Barbell bench press x10 reps

TRX rows x10

Powerbag clean and press x10

Powerbag walking lunges x2 lengths of the studio (approx 10 metres long)

Powerbag pushes x2 lengths of studio (Push the bag along the floor staying as low as you can and maintaining a flat back).

Medicine ball sprinter sit-ups x20

Close hand press ups x10

Resistance band bicep curls x10

Medicine ball Russian twists x10

Scoring:

Aim to keep working for the entire 25 minutes. If by the end you have completed 4 complete sets and are part way through the press ups of the 5^th set then your score would be 4.7.

Aims:

First target should be 4 full sets and then look at getting your score up to 5 sets or more.

Use weights that allow you to use a good technique but will challenge you.

Bent over rows x20

Hang cleans x12

Lunge with shoulder to shoulder press x12 (Start with the bag on your right shoulder and step forward with your left leg and perform a lunge. From the lunge position press the bag over your head to the other shoulder before stepping back and repeating on the opposite leg).

High pull x12

Floor press x20

Seated bag twists x10 per side

Alternating squat thrusts x40 (20 per leg)

Squat jumps x20

Scoring:

If after 20 minutes you have completed 4 sets then you score is 4, if you have done 4 sets and are on the Floor press of the 5^th set then your score is 4.5.

Aims:

First target should be to complete 4 full sets.

Men should start off with a 15-20kg bag and for women 5-10kg.

Bodyweight exercises:

Press up variations such as: Close hand, knees to chest, shoulder taps, feet elevated.

Abdominal exercises such as: Crunch, oblique twists, v-ups, plank, sprinter sit ups.

Lower body exercises such as: Lunge. Side lunge, reverse lunge, squats.

Cardio exercises such as: Burpee, squat thrusts, jumping jacks.

After this round and a short rest period it is time for a 5 minute powerbag round. You complete 30 seconds of the below exercises again resting for 10 seconds in between. The circuit is completed twice through.

Bent over row

Upright row

Walking lunge with shoulder press

Chest press

Press up position knees to chest

Check out a sample of this workout below.

After the powerbag round you complete another Focus pad round using a different set of bodyweight exercises followed by 1 more powerbag round. The workout is then finished with the below challenge.

Shuttle runs challenge:

This time we are mixing a 1 minute pad round with shuttle runs up and down the studio which is approximately 10 metres long. Again start out with your minutes pad work and then complete 2 shuttle runs (up and down the room counts as 1 lap). You have again 1 minute to complete the shuttles in so the faster you run the more time you get to recover. Once the minute is up start the next pad round, after each pad round increase the shuttles by 2 laps but keep the time to complete them in to 1 minute. This means less and less recovery time as you progress through. The maximum I would work up to given the length of a lap is 10 shuttle runs. This would mean 5 rounds on the pads. If the client fails to meet the target numbers of shuttle runs within the minute then stop the drill.

Bent over rows: x12

TRX decline rows: x10 (For this exercise position yourself directly under a TRX and place your feet on a step box with your legs straight. Have the box high enough so your feet are slightly above your head. Maintain strong abdominals and a flat back and pull yourself up to the handles).

Plate pullover with leg raises: x12 (Lie on a step box and hold a weight plate above your chest with arms straight. Lift your legs straight up into the air and from here lower the plate over your head while bringing your legs down as far as you can. Make sure you draw your abdominals in and maintain a flat back throughout).

Powerbag drags: 2 lengths of studio. (Crawl backwards while dragging a Powerbag along. Aim to maintain a flat back and strong abdominals throughout).

1: Powerbag:

One of the first challenges I ever created. It was short at only 10 minutes long but it was far from easy. Complete 5 reps of the clean and press, burpees and lateral jumps over the bag. This counts as 1 set and the aim is to simply complete as many sets as you can within the time limit. It starts off ok but once you get to around the 5 minute mark the fun really starts! Check out the challenge here and give it a try. Still waiting for someone to hit the magic 20 sets!

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/545

2: Fantastic 4:

The fantastic 4 is so called as it is made up of 4 rounds of high intensity training. Each round mixes 1 strength exercise along with 1 aerobic exercise. The aim is to complete the 4 rounds in your fastest time taking a 2 minute rest in between each one which will be much needed! This is one workout I can safely say left me in a heap on the floor after completing it and must be up there as 1 of the hardest of all the challenges. If you have plenty of energy and 30 minutes or so to spare then give this a crack.

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/1228

3: Ultimate 10:

The ultimate 10 is a 10 exercise circuit done over 3 rounds. This challenge has you scoring points for number of reps completed and bonus points for taking minimum rest breaks. It may sound confusing but check it out at the link below and hopefully it will all make sense! This pushes the fantastic 4 challenge close to being the toughest one yet. After trying it out myself it took me a good 10 minutes to get my legs and breathe back!

