PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP WITH EVELYN
This month Evelyn is going to help you level up your fitness game by encouraging you to join her for 3 workouts per week:
Monday,18.00-18.45 - Bodyweight HIIT
Friday, 07.30-8.00 - Strength (incorporating bodyweight and dumbbells)
On-demand - Strength (incorporating bodyweight and dumbbells)
This plan is suitable for beginners and those more experienced (Evelyn will provide opportunities to lower or increase the intensity). For the strength classes you will need dumbbells. If you don’t dumbbell you can use cans or filled water bottles. Evelyn recommends that you also incorporate yoga and/or pilates into your weekly routine.
Evelyn has put together some benchmark exercises that you can use to measure improvements in your fitness and strength over the course of the month. Demonstrations of each of the movements and how to complete the benchmark can be seen in the video below.
Benchmark exercises
Lower Body Challenge - number of squats in 1 minute
Squats are a compound exercise meaning that it requires more than one muscle group to work together (working your quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings), and therefore it is a good way to measure lower body strength. It is a functional movement, which means it directly translates into everyday activities (e.g. sitting and getting up from a chair).
How to perform the squat:
Feet should be just outside hip width distance apart with your toes turned out slightly
Screw your feet to the floor this will ensure you engage your lower body muscles, improve alignment and increase stability.
To initiate the movement think about sitting back and down (bending your knees and pushing your hips back)
Check your knees as you lower, your knees should track toes (i.e. they should not fall inwards).
Aim to get your thighs parallel to the ground.
Make sure you feel planted throughout the squat, focusing on driving through the heels as you power up to standing.
Top tip: Aim for the same depth in the squat each time (this important for when you retest).
Upper body Challenge - maximum time spent in a plank
Plank is a simple way to test upper body and core muscle strength. The plank tests the shoulders, chest, back and core. There are two options for the plank, either on your hands or forearms. The forearm plank will recruit more of your core muscles to do the work. If you are new to core exercises, place the weight through your hands.
How to perform a plank:
For both planks make sure that your shoulders are stacked over your your elbows (and wrists if you have your weight through your hands).
Ground your toes into the floor and squeeze your glutes to stabilise your body.
Focus on a spot on the floor just infront of your hands - be careful not to arch your neck.
Your body should be in a straight line from your ears to your toes
Remember to breath!
Top tip: Don’t comprise quality over time spent in the plank - when you start to deviate from the proper form its time to stop (common culprits are that your back starts to bow, your bum reaches up or your shoulders start to sink).
Fitness Challenge - number of down-ups in 1 minute
A down-up or burpee (when you bring your chest to the floor in the bottom position), calls on every major muscle group for each rep. This full body movement will help develop strength and cardiovascular fitness (the down and up movement increases the heart rate).
How to perform a down-up:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Crouch down to put your hands on the mat, either side of your feet.
Jump or step both feet back so your legs are out behind you, resting on the balls of your feet (high plank position).
Jump or step your feet back to your hands, and come back up to standing.
Top tip: Decide whether you are going to step or jump your feet out and in and do the same for the full 1 minute and on the retest. If you struggle with stepping out and in, place your hands on an elevated surface (e.g. counter top or secure chair), place your hands on the surface and step your feet out and in before standing.
How to complete the benchmark
Complete these benchmark activities at the beginning of the month. Record the date and complete the table below. Make sure you warm-up before completing the test. Rest 2 minutes between each of the exercises. We will repeat these exercises at the end of the month. I would encourage you to record how you feel afterwards (did it feel hard, what was preventing you from doing more reps, did you do more than you thought you would, what made you stop) - this will be good to reflect on at the end of the month.