dumbbells
- Block B, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set, rest 3 min before the next block. Exercises: HAMSTRING CURL — Swiss Ball, UPWARDS WOODCHOP — Medicine Ball, SQUAT — Wall / Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
- Block C, superset Three (exercises back to back): 3 sets, 10 reps, no rest between exercises, rest 80 s after each set. Exercises: ROW — TRX, SQUAT — Kettlebell, CHEST PRESS – Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Your numbers
Take each set to the point where another good rep is not possible. Your tempo is 1-0-1-0: lower over 1 s, no pause at the bottom, lift in 1 s. Each workout takes about 45 minutes, including a 5 to 10 minute warm-up.
Your month
Each week has 2 resistance workouts, 3 cardio sessions and 2 rest days. Workout One and Workout Two are both full body sessions, done in turn. Your cardio is set out in its own section.
Follow your schedule in order, starting on your Day 1. Keep the order of the workouts the same even if you have to take days off, and try not to have more than one day off in a row.
When you reach 10 good reps on every set, add the smallest weight you can and build back up from 10. If anything hurts, as opposed to feeling hard, stop and tell us.
SQUAT — Dumbells
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.
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.
LUNGE
Stand feet hip width apart and hold dumbbells to your side. Lunge backwards until the back knee is just off the floor and both knees are at right angles. Keep the pelvis slightly tucked under and the body upright. Step together and repeat with the same leg.
Set Two
PULL OVER – 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.
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.
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.
Set Three
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.
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.
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.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
Set One
SUPERMANS
Begin on all 4s with your weight placed evenly on all 4 points. Draw your navel to spine creating core control and maintain neutral spine throughout. Alternately raise and extend the opposite and to leg. Do not allow the lower back to arch or your weight to shift across.
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.
LUNGE — Dumbbells
Stand feet hip width apart and hold dumbbells to your side. Lunge forwards until the back knee is just off the floor and both knees are at right angles. Keep the pelvis slightly tucked under and the body upright. Step together and repeat with the same leg.
Set Two
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. Bend the knees as you roll the ball towards you, do not allow the hips to lower. Extend the legs.
UPWARDS WOODCHOP — Medicine Ball
Stand with the legs wide and hold a medicine ball with both hands. Side lunge and take the ball towards the foot. Push through the foot and rotate the body taking the ball in an upwards motion across the opposite shoulder. Simultaneously change the weight to the opposite foot.
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.
Set Three
ROW — TRX
Begin holding both handles and walk your feet forwards until you are leaning back. Pull with the arms into a row position with the elbows flared to the side. Extend the arms and keep the body in a straight line from head to toe. To increase the difficulty level walk further forwards.
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. Alternately bend your arms bringing the hands towards the shoulders with your elbows flared to the side.
CARDIO WORKOUT
Your cardio
You have 3 cardio sessions a week, on their own days, not on your weights days.
Each session has five parts. Warm up for 5 minutes. Then do 10 hard intervals of 20 s, each followed by 40 s easy. Then 18 minutes of easy, steady movement: this clears the lactic acid from the hard work. Then the same intervals again, and 3 minutes easy to finish. About 46 minutes in total.
| Your cardio session | |
|---|---|
| Sessions per week | 3 |
| Whole session | 46 mins |
| Warm-up | 5 mins easy |
| Hard intervals | 10 × 20 s |
| Interval effort | Hard, about 85–90% of max HR, 143–151 bpm |
| Easy after each interval | 40 s |
| Lactic acid removal | 18 mins, 50–60% of max HR, 84–101 bpm |
| Then | Same intervals again |
| Cool-down | 3 mins easy |
| Equipment | Bike, rower, sled push, battle ropes (low impact); walking for phase 2 |
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.