Surely one of the few silver linings of this lockdown is all the extra time. Suddenly, we’ve got endless days and evenings to fill — and that’s forcing us to tackle the jobs, chores and tasks we’ve been putting off for months. You’ve learned Wonderwall on the guitar (now please unlearn it), you’ve defrosted the freezer and you’ve even finally finished Mad Men. Worth the wait, wasn’t it?
But one job we keep pushing and pushing? Our workouts. True, we may have vowed that we’d use this spell of self-isolation to exercise ourselves into superhuman shape, but it just hasn’t quite worked out that way. When we open Instagram to live-stream a fitness class, we just end up mouth-watering our way through feeds of food photography. We’ve even had to convert our home gyms into home offices.
But don’t despair. Here at Gentleman’s Journal, we’re turning to experts to help you with everything from running to finding your six-pack. And so, for anyone finding it difficult to keep up with involved workout schedules, model James Yates has offered up a simplified, one-hour lockdown workout. So enough with those exercises excuses — it’s time to get in shape.
“The way I’d structure a one-hour workout is actually very simple,” says Yates, “and is something I do quite often myself. It comes to 60 minutes total — but can be scaled to fit your schedule, because it works minute-by-minute. Every minute, on the minute, you start an exercise.
“There are five exercises,” he continues, “and once you’ve completed your reps, you rest for the remainder of the minute. Then, on the turn of the next minute, you start the next exercise. The sixth minute is a one-minute rest, so altogether 10 rounds of this six minute circuit adds up to one hour. And it’s a circuit that works your full body; combining strength aspects as well as cardio.”
Minute 1: 10 Burpees (advanced exercisers should do 15)
Minute 2: 20 Squats
Minute 3: 15 Push-Ups
Minute 4: 20 Jumping Lunges (10 on either side)
Minute 5: 30 seconds of Mountain Climbers
Minute 6: Rest for one minute
“These rep ranges can be scaled up or down depending on your fitness levels,” Yates adds. “They should end up equating to around 30 seconds exercise and 30 seconds rest for each — so really push yourself and then enjoy the rest! If you want to make it harder, aim for 40 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest for each.”
You heard the man. And there’s no complaining that you’re one kettlebell too short, or don’t understand the exercises with this one. Stripped-back and simple, Yates’ one-hour workout is the ideal no-sweat workout for novices. So hop to it.
Want to go for the full set-up? Here’s what you need to create the ultimate home gym…
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