Last Saturday I got super high. No, there were no unnatural substances in sight. I was literally riding the incredible endorphins from the successful launch of my new Fit Brit Collective Wimbledon Bootcamps. From the turnout (a healthy 9 people), to the weather (warm and dry, despite a dubious forecast), to the energy levels (maximum and beyond!), to the goodie bags (worth over £40, thanks to amazing contributors including Sweaty Betty and Fitty London) – every second between 10am and 11am was absolute perfection. I can’t wait until the next one this Saturday – it’s even busier than last week and we’ve set the bar so high already! To convince you to join in, or prepare you for what’s to come if you’ve already booked, here is a little summary of what to expect…

Teamwork (and friendly abuse)

We’re called a Collective for a reason. When you show up to bootcamp (or any Fit Brit Collective class or workout), you are attending a fitness family gathering. You might work alone, in pairs or in small groups, but whatever the format you’ll receive constant support from your family, and will be returning that support to everyone around you. Remember, sometimes this takes the form of encouraging words or the extra motivation of moving in unison with your partner, and sometimes this means inflicting revenge on your workout buddy when it’s your turn to put in the effort. Liz and Emily (below) were all too happy to ‘encourage’ each other by digging in extra hard during these resistance band sprints last Saturday. We’re a loving crew, with an extra specialism in tough love ;).

Bodyweight centred training

I say bodyweight ‘centred’ because I love equipment like kettlebells, slam balls, sandbells and resistance bands, but with every move I emphasise a core connection and body awareness to deepen the burn (and the benefits). You’ll do exercise with and without equipment, learning the importance of form, positioning and control in order to improve the quality of your exercise and the results that follow. It’s my hope that you leave every session feeling like you’ve learned something new, become more connected to your body and feel more confident about your next workout.

Exercise to fatigue

Now don’t be scared by this heading. I won’t leave you lying immobile and sweat-drenched on the Common, but I do want to help you achieve the right effort level to make your last few reps of every exercise a genuine struggle. Ideally, we’re talking shaky muscles, an elevated heart rate and that mind/body battle where your unstoppable willpower ultimately helps you get through to the very end. Why? Because those final few seconds or reps – the ones you least want to complete – are the ones that have the biggest impact on improving your strength, fitness, stamina and performance. You’re coming to bootcamp for a reason, and we both know it’s not for a comfortable, easy workout.

Constant surprises

From the playlists, to the workout formats, to the exercise selection, to the scenery (horses joining in for bootcamp, anyone?), right down to extra incentives and prizes when I’m feeling generous… I’m all about surprises, in every form and variation. Although I’m writing this post so you know roughly what to expect from these sessions, it’s only fair to warn you that you must also expect the unexpected. Every week I’ll keep your body guessing (which guarantees better results and helps you break past those niggly training plateaus). Plus, stay tuned for special collaborations, post-bootcamp brunches, Fit Brit Collective socials and plenty more surprises throughout the summer!

One grateful trainer

Phhhheewww, can you smell that? Yep, it’s a giant chunk of cheese coming at you. One thing you can always be sure of is my genuine appreciation for turning up, working your ass off and supporting my growing SW London fitness family. My clients (and now my bootcampers) are the main inspiration for everything I do, and by sharing your fitness journey with me you’re making me one seriously happy, grateful trainer. That’s enough rom com for now, time to get on with that tough love…

Book your spot in advance for the next Saturday that suits you. Make a date with yourself, commit to it, and get ready to start your weekend in the fierce & fun spirit of Fit Brit Collective Wimbledon Bootcamps. To book, email brit@fitbritcollective.com. Discount packages also available here. 

I’m not a natural born runner. I’m not bad in the speed department, but the thought of committing to weeks on end of long distance training runs has never appealed to me, so that pretty much rules out a marathon (although I am infinitely inspired by the drive and resilience of the long distance runners among you). I prefer my cardio short and sharp, so my heart screams and my pulse soars and it’s all over before I can blink. The post-workout endorphins after a challenging tabata session are like nothing else. I feel powerful. I feel light on my feet (even if my legs don’t always oblige). I feel like I can tackle anything that comes my way.

Aside from the incredible feel-good factor of the toughest high-intensity exercises, the physical benefits are also second to none. As someone who always feels short on time, the result to time ratio of every workout is hugely important to me. And incorporating high-intensity cardio supersets into conditioning workouts is the easiest way to reduce the time of your workouts while maintaining (or even increasing) the benefits of each session.

Here are just a few of the reasons to love cardio conditioning supersets:

• You sweat more – The body heat rises more quickly with the sharp increase in energy expenditure. Cue the opening of the pores and that gloriously natural detoxifying effect of a good sweat session.

