It’s cold, you’re busy. what you need is  a foolproof workout you can do at home. here’s one we made earlier…

Words by Mark Laws

“Ohhhh the weather outside is frightful…”, all the more reason to stay inside. Dark mornings, dark afternoons, de-icing the car every morning – it can only mean one thing…winter is here! After a long hard day at work you would be forgiven for being tempted to skip the gym and head straight home. We are supposed to fatten up a bit over Christmas anyway, right? But is it possible to have your proverbial cake and eat it? Well, for those of you that do want to keep on top of your training throughout the winter but don’t want to venture out in the cold any more than necessary, here is an early Christmas present from your old mate Santa cLaws.

First things first, this workout needs to be easy to learn and quick to carry out, leaving you as much time as possible to plan your Christmas.

Secondly, it needs to be something capable of challenging your body as much (if not more) than your normal gym routine.

Finally, it needs to be something that you find enjoyable, so you are more likely to stick to it.

In my opinion there is only one winner – bodyweight suspension training. Minimal equipment needed, maximum results yielded. Suspension systems don’t have to cost an arm and a leg, in fact even if you are saving all your pennies for your mum’s presents I guarantee there is something laying around the house that you could use, like a large towel or rope from the garage… with a little ingenuity even a spare bedsheets can be folded up and used to perform these drills (if you can’t work out how email me and I will show you mark.laws@jordanfitness.co.uk).

Bodyweight suspension training came into the mainstream after a Navy Seal tied his parachute straps around a branch in the jungle. In order to maintain the strength required to perform his duties, Randy Hetrick created a device that was light enough to be transported anywhere, was small enough to fit into his backpack and was versatile enough to challenge his elite level of fitness. The TRX was born and bodyweight suspension training was officially here. Ten years on, and there are a dozens of similar products on the market capable of achieving the same thing. Luckily, you don’t have to go to the jungle and you don’t have to spend a fortune. The Jungle Gym XT is available from  www.jordanfitness.co.uk for £106.80…or you can look around your house and make something yourself…

As you can see from the photos over the page, it is possible to use a bed sheet, towel or piece of rope for all of the exercises in my workout. Whatever you use, please ensure it is secured safely to an anchor point and whatever you have secured it to must also be strong enough to take your weight. Doors, stairs or exposed beams will work perfectly. The dual strap design of the Jungle Gym XT (pictured right) allows for a huge range of progressions on all exercises and has a built in door anchor that can be used safely even on a wardrobe door, so there really is no excuse not to find somewhere in your home to do this workout.

Strength Exercises:

Perform 3 sets of 10 of each exercise. Once these become second nature, then try the exercises on the right hand side. Maybe reduce the reps to allow for the added difficulty.

Upper Body Push

1. Easy: Two Handed Chest Press

Keep the weight on the balls of your feet, face away from the anchor point and stay strong throughout your entire body maintaining a straight line from ankles to earlobes. Bend at the elbow lowering your chest towards the floor and then push back up to starting position. Move feet forwards to make it easier. Move feet backwards to increase intensity.

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1. Hard: Single Arm Chest Press

Start with slightly wider foot position to ensure stability. Turn towards the handle slightly so your sternum moves directly towards the handle during the downwards phase.

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Lower Body Push

1. Easy: Rear Elevated Split Squat

Back leg will be anchored in the strap/ sheet. Front leg will do the work as you lower yourself down into a lunge position. Keep the back knee off the floor so you don’t have to explain the carpet burns!! Use your arms for balance.

1. Hard: Ress PLYD

Same exercise as before but now you are going to drive up out of the lunge so both legs are temporarily off the floor. Drive the anchored leg’s knee up towards the ceiling before landing gracefully and smoothly into the next repetition.

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Upper Body Pull

1. Easy: Upright Row

Same set up as the chest press but this time you are facing the anchor point. Pull yourself up towards the handles remembering to keep the rest of the body completely straight. At the top of the movement your wrist, elbow and shoulder should all be level.

1. Hard: Inverted Row

Once you get the hang of this movement you can work through the progressions to get to ‘show off’ level. Move the feet towards the anchor point to increase the difficulty. Elevate the feet onto a box or the wall for maximum difficulty.

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Lower Body Pull

1. Easy: Two Legs Hamstring Curl

Lie on your back with both feet anchored around 12-18 inches off the floor. Lift the hips up towards the ceiling maintaining that straight line from ankles to earlobes again. Now curl your heels towards your backside and say ‘hello’ to your hamstrings.

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2. Hard: Single Leg Hamstring Curl

This is not for the faint hearted but will work wonders for reducing any imbalances between your dominant and non-dominant side. Same set up as before but now only one foot is secured. Lay back and enjoy…

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Core

1. Easy: Tuck

Face the floor with both feet anchored and get into a straight arm plank position. Start with the straight line from ankles to earlobes but this time you are going to bend at the knee and pull both knees up towards your chest. Pause for a couple of seconds and return smoothly to the beginning. Spice it up by driving the left knee to right elbow and vice versa.

1. Hard: Pike

Same starting position as the ‘Tuck’. Instead of bending at the knee you are going to ‘hinge’ at the hip. Push your backside up towards the ceiling, start small and gradually increase the range of movement or you may end up doing a forward roll. If you can get your hips directly above your head you are doing well…then you can try a single leg version!