Simple Conditioning and Toning

This is a simple program divided into three workouts, intended for you to use whilst I’m not with you. I’ve split them up the way I have, to make it as easy as possible to understand and quick to run through.

Feel free to mix these up as you see fit, dependent on your time restraints.
Hopefully most of the exercises are ones that you are familiar with. Some of the exercise do isolate body parts but generally the will also hit other areas at the same time.

Take note:

1. perform all the main resistance exercises with correct alignment, especially knees, ankles and lower back, making sure each movement is as controlled as possible.
2. Aim to keep the resistance and tension on the muscle, with slow movement. This will help you to be more aware of which areas of the body you are working with each exercise.
3. Always breath out with the muscle contraction unless otherwise stated.
4. Never hold you breath, which is mistakenly done to give the midsection more stability. Keep you breathing as natural and relaxed as possible, this will then lead to good exercise movement habits and will facilitate the core engaging and over time becoming stronger.

Sets, reps, tempo and rest for each of the exercise in the three workouts are as follows:

1. Perform each exercise for 3 – 4 sets of between 15 and 20 reps per set.
2. Keep the rep tempo at 2-1-2-1. That’s 2 seconds for the concentric movement, 1 second pause, then 2 seconds eccentric movement and finally 1 second pause. Then replete for the next rep.
3. For time efficiency and intensity run through the workout in a circuit based manner, choosing several movements for a circuit, e.g. 1-3 then 4-7 etc!

Legs

1. Lying Stability Ball Leg Curls.
2. Lunges – either alternate or walking.
3. Wide Squats – one foot on towel, pushing out and pulling back in.
4. Hip Raise/Bridge – walking feet backwards and forwards.
5. Jumping Alternate Lunges.
6. Single Leg, Leg Press Machine.
7. Calf Raises – done on the leg press machine.

Upper-body

1. Rows – use the cable or the machine row, breathing in on the way back.
2. Press Ups or Chest Press – squeezing the hands in isometrically.
3. Pull Down Machine – breathing in on the way down.
4. Clean and Press – use either kettle bells or dumbbells.
5. Wide Rows – use the machine row or the Kinesis, keep elbows higher the work the upper back, chest up, squeezing the hands outward isometrically.
6. Dumbbell Biceps Curls.
7. Triceps Push Downs.

Midsection and Core

1. Lower Crunches – curling the knees up to the face, breathing out.
2. Side Plank.
3. Bend Knee Pendulum (keep lower back straight) or Cable Twists.
4. Alternate Crunches.
5. Plank.
6. Stability Ball Seated Knee Lifts.
7. Quadruped – I normal call these superman, that’s the wrong name though.
8. Slow Mountain Climbers – knee to opposite elbow.

Intervals

1. Arm Cycle Machine.
2. Rowing Machine.
3. Cross Trainer.
4. Stepper.
5. Mountain Climbers.
6. Dumbbell Clean and Press.

Watch the form on these, as mentioned.

The interval exercises are to be added to the end of each of the three workouts.
These are preformed with 20 seconds of all out effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest( Tabata Interval Training). Try to maintain good form and control when pro-forming each, even though they are pro-formed much faster. You don’t have to include all of these but do pick four!

Good luck!