Sprinters sit up: Start lying on your back with legs straight and the hands resting by the side of your head. As you sit up bring one knee towards you and bring the opposite elbow across your body towards you. Repeat to the opposite side.

V-ups single leg: Start lying on your back with legs straight and hands outstretched. Crunch up and lift one leg while keeping it straight and reach your hands towards the foot. Repeat lifting the opposite leg.

V-ups double leg: Same as above but lift both legs off the ground as you crunch up.

Crunch with leg switch: Start on your back with legs in the air in an alternating scissor position. Crunch up while keeping your legs still. When you return back to the ground switch your legs over and repeat.

Scissors with crunch hold: Keep your shoulder blades off the ground so you’re in the top position of a crunch. From here scissor your legs taking them as low to the floor as your can.

V-sits with ankle taps: Start in a v-sit position, extend your legs out while lying back and reaching your hands up. As you sit back up reach over your knees and touch your ankles.

Pommel horse:  Begin on one side resting on your hip with both feet held off the ground. Use your hands for balance, move your feet completely around to the opposite side without your feet touching the floor. Return to the original position and repeat.

TIPS:

: Aim to train your abdominals 2-3 x per week with at least one days rest in between sessions.

: Pick 2-3 exercises per session and aim to complete 3 sets of 12-20 reps of each one.

: Use a mixture of exercises rather than always doing the same ones, this will stop your body from adapting quickly and hitting a plateau.

: To achieve a flat stomach and the much sought after six-pack requires very low body fat. Alongside your abdominal exercises make sure to include aerobic training and an effective resistance programme that uses large compound exercises to target the whole body. As well as this, make sure you follow a healthy well balanced diet. All members of this site can contact me for help and advice on both an eating plan and training programme to help you achieve your goals whatever they may be.

In 6 weeks Rob will be going away for his summer holiday and so the focus has turned to getting rid of the last bit of body fat from around the stomach and getting into the best shape possible before hitting the beach. For this goal I have put together my “Inferno” fat burning programme, a circuit workout that mixes compound resistance exercises with high intensity aerobic work and core focused exercises. The programme is split into 3 workouts, workout 1 will be a whole body session while workout 2 and 3 will split the body into half due to the fact Rob trains on 2 consecutive days. The workouts will be progressive over the 6 weeks so for example reps, weights and time spent on aerobic exercises will be increased during the programme while rest between circuits will be reduced.

Below I have posted our first whole body session which we did the other night and have outlined how it will progress over the course of the programme. Over the next few weeks I will be posting some of the other workouts used as well as an update on Rob’s progress.

Workout 1: Whole body.

We start off with a 5-10 minute warm up using a mixture of bodyweight and light medicine ball exercises. The exercises used for this session all involved a medicine ball and had Rob doing 12 reps of each.

Swings

Rotations

Squat to press

Wide leg squat with chest press

Front lunge with rotation

Side lunge

Main workout:

The main workout consisted of 9 exercises all done back to back with no rest in between. At the end of the circuit Rob rested for 2 minutes before repeating. We completed 3 full circuits.

TRX press up with leg swings: Place your feet in the foot stirrups and get into a press up position. Perform one press up and then swing your legs from side to side keeping them straight before repeating. If you have not got a TRX available then do a different variation such as press up with feet on Swiss ball, Spiderman press up etc.  15 Reps

Powerbag front squat: Hold a bag on your chest and perform a normal squat. 25kg bag 15 Reps

Burpee: A normal burpee with a vertical jump as you stand up. 30 seconds

Recline row: 15 Reps

Powerbag front lunge: Hold the bag across your chest. 12 Reps (6 per leg)

Lateral jumps: For this we used a kick shield stood on its end and performed side jumps over it aiming to land soft by bending the knees on impact. If there is no bag available then use a low step, Powerbag, hurdles etc. Reduce the height to cater for fitness levels. 30 seconds

Powerbag clean and press: 25kg bag 15 Reps

Good mornings: Hold a powerbag across your chest or use a barbell resting on your upper back. 25kg 15 Reps

Alternating leg squat thrust: 30 seconds

Rest for 2 minutes and then repeat.

Over the next few weeks we will be increasing the intensity. The cardio exercises will go up by 10 seconds per week up to a maximum of 60 seconds. The rest periods will be reduced down to 45 seconds by the end of the 6 weeks.

