Workouts

Short of time to exercise? No gym membership of exercise equipment? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with my full body quick workout that takes just 5 minutes! Do each exercise for 20 seconds, and do in a circuit format. Take 10 seconds to get ready for next exercise and do each exercise twice.

1/ Chest Dips
2/ Back Lunge
3/ Back Lunge
4/ Side Plank – Assisted
5/ Side Plank – Assisted

Chest Dips

Position:
Have two chairs just over shoulder width apart.
Squat between chairs with your knees bent, legs forward and hands on chairs.
Technique:
Lower body between chairs as far as possible then press up through arms.
The further away you reach your feet the more difficult the exercise becomes.
Points To Remember:
Keep back straight.
Brace stomach.

Back Lunge -1

Position:
Stand upright with knees bent and stomach braced.
Technique:
Take as big a stride backwards as possible with 1 leg.
Bend the knee as you make contact with the floor and push back up through the heel of your front foot.
The more you are able to bend the knee the more difficult the exercise becomes.
Points To Remember:
Keep your back upright and straight throughout.
Make your stride backward as far as possible for maximum benefit.

Back Lunge -2

Repeat above on the opposite leg

Side Plank Assisted- 1

Position:
Lay on your side with legs straight and your elbow directly beneath your shoulder.
Place one foot over the top of the other.
Technique:
Push hip off the floor, resting on your feet and elbow.
Use your other arm to help you stay up and balance.
Squeeze the hip as high as possible and hold position still.
Points To Remember:
Keep your body straight, i.e. don’t lean forward or backwards.
Make sure your elbow remains directly beneath your shoulder and doesn’t slide forward.

Side Plank Assisted- 2

Repeat on other side

Conclusion – Full Body Quick Workout

Give this workout a go, and hit every muscle in the body in just 5 minutes!

If you want to hit your whole body and get a great workout in just 5 minutes this workout is for you. Full disclosure this workout is a little more on the advanced side, so if you are not quite ready for that. No problem at all, just search the beginner/intermediate workouts of which I have plenty on the blog!

Do each of the below exercises for 20 seconds, and take 10 seconds to get ready for the next exercise. Try this Full Body 5 Minute Workout;

1/Full Staggered Press Up
2/ Crunch Pulse
3/ 3 way lunge
4/ 3 way lunge
5/ Straight arm plank – alternate arm raise

Full Staggered Press Up

Position:
Rest on floor with hands just over shoulder width apart out in front of you. Have one hand forward and one hand back.
Technique:
Lower your body down as far as you can so your chest goes over the line of your back hand.
Push back up to starting position.
Points to remember:
Brace your stomach whilst performing the exercise.

Crunch Pulse

Position:
Sit upright with feet hooked under a chair and brace stomach.
Technique:
Lower your body down until just off floor.
Make small movements up and down as quickly as possible.
Points to Remember:
Brace stomach and keep head back

3 Way Lunge –1

Position:
Stand upright with stomach braced.
Technique:
Do a front lunge, side lunge, and transverse lunge in turn.
Bending the knee as much as possible on each and pushing up through the heel of foot.
Repeat as quickly as possible.
Points to Remember:
Ensure knee does not pass the line of your toes when bending.

3 Way Lunge –2

Repeat above on other leg.

Straight Arm Plank – 1 Arm

Position:
Raise up on your hands and toes holding your body up.
Technique:
Raise 1 arm in front of you and hold position still.
Swap arms after 10 seconds.
Points To Remember:
Make sure your back remains flat, i.e. your hips don’t sag down or raise up too high.
The further forward your arms go and further back your legs go the more difficult it becomes.

Conclusion – Full Body 5 Minute Workout

Give this great workout a go!

This workout will hit every muscle in the body. No equipment, no gym membership, minimal space, and in only 5 minutes! Do each exercise for 20 seconds, then you have 10 seconds rest before the next. Do the circuit twice. Try this total body home workout.

 

1/ Squat Pulse

2/ Half Staggered Press up

3/ Single leg extension

4/ Single leg extension

5/ Bent Leg Side Turns

 

Squat Pulse

Position:

Stand in upright position with knees slightly bent, feet hip width apart and stomach braced.

Technique:

Squat down towards the ground, pushing your hips back and bending your knees.

Bob up and down making small, quick movements.

Points To Remember:

Make sure your weight is through the heels of your feet at all times.

sure your knees don’t go forward further than the end of your toes.

Make sure you back remains straight and upright.

 

Half Staggered Press Up

Position:

Kneel on floor with hands just over shoulder width apart out in front of you. Have one hand forward and one hand back.

Technique:

Lower your body down as far as you can so your chest goes over the line of your back hand.

Push back up to starting position.

Points to remember:

Brace your stomach whilst performing the exercise.

 

Single Leg Extension

Position:

Lay face up with 1 leg bent and 1 leg up in the air.

Technique:

Push through the heel of the bent leg and raise through the core reaching your straight leg as high as possible. Lower back down and repeat.

Points To Remember:

Squeeze up as high as possible.

Push through the heel of your foot.

Then repeat on other leg.

 

Bent Leg Side Turns

Position:

Lay face up on floor with knees bent and raised.

Technique:

Lower legs as far as possible to one side then the other, using stomach muscles to bring them back up.

Points To Remember:

Keep stomach braced.

Raise legs back up using stomach muscles not arms.

Conclusion – Total Body Home Workout

So many people I speak to claim they don’t have time to exercise. Well, EVERYONE has 5 minutes a day. And there are loads of these 5 minutes workouts on my blog. So don’t let lack of time stop you anymore. Start today.