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/1116

4: Torturous 20:

The Torturous 20 is up there with the Powerbag as one of the most popular and performed challenges so far. Many clients have had a go at this with some even doing it themselves away from the Results studio or getting their friends and colleagues involved. For this tough challenge the aim is to complete as many sets of an 8 exercise circuit as you can within a 20 minute time limit.

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/1310

5: VIPR 20:

After the success of the Torturous 20 challenge I decided to put together one that followed the same theme but used just a single VIPR. The VIPR is a fantastic piece of kit and the challenge has proved very popular amongst my clients. Once again you work for 20 minutes completing as many sets of a 7 exercise circuit as you can. Check it out below and grab yourself a VIPR and give it a try.

http://www.resultsconditioning.com/archives/1482

Round 1: Focus pad round

Round 2: Kettlebell swings x10 Kettlebell high pull x10 (Repeat as many sets as you can over the 3 minutes)

Round 3: Focus pad round

Round 4: Powerbag clean and press x10 Squat with shoulder to shoulder press x10 (Repeat as many sets as you can over the 3 minutes)

Round 5: Focus pad round

Round 6: Kettlebell figure of 8 x10 Kettlebell lunge with rotation x10 (Repeat as many sets as you can over the 3 minutes)

Round 7: Ground and pound with focus pad work (Start this round by performing ground and pound on a punch bag. During this I will call out combinations which the client will then do on the pads before returning to the ground and pound).

Round 8: Powerbag walk over press ups x10 Powerbag Russian twists x10 (Repeat as many sets as you can over the 3 minutes)

Round 9: Challenge round

Combine all the exercises you have done so far and complete 3 sets in your quickest time.

Swings x10

High pull x10

Clean and press x10

Squat with shoulder to shoulder press x10

Figure of 8 x10

Lunge with rotation x10

Walk over press ups x10

Russian twists x10

2 Handed kettlebell swings: x20 reps

Powerbag clean and press: x10 reps (For this exercise hold the bag itself rather than the handles which will make it more challenging to grip and will work your core and stabilising muscles herder).

Medicine ball crunch: x12 reps (For this exercise place your legs in the air with your knees bent so that they are over your hips. Hold the medicine ball above your head and crunch up taking the ball just above your knees).

Burpee to step up: x10 reps (For this I used a step box that is 4 raises high. For this challenge we did the burpee with hands on the step and then performed 1 step up. Check out the options below for harder variations).

Burpee with hands on floor: Same as above but perform a burpee with your hands on the floor before doing the step up.

Burpee with step jump: Perform a burpee with either hands on or off the step and then do a 2 footed step jump instead of a step up.

Aims:

For the strength exercises use a resistance that will challenge you.

First target should be to complete the challenge in less than 20 minutes. If you finish in less than 15 minutes then look at increasing your resistance or using a harder version on the burpee.

For each workout start off with a 5-10 minute warm up using a mixture of light cardio and mobility exercises.

Kettlebell workout:

Deadlifts x20 reps

Around the head shoulder rotations x20 reps (Hold kettlebell at chest height and then circle it around your head, alternating directions).

Between sets, rest for 30 seconds. Complete 2 sets in total.

These 2 exercises are great for warming up the muscles that you will be using throughout the rest of the workout. The deadlift will help to get the muscles of the rear of the body working (hamstrings, gliutes, lower back) helping to prepare you for exercises such as swings. The shoulder rotations are great for mobility and will help to prepare the body for exercises such as press ups and overhead presses.

2 handed swings x20 reps

Press ups with 1 hand on kettlebell x10 per side

For the press ups place the bell on the floor on its side. Place 1 hand on the bell and the other on the floor so that you’re in a press up position. Perform a press up whilst maintaining perfect posture before swapping sides and repeating.  Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Squat to press x20 per arm

Jump lunges x20 seconds

This round will really hit the lower body as well as getting the heart and lungs working. If you find the jump lunges tough then use normal bodyweight lunges as an alternative.  Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

2 handed high pull x20 reps

Burpees x20 seconds

Again this round mixes a strength exercise with an aerobic based one. For a tougher version for the burpee, include a press up and a vertical jump. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Turkish get ups x5 per side

We finish this workout with a whole body exercise. Perform each side back to back without any rest and then take 60 seconds to recover before repeating. Complete 3 sets.

Powerbag workout

Clean and press x10 reps

For this exercise you can either use the handles on the bag or for a harder version hold the bag itself.

