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Fitness

Is this 20-minute workout routine too much to ask first thing in the morning?

No better way to start the day.

FOUR EXERCISES, FOUR minutes each with four  one-minute periods of rest in between.

How does that sound for an awful start to the day?

Research has shown that training first thing in the morning before breakfast kick-starts metabolism and helps burn fat quicker than a post-breakfast blast, so why not put the theory to the test?

Push-ups

Push ups are the ultimate chest, shoulders and arm exercise. The key is to keep the body as straight as possible. Imagine your ankle, knee, hips and shoulders all in a straight line.

To make them harder, explode upwards and clap your hands together for what is known as a clap push up.

Do as many as you can for a minute and go straight into the next exercise…

The plank

Hold a plank for over 60 seconds, keeping those core muscles engaged. If 60 seconds is too short, make them harder by bringing your right knee up to your right elbow 20 times and the same with the left knee.

Dynamic lunges

These are great for the glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Standing upright, hands on hips, take one large step out in front and drop the knee of the same leg until it touches the floor. Then, when it does, explode upwards and switch legs, bringing the opposite leg forwards and knee down to the floor, repeat, repeat, repeat for 60 seconds. Keep the form consistent.

Performance U / YouTube

Burpees

A bit of an all-rounder here. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down.

The next move will require your palms on the floor, but try not to reach for the floor. Keep your back straight and get your knees to lower you down.

Now, put your weight all on your arms for a second as you thrust your legs backwards and land on your toes to put you in plank position. From there it’s a straight-forward push-up. Down. Up.

Next, after your push-up keep your hands on the ground while jumping your two feet back to their original position.

Finally, take your palms off the deck. Now you’re in squat position so you might as well finish the rep with a jump squat. And repeat for 60 seconds.

That completes four minutes of intense exercise. Take a one-minute breather and repeat the circuit three more times.

I wore a FitBit for a week, and here’s what I learned (and why it made me think of Sting)

3 ways to make your planks a lot harder – and get better results

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