• Afterburn is amplified – The more times your heart rate spikes and then drops off again (compared to steady state cardio like endurance running, which keeps the heart rate level), the greater the metabolic activity after your training. That means by working harder for less time, you can burn more fat and calories for longer.

• Faster muscle fatigue – While this may sound like a negative, tiring your muscles out faster during conditioning segments means they get rapidly stronger to meet your regular training demands. Your body also becomes more efficient, your lactic acid threshold rising to be able to sustain greater effort for longer. Yes, this means you’ll be able to get in an extra burpee or two, but you’ll also feel the difference as you race effortlessly up escalators or catch that bus just in the nick of time.

Convinced? Time to put your new knowledge to practice. Do 3 sets of 15 reps for each of the below supersets, with 30 seconds rest between each round. I selected these combinations for super-quick transitions, so minimise any pause between the two exercises in each superset.

Deadlifts to squat jack 

Holding a kettlebell or pair of dumbbells weighing at least 10kg, assume a hip-width stance and ‘switch on’ your abdominals as you bend with a straight spine towards your toes. When the weight gently taps the floor, slowly return to the top while keeping your legs straight – and say hello to your hamstrings. Quick, straight on to your squat jacks! Drop the hips back and down and touch the sides of your heels, then explode up as you push through your heels to jump up and jack your legs out to the sides. Land in a perfect mid-width squat position and transition smoothly between every rep.

Military crawl to side to side plank jumps

I have to credit one of my colleagues at Heartcore who inspired this military crawl plank. Warning: he does it on the Reformer Pilates Bed, with the carriage opening beneath you like the jaws of an angry shark. This floor-based version is far kinder, but similarly adds variety to your plank and challenges stability through your spine. In a flat back forearm plank, stack your forearms one in front of the other. Then take a few slow controlled crawls forward by alternating which forearm is in front, following with your feet behind. Continue crawling for up to 60 seconds before moving straight into your high plank on your hands, then get that heart rate high with side to side plank jumps. Keep your back as straight as possible and your feet together as you pounce from one side of the mat to the other. Light on your toes and steady through your hips!

V-sits to resistance band crab jumps

With a resistance band tied snug just above your knees, find your long spine position on your back and slowly peel your shoulders and legs off the floor in one simultaneous movement. Meet in the middle and hover for a moment in a V-sit. The addition of the resistance band will help to reinforce your straight leg position and keep your toes together, which increases the challenge for those lower abs. Feeling crabby? A set of crab jumps will set you right with a rush of cardiovascular endorphins and a satisfying extra burn in the sides of your glutes. Plant your hands behind you and lift your hips towards the ceiling so the front of your body forms a box. Maintain this position, squeezing your glutes and engaging your core, while jumping your feet in and out against the resistance of the band.

Slider side planks to mountain climbers

Sliders* are a go-to for me when I need a home workout or want to slow down and think about form. However, they’re also great for speeding up. This combination of side pike and mountain climbers does both. Place your hands directly beneath your shoulders and the sides of your feet on the sliders, top leg in front. From here, keep your legs together and your shoulders directed towards the floor as you squeeze the sliders as far in to your torso as possible. Think about reaching your hips high towards the ceiling and exhaling into the working oblique. After up to 15 slow controlled pikes, square your hips and position your toes on the sliders, then drive one knee at a time in towards your chest. The extra resistance of maintaining contact with the floor adds a subtle core conditioning element to the classic cardio superhero that is the mountain climber.

*You can also perform this exercise using paper plates or face cloths.

Press-ups to vinyasa jump throughs

Inspired by the most challenging vinyasa yoga classes, this press-up / jump through combination will give you a gleeful burst of energy when it suddenly clicks and you can begin to speed up your transitions into your V-sit or ‘boat pose’ at the top. Start in press-up position, your hands beneath your shoulders and your glutes and hamstrings active. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and slowly lower your chest to the floor. After you’ve completed all your reps here, fire through the core to shift the weight into your hands and kick your feet up and through to the front of the mat. Try not to let your feet touch the floor, but straight away lean back with your shoulders and lift up through your toes towards the ceiling. Hover in V-sit, then reverse. Voila!

As I leave you with my favourite fat-blitzing supersets to help you feel the burn, I’m off on the next flight to Australia. I’ll be giving my body a little rest, so I can come back to my own supersets feelings fresher and stronger. I look forward to catching up on the other side, when I’ll have lots of holiday news as well exciting Fit Brit Collective updates to report ;).

