Effective strength workouts don’t have to be complicated, especially if you’re relatively new to resistance training. Incorporating a few compound exercises that target a range of muscles with a weight that challenges you is one of the best ways to increase your muscle mass, particularly if you follow the progressive overload method by making one variable harder each time you repeat the workout.

Health and fitness coach Chris Hover recently shared a workout in that mold. It's made up of four kettlebell exercises but targets the quads and glutes in your legs, the lats in your back, and your shoulders.

It's an EMOM-style workout, which stands for every minute on the minute. This means you have one minute to complete the reps required for one exercise, resting for any remaining time, before moving on to the next exercise.

Hover recommends aiming for three or four rounds in total, which makes for a quick but effective workout that should take between 12 and 16 minutes.

Watch Hover's Instagram Reel where he walks through each of the moves in the workout.

Ideally, you’ll have access to a kettlebell rack or an adjustable kettlebell (you can also use dumbbells if you have them), because to build muscle you want to choose a weight that makes the final few reps of each set a challenge. And, if you’re like most people, your legs will be able to comfortably squat more weight than your shoulders can press.

Coach has exercise guides that explain each movement in more detail. The crucial thing to remember with the Romanian deadlift is that you should only lower as far as your hip hinge allows without rounding your back. Focus on keeping your chest up during the goblet squat, and lifting the weight straight up, not letting it drift to the side, during the kettlebell press. Finally, the key to a successful one-arm kettlebell row is a stable starting position

If you’re after more short workouts, try this 10-minute kettlebell workout next.

Use our guide to the best kettlebells to choose the right weight for you.

Building muscle isn’t easy. If it was, a lot more people would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But there are techniques you can use to make the most of the time you spend in the weights room. 

Take myo-reps, for example. It’s an approach created by top trainer Borge Fagerli and it delivers the same gains as a lengthy lifting session in a fraction of the time. 

Myo-reps can be used by anyone, Fagerli tells me. He’s seen success with bodybuilders, powerlifters, everyday gym-goers and himself, with all parties reporting improved strength and muscle mass. But it’s a particularly handy tactic for busy people to have in their back pocket. 

“It will have people in and out of the gym in 15-20 minutes,” Fagerli says. “I’ve had personal training clients who would come in for a lunch training session and get a good workout in. And they kept gaining and gaining off just two workouts per week. 

“Whereas before they were doing three to four workouts per week, lasting 60 to 90 minutes each, and not getting the same gains.”

But for myo-reps to be effective, you have to push yourself.

“Some people spend a long time in the gym without pushing themselves,” Fagerli says. “If they’re doing a 20-minute workout that’s really tough, much harder than they’re used to, then they will make great gains from it.”

How To Do Borge Fagerli’s Myo-Reps Workout

Complete one myo-reps set of each exercise below, resting two minutes between moves.

1. Leg press
2. Leg curl
3. Incline bench press
4. Dumbbell shoulder press
5. Lat pull-down

A myo-reps set involves multiple sets. Begin with an activation set of eight to 15 reps, using a weight that leaves you with two reps in reserve. After this, put down the weight and take three to five deep breaths.

Now choose a target number of reps from three to five. Fagerli says getting the right number of target reps here can take some trial and error, but as a rule of thumb, strength-oriented lifters tend to favor three reps while muscular endurance-minded athletes prefer five. After you complete the deep breaths, pick the weight back up and complete a set with your chosen number of reps. 

Put the weight down again, take another three to five deep breaths, then attempt another set of three to five reps. Once you can no longer complete a set of yours  target number of reps, the myo-reps set is done. Rest for two minutes and move on to the next exercise. 

How To Train Using Myo-Reps

Fagerli says your training frequency will determine how you should use them as they can be demanding on the body. 

“If you’re doing two workouts per week, I would do full-body sessions,” he says. “If you’re doing three or four, you’re more likely looking at some sort of alternating upper/lower or push/pull split. This would have a slightly lower training frequency [per muscle group] so you have a better chance of recovering.”

If you want to follow a two-day workout split and you’re on the hunt for a second weekly myo-reps workout to cycle with the one above, Fagerli has some suggestions there too.

“To train the legs, you pair either a compound exercise for quads and an isolation for the hamstrings, or the opposite,” says Fagerli. “So another combination is a straight-leg deadlift, or other deadlift, and a leg extension.”

He also suggests including a row variation, like a seated cable row, as well as one chest exercise and one shoulder exercise. 

“If you wanted to, you could also add in a biceps and triceps exercise, but at that point you’re already training those muscles indirectly with the compound lifts,” says Fagerli.

See more tried-and-tested options in my guide to the best protein powder.

Finding time to train can be tricky, but beginners in particular can get a lot of bang for their buck from just two trips to the gym every week. 

These sessions don’t have to take an age either. Top trainer Luka Hocevar has created a two-day workout split with just three moves per workout. With a warm-up and warm-down each one will take less than 30 minutes. 

“These exercises cover the main movement patterns that we need to build as humans and they involve using a lot of muscle,” says Hocevar, who’s also a brand partner for booking service Vagaro.

“This means they'll help you build strength and lean muscle, while also improving your movement within daily life activities."

How To Do Luka Hocevar’s Two-Day Workout Split

Do each workout below once a week, leaving at least one day between them to allow your body to recover. 

For the final exercise of each workout, Hocevar lets you choose between any variation of the lunge and single-leg Romanian deadlift. 

This gives you the flexibility to use whatever equipment is free and available. You can also incorporate different planes of motion in the first exercise by opting for a lateral/side lunge or curtsy lunge. 

Two-Day Workout Split: Day One

Click or press the exercise name for how to do each exercise.

1 Trap bar deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 5-6 Rest 2min

2 Push-up

Sets 3 Reps 8-12 Rest 60sec

3 Lunge variation

Sets 3 Reps 8-12 on each side Rest 60sec

Two-Day Workout Split: Day Two

1 Goblet squat

Sets 3 Reps 5-6 Rest 2min

2 One-arm dumbbell row

Sets 3 Reps 8-12 Rest 60sec

3 Single-leg Romanian deadlift variation

Sets 3 Reps 8-12 on each side Rest 60sec

How To Progress These Workouts For An Eight-Week Two-Day Workout Split

If you want to build muscle, you need to repeat workouts and make them progressively harder over time. Hocevar has also provided the optimal way to progress this two-day workout split over eight weeks. 

For the first exercise in each workout, which focuses on building strength, he recommends lifting slightly more weight each week. 

With the second and third exercises, he takes a slightly different tact. 

“Add a rep a week for four weeks, then drop back down to the number of reps you did in week one and add weight. 

“For example, if week one was eight reps, add a rep a week until you get to 11 reps in week four, then drop back down to eight reps in week five while increasing the weight.”

Why Are These The Best Exercises For A Beginner Two-Day Workout Split?

Hocevar selected these exercises because they cover most major movement patterns, but that wasn’t the only factor at play when choosing the moves.

“These exercises are not necessarily that complicated, which means that a person can learn them quickly,” says Hocevare. 

“From this starting point, the goal is to work on progressing load by using heavier weights and adding reps or sets. These are necessary building blocks for the body to adapt and begin to increase strength and build muscle. This process is called progressive overload.”

However, he recommends making sure your form is flawless (“without letting your ego get in the way”) before adding more weight. 

What Are The Limitations Of A Two-Day Workout Split? 

A two-day workout split is ideal for beginners, because it supplies enough stimulus to develop muscle while at the same time the schedule doesn’t feeling overwhelming or unsustainable. 

It can also be a great approach for athletes from other sports looking for a minimalist strength training program to supplement their favored activity—a one-stop shop for reduced injury rates and improved performance among runners and others. 

But there are some drawbacks to this training split, particularly when it contains shorter workouts. 

“Limiting oneself to just three exercises is not necessarily an ideal program,” says Hocevar. 

On top of this, a two-day split of this sort may not provide the volume, variety or frequency to stimulate further strength and muscle gains among seasoned lifters. 

It doesn’t take much for your gym workout plan to go out of the window. Maybe you only have just enough time to fit in your scheduled session and you get stuck in traffic. Or there’s a rush on the piece of equipment you need. When you’re faced with these problems, you need a routine you can turn to. Dumbbell workouts are great for this because there are always plenty of pairs left in the racks of every gym.

Personal trainer Elise Young recently posted a straightforward but challenging routine that only uses dumbbells and it makes a great backup plan if you want to get stuck into a quick workout that will challenge muscles all over your body. The moves in this workout are all compound exercises, which means they engage multiple muscles at once.

Take a look at Young’s Instagram Reel where she demonstrates each of the exercises.

The first movement combines a single-arm dumbbell clean, push press and front-rack squat. The clean is a technical move so it can be worth practicing your technique with a light weight before beginning the workout to ensure the hinge-shrug-pull movement is smooth and controlled, and you don’t round your back.

Once you’ve performed eight reps on each side, move on to 12 bent-over rows. Note that Young uses an underhand grip. That’s followed by 20 reverse lunges holding a dumbbell in the goblet position, and finally 10 push-ups into renegade rows. I’ll let you decide whether a rep is counted after a row on one or both sides. That’s one round, Young suggests doing four rounds in total.

Remember to keep your core engaged throughout the workout, especially as you begin to fatigue in the final rounds. This will not only maximize muscle engagement, but it will also contribute to maintaining the correct form throughout the routine.

Why It’s Worth Training With Dumbbells

As well as being convenient, dumbbell exercises can limit the development of strength imbalances. Often, when using barbells and weights machines, people rely on a stronger side to move the weight. Using dumbbells ensures each side is trained separately.

Find more tried-and-tested recommendations in Coach’s guide to the best dumbbells. 

A great bodyweight HIIT workout keeps things simple. It lines up several of the best bodyweight exercises and asks you to rattle through them with minimal rest. That’s exactly what you can expect from this workout put together by personal trainer Steve Ahern from Goal Plans powered by MuscleFood.

You need 30 minutes, a bit of clear space and the workout is suitable for all fitness levels since you’re working to time rather than trying to hit a certain amount of reps. There are a number of high-impact exercises, however. If you think that might pose a problem, try this beginner HIIT workout with the regressions.

How To Do This Bodyweight HIIT Workout

The workout uses a 20/20/20 format where you do exercise A for 20 seconds, switch straight into move B for 20 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. There are seven sections to the workout, and in the first six, you’ll do four rounds of a pair of exercises and rest only after the second move. Then in the last section, you do all 12 exercises for 20 seconds each back-to-back for a tough finisher. The whole workout will take just under 30 minutes.

Bodyweight HIIT Workout Overview

• 1A Unweighted squat 4 x 20sec
• 1B Push-up 4 x 20sec
• 2A Alternating reverse lunge 4 x 20sec
• 2B Burpee 4 x 20sec
• 3A Jump squat 4 x 20sec
• 3B Jump lunge 4 x 20sec
• 4A High knees 4 x 20sec
• 4B Mountain climber 4 x 20sec
• 5A Hand walk-out 4 x 20sec
• 5B Plank 4 x 20sec
• 6A Reverse lunge with hold, right foot forward 4 x 20sec
• 6B Reverse lunge with hold, left foot forward 4 x 20sec
• 7 Every exercise above 1 x 20sec

Bodyweight HIIT Workout Form Guides

Click or press the title for an in-depth form guide to each exercise.

Section 1

1A Unweighted squat

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with toes slightly pointed outwards,” says Ahern. “Shift your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat position. Keep your chest up when executing the movement, with your back straight, and push through your heels to come back to standing.”

1B Push-up

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

Start on your hands and toes, with your arms and legs extended, hands underneath your shoulders and body in a straight line from head to heels. Bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, then push back up. “Make sure to keep your elbows in when pushing back up,” says Ahern.

Section 2

2A Alternating reverse lunge

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“Take a step backwards and drop your rear knee as close to the floor as possible while keeping your back straight and chest up,” says Ahern. “Push back up and keep switching legs until the allocated time is up.”

2B Burpee

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

From standing, fold at your waist and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Jump your feet back so you land in the top push-up position. Jump your feet back to your hands, then jump straight up, landing softly.

Section 3

3A Jump squat

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“This exercise adds a jump to a squat,” says Ahern. As you rise out of a squat jump straight up. Land softly and immediately lower into the next rep.

3B Jump lunge

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

“Take one step backward and drop your knee as close to the ground as you can, then jump up and switch legs in mid-air, landing with the other leg behind you,” says Ahern. Continue jumping and switching legs in mid-air.

Section 4

4A High knees

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“Run on the spot, raising your knees to your chest,” says Ahern. Raise the opposite arm to the raised leg.

4B Mountain climber

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

“Start in a push-up position,” says Ahern. “Move one knee close to your chest while keeping your hips as still as possible. Switch legs in mid-air and keep your head down.” Continue switching legs at pace.

Section 5

5A Hand walk-out

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“From standing, fold at your waist and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Walk your hands into a push-up position, hold for a second and then move your hands backwards and come to standing,” says Ahern. “Don’t allow your hips or back to dip.”

5B Plank

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

“Support your body on your forearms and toes,” says Ahern. “Keep your back parallel with the floor, don’t raise your hips and keep your head down. Make sure to contract your core area while performing this exercise.” Hold this position for the allotted time.

Section 6

6A Reverse lunge with hold, right foot forward

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 0sec

“Step your left foot backward and drop into the reverse lunge position and stay there for the allotted time,” says Ahern.

6B Reverse lunge With Hold, Left Foot Forward

Sets 4 Time 20sec Rest 20sec

“Step your right foot backward and drop into the reverse lunge position and stay there for the allotted time,” says Ahern.

Section 7

Rest for an additional 60 seconds before doing the final round, where you tackle all 12 moves from the workout in a row without rest. Use the form instructions from above and perform each move for 20 seconds.

Need help deciding on your next pair of workout shoes? Use our guide to the best gym trainers to find the right pair for you.

If you only have 10 minutes to fit in your workout, then you need to train smart, and this 10-minute dumbbell workout from personal trainer Adam Enaz will certainly encourage you to do just that.

The workout uses two strategies based on studies that have proven them effective—antagonist supersets and stretch-mediated hypertrophy.

“Antagonist supersets mean you work opposing muscle groups with little rest to save time,” says Enaz. “By doing this, it allows one unrelated muscle group to rest while the other gets worked.”

“We are also going to use the most effective exercise for each muscle group that stimulates the most growth using the latest ‘stretch-mediated hypertrophy’ method, which has shown that the more a muscle is worked in the stretch position, the more it grows.”

10-Minute Dumbbell Workout

After a quick warm-up set of squats, the workout involves doing two supersets and then a tri-set, where you’ll be resting for a maximum of 15 seconds between each exercise in the sets. For each move Enaz says to go close to failure, aiming for at least 12-15 reps, so choose your weight with this in mind.

If you’re going to fit this into 10 minutes, you will need to move fast and take minimal rest, so it’s worth lining up the equipment you need for each exercise in advance—you’ll have to use a bench and a preacher bench, as well as having the dumbbells you need to hand.

10-Minute Dumbbell Workout Overview

• Warm-up Unweighted squat x 25
• 1A Bulgarian split squat x 12-15+ each side
• 1B Lateral raise x 12-15+
• 2A Dumbbell bench press x 12-15+
• 2B Single-arm row x 12-15+ each side
• 3A Preacher curl x 12-15+ each side
• 3B Triceps overhead extension x 12-15+ each side
• 3C Dumbbell sit-up x 12-15

Warm-Up

Unweighted squat

Reps 25

“Start by doing 25 warm-up bodyweight squats, crouching up and down to get your heart rate up,” says Enaz.

Superset 1

1A Bulgarian split squat

Reps 12-15+ each side

Targets Glutes, quads, hamstrings

Hold dumbbells by your sides, stand with a knee-high platform such as a bench or sofa two to three feet behind you. Extend your right leg behind you and rest your toes on the bench. From this starting position, bend your front knee to lower until your front thigh is horizontal. Push through your front foot to return to the start. Do all the reps on one leg then switch to the other.

1B Lateral raise

Reps 12-15+

Targets Shoulders

Hold dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing you. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides to shoulder height, pause then lower under control. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout.

Superset 2

2A Dumbbell bench press

Reps 12-15+

Targets Chest

“Lie back on a bench and keep the dumbells close to your chest,” says Enaz. “Press the dumbbells to lock out at the top and bring them back down, holding for two seconds in the stretched position at the bottom.”

2B Single-arm row

Reps 12-15+ each side

Targets Back

“Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, bend over to place your left knee and left hand on a bench to support your body weight,” says Enaz. “Your hand should be placed directly under your shoulder and your knees should be positioned directly under your hips. Now pull the dumbbell towards your hips and then slowly lower.”

Do all your reps on one arm then switch to the other side.

Tri-set

3A Preacher curl

Reps 12-15+ each side

Targets Biceps

“Grab a dumbbell with your left hand and place the upper arm on top of the preacher bench, which you should have at a 60° angle,” says Enaz. “The dumbbell should be held at shoulder height. This will be your starting position. Slowly lower the dumbbell until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched and then bring it back up to the starting position.”

Do all your reps on one arm then switch to the other side.

3B Triceps overhead extension

Reps 12-15+ each side

Targets Triceps

“Grab a dumbbell with one hand and position it behind your head with your elbow flexed to 90°,” says Enaz. “Contract your triceps and press the dumbbell upwards until your arm is fully extended. Pause and return the weight to the start.”

Do all your reps on one arm before switching to the other.

3C Dumbbell sit-up

Reps 12-15+

Targets Abs

“Lie down on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor,” says Enaz. “Hold a dumbbell to your chest. Engage the core and slowly roll up so that the dumbbell touches your knees. Lower back down with control.”

Need help choosing? Our guide to the best dumbbells will help.

“What’s your Fran time?” is the CrossFit equivalent of “What do you bench, bro?”

The two-move CrossFit workout is the sport’s best-known benchmark test, and a sub-six-minute time will earn you a nod of approval from seasoned box-goers. 

That’s because to achieve that time you need to go to hell and back. The combination of thrusters and pull-ups is like a weekly push/pull/legs split condensed into a few minutes—it will send your heart rate soaring before leaving you flat on your back.

Still want to try it? Thought so. Find out how below, along with some top tips from professional CrossFitter and Represent 247-sponsored athlete Victor Hoffer for achieving your best possible time.

How To Do CrossFit Workout Fran

Perform 21-15-9 reps of:

1. Barbell thruster (RX weights 95lb/43kg for men, 65lb/30kg for women)
2. Pull-up

Fran is a straightforward workout. Complete alternating sets of barbell thrusters and pull-ups in a descending 21-15-9 rep scheme: 21 thrusters, 21 pull-ups, 15 thrusters, 15 pull-ups, nine thrusters and nine pull-ups. 

