Workout plan
Look and feel great in four weeks with this easy-to-follow toning routine that you can do in the comfort of your own home
The key to this workout plan is that it combines cardiovascular exercise with strength training to increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories, even while you are resting.
Whether you are a beginner or have lifted weights before, this workout will tone your whole body and improve your shape. But remember to focus on how good the exercise makes you feel, rather than how you would like to look. Accept your body and try to reduce the pressure you feel to look a certain way; concentrate on making it the best you can.
This programme is a great kick-start to a healthier lifestyle. In four weeks you will be leaner, stronger, have more flexibility and improved posture. The plan has been designed to let you continue it for as long as you wish.
Body benefits- Stronger bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments
- More muscle mass. This is great because muscle tissue helps to burn up more calories and fat, even when you're resting
- A reduced risk of osteoporosis
- A leaner and more toned body shape
- Increased confidence and a greater sense of well-being
In order to achieve your fitness goals, you must eat a nutritious, balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Without the right fuel, you won't get the full benefit of your workout, and your body will struggle to recover properly afterwards.
Try to eat small, regular meals every two to three hours, which include complex carbohydrates like vegetables and pasta, protein like pulses and red meat, and essential fats from oily fish. This will help keep your energy and metabolic rates high.
Check out our guide to when it's best to eat and exercise.
Beginners - Use light to moderate weight (two kilos) dumbbells and a green Dyna-Band.
Intermediate - If you have been exercising for up to six months previously, use moderate weight (four kilos) dumbbells and a mauve Dyna-Band.
Advanced - If you have been training for longer than six months, use a weight so that when performing the first set of each exercise, the last four or five repetitions are quite difficult (five kilos plus), and use a grey Dyna-Band.
Water
Water is essential when working out. Drink small amounts every fifteen minutes if you can. It will replace fluids lost through sweating and help fuel your metabolism to breakdown food and turn it into energy. If you don't drink enough, you won't burn as many calories.
Breathing
Don't hold your breath when you exercise. As a general rule, you should exhale when your muscles contract (on the effort or exertion), and inhale when they lengthen, and as you return to the starting position of the exercise. Sometimes the confusion over when to breathe out comes from not knowing which phase (contraction or lengthening) we are in when we exercise. Here is a breakdown of how to breathe. Correct breathing patterns will become second nature with a little experience.
Warm-up and cool-down
Before you start a strength training or cardiovascular workout, it's vital that you warm-up for 5-10 minutes. This process will gradually increase your heart rate and body temperature, get your joints ready for activity and prepare your body for the upcoming workload.
After your workout, you should stretch in order to cool down, lower your heart rate and help prevent injury and muscle soreness.
Training tips
- Perform each exercise with controlled and slow movements. Quality is more important than quantity. You should feel every point of the movement.
- Each repetition should take about four seconds to complete: two seconds to lift the weight (or stretch the band) and two seconds to lower it. Moving any faster uses momentum rather than muscle power, and it makes the exercise less effective.
- Start with 90 seconds rest between sets. You need enough time to allow your muscles to completely recover, but not too much time that you lose focus on the workout. The fitter you get, the less rest time you will need. Gradually cut your between-set rest periods down to 30 seconds, then 15.
- Always listen to your body. It'll tell you loud and clear how and when to proceed. Never overdo it.
Frequency
You should do the toning workout once a week, as well as three 30-minute sessions of cardiovascular exercise each week.
What you'll need
These products are available from leading sports shops.
- Exercise mat from £8.95
- Dumbbells from £5.95 a set
- Swiss ball from £10.99 or bench for core stability work from £69.00
- Dyna-Band priced £9.99
Let's get started
Good luck, train hard and enjoy!