If you have been doing my beginner and intermediate and feel the time is right to take the intensity/difficulty up a notch, this workout is for you! The format is the same, 20 seconds on each exercise and 10 seconds to get ready for the next. Do the exercise 1 through 5 and repeat the workout twice. Try this advanced 5 minute at home workout!

1/ Slide Across Press Up
2/ Front to Back Lunge
3/ Front to Back Lunge
4/Side Plank + leg hover
5/Side Plank + leg hover

Slide Across Press Up

Position:
Raise up off feet with hands just over shoulder width apart in front of you.
Technique:
Lower your body down as far as you can so your chest goes over the line of your hands.
Push back up to starting position.
Then move your hands and feet across 1 stride to the side and do another press up.
Points to remember:
Lower your chest over your hands not your head.
Brace your stomach whilst performing the exercise.

Front to Back Lunge– 1

Position:
Stand in an upright position with feet hip width apart.
Technique:
Stride forwards and backwards with 1 leg while the other leg is bent in a static position.
Reach as far forwards and backwards as possible, bending the knee as much as possible before pushing away.
Points To Remember:
Don’t let your knee go further forward than you toes as you stride forwards.
Keep the static leg in a bent knee position.

Front to Back Lunge- 2

Repeat above on opposite leg

Side Plank Leg Hover- 1

Position:
Lay on your side with legs straight and your elbow directly beneath your shoulder.
Place one foot over the top of the other.
Technique:
Push hip off the floor as high as possible, resting on your feet and elbow.
Pivoting from the hip (not knee) hover your top leg back and forth, whilst holding position still.
Points To Remember:
Keep your body straight, i.e. don’t lean forward or backwards.
Make sure your elbow remains directly beneath your shoulder and doesn’t slide forward.

Side Plank Leg Hover- 2

Repeat above on other side.

Conclusion – Advanced 5 minute at home workout

Even with an advanced workout you don’t need any equipment or gym access to get a great workout. Give this a go!

Okay, so your away from home in some capacity. Maybe you are on holiday, maybe a work trip, maybe something else. Whatever the situation you are away from your usual exercise regime. So what do you do? Force yourself to run even though you know you hate it? Do no exercise at all? Make no plan at all and ‘see how it goes?’ Or follow a highly effective travel workout that you can do anywhere, with no equipment in minimal space?

I would go with the last option. Being away from home is not a reason to stop training! Below is a 10 exercise circuit that works the whole body. Go through the exercises 1-10, only resting when necessary. It will probably take you 10 mins or so to complete so feel free to complete 1/2/3 circuits depending on how long you want your workout to be. In terms of reps I have put a guide down, but you will need to modify this to suit your personal level. Do enough reps so its hard but stop a rep or 2 short of complete muscle exhaustion/failure.

Travel Workout

1/ Press ups – Do a few on your toes (if able) and then continue on your knees.
e.g. 4 reps full 8 half?
2/ Body weight Squats – 15 reps
3/ T downs – 8 reps
4/ Star Jumps – 20 reps
5/ Front Plank – 30 secs
6/ Tricep Dips – 12 reps
7/ Front Lunges – 10 each leg
8/ Mountain Climbers – 30 reps
9/ Bike Crunches – 20 reps
10/ Squat Thrusts – Hands raised if necessary – 15 reps

Conclusion

Planning how you are going to get your exercise into your regime, when your regime has changed is key. Typically if you don’t think about/plan this it simply won’t happen. And lets face it you have much more time to fit the exercise in when on holiday so there’s really no excuse not to!

Anyone who tells you that you need fancy equipment, a gym membership or a lot of time to get a good workout is just plain wrong! Try this 5 minute workout and get a great calorie body and total body workout. Do each exercise for 20 seconds, 10 secs rest between each one. And do the circuit twice. Try this 5 minute training plan.

1/ Bike Crunches – legs up
2/Mountain climbers
3/ Tricep Dips
4/ Spiderman Lunge
5/ Horizontal Scissors

Bike Crunches – Legs Up

Position:
Lay face up with knees bent and raised.
Technique:
Raise shoulders off mat and reach 1 elbow towards the opposite knee.
Lower back down and repeat on the opposite side.
Points To Remember:
Brace and squeeze through the stomach muscles.

 

Mountain Climbers

Position:
Kneel down with 1 leg forward and 1 leg back.
Have arms out in front of you.
Technique:
Jump one leg forward and 1 leg back in tandem.
Repeat as quickly as possible.
Points to Remember:
Keep back flat and as low as possible.

 

Tricep Dips

Position:
Squat in front of a chair with legs forward and place hands on a chair behind you.
Walk your legs forward slightly.
Technique:
Bend your elbows and lower your body as far as possible before pressing back up.
Points To Remember:
Squeeze elbows towards each other during the movement.

 

Spiderman Lunge

Position:
Rest on your hands and feet, facing the floor and with your body raised up.
Technique:
Alternately draw one foot up towards the same hand, reaching it as high as possible.
Points to Remember:
Keep your hips down and back flat.
The further you slide your legs back the more difficult it becomes.

 

Horizontal Scissors

Position:
Lay face up with legs flat in front of you.
Technique:
Raise legs just off mat and alternately raise one leg above the other in a scissors motion.
Brace stomach throughout.
Points to Remember:
Ensure back does not arch off the floor.

Conclusion – 5 Minute Training Plan

Give this total body, 5 minute workout a go! And there are loads more workouts just like this on the blog to try too.