With so many moving parts: friends, family, your pursuit of the corner office — modern London life has an astounding ability to absorb every waking minute. And, admittedly, some of the minutes you’re meant to be sleeping, too. This is very bad news for your health and fitness.
With time at a premium, corners are cut – Deliveroos are ordered, workouts are missed, supplements are forgotten, and sleep is cut short. But while these are often the first things to go as the pressures of city life close in, they are, ironically, the best way to ensure success both in and out of the gym.
Which is where we come in. In a bid to help you boost body and mind on a tight schedule we’re embarking on a series of expert-led articles, throughout September and October, to help you squeeze more from your day. Across workouts, nutrition, supplements and recovery, our trainers are going to share their tips to make every 24 hours more efficient and introduce you to a true, high-performance lifestyle.
To start, we’re dispelling the myth of the lunch hour workout. Make time for a kit change and shower and you’re left with 45 minutes, max. Fool yourself and take on a 60 minute session and you’ll miss out sets, rush reps, leave the gym stressed and, ultimately, cut your progress short. The remedy is simple. Elite Trainer Callum Melly has created the three ultimate 45-minute workouts that are perfectly balanced to help you achieve your goals in a realistic timeframe. Follow his lead.
Goal: Build strength and muscle mass
Full Body Workout
Primary: Barbell Squat – 3 sets of 10 reps (60 secs rest after set)
SUPERSET (60 sec rest after each superset)
Primary: Dumbbell Step-Up – 3 sets of 10 reps
Secondary: Barbell Glute Bridge – 3 sets of 10 reps
Primary: Barbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Secondary: Dumbbell Tate Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Primary: T-Bar Row – 3 sets of 10 reps
Secondary: Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets of 10 reps
Primary: Barbell Overhead Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Secondary: Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 10 reps
Primary: Butterfly Sit-Ups – 3 sets of 20 reps
Secondary: Plank – 60 Seconds
Goal: Burn fat and boost endurance
Cardio Workout
Primary Workout
15 Calorie Row
10 Burpees
60 Seconds Rest
Repeat for 7 Rounds
Take 3 Minutes recovery before the secondary workout
Secondary Workout
Norwegian 4 x 4 HIIT Protocol
4 Minute Treadmill Run at 85-95% Max Heart Rate
3 Minute Rest
Repeat for 4 Rounds
Goal: Relax the mind and repair the body
Low-Intensity Recovery Session
Primary Roll/Stretch/Release
Total-body foam roll
Dynamic Stretch Routine – do 2 sets of 15 reps of the following exercises:
- T-Spine Rotation
- Plank Walkouts
- Lunge Torso Twists
- March & Reach
Animal Flow Sequence
Do 3 minutes each of the following exercises, resting for 60 seconds before progressing to the next movement:
- Crab Flip
- Beast Reach
- Bear Crawl
Secondary Workout
20 Minute low-intensity treadmill run at 60-70% max heart rate