To meet CrossFit’s standards on the thrusters, the crease of your hip has to pass below the top of your knees during the squat, and your hips, knees and arms must be fully extended at the top of the rep. 

However, there are three options for performing the pull-ups. You can do butterfly pull-ups, kipping pull-ups or strict pull-ups. 

If you’re not racing and want a greater challenge, choose strict pull-ups. But if you’re looking for your best possible score, you’ll want to go for butterfly or kipping pull-ups, depending on which one you’re more proficient in.

These two pull-up variations use a leg swing to generate momentum as you raise your chin over the bar, saving your muscles and speeding up your reps. Kipping pull-ups see you swing up and down from the bar in a C-shape, while butterfly pull-ups involve moving your chest in a fluid, round motion—as your chest comes forward, your legs go backward, and vice versa. 

However, it’s recommended that you are proficient with strict pull-ups before progressing to kipping or butterfly variations. It’s also important that you learn how to do these advanced versions from a certified coach, as they require a higher level of skill to perform than the strict version of the movement. 

Who Created The Fran Workout?

According to the CrossFit Journal, CrossFit founder Greg Glassman believed that training with weights would improve his abilities as a gymnast, but he found traditional bodybuilding moves, didn’t light up his lungs and muscles like a traditional two-minute gymnastic routine on the rings or parallel bars.

This led him to pair thrusters and pull-ups using a 21-15-9 rep scheme—a workout he completed in 6min 46sec.

How To Get A Good Fran Time

Even though this is a short workout, the way you approach it will depend on your training experience and fitness level, according to professional CrossFit athlete Victor Hoffer.

“If you’re at that elite level then it’s quite a light thruster weight and the workout is very fast, so people will just want to go ‘full send’,” says Hoffer. 

However, if you’re a beginner or intermediate athlete, a 95lb/43kg or 65lb/30kg is going to feel fairly heavy, particularly after 20 reps. For this reason, Hoffer recommends breaking up at least the first round into smaller, faster and more manageable sets. 

“I think taking some breaks will help you go faster overall: do quick thrusters, drop the barbell, take a breath, then get back to doing quick thrusters.  

“When I have a big set like 21, I love to do sets of eight, seven and six reps. Every time you’re doing that little bit less, which can be good.”

You can mirror this with your sets of pull-ups, or tweak it depending on how confident you feel with this higher-skill exercise. 

“If you’re comfortable with the gymnastics move, it may be easier to do just one break,” says Hoffer. “Then for the round of 15 you could do an eight and a seven, before trying to go unbroken on the final round of nine.”

There’s no single workout that will help you hit your weight loss goals by itself (and it needs to be paired with a suitable nutrition plan), but some are more helpful than others. This dumbbell workout is a great addition to any routine, helping you to burn fat and build muscle, as well as improving your cardio fitness. 

It’s been put together by Sarah Spence, personal trainer at F45 Brixton, and should take around 30 minutes to perform, depending on how long you need to rest during and in between the four rounds of six exercises.

Dumbbell Workout For Fat Loss Instructions

“This workout will build muscle, increase strength, get your heart rate up and get you in that fat-burning zone,” says Spence. “There are six exercises in total and four rounds. Rest when you need it but try to keep moving as much as you can and limit rest between exercises.

“A medium pair of dumbbells is best for this, you should be able to move quickly and explosively but still feel challenged by the weights.”

Dumbbell Workout For Fat Loss Overview

Complete four rounds of the following.

1. Dumbbell squat to press x 10
2. Dumbbell reverse lunge x 10 each side
3. Renegade row x 8 each side
4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift x 10
5. Dumbbell star jump x 30
6. Devil’s press x 10

Dumbbell Workout For Fat Loss Form Guides

1 Dumbbell squat to press

Reps 10

“Stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart and the dumbbells by your shoulders,” says Spence. “Squat down, then drive up and press the dumbbells above your head. Use power from your hips to help push the dumbbells up.”

2 Dumbbell reverse lunge

Reps 10 each side

Stand holding the dumbbells by your sides. Step back and bend both knees to lower until both knees are bent at 90°. Push back up through your front foot to stand. Alternate legs until you’ve done 10 reps on both sides.

“Keep your feet hip-width apart and don’t get too narrow in the lunge,” says Spence. 

3 Renegade row

Reps 8 each side

“Start in a high plank position with your hands on the dumbbells,” says Spence. “Push into one dumbbell and row the other dumbbell up towards your hip. Keep your hips as still as possible, you can drop to your knees if needed.”

4 Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Reps 10

“Stand holding the dumbbells in front of your legs,” says Spence. “Keep the dumbbells touching your legs as you push your hips back, keeping the knees soft. Bring the dumbbells down to just below the knee—this may vary depending on your hamstring mobility. Keep your back flat and chest proud. Stand up tall using your hips, keeping the dumbbells close to your legs. This movement should feel controlled.”

5 Dumbbell star jump

Reps 30

“This will raise the heart rate,” says Spence. “Start with the dumbbells on your shoulders. Punch the sky with the dumbbells as the feet jump out. Jump your feet back in and bring the dumbbells back down to your shoulders. Move as quickly as possible.”

6 Devil’s press

Spence has detailed a modified version of the devil’s press—you don’t need to lower your chest to the floor.

Reps 10

“Start in a high plank position with your hands on the dumbbells,” says Spence. “Jump your feet forward so they land outside your hands with your heels on the floor. Sit back into a squat position and then stand tall lifting the dumbbells overhead. Try to use the power from standing up to lift the dumbbells, then control the movement on the way down back to a high plank.”

Many of us have favorite workouts we return to time and again, workouts we know are building strength in the most-needed areas and that don’t require specialist equipment.

This workout from PT Ollie Thompson deserves a place on any list of favorite workouts. It’s a five-move equipment-free workout that targets all your muscle groups. “When combined, these exercises are excellent for building a strong core and posterior chain,” says Thompson. The posterior chain is the collection of muscles that run down the back of your body and are essential for good posture. 

“The glute bridge and reverse lunge target muscles on the back of the legs, including the glutes and hamstrings. This makes the workout particularly beneficial if you're struggling with a stiff lower back, making it an ideal session to perform after a long period of sitting at a desk or traveling.”

And because it’s a bodyweight workout, it can be done virtually anywhere and in next to no time. “Bodyweight workouts are highly efficient,” says Thompson. “You can complete a lot of exercises within a short period making them especially valuable for people short on time.”

Full-Body No-Equipment Workout

1 Push-up to pike

Reps 10-12

Start in a high plank position, with your hands under your shoulders, arms extended, body in a straight line from head to heels, feet hip-width apart and your core engaged. Bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, then push through your hands. As you rise, push your hips up and backwards so your body forms an inverted V. Return to the high plank position.

2 Side plank with rotation

Reps 15 each side

Lie on your side with your lower forearm on the floor, elbow directly underneath your shoulder and both feet on the floor, one in front of the other. Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line. Extend your top arm up straight up, then bring the arm down and through the gap between your body and the floor, rotating your torso. Pause, then return to the starting position. Do all your reps on one side then switch sides.

3 Alternating reverse lunge

Reps 15 each side

From standing, step backward and bend both knees to lower until your rear knee is just above the floor. Push through your front foot to return to the start. Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

4 Long lever plank

Time 20-30sec

Start in a low plank position, on your forearms and balls of your feet, with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. With your core and glutes engaged, walk your feet backward until your elbows are in line with your forehead. Hold for the allotted time, maintaining the position of your body, then release.

5 Single-leg glute bridge

Reps 15 each side

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms by your sides. Lift your right foot off the floor, keeping your knee bent. Push through your left foot to raise your butt until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your left knee. Pause then lower your butt back to the floor. Perform all your reps on one side then switch sides.

It’s no secret we’re fans of Chris Hemsworth at Coach, and his Centr fitness app is one of our favorite workout apps (and it’s offering a seven-day trial at the moment). So whenever Hemsworth posts a workout on his Instagram account we’re keen to try it.

The 40-year-old shared a quick snippet of a recent workout, revealing the content and duration of his session (a compact 40 minutes) without disclosing the format.

So I asked the Trainer Academy’s Domenic Angelino to fill in the gaps, creating a testing yet relatively short workout Coach readers can try out themselves. 

Next time you’re in the gym, make like Hemsworth and give it a go. Need to brush up on how to do each exercise? Click the exercise names below to read our form guides.

How To Do Domenic Angelino’s Chris Hemsworth–Inspired Workout

1 Medicine ball slam

Sets 4 Reps 6 Rest 30sec

“High-power exercises should be performed earlier in a workout,“ says Angelino. “This helps get around your ability to perform them being limited by fatigue. Power exercises, more than any other, are extremely ineffective when performed while fatigued.”

2 Single-arm kettlebell snatch 

Sets 4 Reps 6 each side Rest 45sec

Hemsworth’s post suggests he does this move third in his workout, but Angelino says most people could benefit from bumping it up to second. This is because you’ll be able to attack it with fresh shoulders rather than wearing out the working muscles ahead of time with overhead carries, potentially leading to a deterioration in form. 

Like all kettlebell exercises in this workout, this move can also be done with a dumbbell. Read our dumbbell snatch form guide for more.

3 Overhead kettlebell farmer’s carry

Sets 2 Time 30sec Rest 30sec

4A Squat curl press 

Sets 4 Reps 8 Rest 0sec

Superset the squat curl press and bent-over row, meaning you perform one set of the squat curl press, one set of the bent-over row, rest for 45 seconds, then repeat until all the sets have been completed.

4B Supinated barbell bent-over row

Sets 4 Reps 8 Rest 45sec

Perform a bent-over row with an underhand grip.

5 Single-arm triceps kick-back

Sets 4 Reps 12 each arm Rest 30sec

6 Sprint

Sets 5 Time 30sec Rest 45sec 

“Aim to sprint at roughly 90 to 95% of your maximum speed,” says Angelino.

What Are The Benefits Of Chris Hemsworth’s Workout?

While there aren’t many similarities between Hemsworth and the rest of us, one thing most of us have in common is that we have too much else going on to spend hours on every workout.

“I love this type of workout,” Hemsworth writes in the caption. “Being able to cover a lot of bases—explosiveness, strength, stability, speed and hypertrophy—helps me feel functional and strong. Continually moving for about 40 minutes.”

Making sure you can fit training around the rest of your responsibilities is an important factor in developing a sustainable long-term workout plan, Angelino tells me. And that’s not the only advantage of Hemsworth’s high-volume, low-rest session. 

“Workouts like this will help you burn more calories, increase your muscular endurance, improve your cardiovascular system and increase the size of your type I [slow-twitch] muscle fibers.”

But Agelino warns that, just because the workout will pass by quickly, that doesn’t mean all of your movements should be rapid. 

“Some exercises, like a medicine ball slam, are great to do quickly because they are designed to help you increase muscular power—the rate at which you produce force.”

But for strength-based exercises, such as the supinated bent-over row, you should focus on your form and change gears throughout the movement. 

“You’ll notice that Hemsworth moves more quickly during the concentric [lifting] phase of the reps he performs, and more slowly during the eccentric [lowering] phase,” says Angelino.

“The concentric phase is where you’re applying the most effort, like when you row a barbell to your abdomen. The eccentric phase is the opposite—it’s the easier part of the movement. 

“Going faster during the concentric phase and slower during the eccentric phase will lead to you recruiting more muscle fibers.”

More muscle fiber recruitment can boost the potential for muscle growth. Thor-like physique, here we come!

Low-impact workouts are a great training tool to help build strength without putting additional strain on your joints, especially if you’re a fan of high-impact exercise such as running or HIIT. Low-impact exercise doesn’t just mean swimming or cycling, joint-friendly low-impact strength workouts can help with injury prevention by reducing stress and load on your body.

“A low-impact workout is a session consisting of exercises that impose minimal impact, stress, and strain on your joints,” says personal trainer Ollie Thompson. “Typically, they avoid jumps or rapid movements.”

Thompson has put together a five-move low-impact workout for Coach that requires just one dumbbell, so you can do it at home or at the gym. Low impact doesn’t mean low effort though—this is a challenging full-body workout. “By performing all five moves, you engage all major muscle groups through various movement patterns while also addressing mobility and stability,” says Thompson.

This kind of workout is ideal for those returning to exercise after injury, or for beginners, but don’t be fooled into thinking they’re just for people starting out. “Low-impact workouts are not only beneficial for individuals recovering from injuries or surgery but also for those looking to build strength and control,” says Thompson. “Many low-impact strength movements require increased tension and control to perform effectively, meaning they help strengthen both muscles and joints.”

Because there are no jumping or other high-impact moves involved, there’s less risk of injury, but be aware there is still a risk. “Injury remains a potential concern with low-impact exercises, but through proper control and good technique the risk is significantly reduced,” says Thompson.

Low-Impact Full-Body Workout

1 Single-arm floor press

Reps 12-15 on each side

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and extend your arms straight up. Slowly lower the dumbbell, bending your elbow, until your elbow is on the floor, keeping your wrist over your elbow. press back to the starting position. Perform all the reps on one side then switch.

2 Dead bug

Reps 30

Lie on your back holding the ends of the dumbbell above you with your arms extended, and your feet raised and your knees bent at 90°. Engage your core engaged, and raise your head and neck off the floor slightly. Extend your right leg, pause, then extend your left leg as you bring your right leg to the start position. Continue, keeping your movements slow and controlled.

3 Three-way lunge

Reps 8-10 on each side

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, cupping one end of a dumbbell in both hands in front of your chest. Engage your core and, keeping your back straight throughout, step your right foot forward and bend both knees to lower into a lunge until your left knee is almost touching the floor. Return to the starting position. Step your right foot out to the side, bending your right knee to lower while keeping your left leg straight. Return to the starting position. Step your right foot back and bend both knees until your right knee is almost touching the floor. Return to the starting position. That is one rep. 

“The three-way lunge explores your hip range of motion with resistance, which is great for improving hip mobility,” says Thompson.

4 Plank drag

Reps 8 on each side

Place your dumbbell close to your left hand and get into a high plank position. Your feet should be wider than hip-width apart, your hands should be directly under your shoulders, arms extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Staying in this plank position, use your right hand to move the dumbbell to the other side. Squeeze your core as you move the weight and avoid your body from twisting to one side. Repeat the move on the other side. Continue, alternating sides with each rep. 

5 B-stance Romanian deadlift

Reps 10 on each side

Stand with your weight on your right leg, with your left foot slightly behind the right one, left knee bent slightly and your left heel off the floor. This foot acts as a kickstand to offer extra stability. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and—keeping your back flat and without twisting your body—push your hips back, letting the weight lower to mid-shin level, as long as your mobility allows you to reach this level without rounding your back. Only lower as far as you can while maintaining a straight back. Push through your right foot and move your hips forward to return to the starting position.

“The B-stance Romanian deadlift exercise effectively challenges your core muscles and rib cage control as you hold the load in one hand and resist torso rotation,” says Thompson.

Need help deciding on a new set of weights? Our guide to the best dumbbells will help.

If, like me, you’re used to training with weights, you might forget just how challenging bodyweight exercises can be. Plus, they’re a convenient way to work out when you don’t have access to a fully appointed commercial gym or your regular equipment.

I’m currently traveling and can’t make it to the gym as often as usual, so I’m looking for different ways to maintain my strength and fitness.

Hotel gyms help, but they don’t always have what I need. However, they usually have some cardio machines and enough room to do bodyweight work.

NASM-certified personal trainer Pippa Sealey has put together a workout that doesn’t take long and only requires a few pieces of kit. “This workout is suited to someone with minimal equipment, potentially in a small gym like in a hotel,” says Sealey.

It includes some intervals on a bike and a rower, but Sealey says that you can swap this for a bodyweight exercise such as burpees or running on the spot if you need to. 

“Between the cardio exercises I’ve added some strength work,” says Sealey. “There’s a mixture of core, upper body and lower body for a full-body workout, improving both strength and endurance.”

It’s an EMOM (every minute on the minute) workout, which is a great format to use if you don’t have a lot of time. “It adds a bit more structure to your work and rest ratio and makes sure there’s no procrastinating,” says Sealey.

If you’re traveling and you don’t have access to a hotel gym, pack a resistance band and use this travel workout instead.

Hotel Gym Workout Part One

The first section of the workout is an eight-minute EMOM. In the first minute, do 8 calories on a stationary bike then rest for the remainder of the minute. In the next minute, complete the reps of the first strength exercise below. In the third minute jump back onto the bike for another 8 calories, followed by the reps for the next exercise. Repeat this format alternating the bike and a strength exercise until the eight minutes is up. Here’s an overview of the workout, followed by form guides for each exercise. 

1. Stationary bike x 8cal
2. Lunge x 8 each side
3. Stationary bike x 8cal
4. Push-up x 12
5. Stationary bike x 8cal
6. Single-leg glute bridge x 8 each side
7. Stationary bike x 8cal
8. Plank ankle tap x 16

Lunge

Reps 8 each side

From standing, engage your core and take a big step forward and bend both knees to lower until both knees are bent to 90°. Keep your front knee above your ankle, don’t let it go forward past your toes. Keep your torso upright, back straight, shoulders relaxed and chin up. Make sure your core is engaged throughout the movement. Push through your front foot to return to the start.

Push-up

Reps 12

Get on your hands and toes, with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, arms extended and your body straight from head to heels. Bend your elbows to lower, keeping your elbows close to your body. When your chest is just above the floor, extend your arms to return to the start. If that is too challenging for all 12 reps, drop to your knees.

Single-leg glute bridge

Reps 8 each side

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Rest your arms on the floor by your sides with palms down and extend one leg to lift the foot. Push through your foot to lift your hips until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core braced so you don’t overextend your back. Pause then lower under control.

Plank ankle tap

Reps 16

Start in a high plank position on your hands and toes, with your hands directly under your shoulders, arms extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Push your hips up and back and reach one hand back to touch the opposite ankle, keeping your hips square to the floor. Return to the start then repeat on the other side. Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Hotel Gym Workout Part Two

The second part of the workout is another eight-minute EMOM, but this time it focuses on core strength. You will need a rowing machine and gym ball. Here’s an overview of the workout, followed by form guides for each exercise.

1. Rowing machine x 10cal
2. Gym ball knee tuck x 8
3. Rowing machine x 10cal
4. Gym ball crunch x 12
5. Rowing machine x 10cal
6. V-up x 12
7. Rowing machine x 10cal
8. Side plank dip x 8 each side

Gym ball knee tuck

Reps 8

Rest your shins on the gym ball, place your hands on the floor in front of you with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bend your knees and bring them into your body to roll the gym ball towards you, keeping your hips level. Return to the start under control.

Gym ball crunch

Reps 12

Position your lower back on a gym ball with your knees bent and feet planted firmly on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest or hold your hands by your temples if you need extra help with your balance. Lie back until you feel a stretch in your abs, then contract your abs to lift your shoulders and upper back off the ball. At the top of the move, squeeze your abs then lower under control.