Brit x

If you’ve got an eye for detail, you may have spotted a change on my Meet Brit page. But then again, I like to think you all spend more time working out, cooking healthy meals and generally enjoying life more than you do studying my pages for minor editorial changes. So this will be news to most of you – I have now moved on from studying and am officially an all-singing all-dancing all-jumping personal trainer!

Since I first dipped my toe in the water and guided my friend Basma through her flat stomach transformation, and taught my first class at Sweaty Betty, I’ve relished every minute spent helping people get better results and more enjoyment from their workouts. These 1-2-1 and group sessions are genuinely my favourite part of the week – the high I get from seeing clients’ proud faces after a hard workout is second to none. And I couldn’t be more excited to have achieved a massive bucket list goal and become qualified to take my passion for fitness to a professional level.

Better yet, I’ll be starting off my career as an instructor in one of London’s top boutique fitness studios. I can’t reveal much yet, but look out for more news and a timetable of my classes coming soon. Suffice to say, I’ve been going to this studio for the best part of a year and have never once left feeling I could have worked harder. I hope I can set the bar just as high, and I’ll be nervously inviting you all to come down, try out my classes and give me your feedback in a few short weeks!

For now, I will be focusing on group fitness and taking on just a small handful of private clients. I’m spinning around lots of exciting ideas to grow the Fit Brit Collective, and I can’t wait to take you all along for the journey. In the meantime, keep an eye out or follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more updates about how and where you can join me for one of the best workouts in London!

I was so excited when several of you told me last week’s workout helped you overcome obstacles to exercising at home. Many of you said you’d either skipped workouts because you didn’t want to disturb your neighbours, or you’d wasted money on noise-absorbing mats that didn’t do the trick. In this second instalment, I give you a 20 minute circuit that uses only your bodyweight for resistance and makes you sweat by working multiple muscle groups across a wide range of motion. As it requires zero equipment and minimal space, it’s a great option for keeping fit over Christmas. Do it alone or pair it with the no-noise dumbbell workout from last week for a longer, more intense training session (you know, when the guilt sets in after devouring an entire box of truffles…).

How it’s done 

Perform each move in the full-body circuit below for 45 seconds, and leave no rest between exercises. When you’ve completed the circuit, rest for 30 seconds and repeat twice more.

Single leg squat and reach 

Ready. Steady. (I mean really steady). Go! Hover your right leg over the floor and stay strong through the core as you squat very low and reach down in front of your standing left leg. Don’t allow your right foot to touch the ground. Pause at the bottom, then return to standing and shoot your arms above your head. Perform a full 45 seconds on one side before switching legs.

Sliding single leg bridge 

Come down to the floor and lie on your back with your feet close to your bottom. Press through your heels to come into a full bridge position – the front to your body should look like a 45-degree ski jump (no bumps or dips to trip anyone up!). Taking the weight out of your left leg while maintaining level hips, slide your left heel along the floor and slowly slide it back to the start. Repeat all your reps on one side before switching over. Your glutes and hamstrings should feel hot and heavy after the full 1.5 minutes!

Single leg tricep dips 

Time to give your legs a rest. Resume the bridge position but place your hands on the floor behind you. Make sure your elbows are pointing straight back as you press away from the floor. Switch legs around the 20 second mark, or make this move slightly easier by placing both feet on the ground.

Lateral press-ups 

Turn over and place your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Make sure you have a bit of space either side of you – you’re going to cover a lot of ground with this press-up. Take your right hand as far out to the right as possible and lower your chest until it’s hovering just about the floor. Press back to the start then plant your left hand as far out to the left as possible and lower to the floor. By covering a greater distance, your heart has to pump faster to keep up and your back and core muscles work extra hard to stabilise you.

Two-way forearm plank 

Now those abs are warmed up, let’s crank up the challenge. From a high plank position, lift your right leg behind you and crunch it in to your left elbow. Extend it behind you then bring it up to the outside of your right elbow – you should feel a very intense contraction in your obliques. Perform a full 45 seconds on this side before repeating the sequence on the left.

Alternating crunch and V-up 

Almost done! This one is a great for retaining (or recovering) a flat stomach over the holidays. Contract your abdominals and gently lift your shoulders off the floor. Slowly lower, then explode off the floor and simultaneously lift your legs. Think about coming down to the floor with as much control as you come up – that’s where you’ll feel (and see) the change.

You’ve done it! Take a 30 second break, then run through the whole thing twice more.

Thank you for following this short workout series! I’m always open to suggestions and happy to take requests, so do let me know if there are any particular workouts you’d like to see on Fit Brit Collective! 

