If you’re not in good shape, don’t panic, we’ve got the right workout programme for you. Even if you’re in shape, add some spice to your exercise routine by following this programme. Take a look at the sample week below…
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardio (#2) +Core Workout (part of #3) | *Complete Workout | Yoga or Pilates | Gym Workout (#3) | Cardio (#2) | *Complete Workout | REST |
* Complete Workout = Cardio + Gym Workout
Remember, if you are overweight and need to keep off excess weight, aim for 60-90 minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise.
Don’t forget, looking good involves not only regular exercise, but also following a healthy eating plan AND living a healthy lifestyle.
Here are the basics of a complete workout:
1. Warm Up
Begin your workout with a 10 minute warm up which can include walking, rowing or cycling for example. This warm up should be easy (50-60% effort) … you should feel your heart and breathing rates increase but should still be able to hold a conversation easily.
2. Cardio Workout
Besides, keeping your heart healthy, cardiovascular exercise has been proven to help in reducing body fat, and of course there are fitness benefits too.
Your cardio session (as it sits in your complete workout) should include 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise eg: swimming, cycling, walking or running. You should be exercising at an intensity which is enough to build up a good sweat, get the heart pumping and your breathing faster, BUT you should still be able to talk (approx. 70% effort).
If you’re doing cardio only on a particular day eg: Day 5 then increase this time to 30-40 minutes and increase the intensity.
3. Gym Workout
Strength training, too, has shown to help people lose body fat. To tone muscles, use a medium load/resistance (60-70% effort) and higher reps (12-15 reps). To build muscle you should use higher loads (70-85% effort), fewer reps (6-12 reps) and aim for 3-4 sets.
The most common muscle groups that we all worry about when it comes close to “baring it all” are the abs (those love-handles); arms (those “bingo-wings”); and “hips and thighs”. Following the exercises below will help tone, shape and define these areas as well as that “beach bum” (glutes), chest and calves. If you’re a beginner, start with 1 set of each exercise.
Here’s an example of some exercises to include in your gym workout:
| Exercise | Muscle group |
Sets |
Reps |
| Squats | Quads; hamstrings; glutes |
2 |
12-15 |
| Chest press | Chest; arms |
2 |
12-15 |
| Vertical seated row | Upper back; arms |
2 |
12-15 |
| Leg press | Quads; hamstrings; glutes; inner thighs |
2 |
12-15 |
| Lat Pulldowns | Upper back |
2 |
12-15 |
| Lunges | Quads; hamstrings; glutes; inner thighs |
2 |
12-15 |
| Lateral raises | Shoulders |
2 |
12-15 |
| Ball squeezes/adduction | Inner thighs |
2 |
12-15 |
| Tricep dips | Arms |
2 |
12-15 |
| Leg curl | Hamstrings |
2 |
12-15 |
| Calf raises | Calves |
2 |
12-15 |
Tip: If you’re doing your gym workout as a stand-alone session (eg: Day 4), beef it up by inserting a 30 second stepping interval between every 2-3 exercises. Interval training eg: supercircuit has been proven to be the most effective form of exercise to lose weight.
Core Training – burn the belly…fast!
Need to get rid of those love handles… Training your core (abdominal and lower back region) will help define your tummy – great for those of you wanting that “6-pack”. Don’t forget though… core training alone is not enough for good ab definition. It must be combined with cardio training. Ask your Fitness Instructor to show you some key core exercises.
4. Cool Down
End your workout with a 5 minute cool down which can include walking, cycling or even stepping on the spot for example. The aim of a cool down is to return your breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure to normal and therefore should be easy (50-60% effort).
5. Stretching
Follow your cool down with 5-10 minutes of stretching. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Ask your Fitness Instructor to assist you with stretching.
Note: If you have a medical condition or injury, please chat to your physician before starting any of these plans. If any exercise causes discomfort or pain, stop immediately.
Written by Catherine Viljoen, a biokineticist, on the myvirginactive team.
Photo by Lululemon Athletica