V-up

Reps 6 each side

Lie on the floor with your arms by your sides. Keeping your legs extended, raise one as high as you can and lift your torso so your body forms a V shape, the lower under control to the start. Repeat with the other leg. Keep your back straight and your movements smooth and controlled. You can keep your hands on the floor for support or bring them up to meet your feet.

Side plank dip

Reps 8 each side

Lie on your side with your feet together, supporting your upper body on one forearm with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder. Contract your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to feet. Lower your hips to touch the floor, then return to the side plank position.

Want to train your core? You don’t need to do sit-ups and crunches to work the muscles in your midsection. In fact, I’m training my core whenever I exercise, even when I’m not doing core-specific moves. It’s because my core has to engage for every move I do at the gym to ensure my body stays balanced and stable.

Using kettlebells when I work out adds another layer of intensity. Because the weight of a kettlebell sits below the handle—unlike a dumbbell where the weight is evenly distributed on either side—you have to work harder to keep the kettlebell stable during exercise and your core plays a significant part in helping you do that.

My PT, Will Duru, is a huge fan of kettlebell workouts. “Kettlebells are really effective for core strength because they can be used to imitate real-life situations such as picking things up from the ground, thrusting from the hips, and lifting boxes overhead,” says Duru. “Kettlebells teach you to be flexible in your core strength through rotational movements too.”

Want to train your core without doing back-breaking sit-ups? Give these moves a go. I leave a 30 to 60-second rest between each set depending on how I am feeling.

1 Single-arm swing 

Sets 4 Reps 12 each side

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand in front of you by its handle. Engage your back and core muscles so your back stays flat throughout. Hinge at your hips, pushing your hips backwards and letting the kettlebell swing through your legs. Push your hips forward to generate the power to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height, but don’t overextend and let your back curve. Control the descent and go straight into the next rep. Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides. Read Coach’s kettlebell swing form guide for more technique pointers.

2 Standing Arnold press

Sets 3 Reps 12

Hold lighter kettlebells by your shoulders with your palms facing you. Press the kettlebells up, rotating your hands 180° so your palms face forward when your arms are extended. Avoid using your lower body during this exercise so that your core has to work that extra bit harder to hold you upright as you press the kettlebells overhead. Coach’s Arnold press form guide has more about this excellent shoulder exercise.

3 Gorilla row

Sets 4 Reps 12 each side

Stand over two heavier kettlebells, push your hips back and bend your knees slightly to take hold of the kettlebell handles. Keep your core engaged and back flat as you lift one kettlebell to your rib cage, pause, and then lower back down. Repeat on the other side. Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

4 Plank pike and push-up

Sets 4 Reps 8 each side 

Get into a high plank position, with a light kettlebell by each hand. Lift one hand and pick up the kettlebell on the opposite side. Keeping your arms and legs extended, lift your hips and pull the kettlebell towards your opposite foot. Return to the start, then perform a push-up, bending your elbows to lower your chest to the floor and pressing back up, before repeating the pike on the other side. Keep your core and back engaged so that your body stays square to the floor as you move the kettlebell.

5 Plank drag

Sets 4 Reps 10 each side 

Place a kettlebell next to one hand and get in the high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, arms extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Maintaining the plank position, use your hand furthest away from the kettlebell to drag it under your body to the other side. Squeeze your core as you move the kettlebell to stop your body from shifting to one side.

6 Squat and press

Sets 3 Reps 10

Hold a heavier kettlebell upside down in both hands in front of your chest. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat. As you rise, press the kettlebell overhead.

7 Flutter kick

Sets 3 Reps 20

Lie on your back holding two light kettlebells above you with arms extended. Lift your legs just off the floor and, pressing your lower back into the floor and keeping your legs extended, lift one foot and lower the other, then reverse the movements, alternating at pace. Find out an adjustment to use if you can’t keep your back pressed into the floor with Coach’s flutter kick form guide.

I usually go to the gym three or four times a week and follow a CrossFit program that focuses on functional strength and fitness. However, I’m traveling at the moment so getting to the gym to keep up with my usual fitness routine is a struggle.

When I do have a chance to work out, I need to make my sessions count. Instead of splitting my sessions to focus on one or two specific lifts, it makes more sense to incorporate a range of moves that target a variety of muscles.

Fortunately, the friend I’m traveling with, Pippa Sealey, is a NASM-qualified personal trainer based at Luxe Fitness in Bristol. Below is the workout she put together for us. It took 45 minutes, but it seriously challenged my strength and left me with DOMs for days. 

“This workout is designed for people who have experience with resistance training and weightlifting, as there are advanced movements here,” says Sealey. “You’ll hit a lot of muscle groups, starting with compound exercises and moving onto some accessory moves that target the upper body and engage the core.”

The workout is made up of five exercises and you will need a barbell, a dumbbell and a suspension trainer or pair of gymnastics rings.

As I’m not currently lifting as regularly, I chose weights around 60-70% of my max effort.

This session put my strength to the test as I struggled to finish the last few reps on each lift. This pushed my heart rate up, proving I was working hard.  

It’s a routine I plan to repeat regularly while traveling. My aim is to maintain or increase the weight each week to ensure I don’t lose muscle mass while away from my usual gym routine.

The Workout

1 Deadlift

Sets 5 Reps 5

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your shins in contact with the barbell. Push your hips back and bend your knees to take hold of the bar with your hands just outside your legs. Lift the bar by driving your hips forward and extending your knees. Lower the bar under control. Keep a flat back and the bar close to you throughout.

“Keep your core tight and your spine as neutral as possible. Try to squeeze your lats before you lift,” says Sealey.

2 Front squat

Sets 4 Reps 6 

Hold the bar in front of your collarbone with your palms underneath the bar and elbows pointing forward. Stand with your feet around hip-width apart, and sit your hips back to lower into the squat, maintaining a neutral spine, your chest facing forward and your elbows up. Drive through your midfoot to return to standing.

“Keep your elbows high in the front rack position. Brace your core before lowering into the squat and keep tension in your torso throughout,” says Sealey.

3 Pull-up

Sets 3 Reps 6-8

Hold a pull-up bar with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip, palms facing forward. Start in a dead hang, with your arms fully extended. Use your lats to pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Lower under control.

If you’re still developing the strength to do this many pull-ups, Sealey recommends using a resistance band for a band-assisted pull-up.

4A Ring row

Set 4 Reps 8-10

Set the handles of a suspension trainer or gym rings at hip height and hold them with your palms facing down. Lean back and walk your feet forward until your body is at 45°, your arms are extended and your heels are on the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your armpits toward the rings, keeping your elbows close to your sides and rotating your wrists so they face. Return to the start under control.

“Keep your chest broad and your shoulders retracted so that you can squeeze your shoulder blades at the top,” says Sealy.

4B Z press

Sets 4 Reps 8 each side

Sit on the floor with your legs extended and your torso upright, holding a dumbbell by one shoulder. Aim to keep your hamstrings flat on the floor so your lower back remains braced. Press the dumbbell overhead, then lower under control. Perform all your reps on one side then switch sides.

“Keep your torso upright so that you’re using as much core stability as possible,” says Sealy.

With so many different machines, weights and workout styles to choose between, it can be hard to know where to start at the gym—especially as a beginner.

Plus, if you’re trying to get in and out as quickly as possible, having a workout that can be done entirely from one machine is one worth saving.

NASM-certified fitness instructor Laura Lino recently shared a workout on Instagram that uses just one piece of equipment, the Smith Machine, which consists of a barbell between rails. The moves Lino chooses make up a full-body workout which can help beginners gain confidence with weighted moves.

The Smith machine is a great piece of kit for beginners as the barbell only travels between the vertical rails so you don’t have to worry about stabilizing it. There are also safety catches at regular intervals along the rails so you can twist the bar to rerack it at any point during the movement if you get stuck midway through a lift. 

“The Smith machine makes the exercise more stable which can be beneficial for hypertrophy training as well as for beginners,” says personal trainer Pippa Sealey. “The Smith machine is also good if you’re recovering from injury or you struggle with balance.”

Take a look at Lino’s Instagram Reel where she demonstrates each exercise.

This workout is split into three supersets, which means you do two exercises back-to-back followed by a rest. Coach’s guide to superset workouts goes into more detail if you want to find out more.

Each superset is made up of one upper-body and one lower-body exercise so you target a wide range of muscles in one session, a hallmark of a good beginner gym workout.

For alternatives to this workout, if you have free rein in the gym and want to stick to the machines, try this progressive weights machine workout plan. Or if the Smith machine is taken and the gym is heaving, turn to one of these easy one-kit workouts, instead.

Starting to exercise can feel hard if your body’s not used to physical activity, but at least it doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is one kettlebell  , Whether you’re building strength at home with one kettlebell, or prefer to skip queuing for machines and work out in your own corner of the gym, getting a full-body session with just a kettlebell is possible. 

This routine created by online coach Chris Hover is made up of five kettlebell exercises. It’s great for beginners, skipping difficult-to-master moves like the kettlebell clean and kettlebell snatch, but people with experience of strength training will also benefit.

Some of these exercises—such as the goblet squat and suitcase deadlift—recruit multiple big muscle groups so use a moderate to heavy weight if you have access to a range of kettlebell weights. However there are a couple of moves—particularly the kneeling press shoulder exercise—that isolate weaker muscle groups, so unless you have a particularly strong upper body it’s a good idea to switch to a lighter kettlebell.

Take a look at Hover’s Instagram Reel where he demonstrates each move. If you need more detailed explanations, we have a goblet squat form guide that can help.

It’s a good idea to pause and brace your core before beginning each exercise by squeezing your glutes and abdominal muscles. This will maximize muscle engagement and help you to maintain good posture throughout the workout.

Move through 10 reps of each exercise except for the unilateral movements. For those, do 8 reps on each side for the suitcase deadlift and 20 reps each side of the offset march.

Complete the circuit four times in total, taking 90 seconds of rest in between each round. Like most circuit workouts, doing a series of exercises without rest in between will get your heart rate up and improve your cardio fitness. Depending on how quickly you move through the reps, this workout should take around 20 minutes.

For another accessible routine, try this kettlebell workout for beginners.

Need help choosing between deals? Our guide to the best kettlebells can help.

Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make at the start of a fitness kick is overdoing it. If your first workouts are too difficult, you run the risk of injury or even burnout. You may also find it hard to maintain motivation simply because the sessions you do are too challenging.

A training plan that starts with short, simple workouts is the way to go, and that’s exactly what the Climb The Ladder 30-Day training plan on fitness app WithU (App Store and Google Play) offers. The collection of 16 workouts starts with a five-minute strength session, which you can see below to try, and eventually builds up to a 20-minute workout. 

The idea is to do the 16 workouts in order over a 30-day period, with each session being one minute longer than the previous one. The workouts aren’t all strength sessions—HIIT and stretching are also on the plan.

And while WithU requires you to subscribe to access its entire library of workouts, the Climb The Ladder plan is free to all.

Tim Benjamin, ex-Olympian and co-founder of WithU, pulled the collection together to help people ease into strength training in the same way you would into running with a couch to 5K plan. It follows a similar format of gradually building your capacity.

“We designed Climb the Ladder based on the principle of progressive overload, whereby you increase the intensity of your workouts over time,” says Benjamin. “The concept can be applied to most forms of exercise, but you’ll mostly see it in strength and cardio training plans. This could be increasing your number of reps, your weights, or as with the Climb the Ladder plan, the duration of your workouts. 

“By gradually but continuously increasing the overload with each workout, you provide your body with the recovery time it needs to adapt to the new stimulus you’re introducing while also ensuring that you’re maintaining positive progression.

“It’s a simple but highly effective approach that allows you to continuously take steps towards your goals, such as building strength and endurance, or feeling fitter, in a sustainable way. By allowing your body to get used to the new stimulus by starting small, you avoid risk of injury, plus the continuous progression is fantastic for your mindset and confidence.”

Here’s the first workout from the plan to try.

Warm-up

Word to the wise: always warm up before beginning a workout. Here’s why warm-up exercises are so important.

1 Standing waist twist

Time 20sec Rest 10sec

Standing tall with your arms crossed in front of your chest, twist your torso to the right and left to mobilize the spine.

2 Squat adductor

Time 20sec Rest 20sec

Lower into a squat position, pushing your bum back and bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then pulse your knees outwards to warm up your glutes.

Workout

Perform two rounds of the below.

1 Squat lunge lunge

Time 35sec Rest 15sec

From standing lower into a squat, then drive back up to standing, then step forward into a lunge on your right foot, lowering until both knees are bent at a 90° angle. Come back up to standing then step into a lunge on your left foot. Then repeat, doing a squat and a lunge on each side.

2 Blast off push-up

Time 35sec Rest 15sec

Start in a high plank position with your body supported on your hands and feet. Push up and back so your glutes move towards your feet, then move forward back into a plank as you lower your chest down between your hands until it’s hovering just above the floor. You can put your knees on the floor to make the movement easier.

If you enjoyed this five-minute workout, access the full 30-day plan by downloading WithU from the App Store and Google Play.

For more workout inspiration for beginners from Coach, check out how to start exercising safely, and this equipment-free beginner home workout. If you own dumbbells, or are a member of a gym, this beginner dumbbell workout is another great place to start. 

When you first start training regularly in the gym, it’s smart to keep things simple. Do full-body routines three times a week rather than trying to target individual body parts on each visit.

That’s what personal trainer Emily Servante, global trainer education manager at Ultimate Performance, suggested when I spoke to her about structuring leg workouts. 

“Three days a week is the absolute minimum frequency of strength training one should do when seeking maximum results in a quick time frame,” says Servante. “For people who lead busy, highly-stressed lives, this level of frequency is perfect as it creates the right balance between stimulus and recovery.

“For beginners or anyone with less than six to 12 months of training experience, a ‘full-body’ style routine would be the best option. You can do this by alternating between two different workouts (A and B), which both include moves that will train your upper and lower body.”

“In this scenario, you alternate workouts A and B, working out three times a week. For example, in Week 1 you would perform workout A on a Monday, workout B on a Wednesday, and workout A on a Friday, then in Week 2 you would perform workout B on a Monday and Friday and workout A on a Wednesday, and so on.”

With this approach, the two workouts from Servante below will be all you need to start an effective gym routine. Both workouts are made up of five supersets, and require access to a range of free weights and exercise machines. Over time make sure you progress the workouts by adding a rep or using heavier weights for each move to ensure you’re still challenging yourself.

How To Do These Workouts

These workouts are formatted as supersets. That means you do the first set of exercise A, rest for the specified time, then do the first set of exercise B and rest. Return to exercise A and do the second set, followed by the second set of exercise B. Continue until all the sets have been completed, then move on to the next superset.

Servante has also provided the tempo to perform each exercise at. It’s the same for every exercise and it requires you to lower the weight over a count of four and lift the weight with a count of one. Our guide to tempo training in the gym explains more about this element of workouts.

Workouts In Brief

Workout A

• 1A Barbell back squat 3 x 8
• 1B Neutral-grip pull-up 3 x 8
• 2A Bulgarian split squat 3 x 8
• 2B Incline bench row 3 x 8
• 3A Seated hammer curl 3 x 8
• 3B Close-grip bench press 3 x 8
• 4A EZ-bar curl 3 x 8
• 4B Single-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension 3 x 8 each side
• 5A Incline reverse crunch 3 x 8
• 5B Seated lateral raise 3 x 8

Workout B

• 1A Trap bar deadlift 3 x 8
• 1B Incline hammer press 3 x 8
• 2A Lying leg curl 3 x 8
• 2B Decline bench press 3 x 8
• 3A Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3 x 8
• 3B Incline hammer curl 3 x 8
• 4A Lying dumbbell triceps extension 3 x 8
• 4B Single-arm cable curl 3 x 8 each side
• 5A Swiss ball crunch 3 x 8
• 5B Dumbbell front raise 3 x 8

Form Guides

For more details about each proper form for each exercise, click the header to see our in-depth exercise guides.

Workout A

1A Barbell back squat

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Take the bar out of the rack and rest it on the back of your shoulders. Lower into a squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, then drive through your heels to stand.

1B Neutral-grip pull-up

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Grab a pull-up bar using the handles so your palms are facing. Pull yourself up until your chin is level with the bar, then lower back down slowly. Use a long resistance band and perform an assisted pull-up if needed.

2A Bulgarian split squat

Sets 3 Reps 8 each side Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Stand with the top of your back foot resting on a bench behind you. Bend your knees to lower into a squat until your front thigh is parallel to the floor, then push through your heel to stand. Add weight using dumbbells as you progress.

2B Incline bench row

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Lie on an incline bench on your chest holding dumbbells. Let the dumbbells hang beneath you. Lift the weights to the sides of your chest, then lower them under control.

3A Seated hammer curl

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Sit on a bench with your back supported, holding dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, then lower them under control.

3B Close-grip bench press

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Using a narrow grip for the bench press places more emphasis on the triceps. Lie on a bench holding a barbell in a rack with your hands around shoulder-width apart. Unrack the bar, lower it to your chest under control, then press it up powerfully.

4A EZ-bar curl

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Hold an EZ-bar with an underhand grip. Keeping your upper arms pinned to your body, bend your elbows to raise it to your shoulders. Lower it under control.

4B Single-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension

Sets 3 Reps 8 each side Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Hold a weight in one hand above your head with your arm straight. Bend your elbow to lower the weight behind your head while keeping your upper arm still. Straighten your arm to lift the weight back up. Do all your reps on one side before switching.

5A Incline reverse crunch

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Sit on an incline bench with your back supported and hold the bench behind your head. Lift your feet up and raise your knees to your chest, then lower with control.

5B Seated lateral raise

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60secs

Sit on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the weights up and out to the sides until they are level with your shoulders, keeping just a slight bend in your arms. Lower the weights under control.

Workout B

1A Trap bar deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Stand inside a trap bar and reach down to grab the handles. Sit your hips back and keep your chest up. Keeping your back straight, lift the bar to thigh height by straightening your legs and driving your hips forward. Lower under control.

1B Incline hammer press

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Sit on an incline bench with your back supported, holding dumbbells by your chest with your palms facing. Press the weights up, then lower under control.

2A Lying leg curl

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Lie down on the leg curl machine with the lever resting on your legs just below your calf muscles. Bend your legs to lift the lever towards your bum, making sure you keep your thighs on the pad. Lower it under control.

2B Decline bench press

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Lie back on a decline bench so your head is lower than your feet, which should be secured in the pads. Hold a barbell in a rack with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Unrack the barbell, lower it to your chest, then press it away from you.

3A Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Sit on a bench with your back supported, holding dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Press the weights up, then lower under control.