Bent over rows x20 reps

Squats x20 reps

Again for the rows use either the handles or hold the sides of the bag itself. As soon as you have finished the rows, place the bag onto your chest and perform the squats. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Overhead front lunges x20 reps (10 per leg, alternating legs)

Lateral jumps over bag x20 seconds

For the lunges you will hold the bag at arms length above your head. This will work your shoulders and core more compared to holding the bag on your chest. Once you have completed the lunges place the bag on the floor and perform side jumps over it aiming to land soft each time by bending your knees on impact. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Walk over press ups x10 reps

Place the bag on the floor and start in a press up position with both hands on the bag. Take one hand off the bag and out to the side and perform a press up before pushing yourself over to the other side and repeating. Rest for 30-45 seconds and then repeat completing 3 sets.

Plank with up and down movement and bag taps x10 reps

Crunch with legs up x20 reps

Finish the workout with a core superset. For the first exercise place the bag on the floor and start in the basic plank position with your arms either side of the powerbag. From here push yourself up onto your hands and then tap the sides of the bag with each hand before returning back down onto your forearms and repeating. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Bodyweight workout

Press ups x20 seconds

Plank x20 seconds

Alternating squat thrusts x20 seconds

The first round will hit the upper body, lower body, core and the heart and lungs. Start with press ups, performing as many reps as you can in the time. From here drop down onto your forearms and hold the plank position. Finish off back in the press up position for alternating squat thrusts. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Floor Bridge x20 reps

Crunch with legs up x20 reps

Rest for 30 seconds between sets and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Overhead squats x20 seconds

Alternating front lunges x20 seconds

Jump squats x20 seconds

This round will really get your legs burning. Start with squats with your hands placed at arms length above your head. Move straight into lunges performing the reps as fast as you can without losing technique and then finish with jump squats. Rest for 30 seconds and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Lower back extension x12 reps

Side plank x20 seconds

Perform both sides of the side plank without resting in between. Rest for 30 seconds and then repeat completing 3 sets in total.

Burpees 20 seconds work and 20 seconds rest.

For the burpees the aim is simple. Work as hard as you can for 20 seconds before resting for the same amount of time. Keep this going and see if you can complete 5 sets in total.

Make sure you spend time at the end of each workout cooling down and stretching off.

Warm up:

5 minutes of light cardio before starting the challenge.

ROUND 1:

SQUATS X10 REPS (Hold the bag across your chest for this exercise)

BURPEES X10 REPS (Perform the burpee with your hands on the bag)

LATERAL JUMPS OVER BAG X10 REPS (Perform side jumps over the bag)

ROUND 2:

ALTERNATING FRONT LUNGES X10 REPS (Hold the bag across your chest)

PUSH PRESS X5 REPS (Hold the bag by the sides rather than using the handles)

SQUAT JUMPS X10 REPS

ROUND 3:

ALTERNATING SIDE LUNGES X10 REPS (Hold the bag across your chest)

BENT OVER ROWS X10 REPS

ALTERNATING LEG SQUAT THURSTS X20 REPS (Place your hands on the bag)

ROUND 4:

STAND UP KNEEL DOWN X5 REPS (Hold the bag across your chest)

RUSSIAN TWISTS X10 REPS (Hold the bag across your chest)

JUMPING JACKS X20 REPS

Aims:

I have been using the 10kg bag with all my clients so far both male and female. Try to use a bag that is challenging for you if you attempt this workout.

Aim to complete 1 set per minute on most rounds. This would give you a score of 28 total sets. So far clients who have done this challenge have been scoring 6-8 sets on round 1, 6-8 sets on round 2, 7-10 sets on round 3 and 5-7 sets on the final round.

Kettlebells ranging from 4-24kg

Powerbags ranging from 7.5-25kg

TRX suspension trainer

Medicine balls ranging from 1-7kg

VIPR’s

The X-bag is similar to a Powerbag but instead of being filled with sand it has 2.5kg weighted blocks inside that can be taken out or added as necessary. This means you can increase or decrease weight, having a bag ranging from 2.5kg up to 20kg without having to buy loads of separate bits of kit. The blocks inside will move around while you’re performing exercises similar to how sand moves within a Powerbag, this means your core and stabilising muscles will be worked harder compared to using barbells and dumbbells. And because the blocks are solid it also means you won’t end up with sand all over your gym floor if the bag was ever to split! The X-bag also has more handles compared to that of a ordinary Powerbag which means you can hold the bag with different grips and from different positions. It also comes with handles that can be taken on and off that allows you to wear the bag on your back like a rucksack, adding resistance to bodyweight exercises such as press ups, squats and lunges.

Below is a short video showing just a few of the exercises which can be done with this piece of kit and keep an eye out for the X-bag challenge coming soon.