3. Abdominals series
Time: 3½ minutes
Benefits: This series will work your entire
ab area, including the hard-to-reach lower abdominals and your obliques, the
side muscles that help minimize love handles. Making the Flying X as explosive
as possible will also improve your body’s ability to generate power.
Say –
single x crunch
Reps: 20 (10 each side)
Say – single x crunch
- Lie on your back with your legs and arms
extended to form an X-shape (a)
- With your right hand behind your head,
raise your left leg off the floor and reach your left hand towards your
left foot, making sure you also lift your shoulder blades off the floor
(b)
- Hold for a count of two and then lower.
Perform 20 times on one side before switching to the other side.
Thank-you
– x crunch and twist
Reps: 12 each side
Thank-you – x crunch and twist
- Lie on your back with your legs and arms
extended to form an X-shape (a)
- Raise your right leg off the floor while
reaching your left arm across your body towards your right foot (b). Hold
for a few seconds, then slower lower and repeat with your right arm and
left leg, making sure to raise your right, shoulder off of the floor.
Please
– flying x
Reps: 12
Please – flying x
- Lie on your back with your legs and arms
extended to form an X-shape (a) then simultaneously reach both arms and
both legs into the air, aiming to lift your shoulder blades up off the
floor while keeping your core engaged (b)
- Hold for a count of four and lower
4. Bonus cardio series – the jumping jack
Time: 2½ minutes
Benefits: This series will get your heart
pumping. Landing on one leg from a jumping Jack requires good leg strength and
balance, while the twisting Jack turns improve co-ordination. The Jack tucks
are hand, so expect your heart rate to shoot up while you’re working your legs
and glutes to the max.
Say –
single jack
Time: 60 seconds
Say – single jack
- Begin with your feet shoulder-distance
apart and your arms above your head in a basic jumping Jack position (a)
- Lower your arms as you jump your feet in
to land on your left foot, right knee raised to waist height (b)
- Pause for a second as you balance, then
repeat, jumping out to a jumping Jack position, then jumping in again,
landing on your opposite foot.
Please
– jack tuck
Time: 30 seconds
Please – jack tuck
- Begin with your feet together and your
arms by your sides (a)
- Bend your knees and push off the floor as
you tuck your knees in to your chest and jump in the air (b)
Thank-you
– twisting jack turn
Time: 45 seconds
Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart
and your arms up in a basic jumping Jack position (a)
Jump your feet together and, as you land,
rotate your body 90º to face the left (b)
Jump back to the center, so you land with
your feet apart again, your arms above your head.
Then, jump your feet back together as you
jump 90º to the right.
Thank-you – twisting jack turn
Thank-you – twisting jack turn
Eat up! Try
to eat your lunch (carbs, protein and vegetables) within an hour of working
out. This is when you absorb the most glycogen (the energy source used by your
muscles)
THE COOL-DOWN
Time: 5 minutes
- Spend a few minutes winding down from
your workout with some gentle cardio, like marching on the spot while
swinging your arms, then stretch your quads, glutes, arms and abdominals,
to lengthen and nourish your muscles.
- Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, then
hit the showers before walking briskly back to the office.
MIX IT UP
Once you have grasped the basic of the
‘Say” “Thank-you, please”’ principle, you can apply it to almost any workout
you do, to give you new and different results. Here are some ideas to get you
started.
1. Do all the “Say” moves on Monday, all the “Thank-you” moves on
Wednesday and all the “Please” moves on Friday. Repeat the moves in a circuit
two or three times.
2. Choose one principle for each part of the body, for example, “Say” –
a lunge for your lower body; “Thank-you” – a push-up for your upper body, and
“Please” – an explosive Flying X for your abs. Repeat two to three times. This
will give you plenty of variety and confuse your body as you switch from one
body part to another.
3. In combination with 20 minutes of cardio (run, bike, swim, jump
rope), do one set of lunge and push-up variations on Monday, one set of tricep
and ab variations on Wednesday and one set of a plank and star jump variation
on Friday. The main thing is to be creative and experiment
MUSIC TO GET YOU MOVING
Don’t forget your power playlist to get you
through the gym. We like Get Fit ($6; hmv.com or play.com), in association with
London 2012, a new album by Universal Music, guaranteed to get you through your
workout. Here are some of our favourites.
TRACKS FROM THE ALBUM
Dynamite: Tai Cruz (Warm-up)
Don’t Upset the Rhythm: Noisettes
Two Can Play That Game: Bobby Brown
The Only Way Is Up: The Plastic Population
& Yazz
Hole In the Head: Sugababes
Boys and Girls: Pixie Lott
I Think We’re Alone Now: Tiffany
Just Can’t Get Enough: The Saturdays
Jump: Girls Aloud
She Works Hard For the Money: Donna Summer
Lifted: Lighthouse Family (Cool-down)
