Now that the heat has died down a little we can up the intensity of our workouts! This workout will make you work hard, but not harder than you can go. This is the perfect workout for those who need an introduction into higher intensity exercise.
Just remember, when it comes to high intensity exercise, it is relative to you. This means that your maximum effort may not look like an athletes maximum effort but it is individual to each person and you can only work to your maximum.
For this session you are going to be working for 1 minute and resting for 30 seconds. This means you wont be able to go full out, maximum effort- because it is not possible to do so for more than 10 seconds. SO to work as hard as you can for a whole minute you are looking at roughly 70-80% of your maximum effort.
The exercises
Sumo Squat
This is a similar movement to the squat, however, your feet are going to be in a wider stance with your toe and knees turning out slightly. Then, with a dumbbell in each hand, just like a normal squat you are going to bend at the hips and the knees, moving the hips back. Aim to get your hips in line with your knees (or slightly lower). The squeeze your glutes and draw the hips forwards to come to standing.
Side Lunges
Start standing with your feet parallel, step your right foot out as far as possible, bending at the right knee push your hips down and back, keeping your left leg straight. Then push through the right heel to bring the foot back to centre. And repeat on the other side. You can hold the dumbbells either at your sides or at your shoulders, or take on heavier dumbbell in a goblet position.
Bent Over Row
Stand with your feet slightly apart with a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the hips, lowering your chest while keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Draw the elbows backward, keeping them close to the body, moving the weights along the upper leg to just above the hips (think pockets) then control back down and repeat.
Floor Press
Grab yourself 2 dumbbells of the same weight, sit on the floor, hold onto the 2 dumbbells and lean back until you are lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest with almost straight arms, then bend the elbows and bring them to the side until the upper arm is on the floor. The press up against.
Squat to Press
For this you will need two dumbbells or a resistance band. Start with the feet just over hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, held at the shoulders. Bend at the hips and the knees, drawing the hips back as if you are going to sit on a small stool behind you. As you come back up to standing, drive the weights upwards in a shoulder press. Bring the weights down to the shoulders and repeat.
For this circuit you will be performing each exercise, one after the other, for 1 minute at a time, with 30 seconds rest. And you are going to aim for 4-5 rounds (depending on your fitness level).
Good luck!