3B Incline hammer curl

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Sit on an incline bench with your back supported, holding the weights with your palms facing. Keeping your upper arms pinned to your body, bend your elbows to lift the weights to your shoulders, then lower under control.

4A Lying dumbbell triceps extension

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Lie on a flat bench holding dumbbells above your head. Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows to lower the weights on either side of your head, then straighten your arms to lift them back up.

4B Single-arm cable curl

Sets 3 Reps 8 each side Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Attach a handle to the low pulley on a cable machine. Hold it in one hand with your palm facing forward with a little tension in the cable. Keeping your upper arm pinned to your body, bend your elbow to lift the handle to your shoulder then lower it under control. You can also do this move with a dumbbell on the preacher bench. Do all your reps on one side then switch.

5A Swiss ball crunch

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Lie on a Swiss ball so your lower back is supported, with your feet planted on the floor. Lower your head and arch your back over the ball until you feel a stretch in your abs, then lift your shoulders off the ball using your abs.

5B Dumbbell front raise

Sets 3 Reps 8 Tempo 4010 Rest 60sec

Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Keep your arms straight as you raise the weights in front of you to shoulder height. Then lower under control.

Need help choosing? Our guide to the best protein powder will help.

The festive period couldn’t have less to do with working out, but that hasn’t stopped the fitness world from getting into the spirit of the season. Mostly through a festive workout format based on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” carol. It’s big on YouTube and, as far as we can tell, originated as a CrossFit WOD.

The CrossFit versions are, as you might expect, pretty full-on, but here’s a more accessible kettlebell workout from trainer Roxanne Russell. All you need is one kettlebell and all the moves are low impact.

Try it over the weekend as a break from the festivities, or next week to get yourself out of a post-Christmas slump. “Get your workouts done early in the morning, it will make you feel great throughout the day,” says Russell.

The format is easy to do, if complicated to explain, but thankfully Russell’s video is a follow-along workout so just grab a kettlebell and press play.

Russell uses a 10kg kettlebell in the video, although with lots of rows and leg exercises, don’t be shy about picking a heavier weight—Russell isn’t. “I was only demonstrating in the workout video,” Russell told me. “When exercising I would pick a heavier weight”.

If you liked this workout you’ll be delighted to discover it’s not the only “Twelve Days of Christmas” workout Russell has posted. There’s this abs and core kettlebell workout and this full-body kettlebell challenge from last year.

And if you came to this workout expecting 12 workouts spread over 12 days, just check out Coach’s 12 days of Christmas workouts—a dozen routines from top PTs to take you from 25 December into the new year.

Need help choosing? Our guide to the best kettlebells can help?

It’s easy to overcomplicate your workouts, particularly if you’re trying to target a wide range of muscles in one session. But you don’t need to spend hours in the gym messing around with different weights machines, and loading and unloading a barbell, to build full-body strength.

If you’re short on time, try this straightforward three-move session created by personal trainer Ali Kabba. All you need are two kettlebells and a rowing machine. (No rowing machine? Try this full-body kettlebell workout instead.)

It’s an AMRAP workout, which means the aim is to complete as many rounds as possible during the specified time cap, which in this case is 20 minutes. It’s a routine you can combine with a warm-up for a short gym session, or try it after your usual strength session to work on your conditioning.

Take a look at Kabba’s Instagram Reel where he demonstrates each of the exercises. He’s also shared his form tips exclusively with Coach, so make sure to take note of them to get the most out of these exercises.

The workout begins with 15 calories on the rowing machine to get your heart rate up and activate a wide range of muscles throughout your body. “Rowing is a great way to elevate your heart rate and strengthen your legs, back, arms and core,” says Kabba.

You might think that rowing mainly engages the upper body but hone your rowing technique and it becomes a great movement for developing strength and power in your legs. “Start the movement by driving through your heels. As your legs extend, hinge at your hips and lean slightly back, maintaining a strong, neutral spine,” says Kabba.

"Once your legs are almost fully extended, engage your arms, pulling the handle into the lower part of your rib cage, then return to the start.”

Next up is the kettlebell push-up which targets the chest, shoulders and triceps. “Start in a press-up position with your hands holding the kettlebells, shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the ground and then press back up,” says Kabba.

“The kettlebells make the press-ups more challenging as they require more stabilization and core engagement,” says Kabba. If this is too hard, you can modify this exercise by doing it without the kettlebells, or doing push-ups on an elevated surface, placing your hands on weight plates or a box.

The final exercise in this routine is the Pendlay row. “To do this exercise, hinge forward at your hips and hold a kettlebell in each hand,” says Kabba. “Engage your core and keeping your back flat, lift the kettlebells to your chest. Retract your shoulder blades as you lift the kettlebells.”

Need help deciding? Our guide to the best kettlebells will help you choose the right kettlebell for you.

Almost all of my strength sessions end with finishers. As much as I enjoy lifting weights, I love the endorphins I get from raising my heart rate with a conditioning workout. If I can do both in the same session I leave the gym feeling confident that I’ve challenged myself.

Following a full-body session that involved heavy thrusters and some CrossFit gymnastics skills work, I decided to try a new finisher from personal trainer Ali Kabba.

Take a look at Kabba’s Instagram Reel where he demonstrates each of the exercises.

It’s a 20-minute EMOM workout made up of four exercises. EMOM stands for every minute on the minute, so you perform the reps of one exercise in a minute, resting for the remainder of the minute, then moving on to the next exercise.

The quicker you complete the reps, the more rest you’ll have. For example, if you can complete the 15 kettlebell swings in 30 seconds, you have 30 seconds to rest.

Keep cycling through the exercises until the 20 minutes is up. Typically, the first few rounds feel easy, but as the minutes go by the short rest periods add up and your heart rate stays high.

You need a few pieces of equipment for this routine: a kettlebell, a medicine ball and a rowing machine, although you could opt for a different form of cardio such as the air bike or treadmill.

This is a workout that is designed to improve your cardio fitness, but I also wanted to develop my strength, so I chose fairly challenging weights: 35lbs/16kg for the kettlebell swings and 44lbs/20kg for the medicine ball slams.

I pushed myself moderately hard during the first round, then tried to match my time for the next five rounds.

The time I took to complete each exercise varied quite dramatically. For example, I was usually able to do 15 kettlebell swings in under 30 seconds, but completing 15 calories on the rower took me around 50 seconds. It would have been a good idea to try each exercise first and adjust the reps or calories accordingly, making sure I had more than 10 seconds of rest at the end of the first round. 

However, this was a fun and challenging workout, and I’ll definitely add it to my repertoire of finishers. I’ll just target 12 calories on the rower next time.

Short on time very much describes my week (life is busy for a fitness writer during Black Friday). But I still want to keep active and keep my body moving, so I returned to a session I first used when I was tapering ahead of my first marathon.

It’s from Elise Young, a NCSF and CFSC certified trainer and former college basketball player, and all I needed were a pair of dumbbells.

I did this one at my gym so I could easily change the weight between each movement, but if you don’t have a gym membership a set of adjustable dumbbells will do the trick. As luck would have it, there’s a Black Friday/Cyber Monday discount on the pair which tops Coach’s selection of the best dumbbells.

I alternated between light and medium dumbbells (8-14kg), using the heavier set for movements such as the squat press and lunge press and lighter for my weaker exercises like the renegade row with push-up. Young says to focus on good form for this routine, so by going down in weight I found this much easier to do.

Young doesn’t provide rest periods, but I took 15 seconds of rest between each movement and 30 seconds after each set.

I found the best thing about this workout was how it worked my entire body in a relatively short space of time. By the time I was halfway through set three my muscles had that tired achy feeling that I was hoping to achieve.

If you’re looking for more full-body workouts, Coach has plenty to offer. If time is against you, try this 20-minute full-body workout. This full-body dumbbell workout is a great option for building muscle, while those with plenty of experience in the weights room may like this barbell full-body workout.

Mat Fraser has won the CrossFit Games five times, dominating the sport from 2016 to 2020 and finishing with close to double the points of his nearest rival in his final year. 

So, when Fraser speaks, the CrossFit community listens. And when he sets a fitness challenge via his programming brand, HWPO Training, you can bet your bottom dollar most of them are going to give it a go. 

You should try it too. Here’s how.

How To Do Mat Fraser’s Fitness Challenge

Seven-minute AMRAP of:

• Burpee x 7
• Push-up x 7
• Unweighted squat x 7

AMRAP stands for as many reps/rounds as possible. Set a timer for seven minutes then do as many rounds of burpees, push-ups and unweighted squats as you can in that time.

The number of rounds, as well as the reps of any incomplete rounds, is your score. 

Complete the workout and you might get more than a solid sweat and a pair of heaving lungs.

“To celebrate the hard workers around the world and the launch of HWPO annual program pricing, we’re giving away a free year of memberships every day for seven days [between November 20 and November 26],” says Fraser. 

“Complete this workout, post it on social [Instagram], tag @hwpotraining, and we’ll pick one winner each day who showed up and took on the challenge.”

Your post can be a video, picture, screenshot or just your score—there’s not going to be any need for Spielberg-esque filming or an in-person judge.

HWPO Training has several programs available. These include HWPO Flagship for those looking to improve for CrossFit competition, HWPO60 for people who are pressed for time but still want a challenging training session, and HWPO Sweat which delivers 45-minute bootcamp style workouts with minimal equipment. 

I followed the HWPO Flagship track last year and was impressed by its no-nonsense approach to training.

While it did include the type of fancy movements and killer WODs (workouts of the day) associated with CrossFit, the bedrock of the program was straight strength and cardio-boosting protocols.

I improved my engine with weekly rowing intervals and Fraser’s signature 40-minute EMOM workouts. My leg strength was also sent skywards thanks to a 12-week back squat cycle. 

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, you can try this seven-minute workout for a bitesize taste of things to come, or sign-up to HWPO Training for a 14-day trial.

What are you looking for in your next workout? How about something that will “‘get you in shape, build lean muscle and also increase your anaerobic endurance”? That’s what Level 4 strength and conditioning coach Will Duru promises with this full-body workout.

All you need is a set of heavy dumbbells, a weights bench and a determined attitude.

Workout Overview

1. Goblet squat 4 x 12
2. Snatch 4 x 12 each side
3. Single-arm row 4 x 10 each side
4. Clean and press 4 x 10
5. Reverse lunge 4 x 10 each side
6. Farmers walk 4 x 15m

Rest 30 seconds between sets.

Form Guides

1 Goblet squat

Sets 4 Reps 12 Rest 30sec

Stand holding the end of one heavy dumbbell in both hands, close to your chest. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground and your elbows are between your knees. Drive through your heels to stand. Keep your back straight and chest facing forward throughout.

2 Dumbbell snatch 

Sets 4 Reps 12 each side Rest 30sec

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and place a dumbbell on the floor just in front of you. Keeping your back straight throughout, push your hips back, bend your knees and reach down to pick up the dumbbell in one hand. Drive through your feet to extend your knees and hips to lift the dumbbell off the floor. As the dumbbell rises, pull with your arm, raising the dumbbell directly overhead. Lower the dumbbell, under control. Keep the dumbbell close to your body throughout. Do all your reps on one side then switch sides.

3 Dumbbell single-arm row

Sets 4 Reps 10 each side Rest 30sec

Place your right knee on a bench and hold the far side of the bench with your right hand. Bend over the bench with your left leg out straight to the side and a dumbbell in your left hand, with your arm straight. Lift the dumbbell up to your ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your body and your back flat. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top, then lower the dumbbell, under control.

4 Dumbbell hang clean and press

Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding dumbbells  in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing towards you. Bend your knees slightly then straighten up explosively to generate the momentum to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Then extend your arms to press the dumbbells overhead. Reverse the move to the start, under control.

5 Dumbbell reverse lunge

Sets 4 Reps 10 each side Rest 30sec

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides. Keeping your back flat, take a big step back with your left foot, bending both knees until your left knee touches the floor. Your right knee should remain directly above your right ankle throughout. Push through your right heel to return to standing. Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

6 Farmer's walk

Sets 4 Distance 15m Rest 30sec

Stand holding heavy dumbbells by your sides. Engage your core and, keeping a flat back throughout, walk 15 meters with the dumbbells.

More Workouts To Try

Did that hit the spot? Then Coach has plenty more challenging dumbbell workouts for you to try. CrossFit is a great place to turn for tough dumbbell sweats, and we have this dumbbell CrossFit workout and CrossFit AMRAP to try. More of a HIIT fan? Check out this dumbbell HIIT workout instead.

More and more women are finding out just how beneficial weight training is. From improved bone density to better metabolic health, countless studies and experts have highlighted the impressive array of benefits that can be enjoyed by adding resistance training into your regular fitness routine.

Sports massage therapist and CrossFit coach Emma Ray, who trains lots of women including those who are pre- and postnatal, adds her voice to the chorus praising weightlifting for women, saying it’s one of the best things they can do for their health. 

“Women can be very prone to osteoporosis and muscle atrophy,” says Ray. Strength and impact training using weights can help to prevent this. 

“Impact training can be very helpful because it puts stress on our joints. A lot of people think this is a bad thing but we need to put stress on our joints through muscular contractions to elicit a stimulus that grows new bones and tissues,” says Ray.

Ray has put together a full-body workout suitable for women who want to get started with strength training and reap the benefits of lifting weights. If you don’t have a gym membership, you can start with the beginner home workout plan in our guide to strength training for women, or alternatively, you can start with this beginner gym workout plan for women from celebrity trainer Magnus Lygdback.

How To Do This Weights Workout For Women

This full-body workout from Ray consists of three sections. First, a two-move warm-up to mobilize your upper body and thoracic spine. Next, a strength training block made up of two EMOMs (which stands for Every Minute On the Minute). Ray finishes the session with a three-move conditioning finisher to improve your cardio fitness.

It requires a lot of kit so it’s best to perform this workout in a CrossFit box or the functional fitness area of your gym, where you have access to a barbell, rowing machine, plyo box and plenty of space to move around. The barbell exercises can be subbed in for dumbbell versions and you can use other cardio machines with a cardio counter instead of the rowing machine if necessary. 

Warm-Up

1 World’s greatest stretch

Sets 3 Reps 6 each side 

From standing, take a big step forward and place your right hand on the floor in line with your left foot, while keeping your right leg straight and your right knee off the floor. Raise and extend your left arm upward, rotating your torso, then bring your left elbow towards the floor. Perform all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

2 Bootstrap squat

Sets 3 Reps 6 

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a deep squat (or as far as your mobility allows). Keep your chest facing forward and hold your feet with your hands, pushing against the inside of your thighs with your elbows to open up your hips. Keeping hold of your feet, straighten your legs to stretch your hamstrings, then return to the deep squat position.

Strength

This strength block is made up of two EMOM-style sessions, although instead of working every minute on the minute, you’re working to 90 seconds. For the first pair of exercises, start a repeating timer for 90 seconds. Perform all the reps of exercise A, all the reps of exercise B, then rest for the remainder of the 90 seconds. Repeat that sequence four times in total. Move on to the second pair of exercises and do the same.

1A Barbell thruster

Sets 4 Reps 8

Hold a barbell in the front rack position, holding it across your upper chest with your elbows pointing forward. With your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your knees and hips are in line, keeping your elbows high. Push through your heels to stand and extend your arms to press the barbell overhead, pushing your head forward to keep the bar in line with your center of gravity. Lower the bar back to the front rack position under control.

1B Renegade row

Sets 4 Reps 4 each side

Holding dumbbells resting on the floor, get into a straight-arm plank position so that your hands are underneath your shoulders and your feet are planted on the floor shoulder width-apart. Your body should be in a straight line from shoulders to heels. Keeping the rest of your body as still as possible, lift one dumbbell to your ribs. Your elbow should brush past your ribs as you lift the weight. Lower the dumbbell to the floor under control and repeat on the other side. Alternate sides with each rep.

2A Barbell deadlift high pull

Sets 4 Reps 8

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge at your hips, then bend your knees to lower and grasp a barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back flat throughout, drive through your heels to stand up. As you extend your legs, rise up on the balls of your feet, bend and raise your elbows, and shrug your shoulders to lift the barbell to your chest. Lower the bar under control back to the floor. Keep the barbell close to your body throughout the exercise.

2B Elevated glute bridge dumbbell bench press

Sets 4 Reps 8

Lie with your back on an elevated surface such as a weight bench, with your feet planted on the floor, holding dumbbells level with your chest. Your hips should form a straight line with your shoulders and knees. Retract your shoulder blades to engage your upper-back muscles, then press the dumbbells straight up powerfully. Lower the weights under control until level with your chest to complete the rep.

Conditioning

Ray has programmed this three-move circuit to finish. Perform the circuit continuously for three minutes, rest for one minute, then pick up again wherever you left off. Repeat this three times in total.

1 Row

Calories 6 

Burn six calories on the rowing machine. Hold the handle with your knees bent and back straight, and push powerfully with your legs to begin the stroke. As your legs reach full extension, lean back, then use your arms to pull the handle to your body. Extend your arms, then lean forward, then bend your legs to complete each stroke. Our guide to rowing form gives more pointers.

2 Box jump

Reps 12

Stand in front of a plyo box or bench. Bend your knees and swing your arms back, then explode up to jump onto the box, swinging your arms forward to help generate momentum. Land with a slight bend in your knees. Stand up straight to finish the rep, then step down one foot at a time. If you don’t feel confident with box jumps, perform step-ups instead.

3 Kettlebell swing

Reps 25

Stand holding a fairly heavy kettlebell in both hands. Keeping your back flat, hinge forward, pushing your hips back to lower the kettlebell slightly underneath you, then powerfully drive your hips forward to push the kettlebell away from your body, swinging the weight up to chest or eye level. Keep your arms straight and relaxed throughout, controlling the descent of the weight, and go straight into the next rep.

If you’re a gym regular and confident in the weights room, you may find yourself getting tired of the same old gym routine. Thankfully there are plenty of ways to spice things up while still continuing to build strength. One of which is to include gymnastic movements commonly used in CrossFit, like toes-to-bar and handstand push-ups, which require technique as well as strength.

That’s what personal trainer Tess Glynne-Jones offers through her app-based training programme for women.

“The functional programme is a strength and conditioning programme which also has some gymnastics in there and some weightlifting,” Glynne-Jones tells Coach, explaining this workout and the others that are part of the programme are aimed at people who have more than one year of experience in the gym.

Glynne-Jones talked us through a preview of a workout from the app that she posted on Instagram. “You’ve not only got strength in here, you’ve also got skill and conditioning and it’s a full-body session so you’re ticking a lot of boxes with this workout,” says Glynne-Jones.

According to Glynne-Jones, this session is best suited to people who are already capable of doing toes-to-bar, a gymnastics movement that involves kipping on a pull-up bar to swing your legs forward and up to the bar.

“If you can't do toes-to-bar, you can do a variation like kipping knees to chest or strict knees to chest [a hanging knee raise] which will still target your core,” says Glynne-Jones.

