A simple and effective routine where you are answerable to a timer but have the ability to play with the movements, sets, reps and resistance amount.

Hello readers,

Earlier in this series I wrote an article titled ‘Back to Basics’. It described an exercise routine involving 12 exercises for you to perform just to get the body moving. If you were struggling with exercise, didn’t go to a gym or circuit providers or simply didn’t enjoy running etc hopefully it was a great way to engage with exercise in the comfort of your own space.

So as a continuation this month we are looking at a routine that will help you continue through the winter months or if you are already a keen runner / cyclist / outdoor sports person struggling with the winter conditions will also hugely benefit your training programme.

I am assuming that you have access to some resistance equipment (ideally some light dumbbells but tins of beans etc will suffice). The beauty of this routine is that you can allocate a prescribed amount of time to each session whether you have twenty minutes available o fifty minutes.

So, the ten exercises in question…

 1. rear lunges

 2. crunches

 3. bench dips

 4. squat jumps

 5. plank hold (seconds)

 6. bent over rows

 7. alternate leg tuck jumps*

 8. dumbbell swings

 9. curl 2 press

 10. jumping jacks

THE ROUTINE: EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute)

Start a stopwatch or countdown timer app (such as on the Tabata Timer app). Begin with rear lunges and do your target amount of reps within that minute (see below). If you finish before the minute is up you get the remaining time to rest before the start of the second minute and second exercise.

Work your way through all the exercises in order starting back at the first one immediately after the tenth exercise. Each round lasts for ten minutes so you can allocate session timings in multiples of ten. Use the first ten minutes as your warm up, practising good form and working gently. Then increase the effort on the remaining rounds.

Suggested reps: Beginner 12-20,  Intermediate 20-28,  Advanced  32-40

Have fun, play with different exercises, reps and rounds but most of all work hard, have fun and build up to Spring.

ps the asterisk denotes that you have to perform one movement for each leg to count as one complete rep.