That Girl That Girl
Want to get fitter than ever this year? Personal trainer Christina Howells has got the perfect answer…
With Christmas finally over and the New Year well and truly here, we’re looking for a way to rev up our exercise regimes to give us a head start for seeing our fitness New Year’s resolutions through to completion. Thankfully, That Girl’s Christina Howells has the perfect quick and effective fix you can do anytime and anywhere which fits perfectly into even the most hectic of January schedules.
Taking high intensity interval training to the next level, it’s been designed to give your workouts an added boost to get you feeling fitter, trimmer and better equipped to deal with the post-Crimbo aftermath. “This workout is high intensity interval training but in a different format where the moves have been ‘stacked.’ With each round you increase the amount of effort but not the rest time,” says Christina.
“Not only does the workout give your metabolism a boost for the day helping you to burn more calories even when you have finished, it will also increase lean body mass which is 3 times more metabolically active than fat – over time you will become a fat burning machine.”
And the clincher? These are all exercises you can do at home.
Feeling motivated? Enter the code GLOSS 20 at www.thatgirllondon.com and receive a 20% discount on the That Girl Original and That Girl 2.0 workout plans (from the 12th of January 2014 to the 12th of February 2014) to keep you fit, lean and strong all year long. Sounds like a recipe for success to us. Here’s a taster of the moves you need to know…
How to do it
1. Do Exercise 1 for 30 seconds; rest for 30 seconds.
2. Do Exercise 1 and 2 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds.
3. Do Exercises 1, 2 and 3 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds.
4. Do Exercises 1, 2, 3, 4 for 30 seconds each; rest for 30 seconds.
5. Rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat the sequence again for a real intense burst to your day.
Notes
If you are newer to exercise then increase your rest period to 45 or 60 seconds, but remember to decrease this as your fitness improves.
Exercise 1: Rock ‘n’ Rolls
Challenges your abdominals with movement.
Position
Sit on your mat with your knees bent and feet wider than hip width apart. Pull your abdominals inwards to create a C-curve spine and lightly clasp your hands in front of you.
Action
Scoop the abdominals in deeper so your spine is round and on an inhale, rock back onto the base of your shoulder blades. Using an exhale, keep the abdominals scooped as you roll back up to the start position.
Top Tips
Keep the abdominals engaged and your back in a curved shape throughout.
If you have a medicine ball to hand, then you can always hold this between your hands for an added challenge. Choose a weight that does not compromise your technique.
Exercise 2: Glossy Hops
A cardio burst – anytime, anywhere!
Position
Hands and feet on the floor with hips held high to form a pyramid position. Your knees are slightly bent.
Action
Keeping your hands firmly planted on the floor, bend your knees deeply to propel your hips upwards as you jump, feet together, from right to left. Focus on drawing your abdominals inwards and tucking your heels towards your buttocks.
Make sure you land softly.
Top Tips
Too difficult? Keep working on bending through the knees and springing upwards from the hips.
Too easy? Find a low bench or use a gym bench. Stand to one side and, holding onto the front of the bench with a hand either side, soft jump up and over the bench.
MORE GLOSS: 5 kitchen switch-ups for a flat stomach
Exercise 3: Glossers
Want to maximise your plank? Then add movement to challenge stability. You don’t need real gliders – paper plates, tea towels, padded envelopes or dusters work just fine.
Position
Come into plank on your hands and feet with the your “gliders” under your toes. Your wrists should be directly beneath your shoulders. Your body forms a straight line from head to feet, neck is long and gaze is down.
Action
Focus on engaging your abdominals and keeping the back flat as you open one leg outwards towards the hip and return.Alternate legs.
Top Tips
Be mindful not to arch your back or stick your bum in the air. You can most certainly do this one on your forearms too.
Exercise 4: Zombies
The full body ultimate challenge.
Position
Lie on your back, arms over your head and legs together.
Action
From a lying position, roll your body up using your arms for just a little momentum to a crouched position and place the hands on the floor beside you. Immediately jump back into a plank position and lower into a full press-up. Now jump the feet back to the hands and from this crouched squat position, jump your body upwards using your arms to propel you.
Top Tips
If you are still working on full press-ups, then for this exercise you can eliminate the press-up and focus on pausing momentarily in the plank position. Keep the speed up while maintaining quality.
Model is wearing the Charli Cohen Aerial Bra and Laser Leggings from the SS15 collection.
