WITH the summer holidays around the corner, you might want to tone up a little in time for bikini season.
Time isn’t something we’re all blessed with, therefore long gym routines could be out of the question.
Devoting just five minutes a day could help to build muscle and tone up your trouble spots.
Whether it be your legs, bums, tums or arms, the team at F45 Mill Hill has got you covered with a mini five-minute workout for each.
For a longer, full-body 20-minute workout, do all four of them together.
For many of the moves you can choose to use dumbbells or weighted items such as tins for extra resistance, however bodyweight also works well.
So this is a home workout, as well as one you can use quickly in the gym.
Tammy Sapir, senior trainer, has designed the workouts, while Amy Brook-Partridge and Maicie Ernestine demonstrate the exercises in the video above.
LEAN LEGS
To tone up your legs, Tammy has focused on exercises that target the quads, hamstrings and calves.
Move slowly throughout the exercises to make sure the legs are working, as rushing is not using the muscles to maximum effect.
Goblet squat – 15 reps
Holding a dumbbell to your chest, or using just your bodyweight, stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart.
Keep your gaze forward as you bend your knees and push your hips back as though sitting on a chair to drop into a squat.
Pause when your elbows come between your knees, then push up back through the heels to rise.
Reverse lunges – 12 reps per leg
With your bodyweight or a dumbbell in one or both hands, stand tall then take a step back with one leg.
Bend your knees to drop into a lunge and stop when the back knee is just above the floor. The front knee should be directly in line with the ankle, not leaning over it.
Push up though your front heel to rise. As you do this, tilt your body forward slightly.
Deadlift – 15 reps
Ideally with a dumbbell or weighted item in each hand, palms facing towards your body, stand tall with feet hip-width apart and arms hanging down in front of you.
Push your hips back as you slide the weight down your legs until at least knee height or lower. You should feel this in the hamstrings at the back of the thighs.
Push up through your feet back to standing,
Calf raises – 20 reps
With a weight in each hand, or using your bodyweight, stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
Slowly push up through the balls of your feet, lifting your heels high off the floor. Pause, then come back down.
You should feel this in your calves, along the back of your lower leg.
Kneel to squat – 12 reps
Holding a dumbbell to your chest with both hands or using your body weight, start in a high kneeling position on the ground.
Then, with your core engaged and gaze forward, stay low as you come out of kneeling into a low squat, before stepping back down into a kneeling position.
LEG WORKOUT
- Goblet squat – 15 reps
- Reverse lunges – 12 reps per leg
- Deadlift – 15 reps
- Calf raises – 20 reps
- Kneel to squat – 12 reps
A PERT BUM
A peachy bottom can be yours with exercises that target the glutes.
Single leg hip thrust – 12 reps per side
Lie back on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Straighten your left leg up overhead and if you have a dumbbell, hold it on the right hip bone.
Pushing up through your right heel, drive your hips up, keeping your left leg extended. Pause when your torso and right thigh are in a straight line, squeeze your glutes, then lower back down.
Hip thrust – 15 reps
Lie back on the ground, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a dumbbell over your hips if you wish.
Push up through your heels and drive your hips up, squeezing your glutes at the top. Pause, then lower back to the start.
Donkey kicks – 15 reps per side
Get into all fours on the ground with your hands directly under your shoulders, knees under your hips, back flat and core engaged.
Kick one leg up behind you, keeping a bend in the knee. As the name suggests, it should look like a donkey kick. It should burn in your bum as you push the heel toward the ceiling.
Then, lower the leg back down to the start.
Sumo squat – 15 reps
Holding one dumbbell in both hands, arms down in front of you, take your feet wide apart. Your stance should feel unnaturally wide with your toes pointed out.
With a slight forward tilt of your body, bend the knees and drop down into a squat. Pause, then push up through your heels.
Single leg deadlift – 10 reps per side
Stand upright, arms down by your side. For extra resistance, you can hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Lift your right leg behind you, and then keeping a tight core, transfer the weight to your left leg, slowly push your hips back and lower your upper body forward.
Your arms should also travel down the front of your body at the same time as your right leg coming up behind you.
Then, push through your left foot to come back to standing, feeling the burn in the buttocks of the standing leg.
BUM WORKOUT
- Single leg hip thrust – 12 reps per side
- Hip thrust – 15 reps
- Donkey kicks – 15 reps per side
- Sumo squat – 15 reps
- Single leg deadlift – 10 reps per side
TONED ARMS
For arms that could rival the A-listers, it’s best to add some resistance to these exercises. Again, move slowly throughout each move and really think about the muscles working.