If, like me, your living room floor is directly above someone else’s bedroom, you’ll understand my reticence at tuck jumping my neighbours awake in the mornings. Or knocking the dust off their roof as an unwanted reminder that they’re well overdue a spring clean. But sometimes, like in the busy lead up to Christmas, the only time we can squeeze in a workout is at home, sandwiched between our work, personal and social commitments. That’s why I’ve developed this no-noise high-intensity workout to make sure you’re taking as much care over your waistlines as you are over that gargantuan Christmas to do list.

How’s it work?

Instead of jumping around, I use compound movements to maximise the blood flow around the body and get your heart pumping without setting off the neighbours. By incorporating light dumbbells, you’re also working against resistance and calling your deep inner abdominis muscles into action (the ones that provide a nice flat base for your six-pack). As an added bonus, the low-impact nature of the routine also means it’s gentle on your joints – useful when you’re packing a few extra pounds after inhaling that Christmas turkey.

More to come

If you want a little more, I’ll be posting a second no-noise high-intensity circuit at the same time next week, which works great as an addition to this one or performed on alternate days.

Let’s get started

Perform each move in the full-body circuit below for 45 seconds, and leave no rest between exercises. When you’ve completed the circuit, rest for 30 seconds and repeat twice more. If you don’t have a set of light dumbbells (I’m using 1.5kg), fill up a couple of 500ml water bottles instead. It should take you roughly 20 minutes – just enough time to counterbalance that extra mince pie.

Side steps with lateral raises

This move will warm up your cardiovascular (read: fat burning) system and switch on the muscles in your core, shoulders and arms. As you take two steps out to the right, raise your arms out to the sides, staying in sync with your feet. Repeat to the left. The longer and straighter your arm extensions, the greater the challenge and benefit.

Squat with overhead press and leg extensions

Holding your dumbbells in front of your shoulders, drop into a mid-stance squat. Think about pressing your butt directly back and down, while keeping your core engaged so your chest remains facing forward. As you come up, take most of your weight in the left leg and extend your right leg out to the side. Press the dumbbells directly overhead at the same time. Simultaneously lower your leg and the dumbbells, and repeat on the other side.

Reverse lunge with bicep curls

Assume a wide reverse lunge stance, holding the dumbbells by your side. Bend your front leg and drop your back knee towards the floor as you curl the dumbbells into your shoulders. Keep everything above the elbow completely still, isolating the contraction in your lower arms. Return to standing as you lower the weights.

Reverse lunge with robin hoods

Assume the same wide reverse lunge stance on the opposite leg. This time, as you lower your back knee towards the floor, raise one dumbbell long and straight out in front you and row the other one up and in to your shoulder. You should look like you’re stringing a bow. Lower your arms and return to standing, then switch arms for alternating reps.

Speed walking burpee

A traditional burpee is likely to shake the chandeliers below, but that’s not necessary when this variation is perfectly effective at spiking your heart rate and recruiting multiple muscle groups. From a high plank position, step one foot up to your hand on the same side, then repeat with the opposite foot. You should be in a low squat position. Now explode up and reach your hands to the ceiling. Return your hands to the floor and walk each respective foot back into a plank. The key to this move is speed and control.

Standing oblique crunch with overhead press

From standing, hold one dumbbell directly overhead on your right side and contract your obliques as you lower your elbow and bring your right knee out and up to meet it. Lower your leg and extend the dumbbell with control. Repeat for 45 seconds on one side, then repeat for a further 45 seconds on the other side.

Squat hold with arm punches

To complete the circuit, lower into a squat (thighs parallel with the floor, please!) and hold your dumbbells in front of your chest. Holding your lower body absolutely still, punch the right dumbbell across your body and quickly follow with your left. This should be fast, but not so fast that you lose control and can’t feel the twist through your core.

Well done! Take a 30 second break, then run through the whole thing twice more.

Come back next Monday for the second no-noise high-intensity workout, and feel free to leave feedback in a comment below. (PS. I’ve only just discovered how to create GIFs so I promise to make the exercise demonstrations a little more fluid going forward!)

I’ve never been a big fan of endurance sports, so for me the adrenaline rush of exercise comes from packing as much intensity as possible into a short workout. This 10 minute circuit is designed to do just that – and to be easy to fit into your everyday routine, as it requires zero equipment and makes for a perfect morning kickstart or after-work pick-me-up. The video pretty much speaks for itself, but if you have any questions or want any tips about performing these or similar HIIT exercises, please leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to help!

If you haven’t tried the ViPR yet, it’s high time you get familiar with the rubber tube that’s raised the bar for strength and conditioning. Think traditional barbell exercises with a more fluid range of motion, and stability challenges that incorporate your full body. Think faster, more effective and – most importantly – more interesting workouts.

