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.