This is a workout that you can do on a regular basis if you want to build strength and develop your skills. Glynne-Jones suggests repeating it once a week for four to six weeks, increasing the weight a little bit every week or every fortnight and trying to increase the amount of toes-to-bar reps you do, too.

And if you want to learn how to do toes-to-bar, or need help developing the strength first, Glynne-Jones has a workout program that can help.

There are many reasons for working out, but for many of us it’s to ensure we stay strong and supple. In other words, a way to make sure we can get out of a chair without any audible creaking. If that sounds like you, you’ll love this kettlebell workout from Sam Shaw, a qualified personal trainer and founder of Lemon Studios Personal Training, who’s previously contributed a low-impact knee-strength workout to Coach.

“This workout includes functional movements that we use in everyday life,” says Shaw. “For example, lunges and squats mirror the movements of walking up stairs and getting up off the sofa.”

Shaw has used a kettlebell for this session because of the exercises chosen. “Kettlebells are slightly easier for certain movements because of the shape and grip,” he says. You can repeat the workout with heavier kettlebells as your strength increases.

The workout asks you to perform each exercise for a period of time, rather than to complete a set number of repetitions, because it avoids the tendency to tick off the reps as fast as possible at the expense of good form. “Especially on moves like kettlebell swings, it’s much better to focus on form rather than trying to rush through 20 reps as quickly as you can,” says Shaw.

The most technically difficult exercise below is the clean and press, so it’s worth practicing that move with a light weight as part of your warm-up. If you’re unsure if you’re doing it right, or you find the kettlebell keeps slapping the back of your wrist, start with this kettlebell workout for beginners until you can get a PT to check your form in person. 

Workout Overview

1. Kettlebell reverse lunge with knee drive 4 x 30sec each side
2. Kettlebell swing 4 x 1min
3. Goblet squat 4 x 1min
4. Clean and press 4 x 30sec each side
5. Kettlebell deadlift 4 x 1min

Form Guides

1 Kettlebell reverse lunge with knee drive

Sets 4 Time 30sec each side Rest 1min

Why This is a compound exercise that targets the lower body, including your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, and because it works one side at a time your core has to work hard to maintain stability.

How Stand holding the kettlebell in the rack position, holding the handle by your chin, with your elbow out to the side and the bell resting on your forearm by your shoulder. If you are holding the kettlebell in your right hand, take a big step back with your right foot, and bend both knees to lower until your right knee is just above the floor. Keep your weight over your left heel, and your left knee directly above your left ankle throughout. Push through your left heel to return to the start and drive your right knee up until it’s level with your hips. Pause and squeeze your glutes, then go into the next rep. Switch sides after 30 seconds.

2 Kettlebell swing 

Sets 4 Time 1min Rest 1min

Why This is a dynamic full-body exercise that targets the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, while engaging the core and shoulders. 

How Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding a kettlebell in front of you in both hands. Brace your core and, keeping your back straight throughout, hinge at your hips to swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Thrust your hips forward, squeezing your glutes to swing the kettlebell to shoulder height. Control the descent of the kettlebell and go straight into the next rep.

3 Goblet squat

Sets 4 Time 1min Rest 1min

Why This leg exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. 

How Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding the kettlebell handle in both hands close to your chest. Engage your core, and push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your hips are in line or below your knees. Keep your back straight and chest facing forward throughout. Pause at the bottom then push through your heels to stand.

4 Kettlebell clean and press

Sets 4 Time 30sec each side Rest 1min

Why This is a compound exercise that works multiple muscles. Again, it works one side at a time, so the onus is on your core to maintain stability. 

How Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Hinge forward, bend your knees slightly and take hold of the kettlebell with one hand. Engage your core and swing the kettlebell between your legs and thrust your hips forward to swing the kettlebell up. As the kettlebell rises, pull it towards your body and then move your hand underneath the kettlebell to catch it in the rack position. Extend your arm to press the kettlebell straight up, finishing with your arm straight and biceps next to your ear. Reverse the move to the start. Switch sides after 30 seconds.

5 Kettlebell deadlift

Sets 4 Time 1min Rest 1min

Why This is a great exercise for strengthening the posterior chain, which includes your lower back, glutes and hamstrings. 

How Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Push your hips back, then bend your knees and take hold of the kettlebell in both hands. Maintaining a straight back, drive through your heels to stand up. Lower under control, pushing your hips back first and then bending your knees.

See what we recommend in our round-up of the best kettlebells.

No-one wants to spend longer in the gym than they have to, so a fuss-free routine that works is worth its weight in gold. That’s what you get with this session from Maz Phillips, a level 3 PT and the founder of Fit Female Project. She’s designed a plan using weights machines and dumbbell exercises that will target your shoulders, back, chest, legs, glutes and abs. 

“This workout is made up of three upper-body/lower-body supersets. This will give your muscles enough time to recover between sets but will also be time efficient. You’ll finish with straight sets of two bodyweight exercises that will fire up your core.”

The Workout In Brief

• 1A Dumbbell seated shoulder press 3 x 10-12
• 1B Dumbbell reverse lunge 3 x 10-12 each side
• 2A Lat pull-down 3 x 10-12
• 2B Seated leg curl 3 x 10-12
• 3A Seated abduction 3 x 10-12
• 3B Goblet squat 3 x 10-12
• 4 Plank 3 x 45-60sec
• 5 Push-up 3 x 8-12

Form Guides

Weights machines can differ. Make sure you refer to the instructions on the machine you are using.

1A Seated dumbbell shoulder press 

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 Rest 0sec

Sit on a bench with the back set at 90°. Hold dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing forwards, and elbows out to the sides. Engage your core and press the dumbbells overhead. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the start.

1B Dumbbell reverse lunge

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 each side Rest 0sec

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing. Take a big step back with your right leg, bending both knees to lower until your right knee is just above the floor. Your front knee should be directly above your ankle. Push up through your front heel to return to the start. Alternate sides with each rep.

2A Lat pull-down

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 Rest 0sec

Sit in the lat pull-down machine with the pad resting on the top of your thighs. The bar should be above you at arm’s length. Hold the bar in an overhand grip, palms facing away from you. Engage your core and back, and pull the bar down to chin level. Return the bar to the start under control.

2B Leg extension 

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 Rest 60sec

Sit in the leg extension machine with your shins against the lever pad. Straighten your legs to lift the weight. Pause, then lower your legs under control. 

3A Seated hip abduction 

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 Rest 0sec

Sit in a hip abduction machine with your thighs against the pads. Engage your core and move your legs out to the sides. Return to the start under control.

3B Goblet squat 

Sets 3 Reps 10-12 Rest 60sec

Stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart, holding one end of a dumbbell in both hands close to your chest. Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower, keeping your back flat throughout. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, push up through your heels to stand. 

4 Plank

Sets 3 Time 45-60sec Rest 60sec

Hold your body in a straight line, supporting your weight on your forearms and toes. Your elbows should be directly below your shoulders. Engage your core and glute muscles. Hold this position for the duration.

5 Push-up

Sets 3 Reps 8-12 Rest 60sec

Hold your body in a straight line on your hands and toes, with your arms extended and hands directly under your shoulders. Bend your elbows, keeping them close to the body, to lower your chest to the floor. Push powerfully back to the start.

There are more teenagers in the world than ever before (about 1.2 billion, according to the World Health Organization), and Lucy McGonigle is the fittest of them all. 

The 17-year-old Irish Wit Fitness athlete took the top spot in the girls 16-17 division at the 2023 CrossFit Games for the second year running. Not only boasting an engine most of us could only dream of, but her one-rep max snatch of 76kg is also a testament to her impressive technical ability.

So we were delighted to get our hands on one of McGonigle’s favorite workouts. We expected an intense metcon with minimal rest and a race against the clock. Instead, you’ll tackle five exercises in straight sets.

“This workout is one of my favorites—it kicks all my muscles into gear and has plenty of variety,” says McGonigle. 

If you’re new to CrossFit, straight sets is a great way to master some of the sport’s staple movements such as wall balls, box jumps and double-unders. 

Or, if you’re already a seasoned box-goer, you can use this workout format to attack each set with renewed focus and intensity. Take the opportunity to hone your technique by chasing quality reps as well as strength and endurance gains.

You can also be more ambitious with the weights you use—because, if you’re an experienced CrossFitter, who doesn’t love a heavy power clean?

1 Power clean

Sets 5 Reps 3 Rest 60sec

McGonigle says: “Maintain a strong grip on the barbell throughout and keep it close to your body during the lift. Explosively extend your hips and shrug your shoulders to generate power in the clean.”

2 Box jump

Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 60sec  

McGonigle says: “Choose a box height that challenges you but still allows for safe landings. Use your arms to assist in generating upward momentum during the jump, and land softly with your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.”

3 Kettlebell swing

Sets 3 Reps 15 Rest 60sec  

McGonigle says: “Hinge at your hips to initiate the swing, keeping your back flat and your chest up.”

4 Wall ball

Sets 4 Reps 12 Rest 60sec  

McGonigle says: “Make sure you squat deeply then explosively stand up while throwing the medicine ball against the wall. Catch the ball in a squat position as it falls back down towards you. The catch should transition smoothly into your next rep.”

5 Double-under (or single-under)

Sets 5 Reps 50 (100 single)  Rest 60sec  

McGonigle says: “Use your wrists, not your whole arm, to rotate the jump rope. Stay light on your feet and maintain a consistent rhythm. Focus on timing to successfully clear the rope twice with each jump.” 

Strength training has many benefits, from improved body composition to healthier bones. But if you’re new to exercise, or you’re returning after a lay-off or injury, you might see people performing high-impact movements in the gym and decide strength training isn’t for you.

But with the right workout and simple modifications, lifting weights can work for anyone. “Low-impact strength training focuses on increasing both strength and endurance of the muscles while putting less stress on the joints and surrounding connective tissues,” says Matt Kendrick, a personal trainer and owner of MK Healthhub. 

Kendrick describes high-impact workouts as those that include movements where both feet are off the floor at the same time, such as box jumps and burpees, whereas low-impact strength training typically involves lunges, squats and other resistance exercises which keep at least one foot on the floor. 

“Low-impact strength training is ideal for beginners to exercise or people just returning to fitness after a long break, giving a gradual progression and reducing the risk of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness),” says Kendrick, explaining that it’s also ideal for people with injury who are trying to build up strength while allowing the injured muscles to heal.

“It is also a good choice for pregnant women at later stages or postnatal, allowing for gradual recovery of the pelvic floor and core,” Kendrick adds. For instance, this expert-approved pregnancy workout plan features low-impact cardio and strength training.

Kendrick has put together a workout that will allow you to build strength without putting unnecessary pressure on the joints.

How To Do This Low-Impact Strength Workout

This workout uses supersets. Do one set of exercise 1A, then one set of exercise 1B. Repeat that sequence until all sets are complete, then move on to the second superset.

Kendrick has given a range of sets and reps to help you fit the workout to your ability.

Workout Overview

• 1A Sumo squat 2-3 x 12-15
• 1B Dumbbell bench press 2-3 x 8-10
• 2A Split squat 2-3 x 12-15 each side
• 2B Three-point row 2-3 x 8-10 each side
• 3 Plank 2-3 x 30-60sec

Form Guides

1A Sumo squat

Sets 2-3 Reps 12-15

Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart with your toes pointing slightly out. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, making sure your knees remain in line with your toes. When your thighs are parallel with the floor, pause, squeeze your glutes, then push through your heels to stand.

1B Dumbbell bench press

Sets 2-3 Reps 8-10

Lie on a weights bench holding dumbbells next to your chest, with the weights held at 45° to your torso. Exhale and extend your arms to press the dumbbells straight up. Slowly lower the dumbbells under control as far as comfortable.

2A Split squat

Sets 2-3 Reps 12-15 each side

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a large step forward and find your balance with the heel of your rear foot off the floor. Bend both knees to lower your body as far as you can without your rear knee touching the floor. Push through your front foot to rise, but do not fully straighten your front leg.

2B Three-point row

Sets 2-3 Reps 8-10 each side

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell and facing a weights bench. Hinge forward at the hips and place your non-working hand on the bench. Keep a slight bend in your knees and a slight arch in your lower back. Lift the dumbbell to the bottom of your ribcage, keeping your elbow in, pause, then lower under control. 

3 Plank

Sets 2-3 Time 30-60sec

Starting on all fours, slowly walk your feet backwards into a plank position, with your elbows under your shoulders and body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Engage your abdominals by drawing your bellybutton towards your spine. Look at the floor to keep your neck in a neutral position.

If you’re just starting to explore the world of CrossFit, or spotted the elite of the elite at the CrossFit Games on your social feed recently, you’d be forgiven for feeling somewhat intimidated. Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics skills and grueling metcon workouts are tough enough on their own, never mind combined in one back-to-back workout.  

But getting better at CrossFit means getting fitter, stronger and faster—and often leaner—when well coached. It doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the gym every day, either. In fact, simple workouts form the foundations of the sport, according to Ben Bergeron, the man widely considered the best CrossFit coach of all time.

Bergeron has spent 15 years coaching elite athletes for the CrossFit Games, with 253 total athlete visits to the Games, including 10 champions. He’s also the founder of CompTrain, a training and workout programming app designed to help everyday athletes access the training methods of the elite. 

In his view, CrossFit is the pinnacle of “concurrent training”, which involves working across the fitness spectrum in unison. That means combining strength training with weights, building capacity through bodyweight movements, and challenging your cardiovascular fitness simultaneously.

These principles can be distilled into one of Bergeron’s favorite workouts, which he curiously calls “Mind Eraser” and has kindly shared with Coach. This CrossFit workout challenges all three of the above components. “The barbell cleans build strength, the bodyweight burpees build capacity, and the 200m sprints build endurance,” he says.

Whether you’re new to CrossFit or a seasoned pro, this session will drill a fundamental set of skills and will be one that you can try to repeat and beat time after time knowing it’s earned Bergeron’s exalted seal of approval. 

How To Do Ben Bergeron’s Mind Eraser Workout

Ben Bergeron’s Mind Eraser workout requires a barbell, some weight plates and ample space to complete the burpees and 200m sprints. You can use a treadmill but, given the stop-start nature of each round, you’ll probably lose time getting the machine up to full speed each set—although that won’t be an issue if your gym has a curved, self-powered treadmill. 

The beauty of this WOD, Bergeron says, is that because each movement doesn’t directly interfere with the other and requires only a handful of reps each round, you can really push hard. It will also allow you to train at your threshold pace, the minimum intensity required to improve physical fitness while avoiding overtraining.

“Twenty minutes is long for a continuous effort, but not so long that you would need to drop into a lower intensity level, such as your heart rate zone two or three [between 60-80% of your max heart rate],” Bergeron explains. “This should feel like a hard effort throughout, working in zones four and five [80-100%].” 

What’s a good score? Bergeron says he expects most athletes to complete around seven to eight rounds within the 20-minute time cap, racking up between 49 and 56 cleans and burpees all in. “Between 40-60 reps is the sweet spot I like to aim for in most workouts,” he says.

For experienced athletes, the prescribed weight for the cleans is 135lb (61kg) for men and 95lb (43kg) for women. However, those weights can be scaled down to suit your experience level as required.

“Choose a weight that allows you to do most of the rounds unbroken,” says Bergeron. Lastly, remember this is an AMRAP workout, meaning the aim is to complete as many rounds as possible. Bergeron says anywhere between six and 12 rounds is good, but don’t compare yourself with others. Focus on your own workout and set a score you can try to beat next time. 

Complete as many rounds as possible of the following in 20 minutes.

1 Power clean

Reps 7 RX weight 135 lb/95 lb

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then push your hips back and bend your knees to grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing you, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Sit back into your heels and lift your chest to face forwards, keeping your back flat. Engage your core, take a deep breath in, then press through your feet to lift the barbell off the floor, keeping it close to your shins and your shoulders over the bar. 

Continue lifting until the bar passes your knees, then drive your hips forward to generate power to help pull the bar toward your chest. As you straighten, lift your heels or slightly jump off the floor to generate extra power. With the weight at its highest point, quickly drop under the bar to “catch” it at chest height, moving your arms into the front rack position with elbows facing forward. 

Once stable, straighten your legs to full extension, then carefully reverse the movement to bring the bar safely back to the floor. Complete that full rep in a fluid action, always with snap on the way up and control on the way down. 

2 Burpee

Reps 7

From a standing position, drop into a squat and place your hands on the floor just in front of your feet. Jump or step your feet back while keeping your arms extended to assume a straight-arm plank position (the top of a push-up). Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor, then push up to straighten your arms. Step or jump your feet forward so they’re by your hands again. Drive up through the heels of your feet to jump while clapping your hands overhead. Land with soft knees and continue into the next rep. 

3 Run

Distance 200m

As soon as the final burpee is completed, head off on your run. Focus on controlling your breathing after the intensity of the cleans and burpees. “Ideally the run should be a 100m sprint out and back from your barbell, but a shorter course, loop or treadmill could be used too,” says Bergeron.

Taking a break from exercise when you’re on vacation can do wonders for your mental and physical health. However, if you have to travel frequently for work, having to rely on hotel facilities can disrupt your usual fitness routine, at a time when your body may be feeling the impact of travel and would most benefit from staying active. While you can perform bodyweight workouts in your hotel room, like this 15-minute holiday-friendly workout, packing some portable exercise equipment means you can upgrade your travel workouts. 

If there’s one lightweight piece of equipment that is ideal for keeping up with your strength work, it’s resistance bands. They can be easily crammed into carry-on and offer a huge variety of exercise options while traveling.

Personal trainer and transformation coach Rachael Sacerdoti swears by them. “Resistance bands are perfect for compound movements, allowing you to work a few different muscle groups at the same time,” she says. Resistance band workouts are also ideal for beginners and experienced exercisers alike because you can easily adjust the difficulty of every rep by shortening or even doubling up the band. 

“The best thing about working out with a band is that it allows for a safer workout with less pressure and excessive stress on the joints,” says Sacerdoti. This is especially helpful when traveling because no-one wants to have to deal with an urgent trip to a doctor, or to hobble in and out of an important meeting.

Sacerdoti has created a nine-move full-body session using a resistance band with handles. If you don’t own one already, you’ll find some great options in our round-up of the best resistance bands. 

How To Do This Resistance Band Travel Workout

This workout is made up of nine exercises in a circuit format. Sacerdoti recommends aiming for four rounds in total, but even one round will be enough to keep your body mobile. Once armed with the right resistance band, spend a few minutes on warm-up exercises and practicing the form of each exercise so that you can make the most of this full-body travel workout. 

1 Squat

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Standing on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat. Take hold of the handles and hold them at shoulder height. Brace your core and push through your heels to stand, then lower again. Adjust where you place your feet on the band to increase or decrease the level of tension. 

