For many of us, finding the time to go to the gym is a novelty; when you have an essay deadline the last thing you can even think about is spending an hour getting hot and sweaty in a room full of people when you have no idea what you’re doing. For those of you who’ve managed to bag yourself an SSB ticket this year, you may feel a slightly greater desire to tone up over the next few weeks, before baring all in The Great Hall. So here at HCX, we thought you’d appreciate us putting together a quick workout that lasts a mere 30 minutes but is also ridiculously efficient as it includes cardio and resistance training for each major muscle group. Sounds like a win-win situation in our opinion!
There are 8 steps to this workout:
1) Squats (for your thighs): with squats it is essential to maintain the right shape otherwise they are pretty much pointless, to achieve this keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight, bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles at all times. Do 3 sets of 8 (if you can but don’t push yourself too hard to begin with).
2) Forward Lunges (for your thighs): stand with your feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body towards the floor. Your front knee should stay in line with your ankle, and your back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. Do 10 on each side.
3) The Bridge (for your hamstrings): the bridge is a triple-whammy as it works the glutes (your behind), hamstrings and your core. So begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the bottom and working up until you form a diagonal line from your knees down to your shoulders (see picture). Slowly return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 10.
4) Press Ups (for your chest and core): one of the most dreaded exercises for any girl but unfortunately you’ve just got to do them because they are so beneficial as they strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps and core muscles (and frankly, who doesn’t want that?) Lying face down, place hands just a bit wider than your shoulders, place toes on the floor creating a smooth line from shoulders to feet (if you’re struggling put your knees down instead of toes) and lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. Do 3 sets of 5.
5) Bent-Over Row (for your back and biceps): Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat and legs straight. Hold a free weight in one hand with your arm extended. Lift the weight towards your hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal (see picture) then lower the weight to the starting position. I would advise starting with about 5kg and work your way up as you get stronger. Do 3 sets of 6 on each side.
6) Shoulder Press (for your shoulders): This one can be performed either sitting or standing; it’s up to you. Begin with your elbows bent and weights at your shoulders. Slowly reach up towards the ceiling, keeping the elbows under your hands and your shoulders away from your ears, then slowly lower back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 5.
7) Side Plank (for your core and abs): this is the one that will get you one step closer to that flat stomach. Lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder and use your torso muscles to lift your body up into a side plank. Then lift your hips higher then back to plank, then lower (see picture). Do as many of these as you can with the correct form and then repeat on the other side.
8) Cardiovascular Training: once you’ve finished with these 7 exercises, it’s time for a bit of cardio. The trick is to vary the intensity of your cardio workout as short burst of high intensity boosts your metabolism and tones muscle at the same time (can you ask for more?) In order to achieve this high intensity, you have to do intense intervals so 30 seconds of the highest speed you can manage, then 30 seconds of normal speed. Followed by 30 seconds of the hardest resistance (i.e. increase the incline on the treadmill) you can tolerate, then 30 seconds of normal. Continue to move back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.
In order to gain the most out of this workout, it’s best to do it every other day but make sure that you stretch before and stay hydrated throughout and then you’ll really start seeing the results! So now that you have this highly effective and extremely concise workout, I can’t see what’s stopping you from hitting the gym on a regular basis. You’ll look like you know what you’re doing and you’ll have the great body to match; you can thank us later!
Image Credits: luux.com, bloomtofit.com, fitness-together.net