Transform your body in 4 minutes a day (yes, really)
Don’t want to spend the whole summer in the
gym? Train smarter, not longer. The latest research shows high intensity
interval training (HIIT) is the way forward for blasting calories, revving your
metabolism and getting super fit, fast.
“All you need to do is really go for it for
four minutes that’s your workout done,” says personal trainer Lucy
Wyndham-Read. “Do it five days a week and you’ll see and feel results within a
fortnight. It’s a revolutionary way to get fit, look great and feel
ridiculously energized.
“All
you need to do is really go for it for four minutes that’s your workout done,”
“It’s so simple,” she continues. “Your four
minutes needs to be made up of 20 seconds of very intense work, followed
immediately by 10 seconds of marching on the spot, which is your active
recovery. Repeat this eight times. You could do 20 seconds of running on the
spot as fast as you can, deep squats or star jumps any exercise that works the
big muscles group and gets your heart rate up.”
Although it sounds easy, it’s actually a
killer. The main thing is, it’s over in less time than it takes to make your
morning cuppa, and you can do it anywhere. Those ‘no time to exercise’ excuses
just aren’t going to wash any more.
Need inspiration? Download Lucy’s guided
HIIT sessions, which target different areas of your body over the week: The LWR
Fast Fat Burning Method Album $9.31 and LWR 4 Minute Workout app 69p both
iTunes.
Lose 7lb instantly!
“Forget losing half a stone in a week, all
you need to do is correct your posture and it’ll vanush,” says Pilates
instructor Caron Bosler. But it’s not just a case of ‘stand up straight’ that
can make people stick out their chest and behind. Instead;
·
Stand with feet hip-width apart and form a
vertical line from the highest points of your ears through your shoulders, hips
and knees down to the front of your ankles. Check your reflection side-on so
you know how this feels.
·
Lift your head, feel your shoulder blades
pulling down, your tummy pulling in and your buttocks gently squeezing. Think
of elongating the front of your body without sticking your boobs out keep your
ribcage in.
·
Now, with arms by your side, rotate your hands
so your palms are open and your thumbs are out. Notice how this opens your
shoulders. “This is perfect posture. When you’re about to walk into a party or
down the beach, pause, correct and you’ll instantly look slimmer and more
confident,’ says Bosler. Easy!
The exercises for fast results
1. For lovely legs
Squats
‘Squats use your body weight and recruit
all the big muscles groups,” says sports scientist lan Mellis. “They sculpt
your calves, quads, hamstrings and bum.” Stand with feet facing forward, slightly
wider than hip width apart. With your back straight and arms in front for
balance, lower your bottom as if you were sitting in a chair. Go as far as you
can without curving your back or allowing your knees to extend over your feet.
Push to standing. Repeat for a minute.
Squats
2. For a perky bottom
Walking lunges
‘Lunges work your legs, but because you’re
destabilized, you have to use your glutes more to stop yourself falling over
says Mellis. Hands by your side, stride forward with one leg, blending the knee
to a right angle. Push off from your back leg and lunge on the other side. Keep
going for ten on each leg. ‘Or do alternate lunges on the spot,” he says. “Add
reverse lunges (stepping back instead of forwards) to hit glutes harder.”
Walking
lunges
3. For a flat tummy
The plank
Lie face down on the floor with your legs
straight out behind you and together. Raise yourself onto your forearms, tense
your core and make sure your body is in a straight line from heels to
shoulders. Work up to holding this for 90 seconds (don’t forget to breathe!).
“This targets your abs, obliques, back and glutes for all round core strength
and shaping; by not moving, you’re actually forcing your body to work harder,”
explains trainer Nick Mitchell.
The
plank
4. For no-jiggle arms, flab free back and toned chest
Press-ups
‘The Daddy of all upper body blitzers,”
says Mellis. Assume the press-up position: hadns on the floor just wider than
shoulder-width apart, arms straight, body straight. Bend the albows and lower
until your chest touches the floor, keeping abs and glutes tight. Push up and
repeat as many times as you can, working up to sets of 12. Too hard? Drop knees
to the floor but keep your hips low. Still too hard? Do ‘box press-ups’, from
an all fours position.
Press-ups