2 Reverse lunge

Reps 6 each side Rest 0sec

Stand on the resistance band with feet hip-width apart and one foot holding the handles at chest height—there should be tension in the band. Keeping your core braced and torso upright, take a big step back with one leg. Lower until your rear knee gently touches the floor, then push through your front foot to return to standing, working against the tension created by the band. 

3 Bent-over row

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Stand on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge forward at your hips so your upper body is parallel with the floor. Grasp the resistance band handles with straight arms and palms facing behind you, then raise your hands up to your ribs. Pause for a second, then slowly extend your arms. 

4 Triceps kick-back

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Stand on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge forward at your hips so your upper body is parallel with the floor. Grasp the resistance band handles and tuck your upper arms in to your body to create tension in the band. Keeping your elbows locked in position, use your triceps to extend your arms behind you. Return to the start under control.

5 Overhead press

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Stand on the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the handles with your arms in a cactus shape so that both elbows are bent at 90°. Brace your core and press your arms overhead until your hands meet. Slowly return your arms to the start.

6 Lateral raise

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Stand on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart and hold the handles by your sides. Brace your core and lift your arms out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend at your elbows. When you reach shoulder height, slowly lower your arms to the start. 

7 V-sit

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Sit on the floor with the resistance band under the soles of your feet and the handles held on the floor by your hips to create tension. Lean back slightly and lift your knees so your shins are parallel with the floor. From this tucked position, extend your legs while leaning back further into a hollow hold position to challenge your core control, then return to the start.

8 Leg raise

Reps 12 Rest 0sec

Place your feet in the handles and sit on the middle of the resistance band to hold it in position. Lie back with your hands on the floor beside your legs for support, tuck your chin in to your chest and lift your upper back off the floor. From here, lift your legs off the floor until they are above your hips, pause, then lower to the floor. 

9 Bicycle crunch

Reps 12 each side Rest 30sec

Place your feet in the handles and sit on the middle of the resistance band to hold it in position. Lift your legs a few inches off the floor and lean back slightly, with your hands resting on the back of your head with your elbows pointing to the sides. From here, alternate bringing your legs in to your body as you bend your opposite elbow to meet the knee. Slowly return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side. 

You’ve heard of EMOM workouts, right? It’s short for Every Minute On the Minute, and this is an exercise format that’s relentlessly efficient at torching calories and boosting work capacity.

E2MOM workouts are an increasingly popular twist on this functional fitness staple. The name means Every Two Minutes On The Minute, and the routines require you to complete a set amount of work every 120 seconds.

The faster you complete that work, the more rest you have. The slower, the less rest. 

“Whenever I’m struggling for inspiration and short on time, this workout is my go-to,” says  FuseFit trainer Ashley Reece, who devised this fast and furious dumbbell workout.

“This workout combines a press, lunge, pull, hinge and squat—all major movement patterns that add up to a full-blooded, total-body workout,” he says. “And the short rest periods are guaranteed to boost your muscular endurance.” 

How To Complete This 8-Minute E2MOM Workout

0-2 minutes

• Cardio machine: 18-24 calories

2-4 minutes

• Dumbbell bench press: 8 reps
• Dumbbell lunge: 10 reps
• Dumbbell thruster: 12 reps

4-6 minutes

• Cardio machine: 18-24 calories

6-8 minutes

• Dumbbell bent-over row: 8 reps
• Goblet squat: 10 reps
• Alternating dumbbell snatch: 12 reps (six each side)

Before you begin, pick your poison. Choose either a rowing machine, stationary bike, SkiErg or other cardio machine to use, and decide on a calorie target that takes you around 90 seconds to hit when working at a hard pace. Select dumbbells you can lift overhead, set a running clock and get to work. 

During the two-minute blocks of dumbbell exercises, rest as little as possible to earn a longer, unbroken stint of recovery, but be sure not to rush so much that you compromise your form. 

Once you’ve done one round, give yourself a huge pat on the back—or, if you’re still standing, repeat the circuit three, four or five times for a serious E2MOM workout of 24, 32 or 40 minutes. 

I’ve been guilty of yelling “FASTER!” at elite athletes on TV while slouched on my couch in a mayonnaise-stained T-shirt. Now, however, I might think twice before dealing out any unsolicited advice. 

The reason for this? I had the chance to train under the watchful eyes of some of the world’s top CrossFitters, and it was no joke. 

I walked into Gold’s Gym in Berlin to be met with a fearsome sight; Reign Total Body Fuel-sponsored athletes Emma McQuaid, Emma Tall, Aniol Ekai and Moritz Fiebig (who is affectionately/intimidatingly referred to as “The German Steel”). 

Among them they boasted arms thicker than my legs, topographical abs and several places at the CrossFit Games—the sport’s Super Bowl—earned at the European semi-final qualifying event the previous weekend. 

The athletes set me and a group of willing gym-goers a simple 20-minute partner AMRAP (as many rounds as possible), each contributing a staple CrossFit exercise to a four-move circuit. 

• Emma McQuaid: 20-calorie row split between two people
• Aniol Ekai: 20 wall balls split between two people
• Moritz Fiebig: 20 synchronized dumbbell snatches
• Emma Tall: 20 burpees over person split between two people—one person holds a plank while the other person completes burpees and jumps over them between reps.

Before you try it yourself, give yourself a head start by taking on board what I learned doing it under the watchful eye of the pros.

1. Sweat The Small Stuff

I’m a member of a CrossFit box and train six times a week, although I’ll be the first to admit I have more enthusiasm than ability. Still, I have a few local competitions under my belt and like to think I’m OK at “the sport of fitness”. 

But one of the things that immediately set these Games-level athletes apart from your average class-goer was their attention to detail. 

“Show me how you row,” McQuaid said, inviting an attendee to jump on a Concept2 RowErg in front of the class. The woman hopped into the hot seat and did a good job, but McQuaid had notes. 

Play with the foot plate until you find a setting that feels comfortable and allows you to reach into the catch without being inhibited by your ankle mobility. Remember to keep the chain flat and drive with your legs first, then pull with your arms. Finally, adjust the damper settings to find one that allows you to pull big numbers.

“We want to make it as easy as possible,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how high the damper is if you can’t pull it.”

The other athletes were just as surgical with their movements. Tall, ranked Europe’s fourth fittest woman going into the Games, advised finding a rhythm during burpees and making every movement count, especially as you tire—every unnecessary shuffle is a waste of time.

Fiebig stressed that the power for a dumbbell snatch should come from the lower body: “Your arms are tiny compared to your legs.”

Spanish athlete Ekai zeroed in on the details of wall balls. 

“Stand an arm’s length away from the wall. Don’t wait for the ball to come back down with your arms in the air or they will get tired during larger sets. Take them down to your sides to recover.”

If any one of these tips saves you one second, or spares your muscles from any extra fatigue, it could be the difference between first and second.

2. Don’t Stop Moving

To most people, a 20-minute metcon might sound like a bit of a slog. To CrossFit athletes, it’s par for the course. 

As we reached the end, my partner and I broke up the snatches into two sets. Suddenly, I felt a considerable shadow loom over my left shoulder.

Then came Ekai’s commanding voice. “Come on, keep going, don’t stop.”

I looked at my partner. He looked at the 22.5kg dumbbells at our feet, then back at me. Each with a resigned look in our eyes, we reached down and saw off our set of 20. 

Ekai was right. We could do it. It shows the mindset of athletes at the top of their game is different from ours. They’re used to reaching, and pushing beyond, their limits, and as a result they know when to hit the gas and when to pull back. 

For the rest of us, our minds often tell us to stop when things become uncomfortable, but well before our limits.

3. Don’t Confuse Simple With Easy 

The movements in this workout will be familiar to anyone who’s stepped into a CrossFit box. There’s nothing too heavy (just a standard dumbbell snatch at 22.5kg for men and 15kg for women) and no high-skill gymnastic moves like muscle-ups or legless rope climbs.

Yet by the end my muscles ached, I was drenched in sweat and my chest was heaving as my body put in an urgent order for oxygen. 

“How did you find the class?” a friendly Fiebig asked after the workout. My monosyllabic response came between heavy breaths. “Good. Hard.”

“Ah, yes,” he said with a smile. “It’s often the simple movements that get you, because you have to keep moving.”

Trainer Don Saladino has an enviable client list including Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Blake Lively and Emily Blunt and, if you follow his workout below, you can add your name to that A-list group.

Saladino is sharing his expertise in his role as ambassador for Lumen, a handheld breathalyzer which detects whether your body is using fats or carbohydrates for energy (our Lumen review goes into more detail).

It’s all about your metabolism, essentially, and working out is one way to improve it. “Strength training increases lean body mass,” says Saladino, “which is the primary tissue responsible for peripheral insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. An increase in lean body mass also increases mitochondrial density, which helps increase metabolic flexibility and essentially improves your metabolism drastically.”

Or, in layman’s terms, building muscle will increase the amount of energy your body burns at rest. 

“I like coupling these workouts with aerobic elements which help get your metabolism working,” Saladino says. Aerobic means cardio, so pick from our selection of treadmill workouts, exercise bike workouts, rowing machine workouts or even cardio workouts with weights. Or if you’re at home with only dumbbells to hand, try this dumbbell cardio workout. 

How To Do This Full-Body Workout With Dumbbells

Set a timer for 10, 15 or 20 minutes, depending on your fitness level. If you’re an experienced gym-goer and opt for 20 minutes, Saladino recommends performing as many rounds of the five-move circuit within the time allowed, resting as little as possible.

However, he has a different recommendation for beginners. “Take your time and break up the 10-minute workout into two rounds,” he says. This way, you have one minute to complete each exercise, taking any remaining seconds to rest before you move on to the next one. 

“My full-body training revolves around upper push, upper pull, a squat, a hinge and a core,” says Saladino. So if you keep coming back to this routine, you can swap in exercises with the same movement pattern to freshen things up. 

1 Push-up

Reps 5-10

Start in a high plank position. Squeeze your glutes and lats, then bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor. Focus on moving your body as one unit, keeping a neutral spine. Once your chest is about an inch above the floor, push through your hands to return to the starting position. 

2 Bent-over dumbbell row

Reps 10

Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Hinge forward at your hips, keeping a neutral spine and a slight bend in your knees, so your torso is almost parallel with the floor. Pull the dumbbells to your shorts pockets, focusing on initiating the movement with your lats, then lower under control to the starting position. Avoid using momentum to move the dumbbells. 

3 Walking lunge

Reps 5-10 each side

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing you. Take a large step forward and bend both knees to lower until your back knee touches the floor. Push through your front foot and bring your rear foot through, stepping straight into another lunge.

4 Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Reps 10

Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. With a slight bend in your knees and keeping a neutral spine throughout, push your hips backward to lower the dumbbells, keeping them close to your legs. Once you have lowered the weights as far as your hamstring mobility allows, squeeze your glutes and reverse the move back to standing. 

5 Suitcase carry 

Reps 20 steps each side

Stand holding one dumbbell by your side with your palm facing you. Walk for 20 steps, switch arms, then walk another 20 steps. You will feel off-balance, but the instability makes it a great way to train your core.

If you’re looking for an effective way to hit your fitness goals without spending hours in the gym, doing a couple of well-planned dumbbell workouts each week is a great approach.

“Many of my clients only train twice a week as this suits their busy lifestyle,” says Ryan Atkin, head coach of female-focused training company Real World Results. 

“For this, I’d always recommend two full-body workouts. That way, you maximize recruitment of each muscle group across the body and increase your chances of amazing physical changes.”

To get you started Atkin has provided this muscle-building dumbbell workout for women that he suggests using twice a week. All you need for the session is a pair of dumbbells, so it’s a good option for those looking to get fit at home if you have a set of weights already.

If you don’t have a pair to hand, then our round-up of the best dumbbells can help you find a set that suits you. Bear in mind when buying dumbbells that having a range of weights is useful for tackling different dumbbell exercises and also helping you to progress over time. An adjustable dumbbell will have a range of weight settings, or you could look at buying a set of three or five fixed-weight dumbbells.

While buying a good set of dumbbells represents a large upfront cost, we have enough free workouts to make sure you get a good return on your investment. Once you’ve tried the session below, you can give this 15-minute dumbbell circuit a whirl, or this 30-minute dumbbell workout, or spice things up with this fast-paced dumbbell HIIT workout.

How To Do This Workout

Before diving into the workout, it’s essential that you warm up your body. This warm-up routine only takes 10 minutes and it will help you get the most out of your time exercising. Our guide to warm-up exercises explains why.

This workout is designed using straight sets. Complete the specified repetitions, or reps, of the first exercise, and then rest for your chosen period of time. That’s one set. Repeat that sequence until you’ve completed all the sets for that exercise, then move on to the next exercise.

Atkins has given a range for the period of time you can rest for. This means you can adjust the intensity of the workout to suit you. Try to pick a rest period and stick to it throughout the workout. If in doubt, start with two minutes, and reduce it the next time you attempt the workout.

Atkins has provided video form guides. Click the title of each exercise to read our exercise form guides.

1 Goblet squat

 Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 1-2min 

“This kind of exercise [a compound exercise] gives you the most bang for your buck,” says Atkin. “Goblet squats work your quads, calves, glutes and core, as well as your arms and grip as you hold on to the weight.” 

2 Dumbbell row 

 Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 1-2min 

 “Although the dumbbell row mainly focuses on your back muscles, it also provides a solid upper-body workout by activating several other muscle groups, including your chest, core, glutes, lower back, biceps and triceps,” Atkin says. 

3 Hip thrust 

 Sets 3 Reps 10 Rest 1-2min 

The hip thrust is a glute-focused exercise that can be performed with a dumbbell or a barbell as in Atkins’ video above. To use a dumbbell, simply place a dumbbell on your hips and rest your back on a sturdy platform, like a sofa.

“Strong glutes carry over to so many areas of life,” says Atkins. These muscles are used to propel your body forward, improving your acceleration and power when sprinting.

”You’ll not only develop stronger glutes, but also build back strength and improve your balance. Many of my clients have also noted less knee pain.”

4 Lateral raise 

 Sets 3 Reps 12 Rest 1-2min 

“Lateral raises help with muscle development in the shoulders,” Atkin says. “They help increase your shoulder mobility, range of motion and stability—they’ve been a staple in my programs for years now.” 

5 Triceps kick-back

 Sets 3 Reps 12 Rest 1-2min 

“Triceps kick-backs target the triceps, but they can also enhance stability and flexibility in your shoulders and arms,” says Atkin. “Increasing upper-body strength here is super transferable to everyday activities like lifting heavy shopping bags.”

6 Plank

 Sets 3 Reps Max hold Rest 1-2min 

“The plank is one of the greatest core exercises of all time,” Atkin says. Although, he warns, it is only at its most effective when executed properly. 

“The forearm plank is a functional movement that trains the abs and core to support the spine in day-to-day activities. It can improve posture and reverse the negative effects of sitting at a desk all day. Having a stronger core can also enhance other exercises, like your squats, rows and more.”

When you’re balancing a heavy workload and a hectic social calendar, and you have limited time to work out, you want to use that time as effectively as possible. Choosing full-body workouts, and compound exercises especially, is a great way to do that.

This workout from personal trainer Alex Rice is designed to build strength all over with just six compound exercises. All you need is a pair of dumbbells, so you can do it at home or at the gym and it should take you no more than 30 minutes.

Watch Rice’s video below for demonstrations of each exercise, then prepare for the workout with this warm-up routine.

Complete three sets of each exercise, apart from the final movement, which is a plank hold to failure—you should do this only twice. 

The seesaw rows and push-ups are to be performed as a superset, meaning you do one set of rows followed immediately by a set of push-ups. Repeat that sequence a total of three times and then rest. This pairing of exercises hit your push-and-pull muscles in quick succession, targeting the chest, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps in one fell swoop.

Rice suggests eight to 10 reps of each exercise. For each exercise, find a weight that feels challenging but manageable. If you get to the end of the set and feel like you could do three more reps easily, it’s time to increase the weight.

If you have a range of weights available, use heavier dumbbells for leg exercises like the Romanian deadlift and sumo squat, because the larger muscles in your lower body should be able to handle a greater load. Then, reduce the weight appropriately for the upper-body movements.

Feeling energized or have a little more time on your hands? This full-body finisher is only six minutes long and also uses dumbbells. If you’re looking for another session to fit into a busy week, bookmark this 20-minute full-body workout. 

There’s something extra satisfying about getting a decent workout done in a short space of time. After all, we’ve all got things to do and most of us can’t spend an hour or more in the gym four times a week following a full-body workout plan, effective as that might be. If you need a short routine to fit into a packed schedule, you’re going to love this 20-minute full-body workout.

The creator of this short ’n’ sweet workout is Faisal Abdalla, a level 3 personal trainer and fitness coach for audio-led fitness app WithU. It requires just one set of dumbbells, making it ideal to do in a busy gym or at home (to add dumbbells to your home set-up, take a look at our collection of the best dumbbells).

“The session targets your abs, arms, legs and glutes,” says Abdalla. “Using weights will increase your heart rate and make you sweat even more, resulting in a ton of health benefits.”

20-Minute Full-Body Workout

This workout is split into three tri-sets. The pattern of each of the tri-sets below is as follows: you perform the reps of exercise A, rest for 30 seconds, perform the reps of exercise B, rest for 30 seconds again, perform the reps of exercise C, then rest for another 30 seconds. Perform that sequence one more time, then move on to the next tri-set and continue in a similar fashion.  

If you have more time to play with, repeat the entire workout twice. 

1A Dumbbell push press

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing. Bend your knees, then straighten your legs and use the momentum generated to help press the dumbbells overhead. Lower the dumbbells under control. 

1B Dumbbell reverse lunge

Sets 2 Reps 10 each leg Rest 30sec

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides. Keeping your back straight throughout, take a step backward and bend both knees to lower until your rear knee is just above the floor. Make sure your front knee doesn’t move beyond your toes. Push through your front foot to return to standing. Alternate sides with each rep.

1C Dumbbell squat (half range)

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides. Brace your core, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your center of balance over your heels. Keep your back and core tight. With both feet flat on the floor, start to slowly lower yourself by shifting the body weight back onto your heels. Make sure your knees don’t move beyond your toes. Pause just above your full squat depth, then push up through your heels to stand. 

2A Triceps dip

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, resting your hands on the edge directly underneath your shoulders. Shift your butt forward off the chair, roll your shoulders back and down, then bend your elbows to lower. Once your elbows are bent at 90°, push up through your palms and extend your arms.

2B Dumbbell floor French press

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells above your head with your arms extended and palms facing. Bend your elbows to slowly lower the dumbbells toward your shoulders until there’s a 45° bend in your elbows. Pause for a few seconds—this is where you will really feel the burn!—then return to the start.

