IT’S THAT TIME of the year again when we all have good intentions but achieving results is easier said than done.
Unfortunately parting with a membership fee and dragging yourself to the gym a couple of days a week is only laying the foundations for you to achieve your end goal, whatever that may be.
Not all of us have access to a personal trainer to kickstart our training so we’ve teamed up with a leading personal trainer to design a six-week programme for you to follow.
This is a full body workout and will help you settle into the gym, become familiar with the machines and exercises and help you on your way to discernible results.
The equipment and machines we will be using will be available in any gym. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email fitness@the42.ie.
Before we get into week five, here’s last week’s workout.
Week 5
After last week’s HIIT workout we are going to superset four exercises that compliment each other well. A superset is doing two exercises back-to-back.
You should alternate between the first two exercises only resting after each set.
Superset 1
1. Walking lunges
Stand with your legs slightly apart but still beneath your hips. Inhale and take a big step (lunge) forward keeping your torso as straight as possible.
Keep going until your quad is horizontal to the floor, your knee slightly traveling over the front toes.
Push with your back leg, bringing yourself upright to your start position. Swap the foot and carry on for 14-20 paces, turn and repeat.
Progression: Add dumbbells or a barbell
2. Good mornings
Stand with your feet slightly apart, with the bar resting on your shoulders. Inhale and bend your torso forward, keeping your back straight. Bend slightly at the knees, return to your initial position and exhale. This really works the hamstrings and glutes.
Superset 2
1. Parallel bar dips
Hang from the parallel bars with your arms extended, legs suspended and ankles crossed. Inhale and bend your elbows to bring your chest level with the bar, shoulders dipping lower than the elbows. Return to your initial extended arm position.
Repeat for as many reps as possible. If you are a beginner use the dips machine.
Progression: Add a weights belt.
2. Inverted row
Use a smith machine and place the bar at waist height. Take a wider than shoulder width grip on the bar and position yourself hanging underneath.
Your body should be straight with your heels on the ground and your arms fully extended. This will be your starting position.
Begin by flexing the elbow, pulling your chest upwards towards the bar. Retract your shoulder blades and pause at the top of the motion.
Lower yourself back to the start position, do as many reps as possible, but keep the body straight. If you start to use your hips take a second and go again.
Progression: Add a weighted plate to your chest, try a wide grip pull-up.
Matt Keatley is a Personal Trainer & Nutritionist. For more information on training programmes and diet check out his Facebook and Instagram. Check back next Thursday for the sixth week of the programme.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
