20-1 p22 Womens Fitness:Layout 1 09/12/2009 10:28 Page 22

Go
Fit
Women’S
FiTneSS

to
No gym? No kit, No problem! Stay 1 Squat
in shape with just your body… strengthens front and back of thigh plus glutes

Our ‘Fit to Go’ circuit can be performed

anytime, any place anywhere - from a
hotel room to your garden. It will develop
functional strength and tone your body.

The workout
Warm up
✱ March on the spot for 3min
✱ Stand tall, inhale and reach arms overhead, exhale and squat
down swinging your arms down and back in a ski-jump style.
Repeat for 1 min
✱ Circle shoulders back 10 times and then big arm circles
back 20 times
✱ Stand tall on tip-toe and then lower alternate heels to warm
up the calf muscles

For Strength and condition
Perform slow controlled reps, focusing on technique. Build up to
three sets of 10 – 12 reps.
For a CV circuit
Perform faster reps, 30/45 or 60sec per exercise with no rest in
between. Add 1min of skipping between exercises 3, 5 and 7 (if you
don’t have a rope, perform high-knee jogs or simulate a skipping
action). Do the entire circuit once or twice, if time and fitness allows.
✱ Stand with feet hip to shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides
✱ Inhale to bend your knees to a right angle, bringing your hips
towards the floor and extend your arms out to shoulder height
✱ Exhale and drive through the hips to push back up to standing
position
Training tips – keep knees in line with second toes, don’t let knee
not roll in. Keep abdominals drawn in throughout, and be careful not to
arch your back. To progress add resistance by holding dumbbells by
your sides or a barbell across your shoulders

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2 Cat press
strengthens triceps, upper back
and shoulder girdle
3 Lunge
sculpts and strengthens glutes and thighs
✱ Stand with feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down
✱ Exhale and take a large step forward bending both knees to an
approximate right angle
✱ Push back to start position with control
✱ Perform all reps on one leg and then change legs
Training tips – at the end of the lunge position, ensure your front
knee does not go beyond the front foot’s toes. Keep shoulders back and
down and abdominals gently engaged throughout.
✱ Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips
✱ Inhale and bend your elbows, keeping them tight by your sides to
target your triceps and lower your chest between your hands
Women’S
✱ Exhale and press back to the start position
FiTneSS
Training tips – ensure that your chest and not your head comes down
between your hands. Keep abdominals gently drawn inwards throughout.
4 Pilates ‘100’
flattens abdominals, strengthens core and hip flexors
✱ Lie on your back, contract your abs and bring both knees
up to a right angle
✱ Exhale and lift head, shoulders and arms off the floor,
palms facing down
✱ Straighten your legs, and begin to beat your arms as if pressing
down on hard springs
✱ Inhale for 5 arm beats and exhale for 5 arm beats,
building up to 100
✱ Keep abdominals contracted throughout, and don’t let your
back arch.
✱ (those new to exercise should keep knees bent, and advanced
trainers can lower straightened legs towards floor)
Training tips – keep your shoulders away from your ears and look
through your knees keeping your chin slightly tucked under. Your spine
should remain in neutral – neither flattened nor arched. Aim to keep your
stomach flat and breathe into the rib cage.
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5 Plie squat
lifts your bottom and tightens thighs
Women’S
FiTneSS
✱ Stand with your feet wide and toes pointing outwards
✱ Inhale as you lower your body, opening your knees wide whilst
keeping your knees above and in line with your ankles
✱ Exhale and squeeze your bottom to push back up
✱ Keep your bottom connected throughout and keep your body upright
Training tips – keep your tailbone ‘tucked under’ and your
abdominals gently drawn in throughout. Ensure that your knees do not
roll inwards as you squat.
6 Dolphin
strengthens and tones arms, shoulders, back and core
✱ Assume a position on knees and elbows.
✱ Ensure elbows are shoulder-width apart by wrapping your fingers around
the opposite elbow before clasping hands together in front of you
✱ Raise your hips towards the ceiling so your body forms an inverted ‘V’
✱ Inhale to rock your body forwards, so that your chin comes over and
in front of your hands
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7 Lunge twist
targets legs, core and challenges balance
✱ Start standing tall with feet hip-width apart
✱ Take a large step forward and simultaneously bend both knees to
an approximate right angle
✱ In the lunge position twist your shoulders and upper body to the
side of your front foot
✱ Return to centre and step feet back together
✱ Alternate sides
Training tips – Try to keep your spine in neutral throughout. In the
forward position, ensure the front knee does not go beyond the front
toes. Keep shoulders back and down and abdominals gently engaged
throughout. Avoid rotation if you have any disc issues.
✱ Exhale to push back to starting ‘V’ position and repeat
Training tips – Keep your abdominals drawn in throughout and your
shoulder blades down away from your ears. Complete beginners should
start on knees and build up to toes. Be sure your elbows are shoulder-
width apart. Avoid if you have neck or shoulder problems.
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8 Criss-Cross
great for the waist and hip flexors
and tones entire core area

Women’S
FiTneSS
✱ Lie on your back and bring your knees up above your hips bent to
a right angle
✱ Place fingers behind ears, keep elbows wide and lift head from floor
✱ Exhale and peel left shoulder across towards right hip as you
extend the left leg out as low as you can. Keep stomach flat and
10 Side bend
spine in neutral
great for core strength, works the obliques and shoulders
✱ Inhale back to centre and exhale in opposite direction.
✱ Repeat one set of slow repetitions, followed by a set of fast, but
controlled repetitions.

Training tips – Try to keep your stomach flat throughout and move in
a controlled way – don’t let your hips rock as you move. Imagine you are
folding your shoulder towards the opposite hip.

9 Frog legs
strengthens hip rotators and ‘lifts’ your bottom
✱ Lie on your right side, head on outstretched arm and both knees bent
✱ Exhale to open left knee like a clam shell and then lift both feet
from the floor
✱ Inhale to close and repeat
Training tips – keep your waist lifted from the floor and your spine in
a neutral position throughout. Try not to let your hips rock back as you lift
your legs.
✱ Sit on one hip with your knees bent and top leg opened, foot flat on
the floor slightly in front of your sitting bones. Your bottom leg rests
on the floor with the foot just behind your top foot. Your body is
supported on your arm – hand in line with the hip and a little away
from your body. Rest your top hand on your top knee.
✱ Inhale to prepare and lengthen the supporting arm, drawing the
torso away from the floor and the shoulder away from the ear.
✱ Exhale to lift the pelvis upwards (imagine your hips are being lifted
in a sling) squeezing inner thighs together and reaching top arm
overhead.
✱ Inhale to bend the knees and return hip back to the floor and hand
back to the knee.
✱ Repeat x 3-5 on each side.
✱ To increase intensity hold a toning ball in the top hand.
Training tips – keep the hips stacked throughout - one hip on top of
the other. Imagine a sheet of glass is in front of your hips and keep both
hip bones touching the glass. Keep your abdominals engaged and
remain lifted in the ribs and waist and supporting shoulder.

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