This workout also targets the shoulders and back.
Bicep curls – 15 reps
Stand upright, feet hip distance apart and arms down by your side.
You’ll need to hold a dumbbell or weighted item in each hand for this, with palms facing forward.
Keeping your upper arms locked to your side, bend at the elbow and lift the dumbbells up to your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the move. Then, slowly lower your forearms back down.
Shoulder press (close grips) – 15 reps
Stand upright holding your dumbbells or weighted items on your shoulders, palms facing inwards.
Keep your knees soft as you press your weights overhead, then slowly bring them back to your shoulders.
Lateral raises – 12 reps
Stand upright with a dumbbell or weighted item in each hand, arms down by your side and palms facing inwards.
Keeping a tight core, lift your arms out to the side simultaneously, until your elbows are in line with your shoulders. Then slowly lower back down.
Bent over rows – 15 reps
For this, stand in a bent-over position with hips pushed back, spine straight and knees soft.
Your arms should hang down straight to the floor.
Ideally, hold a dumbbell or weighted item in each hand with palms facing in towards each other.
Then, retract the back muscles to lift the weights up toward your chest until your arms are parallel to the body. Imagine it’s like lifting a box up to your chest.
Tricep kickbacks – 12 reps
Stand in a bent-over position with hips pushed back, spine straight and knees soft with a dumbbell or weighed item in your hands.
Lift the weights up toward your chest until your arms are parallel to the body.
Bend at the elbows and whilst keeping your upper arms locked into your body, extend your lower arms backwards, feeling the tension in the tricep (back of the top of arm).
ARM WORKOUT
- Bicep curls – 15 reps
- Shoulder press (close grips) – 15 reps
- Lateral raises – 12 reps
- Bent over rows – 15 reps
- Tricep kickbacks – 12 reps
STRONG ABS
For a toned midsection that doesn’t just look good but is functional too, give these moves a try.
Leg raises – 15 reps
Lie flat on the ground. Engage your core and lift your legs up off the ground, keeping them straight, until they are perpendicular to the ground. Or, lift them as high as you can.
Keep your back flat on the floor throughout. Then, slowly lower your legs back down.
V-sit – 3 x 5 seconds
For this, sit on the ground, legs out in front of you with soft knees.
Keeping your back and core engaged, lower your torso back slightly until you’re at a bite point where the abs hurt, but you’re in control.
Lift your legs off the ground so you look like a ‘V’ from the side. Hold this for the allotted time.
Bicycle crunches – 20 reps per side
Lie back flat on the ground.
Place your hands on your temples, lift your shoulders off the ground and bring your legs to a tabletop position with feet off the floor and thighs perpendicular to the ground.
As you drive your left elbow and right knee together to meet, extend your left leg out straight, then switch and straighten your right leg, bringing your left knee and right elbow together.
AB WORKOUT
- Leg raises – 15 reps
- V-sit – 3 x 5 seconds
- Bicycle crunches – 20 reps per side
- Plank – 45 seconds to 1 minute
- Shoulder taps – 12 reps per side
Plank – 45 seconds to 1 minute
To get into a plank position, rest on your forearms and toes, keeping your body aligned and engage your core, back, glutes and legs. Hold this position for the allotted time.
Shoulder taps – 12 reps per side
From your plank position, get into a high plank position but come up onto your hands so your hands are directly under your shoulders.
Keeping your core engaged and body as still as possible, tap your right shoulder with your left hand, then lower the hand back down.
Then, swap sides and tap your left shoulder with your right hand.
Can you target fat loss to one area?
We all have those wobbly bits we’d like to change more than others.
Targeted fat loss, often referred to as “spot reduction,” is the idea that you can lose fat from a specific part of your body by focusing exercise to that area.
However, the scientific consensus is that spot reduction is largely a myth.
When you lose fat, it tends to come off in a genearl manner, spread over the body.
It is determined by genetics and hormonal factors rather than specific exercises.
However, you can focus exercise on a certain muscle which can help it to tone and grow.
This can contribute to a different look of that area, especially if you are lean (meaning there is not much fat there).
To lose fat:
- Reduce the calories you eat
- Have a balanced diet, making sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. These contain fibre which help you feel more full
- Do regular exercise more than you were before. This could be walking, gym classes or weights
- Stick to something long term. If your plan is too drastic, you’re more likely to give up
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