2C Dumbbell floor press with glute bridge hold

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells with your elbows bent and upper arms resting on the floor. Brace your core and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze your glutes and, holding this position, press the dumbbells straight up, then lower under control.

3A Dumbbell crunch

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding one dumbbell by the ends above you with arms extended. Brace your core, then raise your shoulders off the floor to raise the dumbbell. Lower under control. Keep your movements slow and controlled throughout. 

3B Leg lower

Sets 2 Reps 10 Rest 30sec

Lie on the floor with your arms by your sides with palms facing down, and your legs extended, pointing up. Brace your core, then slowly lower your legs, keeping them extended, until your back starts to come off the floor. Lift your legs back to the starting position.

3C Bicycle crunch

Sets 2 Reps 20 Rest 30sec

Lie on the floor with your legs raised and your knees bent at 90°. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing to the sides. Lift your shoulders off the floor. Bring one knee and the opposite elbow together, extending the other leg. Reverse the move, then alternate sides with each rep.

Even if your focus is building muscle, doing short lung-busting conditioning pieces is a great way to improve your cardio fitness and burn fat.

Whether you’re after a quick workout to raise your heart rate or a finisher to fatigue your muscles, this session from personal trainer Mark Thompson will do the job. Combining a stint on a cardio machine with two strength exercises and a gymnastic core movement, it will challenge your strength, fitness, mobility and balance.

You’ll need a dumbbell, pull-up bar and a rowing machine. If you don’t have a rower, swap in a 200m run or 100 skips. 

The final move is the toes-to-bar, an exercise often used in CrossFit workouts. This is a fairly advanced movement that, as the name suggests, challenges you to hang from a pull-up bar and bring your toes to the bar. Thompson suggests doing hanging knee raises if this part of the workout is too challenging, hanging off the bar and raising your knees to your chest. Or you can do butterfly sit-ups, which target similar muscles.

Watch Thompson take you through each of the exercises in the Instagram Reel below.

Complete four rounds of this workout at your own pace, working at a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. This means you’ll rest for the same amount of time it takes you to complete the prescribed reps of the four exercises, allowing your body to recover before moving on to the following movement. 

Thompson suggests aiming to complete each round in the same amount of time. The workout will feel harder as your muscles tire, so although you should be working hard and performing each movement with purpose, try to pace yourself and begin conservatively. 

Make sure not to rush the movements so your form isn’t compromised, especially with the dumbbell exercises. Brace your core and don’t let your back round.

For a longer session, try this full-body conditioning workout, or stick to the short stuff with these metcon workouts. Alternatively, if you’re working with one type of free weight, choose between this kettlebell HIIT workout for total-body conditioning or this strength and conditioning dumbbell workout. 

CrossFit workouts are intimidating – no doubt about it – but they can all be modified to make them more accessible. 

Take the first workout of the 2023 CrossFit Open, the annual mass-participation fitness competition. It challenges you to tackle 14 minutes of rowing, toes-to-bars, wall balls, cleans and ring muscle-ups, but there are also “scaled” and “foundations” versions of this test which swap out the tricky gymnastic elements for easier movements. 

One top UK CrossFitter, three-time CrossFit Games athlete Elliot Simmonds, has even come up with his own variation of the workout so he could be involved on his own terms while recovering from a long-term injury. 

This year will be the first time he will not be able to officially compete in the Open in 10 years, so he created a session that follows a similar rep scheme to the first 2023 CrossFit Open workout – named 23.1 – while exclusively using his rehab exercises.

Take a look at the workout below, lace up your best CrossFit shoes and give it a go if you fancy sampling a taste of the Open with a low-impact workout. Or, in Simmonds’ words: “Do what you can with what you’ve got!”

Complete two rounds of the following:

• 60 calories on an exercise bike
• 50 incline knees-to-elbows
• 40 box squats
• 30 reverse curls
• 20 ring rows
• 20 incline press-ups

If you’re wondering how to perform any of the exercises, watch Simmonds’ video above for a demonstration of the correct technique. If your gym doesn’t have a pair of gymnastic rings, you can always use a suspension trainer, or perform an inverted row using a barbell in a rack or a bent-over row with a barbell. 

CrossFit Open workouts have historically been performed for time or total number of reps in order to register a score on the worldwide leaderboard. However, if you’re new to the training method, try completing this session at a steady pace and focus on using perfect form for each exercise. 

This will still hold plenty of benefits, because the movements and total volume accumulated will tax your muscular and cardiovascular systems. The high number of squats, curls, rows and press-ups will boost the muscular endurance of your biceps, triceps, shoulders, legs and back muscles. Meanwhile, two sets of 60 calories on an exercise bike is nothing to sniff at, posing a decent cardio challenge. 

If you’re new to this training method, check out our CrossFit for beginners guide for a quick introduction. 

You can’t beat a gym session in which you truly push yourself. Not only does working at your limit do wonders for your fitness, but you come away from it feeling pleased with your effort and high on endorphins.

This functional training workout from personal trainer Ali Kabba, performed alongside fellow trainer Courtney Fearon, will have you working hard by the end of it. It will improve your strength and endurance, while its functional nature will also develop your balance, power and co-ordination.

The 20-minute workout is made up of five movements, using a range of equipment, so it’s best for people who train at the gym. Watch Kabba’s Instagram reel to see him and Fearon perform the movements.

This is an EMOM workout. EMOM stands for every minute on the minute, which means you’ll have one minute to complete the specified reps of one exercise. Rest for the remainder of the minute, then perform the next exercise. 

Complete four rounds of the workout and aim to complete each exercise in a similar amount of time each round. Of course, the exercises will feel harder as you move through the workout and your muscles fatigue, but pushing yourself to meet or beat your benchmark time will help you improve your endurance.

As well as moving steadily, think about your power production too. Particularly when using the SkiErg machine and pushing the sled, prioritise force over speed, because this will help you get through the exercises more effectively.

You can use Kabba’s workout as a standalone session, but it also is a great way to work on your functional fitness after a hypertrophy-focused session, like one of these workouts for muscle gain. If you are doing the EMOM workout by itself, make sure to prepare your body to avoid injury – try this warm-up routine.

We’re midway through January and even if you returned to the gym with gusto at the start of the new year, you may find your motivation is waning by now. And unless you’re following a progressive gym workout plan you may be short on inspiration for what to do at the gym. If that’s the case, we recommend this 60-minute session from certified personal trainer and online coach Lillie Bailey. 

It’s a full-body workout which is a great way to train if you’re not following a training plan, putting every major muscle group to work. The workout only uses dumbbells, a weights bench, a pull-up bar and a seated row cable machine too, so you won’t have to wait in line for sought-after squat racks.

This workout is programmed using supersets, which means you perform two exercises back to back followed by a short rest, increasing the intensity of your workout and keeping your heart rate high to boost your calorie burn.

Watch Bailey demonstrate the movements below and take note of her form.

If you need more details on form, here are our form guides for the moves:

• Goblet squat
• Bulgarian split squat
• Chin-up
• Seated row
• Press-up
• Overhead triceps extension
• Hip thrust
• Romanian deadlift

For most of the exercises, if you’re finding it too difficult you can change to lighter dumbbells, but to modify the press-ups Bailey recommends dropping to your knees or placing your hands higher on a platform like an aerobic step or weights bench. Chin-ups can also be made easier by using a large looped resistance band, or using a bench or box to start at the top of the movement and performing only the eccentric (lowering) part, slowly. To build up strength for this movement, try our pull-up workout plan for beginners.

Still need some workout inspiration? This beginner’s gym workout is a good alternative to Bailey’s workout, or try this beginner’s strength workout from top trainer Laura “Biceps” Hoggins.

Want to put your muscles to the test? Then head for the nearest gym and prepare yourself for a serious challenge to your muscular endurance.

Alexia Clark is a level 3 personal trainer, Instagram fitness sensation and founder of the Alexia Clark app. For our 12 days of Christmas workouts series, she’s put together a high-rep gym-based workout that will leave your muscles shaking and will ultimately improve your muscular endurance and strength.

You’ll need a range of free weights: a barbell and barbell pad (for the hip thrusts), dumbbells, a kettlebell and a weights bench.

Clark has designed a workout with three circuits. Do four rounds of each circuit, and each round involves 50 reps, split between a pair of exercises. However, every round the number of reps of the first exercise decreases by 10 and the reps of the second exercise increases by 10. Rest as little as possible. 

Choose your weight carefully, bearing in mind that you have to complete a high volume of reps and what may seem fine for 10 reps will feel a lot different as you approach 100. You read that right – you’re doing a total of 100 reps of each exercise. You’ll want to warm up thoroughly, steel yourself, then get to it.

Circuit 1

1 Overhead press

Reps 40, 30, 20, 10

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell by the top of your chest with your hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing out. Engage your core and press the weight straight up, moving your head forwards slightly. Inhale as you lower the barbell under control. 

2 Kettlebell swing 

Reps 10, 20, 30, 40

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding the kettlebell handle in both hands. With a slight bend in your knees, hinge forwards at your hips and let the kettlebell swing back between your legs. Drive your hips forwards to generate the momentum to swing the kettlebell up to eye level. Control the swing back down and go straight into the next rep. 

Circuit 2

1 Goblet squat 

Reps 40, 30, 20, 10

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest (don’t rest the weight on your chest). Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Push up through your heels to stand back up.

2 Bent-over row 

Reps 10, 20, 30, 40

Stand holding dumbbells with a slight bend in your knees. Hinge forwards at your hips. Keep your back flat as you draw your elbows back to lift the dumbbells to your rib cage. Lower under control. 

Circuit 3

1 Hip thrust

Reps 40, 30, 20, 10

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, shoulders resting on a bench. Place a weight across your hips – a barbell and barbell pad, or dumbbell, weight plate or kettlebell. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line. Pause and squeeze your glutes. Lower under control. 

2 Forearm plank arm raise

Reps 10, 20, 30, 40

Set up on your forearms and toes, with your shoulders directly over your elbows and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Raise one arm off the floor and extend it forwards. Return to the start and repeat with the other arm. Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

We like a short workout as much as the next person, but there’s nothing quite like getting stuck into a meaty weights workout. A session like this one, designed exclusively for Coach’s 12 days of Christmas workouts by Laura “Biceps” Hoggins, a level 3 personal trainer, author and presenter. 

Hoggins has put together an epic full-body strength workout of five circuits that’s ideal for beginner and intermediate gym-goers, with rep ranges given for some exercises so you can adjust it to your level. 

The main four circuits in this workout use dumbbells, so if you’re in the gym, camp out by the dumbbell rack. 

“You may need to change weights between exercises,” says Hoggins. “Select a weight which allows you to complete the reps without resting, with a couple of reps in reserve – don’t go to failure.”

The first circuit uses a kettlebell and medicine ball too, but if you want to attempt this workout at home using a pair of adjustable dumbbells, just skip the first circuit, which is there to prepare the body.

Either way, make sure you work through some light cardio and mobility work first – this gym warm up is our go-to routine.

Circuit 1

Complete two rounds of the below exercises without resting. Once you’ve completed the circuit, rest for as long as you need to fully recover, then move on to the next circuit.

1 Kettlebell swing

Reps 12-15

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a kettlebell in both hands. With a slight bend in your knees, hinge forwards at your hips and swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Drive your hips forwards to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height. Control the kettlebell’s descent and go straight into the next rep.

2 Single-arm dumbbell thruster

Reps 8 each side 

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell by your left shoulder, palm facing you. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, then drive up through your heels and press the dumbbell overhead. Lower the dumbbell to your shoulder under control. Do all the reps on one side, then switch. 

3 Medicine ball slam

Reps 6-8 

Stand holding a medicine ball in both hands. Press the ball overhead and extend up onto your toes, then slam the medicine ball on the floor in front of your feet. Squat down and be ready to pick the ball back up as it bounces.

Circuit 2

Perform three rounds of the following exercises, resting for 60 seconds after each round. Rest for longer after the final round if needed. 

1 Dumbbell Romanian deadlift 

Reps 12

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you. With a flat back and engaged core, push your hips back to lower the dumbbells to your shins. Pause, then drive your hips forwards to rise, squeezing your glutes at the top.

2 Half-kneeling single-arm press 

Reps 10 each side 

Adopt the lunge position, with both knees bent at 90°, with the rear knee on the floor. Hold one dumbbell by your shoulder and extend the other arm to the side to help your balance. Engage your core and press the dumbbell overhead. Lower under control. Do all the reps on one side, then switch. 

3 Dead bug

Reps 8 each side 

Lie on your back with your arms extended to the ceiling and legs raised, with your knees bent at 90° and knees over your hips. Engage your core and press your lower back into the floor. Slowly extend one leg and lower the opposite arm until both are extended just above the floor. Pause, then reverse the movements. Repeat on the other side, swapping sides with every rep.

Circuit 3

Perform two to three rounds of these exercises, resting as needed.

1 Goblet squat 

Reps 10-12

Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding one dumbbell with both hands close to your chest. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your back straight and chest up. Lower until your elbows are between your knees. Drive up through your heels to stand.

2 Single-arm row

Reps 10 each side 

Place your right knee and right hand on a bench and lean your torso forwards so it’s parallel with the bench. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, letting your arm hang down. Engage your core and lift the dumbbell to your chest, bringing your elbow above your torso. Squeeze your left shoulder blade at the top, then lower slowly to the start. Do all the reps on one side, then switch.

3 Hip thrust

Reps 10-12

Sit on the floor with your back against a bench, feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Drive through your heels to raise your hips to the height of the bench. Your knees should be directly above your ankles, and your torso, glutes and thighs should form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Lower slowly. 

Circuit 4

Perform two to three rounds of these exercises, resting as needed.

1 Dumbbell walking lunge

Reps 10 each side

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides. Step forwards with your left leg, and bend both knees to lower until your back knee brushes the floor. Push up through your front foot to rise and step forwards with your right leg, continuing to repeat the movement on alternating sides.

2 Press-up

Reps 8-12

Support your body on your hands and toes, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and wrists in line with your shoulders. Bend your elbows to lower until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the start position. Make this move easier by placing your hands on a small step, or switch from your toes to your knees.

Circuit 5

Perform two to three rounds of these exercises, resting as needed.

1 Renegade row

Reps 8 each side 

Start in a high plank position holding dumbbells, with your hands under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core and lift one dumbbell to your rib cage, drawing your elbow past your torso, then lower under control. Keep the rest of your body as still as possible during the movement. Repeat on the other side, switching sides with each rep.

2 Dumbbell thruster

Reps 8-10 

Hold dumbbells by your shoulders, with your palms facing. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, then drive through your heels to stand and use the momentum to press the dumbbells overhead. Lower the dumbbells under control and go straight into the next rep.

Before you hit the showers, remember to warm-down. Follow this post-workout static stretching routine. 

Sometimes you turn up at the gym and can’t decide between a treadmill workout and weights workout. Luckily, you can do both and be out of the gym in record time. 

Georgia Testa is a Level 3 personal trainer and owner of Bedfordshire-based gym Studio 281. She has created an exclusive workout for Coach, which she says “will blast your cardiovascular system and help improve your fitness”.

As she says, “It’s a no-fuss workout, and you don’t need loads of equipment or space.” Just a pair of dumbbells and a cardio machine.

Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

This workout uses the peripheral heart action (PHA) training method, which involves swapping between lower-body and upper-body exercises. 

“Work through the following as quickly as you can and rest when you need to,” says Testa. “In between exercises, go for one minute on your cardio machine of choice. If you don’t have a machine, substitute in burpees or squat jumps.”

Aim for two to three rounds of the circuit below. If it hits the spot, next time try this strength and cardio workout, which combines kettlebell exercises and running.

1 Goblet squat

Reps 20

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one end of a dumbbell close to your chest. Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat, maintaining a flat back and tight core. When your elbows pass between your knees, pause, then drive up through your heels to return to standing. 

2 Cardio

Time 1min

3 Overhead press

Reps 20

Stand holding dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forwards and elbows pointing to the sides. Keeping your core engaged and back straight, press the dumbbells overhead. Pause once your arms are extended and then slowly return the dumbbells to your shoulders. 

4 Cardio

Time 1min

5 Reverse lunge

Reps 20 each leg 

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one end of a dumbbell close to your chest. Step back with your right leg and bend both knees until your right knee hovers just above the floor. Push up through your left heel to return to standing. Repeat on the other leg, alternating sides with each rep. 

6 Cardio

Time 1min

7 Bent-over row

Reps 20 

Stand holding dumbbells and push your hips back until your torso is at 45°, letting your arms hang down. Keeping your upper arms close to your body, lift the dumbbells to your ribs. Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades. Slowly lower the dumbbells.

8 Cardio

Time 1min

9 Romanian deadlift 

Reps 20

Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Push your hips back, and as you do so, slowly lower the dumbbells down your legs, allowing a slight bend in your knees. Stop when your dumbbells reach your mid-shin, then drive up through your heels to stand. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the move.

10 Cardio

Time 1min

11 Renegade row 

Reps 20 each arm

Get into a high plank position, holding dumbbells, with your hands beneath your shoulders, arms extended, and with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your hips still, lift the right dumbbell to your rib cage, pause, then lower it under control. Repeat on the other side and alternate sides with each rep.

12 Cardio

Time 1min

With the right workout routine, you can achieve a whole lot in just four weeks. This workout plan for the gym is proof of that. The four weekly workouts it contains are broken down by areas of the body and though the emphasis is on your chest, back and arms, no muscle goes without its turn in the spotlight over the course of each week. The plan is designed to push your muscles beyond their comfort zone so your body rebuilds them bigger and stronger.

It’s a tough training plan, and if you’re not an experienced gym-goer who is already training regularly and are worried it might push you well beyond your comfort zone, then we also have a more straightforward beginner gym workout where you work the whole body in one session. And if you’d prefer to exercise at home, and have a set of dumbbells handy, this four-week dumbbell workout plan will see you right (if you’re in need of weights, our selection of the best dumbbells will point you in the right direction). 

If you are comfortable with weights training and are up for four weeks of intense training with the carrot of a bigger, leaner body dangling in front of you, then dive on in.

How This Gym Workout Routine Is Structured

In each of the four weeks of this 28-day plan you will train your chest and back twice. Sound like a lot? It is! But in some plans you only hit each muscle group every seven days, which isn’t enough of a stimulus to force your body into making positive physique adaptations.

But in this plan, doubling up each week on chest and back exercises – and therefore also working your biceps and triceps twice a week, once directly and once indirectly – will provide all the stimulus your body needs to get bigger in less time. And fear not, your shoulders, abs and legs won’t miss out on the size and strength gains: they will still get enough dedicated time each week to allow them to grow bigger and stronger.

The first workout of each week targets your chest and triceps, the second your back and biceps, the third your legs and chest, and the fourth your back and shoulders. A recommended schedule is to do the workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. That’s so you leave a day’s rest between upper-body focused sessions.