For today’s session we would be focusing on superset training, which involves performing 2 exercises back to back without any rest. Again we would concentrate mainly on the major muscle groups of the chest, back and legs but would pick exercises that would also target his shoulders, arms, core as well as his heart and lungs. Below are the supersets, which we used for this session as well as a short video showing Sam performing the last set of each.

Superset 1.

TRX Atomic press-up: Not only does this hit the chest but it is also a killer for the abdominals.

Kettle floor press with leg up: By lifting your legs this gets you using your core more to help stabilise the body as well as helping to place more emphasise on your chest.

Superset 2.

Double kettlebell swings

TRX Rows

Superset 3.

Powerbag squat with shoulder-to-shoulder press

Reverse lunge with powerbag upright row: By reaching forward with the bag as you lunge will force you to use your core muscles to help to stabilise your body and prevent the weight of the bag throwing you off balance.

Superset 4.

Press-ups with handclaps: (Not shown) Sam got into a press-up position and I knelt in front of him. He performed one press-up and then lifted his right hand of the floor and clapped my right hand aiming to keep his body still by engaging his core muscles. He then repeated with another press-up followed by left hand clap.

Medicine ball V-up.

Sam will be quick to admit that he often finds it hard to motivate himself and gets bored easily. Because of this I decided to get away from his usual way of training, which was to spend at least an hour in the gym training 1-2 muscle groups per session. Instead we would focus on high intensity circuit training as this would help to keep his heart rate up (so we can rediscover his six-pack) and the time spent in the gym down. We would base sessions around compound barbell exercises such as clean and presses; deadlifts and rows etc as well as kettlebell; powerbag and TRX work.

In the video we are finishing off a 4-exercise circuit that involves barbell clean and press. Single hand kettlebell swings, powerbag bent over rows and explosive press-ups. Sam completed 10 reps on each exercise and we did 4 circuits in total. At the end of this and once Sam had got his breath back we finished the session off with some abdominal work. 3 supersets of medicine ball V-ups and Russian twists followed by 3 sets of TRX rotational Jack-knifes did the trick.

1. : 

I will be posting more of Sam’s workouts over the next 8 weeks and a sample of the diet he has been following. At the end of the 8weeks we will post some photos of the results.

For the last 3 weeks we are also getting rid of the cardio machines and this time are focusing on short bursts of high intensity aerobic work using plyometrics and body-weight exercises.

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Warm up: As before spend 5 minutes doing gentle cardio followed by 3-4 of the exercises used within the first 6 weeks. Again perform 2 sets of 12 reps of each of the warm up exercises. 

Superset training: For the next 3 weeks you will be doing superset training for you resistance section. Superset training involves performing 2 exercises back to back, with no rest in between, for either the same muscle or opposing muscles such as the biceps and triceps. This means you will be working all your major muscle groups with more intensity and volume while still completing your workout in around the 60-minute mark. For each superset perform 12 reps of each exercise (unless otherwise stated) and have a 45 second rest between supersets. Complete 3 sets of each.

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The first 3-week plan will be an open post so everybody can give it a try and then the rest of the plan will be posted in our member’s section. If you want to give this 12-week plan a go and are not yet a member then simply sign up today and start your journey towards the beach body you desire.

Weeks 1-3.

Warm up:

Before starting any workout always begin with a 5-10 minute warm up. Start with 5 minutes of gently cardio (cycling, rowing, cross-trainer etc) to raise your heart rate and core temperature and then do the following exercises to help prepare your body for the resistance training. Do 2 sets of 12 on each exercise.

Medicine ball extension and flexion: Hold a light medicine ball with both hands and assume a squat position by bending your knees and sitting your bottom back whilst keeping your chest lifted. From this position stand up and swing the ball over your head keeping the movement controlled. Return to the start position and repeat.

Medicine ball rotations: Hold a light medicine in both hands with arms extended. From an upright position rotate from your trunk moving the ball from one side to the next.

Prisoner squat: Stand upright with your hands resting behind your head. Lower into a squat by bending your knees and keeping your chest lifted whilst keeping your weight through your heels. As you stand up raise onto your toes and hold for a second before repeating.

Lunge with rotation: Step forward and descend into a lunge by bending your front and back knees. Your front knee should be in line with your front ankle and your back knee should be just off the floor. As you lunge rotate your trunk towards the same side as your front leg whilst keeping an upright posture. Step back and repeat on the opposite leg.

