Health and Fitness: Home workout to keep you going

Dan Cumberworth is the co-founder of Elevate Fitness in Peterborough, a new class-based studio, offering daily classes for all fitness levels and abilities. He talks us through some home workouts that you can do during the current UK lockdown.

It was such a shame that gyms don’t yet have a date to reopen, we are desperate to get going again. We’re just going to have to wait for that, but in the meantime we are putting on free outdoor classes every day, for up to 5 people.

These will be outside the studio, socially distanced, with each person having their own equipment that is thoroughly cleaned before and after each class. Its not quite back to normal, but we’re really excited to be training with people again.

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If you would like to join us, you can book at www.elevatefitnessuk.com – please do come along!

These classes will start from Monday, July 6, which is a great time after finishing our ‘Elevate Around the World in 28 days’ Challenge. 36 of us have cycled, rowed, ran and even swam a total of 43,500km between us. That was 2000km more than we needed to do and we smashed our fundraising target of £10k for Medecins San Frontieres (MSF). In the end we raised over £11k and that will go a long way in that fight to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

We’re really proud of the achievement and the help we are going to be able to give people. You can help us raise even more by donating to our Just Giving page here www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elevatefitness

Myself I travelled over 2000km in those 28 days, it was tough but rewarding. I’ve been doing this alongside our daily classes for Elevate which are online on Facebook (@elevatefitnessukgym) and Instagram (@elevate_fitness_uk). These will be the same classes that we are offering free outdoor sessions for next week.

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While you are waiting for them, here is another home workout to keep you going, to do wherever you can. It’s predominantly bodyweight, with one exercise using a kettlebell or filled rucksack.

Warm Up

You’ll know our usual warm up techniques by now,so loosen yourself up.

Part 1

We’re going to split the session into 2 parts, both of which are really going to work you. The first is 3 exercises, of which we’re going to do 20 reps of each. Roll into each exercise straight after each other (with as minimal rest as possible) and then rest for 90 seconds at the end. We’re aiming for 6 rounds total, but as usual do what you are comfortable with. As usual, focus on the best possible technique for each exercise, especially as we’re doing a set amount of reps for each one.

Press Ups

5 normal / 5 jump / 5 wide / 5 narrow

Press ups, but with a bit of variation. We’ll start with 5 normal ones to get you into it and then move into 5 jump press ups. For these all we’re aiming for is to get a little air between our hands and the floor. Push hard out of the press up so that your hands jump off the group.

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For the wide press ups place your hands about 1 and a half parts wider than a usual press up, for the narrow press ups place your hands underneath your chest closer than shoulder width apart and follow the usual press up technique.

Split Jumps

10 reps each side

Standing in a split stance, this is your stance for the first 10 reps. Lower down, aiming for the back knee to touch the ground (if mobility allows). At the bottom jump up as high as you can keeping your legs in that same split. Land and repeat for 10 reps before switching legs. Use the arms to assist you during the jump by driving them aggressively.

Knelt throw behind

10 reps each side

Start with one knee on the floor and taking your loaded rucksack to that same side that you have the knee on the floor. From here the aim is to throw the rucksack from your hip, round and over the opposite shoulder. Obviously don’t actually throw it away, decelerate it at the end of

the movement and bring it back to your hip and repeat. Switch legs and reappear the other side.

Part 2

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AMRAP stands for ‘as many reps as possible’ which is what you are going to be doing on each of these exercises. This will be 3 exercises again and we’re going to increase our reps with each round like an accumulator. With round one its 1 rep of everything, round two 2 reps, round 3 we do three reps and so on. You have a 15 minute time to accumulate as many reps as possible - as for rest, that’s yours to take when you need it. After 15 minutes you are done.

Press Ups

Back to these again! We’re just going for the normal ones now, start in either a full press up position or on your knees if you need to. Bend at the elbows and bring your chest as low as you can. Keep your hips and weight forward and make sure your head goes forward, ahead of your hands. If you’re a beginner then go down slow and up fast and if you’re more confident go down and up as fast as you can.

Squats

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, squat in a smooth movement. As you bring your hips down, make sure you sit back into your heels and keep your chest as upright as possible.

Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor, or as far down as you can go. Once you hit the bottom, bring your hips back up to a standing position and repeat.

Burpees

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The big one to finish things off. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your hips and knees into a squatting position and place your hands on the floor, kicking your feet back into a plank position drop your chest to the floor, all in one fluid movement. Then when you’ve got your chest down, press up with your arms and jump your feet forward, bringing the body up and jumping straight upwards to finish the move. Keep pushing yourself to the end of the minute to do as many as possible, as it’s a great all over body worker.

Warm down

And that’s the session done. That’s a good workout I think, so hopefully you’ve pushed yourself to do as many reps as you can.

As usual, its important that you stretch our properly and take on plenty of water.

We’ll be continuing our range of classes online on Facebook (@elevatefitnessukgym) and Instagram (@elevate_fitness_uk), while also offering free outdoor sessions for up to five people, which can be booked at www.elevatefitnessuk.com

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