All four weekly workouts are made up of five moves, which you’ll perform as straight sets, so you’ll simply work through moves 1 to 5 in order. Simply do the four workouts in order every week, sticking to the exercises, sets, reps, tempo (explained below) and rest periods detailed. That’s it!

Tempo Training Explained

To get the full effect from these workouts, you need to stick to the four-digit tempo code for each exercise. The first digit indicates how long in seconds you take to lower the weight, the second how long you pause at the bottom of the move, the third how long you take to lift the weight, and the final digit how long you pause at the top. Keep your wits about you, because not every exercise begins with you lowering the weight, in which case you need to follow the third number rather than the first.

The accumulated time under tension increases your heart rate to burn fat and break down muscle tissue so it’s rebuilt bigger and stronger. Keep each rep smooth and controlled so your muscles – not momentum – do the work.

How To Warm Up

Ahead of tackling any of the workouts in this plan we highly recommend completing this gym warm-up routine.

It involves doing seven moves like downward dog walk-outs and lunges with rotation that warm up muscles all over the body, then going into workout-specific exercises. The simplest way to do the latter is to do one or two sets of each exercise from the workout you’re about to do, using either very light dumbbells or an unloaded barbell.

Workout 1: Chest And Triceps

1 Bench press

Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec 

Lie on a flat bench holding a barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.

2 Triceps dip

Sets 5 Reps 6-10 Tempo 2110 Rest 60sec 

Grip rings or parallel bars with your arms straight. Keeping your chest up, bend your elbows to lower your body as far as your shoulders allow. Press back up powerfully to return to the start.

3 Incline dumbbell press

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec 

Lie on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders. Press the weights up until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start under control.

4 Incline dumbbell flye

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec 

Lie on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand above your face, with your palms facing and a slight bend in your elbows. Lower them to the sides, then bring them back to the top.

5 Triceps extension

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec 

Stand tall holding a dumbbell over your head with both hands, arms straight. Keeping your chest up, lower the weight behind your head, then raise it back to the start.

Workout 2: Back And Biceps

1 Pull-up

 Sets 5 Reps 6-10 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec 

Hold a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your lower chest touches the bar. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2 Bent-over row

 Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec 

Hold a barbell using an overhand grip, hands just outside your legs, and lean forward from the hips. Bend your knees slightly and brace your core, then pull the bar up, leading with your elbows. Lower it back to the start.

3 Chin-up

Sets 3 Reps 6-10 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec 

Hold a pull-up bar with hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing you. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Lower until your arms are straight again.

4 Standing biceps curl

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec 

Stand with dumbbells by your sides, palms facing forwards. Keeping your elbows tucked in, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps at the top. Lower them back to the start.

5 Seated incline curl

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec 

Sit on an incline bench with dumbbells by your sides, palms facing forwards. Keeping your elbows tucked in, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps at the top. Lower them back to the start.

Workout 3: Legs And Abs

1 Back squat

Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and core braced, squat down as deep as you can. Drive back up through your heels to return to the start.

2 Good morning

Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall holding a light barbell across the backs of your shoulders, feet shoulder-width apart. With your core braced, bend forwards slowly from the hips, as far as your hamstrings allow but not past horizontal. Return to the start.

3 Hip thrust

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Sit with your upper back supported on a bench, holding a barbell across the tops of your thighs. Thrust your hips up, squeeze your glutes at the top, and then return to the start.

4 Incline dumbbell press

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2110 Rest 60sec

Lie on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders. Press the weights up until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start under control.

5 Incline dumbbell flye

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2111 Rest 60sec

Lie on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your face, with your palms facing and a slight bend in your elbows. Lower them to the sides, then bring them back to the top.

Workout 4: Back And Shoulders

1 Overhead press

Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Hold a bar in front of your neck with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up and core braced, press the bar overhead until your arms are straight. Lower it back to the start.

2 Rack pull

Sets 5 Reps 10 Tempo 2111 Rest 60sec

Stand tall in front of a barbell resting on safety bars at knee height. Bend and grasp the bar with an overhand grip, then stand up until your back is straight again, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.

3 Seated dumbbell press

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Sit on an upright bench with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Keeping your chest up, press the weights directly overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start.

4 Lateral raise

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Stand tall, holding a light dumbbell in each hand with palms facing. Keeping your chest up and a bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height, then lower back to the start.

5 Reverse flye

Sets 3 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Bend forward from the hips holding a light dumbbell in each hand with palms facing. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height, then lower back to the start.

Diet Tips

It’s crucial to back up your work in the gym with a healthy diet. The obvious first steps are to cut down on fast food, takeaways and booze, and after that it’s all about getting the nutrients needed to build muscle.

Increasing your protein intake is a big part of this. How much protein you need to build muscle is hard to answer precisely, but the general guidance for people who are strength training is 1.2-2g of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day, up from the general recommendation of 0.8-1.2 per kg of bodyweight a day. That’s so your body has the fuel to repair and rebuild the muscles you’re damaging. 

Protein powder is a convenient source, but it’s easy to get what you need from food, which will also contain other important nutrients. This ranked list of high-protein foods will help, and if you’re really struggling to eat enough protein, top up with one of the best protein powder supplements.

Make sure you’re also eating enough carbs to provide the energy to power your training sessions. Opt for wholegrain varieties to help you towards 30g of fibre every day, which will help to keep you feeling full. Also ensure you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, ideally more. If you’re smart, you can kill two birds with one stone by preferring vegetarian sources of protein and vegan sources of protein that also count towards your five-a-day, like beans and lentils.

If it all sounds like too much work, another option is to use a healthy meal delivery service. It’s more expensive than cooking for yourself, but less expensive and healthier than a Deliveroo habit. Or for a happy middle ground use a recipe box service, so you can skip the planning and shopping but keep your culinary skills sharp by still cooking the meals. We’ve reviewed plenty and you’ll find all the recommendations you need in our picks of the best meal prep services and best recipe boxes.

More Gym Workout Routines

• The Best Upper-Body Workout Plan
• Your Four-Week Workout Plan For Muscle Gain
• Six-Week Strength Training Workout Plan

We’re not going to sugarcoat this – doing any kind of rowing HIIT workout is hard. Spending even just a couple of minutes going at full intensity on a rowing machine will leave you in tatters, but the results are undoubtedly worth it, because it delivers a full-body workout that other cardio machines cannot match.

The gang at fitness studio Metabolic London were so convinced by the benefits of rowing machine workouts that they were among the first to launch group rowing class way back in 2020. The class combined all-out stints on the rower with resistance exercises for a full-on full-body workout. The great news is you can get a taste of the challenge involved by trying the HIIT workout below, designed by the founder of Metabolic London, Lawrence Hannah.

“The rower is such a tough test,” says Hannah. “You recruit so many muscles that any amount of time spent on the seat will add another dimension to your cardio.

“Mix it up with some circuits on a timed interval session and you will leave the gym bouncing – or crawling. Either way you will know you have worked.”

HIIT Rowing Workout

This workout requires both a rowing machine (obviously) and some equipment. Grab a medicine ball, a kettlebell and dumbbells, and place them next to the rower. If anyone demands to know why you’re bringing free weights into the cardio section of the gym just tell them it’s because you’re working harder than them.

After a warm-up involving some dynamic mobility exercises (like this gym warm-up), jump on the rower and set the resistance to a medium level, it’s time to begin.

1 Row

Time 4min Rest 1min

Aim for between 800-1,000m. Remember the distance you cover.

2 Circuit

Time 4min Rest 1min

Aim for as many rounds of the following exercises as possible in the four minutes.

• 10 medicine ball slams
• 15 dumbbell thrusters
• 20 kettlebell swings

3 Row

Time 4min Rest 1min

Aim for a similar distance as your first set

4 Circuit

Time 4min Rest 1min

Aim for as many rounds of the following exercises as possible in the four minutes.

• 10 medicine ball slams
• 15 dumbbell thrusters
• 20 kettlebell swings

5 Active recovery

Time 2min

Rotate between planks, plank press-ups and hollow holds for two minutes.

6 Row

Time 5min Rest 1min

Add 200m to what you achieved in the four-minute row for your target.

7 Circuit

Time 5min Rest 1min

Cycle through the below exercises, aiming for as many rounds as possible in the five minutes.

• 5 burpees (chest to floor)
• 10 kettlebell squats
• 15 press-ups
• 20 mountain climbers

More Sessions On The Rowing Machine

• The rowing workout plan to build all-round fitness
• Up the intensity with this 20-minute rowing workout
• The ultimate 2K rowing plan

If there’s one thing we look forward to while working out, it’s the upcoming rest; it drives us to work that little bit harder.

So in this workout, the quicker and harder you work, the longer you’ll have to reset and catch your breath.

CrossFit coach and PT Jamarle Warby has devised this 30-minute EMOM workout which will push you to your limits, working the entire body: lower, upper, core and cardio. It offers a mix of strength and stability work, with some conditioning thrown in for good measure.

EMOM stands for “every minute on the minute” and it requires you to complete a given number of reps in a minute, before going on to the next exercise and set of reps in the next minute. Once the reps are done, you rest for the remainder of the minute. The quicker you work, the more rest you get.

You need a set of dumbbells and a rowing machine. Warby recommends 15kg dumbbells for men and 10kg dumbbells for women, but feel free to go heavier or lighter according to your level of experience and strength.

Set a timer for five minutes and work your way through the moves, one each minute. Then take a one-minute breather. Aim to complete five rounds in total.

1 Row

Calories 15 male, 12 female

Row on a rowing machine until you hit the calorie target. Aim to reach it in 45 seconds. If you rarely use a rower, brush on your form with these rowing technique tips.

2 Burpee over rowing machine

Reps 10

Stand side-on to the rowing machine’s rail, squat down and place your hands on the floor, then jump your feet back to land in a high plank position. Lower so your chest touches the floor, then push back up. Jump your feet forwards again to your hands, then jump over the rail. Perform another chest-to-floor burpee, then jump back over the rail. 

3 Dumbbell snatch 

Reps 16

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in an overhand grip, palm facing you. Keeping your back flat and chest up, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, letting the dumbbell hang down, touching the floor between your feet. Push through your heels explosively to rise and as the dumbbell reaches hip level, use your arm to pull the dumbbell up to your shoulder, flipping your elbow underneath the dumbbell, then press the dumbbell overhead, locking out your elbow. Swap the dumbbell to the other hand, then lower the dumbbell back to the start and go again on the other side. Your lower body should be producing most of the momentum to lift the dumbbell.

4 Overhead lunge

Reps 16

Stand holding dumbbells overhead, with palms facing. Take a step back and bend your knees to lower, stopping when your back knee is hovering above the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Push through your front heel to return to standing. Alternate sides with each rep.

5 Renegade row

Reps 16

Get into a high plank position, with your hands holding dumbbells on the floor directly under your shoulders. Engage your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Drive the left elbow straight up past your torso, lifting the dumbbell to your ribs. Pause, then lower the dumbbell under control. Alternate sides with each rep.

More Workouts Like This

• This EMOM workout makes for a great lunch break session
• If you only have dumbbells to hand, then power through this EMOM finisher
• This dumbbell HIIT workout pushes you harder than other home sessions
• CrossFit workouts to try in your next gym session

If you’re prepared to train hard and smart, any type of workout will help you lose weight – but if you’re hitting the gym with the sole aim of burning as many calories as you can as fast as possible, this full-on session from Lawrence Price, personal trainer for fitness app Fiit (one of the best workout apps), will undoubtedly get the job done. And then some.

For more full-body workouts to burn calories by the bucketload, try these fat-loss workouts and this metcon workout.

Warm-up

After you’ve got your body moving through some dynamic stretches (we have a top-notch gym warm-up routine for you to follow), Price emphasises the need to prepare your body for the deadlifts in particular, since you’ll be doing a lot of those in the workout itself.

“Take some time to fully prep your body for quality deadlifts with hip hinge movements, hamstring and glute drills, and trunk activation drills,” says Price.

Then, before you do begin the workout, ensure your body is ready to go by completing two sets of 10 deadlifts with a light weight, looking out for any discomfort in your lower back.

Section 1

Complete four rounds of the following.

1 Deadlift

Reps 6 Rest 1min

From a standing position bend at the knees to reach down and grasp a barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, your chin up and your gaze forwards, drive your hips forwards to lift the bar explosively using your legs. Once the bar reaches mid-thigh level pull your shoulders back, then lower the bar back slowly back to the start.

2 Wide-grip pull-up

Reps 8

You can do these unassisted or use a dipping station or resistance band to help you out if you’re unsure whether you can complete four rounds of eight pull-ups unaided. Grasp the bar using an overhand grip with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar, then lower under control.

3 Wall ball

Reps 12 Rest 2min

Stand facing a wall holding a medicine ball at chest height in both hands. Drop into a squat, then push back up and throw the ball against the wall a few feet above your head. Catch the ball in both hands and lower straight into another squat.

Section 2

There are two parts to this section and how well you perform in the first directly affects how much work you’ll have to do in the second. That’s because the time it takes you to burn 100 calories on the SkiErg is the time you’ll spend doing rounds of renegade rows.

1 SkiErg

Burn 100 calories as quickly as you can on the SkiErg machine and record your time. If your gym doesn’t have a SkiErg, you can use a rower instead.

2 Dumbbell renegade row EMOM

Time Time taken to burn 100 calories on the SkiErg Reps 6 each side

Your workout finishes with rounds of renegade rows, starting your sets every minute on the minute, with the total time determined by how long you spent on the SkiErg. Get into a press-up position with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift one dumbbell up to your chest, supporting your body with the other arm, then lower it back to the floor. Complete all the reps on one side, then switch. Work fast – the quicker you complete the 12 total reps the longer you can rest before starting up again.

Fitting in a lunch-break workout is one of the best ways to train. You don’t have to get up especially early as you might for a morning session, and you’re not as tired and sluggish as at the end of the day.

In our experience, training at lunch will also send you back to your desk full of energy and endorphins to help you crush the afternoon of work to come, and completing a gym workout will make your midday meal even more enjoyable. It does make timing what to eat before the gym a little tricky, so it’s wise to block out some desk time in your diary.

We have enlisted some top personal trainers to provide 15-, 30- and 45-minute sessions, because we know that everyone has different amounts of time to exercise at lunch. Before you choose your workout, make sure you factor in how far you have to travel, how long you take to change, and how much thought you put into selecting your lunch afterwards.

The longer sessions involve some big moves like barbell squats, but the 15-minute workout is suited to all abilities and requires only a pair of dumbbells. If you’ve just started a fitness kick and want a longer session, try this gym workout for beginners.

Whichever session you go for, we’re confident that all these lunch-break workouts will help you make the most of your time. 

Full-Body 45-Minute Workout

“If you’ve got time, this is the most complete option,” says trainer Adam Wakefield. “It will build strength and muscle, but also burn fat. Do four workouts like this a week and change the exercises each workout.”

1 Front squat

Sets 3 Reps 6 Rest 60sec

Hold a barbell at the top of your chest with your palms facing up and your elbows as high as possible. Lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then drive back up.

2 Barbell deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 6 Rest 60sec

From standing, bend at the knees and reach down to grasp a barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, lift the bar explosively to your mid-thighs by using your legs and pushing your hips forwards. Then lower it slowly back to the ground.

3 Bench press

Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 60sec

Lie on your back on a bench and grip the bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Bring the bar down to your chest as you breathe in, then push it back up as you exhale.

4 Barbell Pendlay row

Sets 3 Reps 8 Rest 60sec

From standing with a slight bend in your knees, bend at the hips and lean over until your back is parallel to the ground. Grasp a barbell in an overhand grip and lift it to your abdomen, keeping your back parallel to the ground. Then lower the bar back to the floor slowly.

5A Dumbbell biceps curl

Sets 3 Reps 30 Rest 60sec

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing forwards. Bend at the elbow to curl the weights up to your chest.

5B Dumbbell lateral raise

Sets 3 Reps 15 Rest 60sec

Stand holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing you. Lift the weights out to the sides until your arms are parallel with the floor. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout.

5C Walking lunge

Sets 3 Reps 30 Rest 60sec

From standing, lunge forwards with your right leg and lower until both your knees are bent at a 90° angle. Then step forwards with your left leg into another lunge.

Express 30-Minute Workout

To pack more into less time, start with a superset and end with a circuit. “You could do this two days a week,” suggests trainer Will Purdue. “On the second day, switch the bench and squat for deadlift and row, and change the exercises in the circuit.”

1 Back squat

Sets 5 Reps 5 Rest 60sec

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell held in both hands resting on your back shoulder muscles. Sit back into a squat, then drive back up.

2 Bench press

Sets 5 Reps 5 Rest 60sec

Lie on your back on a bench and grip the bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Bring the bar down to your chest as you breathe in, then push it back up as you exhale.

Next, do 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest at each of these stations, rest a minute and repeat for a total of three circuits. Done!

3A Jump squat

From a standing position, lower into a squat, then push back up and leap as high as you can. Land softly and go straight into another squat.

3B Press-up

Get into an elevated plank/press-up position. Lower until your chest is close to the floor, then push back up. Try not to let your elbows flare out to the sides during the movement.

3C Bear crawl

Crawl forwards on your hands and feet, moving the limbs on the same side of your body at the same time.

3D Medicine ball slam

Stand holding a medicine ball in both hands. Raise it above your head, then slam it into the ground, squatting down at the same time to catch the ball on the first bounce.

3E Oblique crunch

Lie on your back, then turn your hips so your weight is on your right side. Curl your left arm, shoulder and chest towards the middle of your body. Reverse the movement and repeat on the other side.

All-Out 15-Minute Workout

“If time’s short, use the ‘every minute on the minute’ or EMOM format,” says Wakefield. “Start a timer, do all the reps of the exercise, and rest for the remainder of the minute before restarting. You should be able to rest for ten to 15 seconds each minute. If you’re unable to complete the set amount of repetitions and exercises each minute, then think about reducing the reps.”

Do this EMOM workout for 15 minutes.

1 Press-up

Reps 10

Get into an elevated plank/press-up position. Lower until your chest is close to the floor, then push back up. Try not to let your elbows flare out to the sides during the movement.

2 Goblet squat

Reps 10

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against in both hands against your chest with your palms facing upwards. Lower into a squat, then push back up.

3 Dumbbell bent-over row

Reps 10

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend at the hips until your back is parallel to the ground, letting your arms hang down. Row the weights up to your chest, then lower them slowly back to the start.

More Ideas For Lunch-Break Workouts

• This EMOM Workout Makes For A Great Lunch Break Session
• A Full-Body HIIT Workout For Your Lunch Break
• Five Tips For Fitting In An Effective Workout During Lunch