Core:

The workout starts with 2 core exercises. These will help get the muscles around your trunk switched on and ready for the main resistance programme.

Plank: Rest on your forearms and toes keeping your abs pulled in (imagine pulling your belly button towards your spine) and glutes tight (muscle in the bottom) so your back remains flat. Begin by holding this position for 10-20 seconds and then aim to work up to 40 seconds-1 minute over the next 3 weeks. If you find it hard then start with your knees on the floor and work up to the full plank. Complete 3 sets with a 30-40 seconds rest in between.

Heel taps: Start on your back with legs in the air and knees slightly bent. Keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in slowly lower one foot to the ground until your heel touches the floor without your back lifting. Return to the start position and then repeat with the opposite leg. Start off with 6 reps per leg and work up to 10 reps per leg. If it becomes easier then perform the exercise with legs straight to increase the range of movement. Complete 3 sets with a 30-40 second rest in between.

Members can see these 2 exercises in action at the adbominal post.

Main workout:

Press ups: Hold your body in a straight line with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower your chest to the floor under control keeping your elbows out to the side and slighlty below your shoulders. Aim to complete 3 sets of 12 reps with a 30-40 second rest in between. If you can’t do full press-ups then start with your knees on the floor. Build your reps up to 20 over the 3 weeks. If you can then complete 3 sets of 20 on your toes and find it comfortable then look at a harder variation such as raising your feet on a low step box.

Dumbbell squat: Stand with your feet hip width with your toes pointing forward and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging by the side of your body. Bend your knees and sit your bottom back whilst keeping your arms straight and chest up. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor making sure your knees are in line with your feet and your weight is through your heels. Return to the start position and repeat. Start with 3 sets of 12 and work up to 20 reps. Once you can complete 3 sets of 20 and it feels comfortable then increase the weight of your dumbbells slightly.

Lat pulldown.: Sit facing the machine and grab the handles with a wider than shoulder width grip. Pull the handle towards your chest by bending your elbows. Keep your chest lifted but don’t lean back. Take the bar just below your chin and then slowly return to the start postion. Find a weight that youu can complete 3 sets of 12 reps with and then build up to 20 reps. Once you can complete 20 reps with perfect technique then slightly increase the weight. (If this machine is not available to you then please contact me for an alternative).

Dumbeel lunges: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms by the side of your body. Step forward and lower into a lunge by bending both knees and lowering your hips towards the ground. Your front knee should by over your front ankle and your body should remain upright with a flat back. Step back and repeat on the opposite leg. Aim to complete 3 sets of 6 reps per leg and then work up to 10 reps per leg. Once you can do this then slighlty increase the weight.

Standing dumbbell shoulder press: Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing away. Press the weights overhead untill both arms are fully extended but without locking your elbows. Return under control to the start positon and repeat. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps and work up to 20 reps. Once you can complete 3 full sets of 20 then increase your weight slightly.

Cardio;

For the first 3 weeks of the plan the aim is to complete 20 minutes of steady rate cardio training. This can be done on any piece of cardio equipment i.e. rower, cycle, treadmill etc or you could do 10 minutes on 2 pieces of kit. The aim is to work at around 70% of your maximum heart rate. A simple way of working out your max heart rate would be 220 minus your age and then 70% of this. So for example a 20 year old would have a max HR of 200 and so their target HR would be around 140 beats per minute. If you have not got access to heart rate monitors then use the perceived exertion scale. To do this think of a scale of 1-10, 1 indicates you are working at a level that is very comfortable which you could sustain for 30 minutes without any difficulties. Level 10 means you are working at your maximum intensity which you would only be able to sustain for a few seconds. During the 20 minutes you want to be working around a level 6-7 (So that you are breathing heavier but still able to talk).

Cooldown: After your cardio section spend 5 minutes lowing your heart rate with some gently cardio and then finish with some static stretching for your major muscle groups (chest, back, legs). Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Aim to complete this workout 3 times per week with at least one rest day in between. Make sure you are progressing the intensity over the 3 weeks whenever you can.

DIET: To get your beach body not only do you need to be working hard in the gym but you also need to be following a healthy balanced diet. For all members you can contact me for your personalised eating plan that will accompany this woekout.

I will be posting the next part of this workout plan over the next couple of weeks, if you have any problems with this part of the workout then please get in touch.