You can swing, push, pull, curl or roll a ViPR – and therein lies its beauty. You get three-dimensional movement and effortless transitions from one exercise to the next. So you can guess why I like it. Quick, successive exercises and compound movements form the basis of most of my workouts. I don’t believe in isolated exercises like bicep curls or tricep kickbacks because I know I can get more from them if I combine them with a squat or a lunge.

Although the workout below is technically designed to target your legs, the demand for full-body coordination means you’ll also feel it in your core and postural muscles. And in just three moves you’ll hit your legs from all angles – generating effort from your hamstrings and glutes as much as your quads. This too supports better posture and helps you build the power you need to excel in running, yoga, sport or any activity you enjoy.

Allow 10 minutes; Complete 3 circuits; Rest 1min between circuits

1. Squat with alternating shoulder press

Hold a ViPR in both hands over your right shoulder. Drop into a low squat, then press the ViPR straight above your head as you come to standing. Drop into a low squat with the ViPR over your left shoulder. Continue alternating until you’ve done 8 reps on both sides.

16 reps total; 6-8kg ViPR

2. Lunge and twist

Hug the ViPR into your chest, cradling it in your arms. Step forward into a front lunge on your right foot, then twist your torso over your bent knee. Return to standing and repeat to the other side. Perform 10 reps on both sides.

20 reps total; 6-8kg ViPR

3. Bridge (Advanced option: Single leg bridge)

Lie down on a mat with the soles of your feet resting on the ViPR. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until the front of your body forms a straight line from top to toe. Pause for a moment at the top. Slowly lower and repeat.

15 reps total or 10 on alternating legs; any weight ViPR

Want to learn more or share your ViPR experience? Leave a comment below!

I often find that cable machines are dominated by big guys in the gym, and it can be hard to muscle your way in. But on my recent holiday, the state-of-the-art cable-machines-inclusive gym was near to empty every time I visited. Kind of like an open playground designed just for me! So I took the opportunity to reacquaint myself with the array of functional moves you can do using cables, and the result was that satisfying next-day soreness in muscles I haven’t touched in some time.

So naturally I’m thrilled when I find my gym has installed six Technogym Kinesis machines. They work much in the same way as a traditional cable machine, without the fuss of changing around the settings to accomodate different angles of movement. It’s all ready to go with handles in all the right places. And like a cable, each Kinesis exercise delivers reciprical tension on the outgoing and returning movement, which means your muscles work harder and for longer because the pull of gravity isn’t helping you out like it is when you lift free weights such as dumbbells or barbells. You’ll notice the difference the next day, I promise.

You don’t strictly need a Kinesis machine to do the following mini-workout – most cable machines will do the trick. That’s why I’ve designed it as a circuit, so you can do all your exercises consecutively without sacrificing your spot on gym floor prime real estate.

Allow 15 minutes; Complete 3 circuits; Rest 1min between circuits

1. Chest fly

Stand facing away from the Kinesis machine, so your arms are slightly behind your body when you hold the handles. Squeeze your arms and chest as you bring the handles together in front of you, keeping your core strong throughout hop over to here. Hold for a second then slowly return to the start.

15 reps; Set the weight so your pecs shake slightly on the squeeze

2. Lat pull-down

Stand in the middle and hold the highest handles, pulling them down slightly so your arms are level with your shoulders. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades as you pull the handles down to the sides of your hips. Hold for a second then slowly return to the start.

15 reps; Set the weight so it requires effort to hold the handles parallel to your shoulders

3. Single-arm back fly

Stand with the main cable directly in the middle of your body, your arm extended as you hold the handle. Keep your core strong and try to avoid twisting your body as you move your arm out to your side at 90 degrees. Pause, then return slowly to the start. Perform all your reps, then switch sides.

15 reps; The weight should be high enough that you’re tempted to fling the handle back from the outstretched position (but don’t)

4. Medicine ball or cable woodchopper

This cable classic doesn’t work so well on a Kinesis machine because the structure gets in the way, but it’s great on a traditional cable machine with the handle set at the highest point. Alternatively, grab a medicine ball or Ugi ball and assume a shoulder-width stance. Squat gently down and bring the ball towards the floor on your left side. Explosively extend your body and your arms to the right so the ball completes a diagonal line all along your left side. Perform all your reps, then switch sides.

15 reps; 5-7kg ball

Good luck! Leave a comment to say how you got on or to share your experience with cable training.

For a quick abs blast that targets the core from all angles, perform the demonstrated exercises as a circuit and repeat for a total of three sets.