Sweat Sweat Lovin'
So I’m back already and because it’s probably my favourite topic, I thought I would kick things off with one of the nice sweaty workouts which I LOVE.
I’m not qualified in anything fitness related but just one of those crazy people who thinks ‘the more it hurts, the more I like it!’- so evidently this one is a killer.
Over the last few years I’ve tried most types of exercises but never really been one to stick to a set workout plan. I prefer to schedule in the days I am going to workout (I try for 5 times a week depending how busy I am- sometimes its 1….) and plan what types of sessions I want to do over the course of the week but then just see what I fancy on the day! I don’t want to fall out of love with exercise or become immobile by forcing myself to train legs when I can hardly get out of my chair. In a typical week I will do 3 HIIT sessions (like the one below), 2 resistance/abs (with my beloved band) and I have recently found a sweaty betty barreASANA video on youtube which is amazing so I try and do that one evening. I just get my mat out, dim the lights and put on some candles and even my crazy self feels like a new zen woman afterwards!!
I used to be an exercise class monkey and would have absolutely no clue where to start if I walked in a gym- usually opting for the running machine before getting bored 3 minutes later. But since coming to uni and being lucky enough to train with my 2 best friends, I now absolutely love creating beastly workouts for myself.
I usually commute into London and can be working long hours, so despite best intentions, by the time I’m on the train home the only thing I will be doing is getting in my dressing gown and eating a nice big healthy feast (and pudding- ALWAYS!) These last few months I’ve got into the habit of exercising in the morning and it’s surprisingly worked a dream. If you’d have told me before Christmas that I’d be setting my alarm pre 6am to prance around my house I would have laughed- but it really has been soooo much better. And the best part is that I can turn up to work nice and smug!!! I’ve also become very attached to my resistance band- who knew a simple bit of elastic could cause so much pain!
Below is one of the workout plans I do at least once a week. It’s about 45mins and full body- bit of HIIT and legs to start, then booty and some abs to finish. I tend to get bored and start dreaming of food if I’m repeating the same thing over and over so I personally find an all over body session like this one is a winner to keep me motivated!
Would love to hear if you give it a try.
Warm up
Section 1- HIIT/legs/cardio
I use an interval timer on my phone and do 40 seconds of the exercise (below) and then 20 seconds skipping/high knees, before moving onto 40 seconds of the next exercise and 20 seconds skipping/high knees etc…
So there is 4 exercises per round and you do 4 rounds (4 mins per round so 16 mins in total)
Pulse squat jump (jump your feet in together so they touch in the middle)
Jump lunges
Jump squats in sumo squat position
Squat, twist and lunge to one side, squat, twist and lunge to the other side and repeat
Section 2- Bottoms!
Glute bridges (I enjoy using my resistance band and a 10kg weight)- I do 20 full glute bridges, 50 pulses up and down and the top, and 50 pulses pushing your legs out and in at the top (with the resistance band you really feel it!)- repeat all again
Donkey kicks- at the moment I love doing circles with a straight leg (I do 20 in one direction and 20 in the other and repeat on both legs)
Superman (lying on front)- I bend my legs so they’re in a diamond position and do 20 leg raises
Section 3- Abs abs abs
I must admit abs are my favouite body partto train and the last few months I’ve learnt loads of snazzy new moves which you can really feel. I have 20 exercises and sometimes I so all of them for 20 reps (it sounds a lot but goes really fast!), but other times I will pick 10 and do them for longer or repeat them a couple of times. Basically this is just a list of all my fave tummy exercises and I pick and choose to keep it varied….
X mountains
Snap jumps
Lie on your back with your legs bent in a diamond position and arms straight above your head- lift your legs and arms at the same time to touch your toes and lower arms and legs back to the floor together and repeat
Same as above but hold the position at the top and pulse
Ab bikes
Reverse crunch
Flutter kicks
Moving V sits (I normally use a weight but probably not entirely necessary!)
Straight leg jack knifes
Crunch with a double leg lift
Lie on your back and put one leg out straight in the air and cross the other leg over the top (so your foot is just above your knee) and crunch- swap legs and repeat
Straight leg drops (nice and slowly)
Straight leg drop position- hold at bottom and pulse legs up and down
Lie flat on the floor with arms straight above your head and full crunch lifiting arms and one leg (reach opposite arm to leg)- alternate legs
Side crunches
V sit hold and pulse arms (arm beats)
V sit hold and top half crunch pulses
Legs straight up in the air and scissor/criss-cross legs down towards the floor and back up
Moving plank/commandoes
Plank with single leg raises- alternate legs
Stretch, eat and sleep
