As some of you may have seen, I was really fortunate to work with the UK edition of Women’s Health magazine in recent months as the ambassador for a new Tiger Balm campaign. Asked to design a short HIIT workout and stretch sequence, I got to flex my favourite muscle (my mind) and get creative with a flowing sequence of exercises you can do absolutely anywhere.

The videos below shows a few highlights from the shoot. Scroll down for a full description of  Women’s Health workout, including 4 bodyweight moves that are perfect for balancing out the season’s indulgences as we commence our countdown to Christmas. If you’d like more workout inspiration, I’ve also designed a festive-themed session for Sweaty Betty – head to the SB blog to get the scoop!

Women’s Health Workout 1 – Bodyweight HIIT

Complete 45 seconds of each exercise, then move straight onto the next one without stopping. At the end, rest for 60 seconds then repeat from the top for a total of 5 rounds. That’s 20 minutes of high-intensity, highly effective exercise. You’ll have definitely earned that lengthening, relaxing stretch sequence that follows… 

Inchworm walkouts: From standing, roll down to the floor and walk your hands out to a plank position. For an extra challenge, continue walking your hands past your shoulders and squeeze your butt to maintain a flat back. Reverse your steps and return to standing. Add an optional jump at the top before your second rep.

Tempo mountain climbers: On your final walkout, pause when your shoulders are stacked directly above your hands and lock your torso in place while driving knees to chest. Perform 4 slow climbers, hollowing the abdomen for intense core-activation, then 10 fast reps. Continue alternating between both tempos.

Alternating lunge twists: Take a reverse lunge, dropping the back knee nice and deep while keeping your chest and shoulders active. At the bottom of the lunge, twist in the direction across your front knee. Think actively about your oblique on the twisting side, fully exhaling and squeezing the muscles in your abdomen to get the most from every rep. Come to stand and alternate sides.

180 degree burpees: With your feet together, plant your hands on the floor and jump your feet softly into a high plank position. Now jump your feet back into your hands, pushing through your heels and taking a full 180 degree turn to land facing the opposite direction. Plant your hands and repeat. Remember it’s just 45 seconds til your recovery. Well done!

Women’s Health Workout 2 – Stretch & Flow

Perfect in isolation or as a cool down routine after the HIIT workout above, this sequence is time for you to smooth out any tightness in the body and slow the mind through meditation in movement. Run through each flowing stretch at your own pace, synchronising your breath to the movement and holding each phase of the exercise for as long as necessary to feel the muscles soften. This is your time – you deserve it. 

Downdog to updog: From a plank position on your hands, lift your hips high and roll your shoulders away from your ears so you resemble a long upside down V. Exhale deeply here, then on the inhale roll your chest through your hands and lift your breastbone and chin gently to the ceiling. Try to keep your thighs off the floor as you stretch your midsection. Squeeze your glutes to prevent unsupported dipping into your lower back.

Runners lunge to forward fold: Take a reverse lunge position with your right foot in front and your left foot behind. Lift your hands in the air and squeeze your left glute until you feel a gentle pull across the hip flexor on the same side. Slowly straighten your back leg and hinge from your hips to fold your chest over your right shin, taking the stretch into your hamstring. Slowly repeat on the same side, synchronising your exhale with the fold and your inhale with the lunge. Switch sides when your body and mind feel suitably open.

Tick tock legs: Lie on your back with your knees in tabletop position and your arms in a nice wide T. Keeping both shoulders glued to the floor, gently rotate your knees to the right. Go as far as you need to feel a gentle stretch through the middle and lower back, then bring the knees back through centre to the other side. You can go as fast or slow as you need to lengthen through the spine, or even fully relax into one side where you feel extra tightness.

I hope you enjoy my Women’s Health workout routine. Although my blog can get a little quiet when other elements of my business and life get busy, I will always prioritise quality over quantity because I want these posts to be useful and inspiring to you. If there’s any advice you’d like to read, workouts you would find useful or insights you’d love to learn, I always love to hear from you at brit@fitbritcollective.com! Thanks for reading and happy festive fitness! 

Brit xx 

Happy Bank Holiday Monday! Today is a big day! Not just because it’s an extra day off work, or because it follows pay day, or because it feels like the first long weekend of summer. Today is a big day because The Lean Body Jumpstart VIP Challenge is officially underway! This is the holistic 30 day fitness, nutrition and lifestyle jumpstart to establish healthy habits for life and start feeling seriously awesome in time for summer. Don’t worry, there’s still time to get involved if you don’t have yours yet. Everything you need is contained within one easy-to-follow ebook, so the challenge starts when you do. And there’s a private Facebook community for group and 1-2-1 support if you want a little extra motivation along the way.

Of course, I couldn’t do all of this all on my own. For this exciting new project, I proudly partnered with Cantara Armah from award-winning fitness and lifestyle blog Gymbags & Gladrags. Cantara’s blog has gone from strength to strength as she has shared her personal fitness journey over the last few years, tracking weight loss, fine-tuning her diet and sharing effective and healthy ways to get stronger, become leaner and feel more confident from the inside out. I wanted to learn a little more about what gets her out of bed and into her trainers, so she kindly agreed to answer my most pressing questions and open up to the Fit Brit Collective community. Read on to learn more about Cantara, then click here to find out more about our ebook and how to jumpstart your fitness (now available from only £9 as a limited time introductory offer).

You started Gymbags and Gladrags anonymously. What was your motivation for blogging, and why did you keep your blog a secret to begin with?

Gosh, that feels like so long ago now! I started Gymbags and Gladrags because I wanted to improve my health and fitness but struggled with sustaining my motivation long enough to see a real difference. I hoped starting a blog would help me connect to other girls on a similar journey and help to boost my motivation (it did!) but I didn’t want all my friends and family to know that I was ‘on a diet’ or blogging about salads and the like. I was never anonymous as my name was on my blog and social media, I just kept it all a secret from people I knew in real life.

People love the real you behind your blog! No gimmicks, no over filtering/photoshopping, nothing but your genuine pursuit of health and balance. Are there any hard and fast ‘rules’ you live/blog by?

To always be myself and to be useful to my readers. When I started out, my blog was all about me; what I was eating, what workouts I wanted to do… My blog is still about me to some degree but now I focus more on helping my readers. I will never write a post like ‘How to lose 20lbs in 10 days’ because that is just not healthy. Instead, I focus on long-term health and I ignore the quick fixes and faddy diets.

What’s the ultimate mission behind Gymbags and Gladrags?

To become even more useful for my readers. There is a lot of faddy information out there on how to lose weight and improve your health, from weight loss pills to starvation diets to detox teas. I want Gymbags and Gladrags to be a resource people can trust. A place full of tips and advice that won’t require you to spend hours in the gym, have no social life, be scared of a certain food or go bankrupt over your food shop. Instead, I want Gymbags and Gladrags to become a supportive and positive community that will improve your long-term health.

You’ve done Psycle challenges, barre challenges and tried loads of London’s most iconic workouts. What’s your favourite exercise and why?

It’s still Psycle! I just don’t enjoy running (I’ve tried, I really have), but I’ve fallen in love with spin and Psycle is just addictive. It feels more like a night out than a workout – minus the hangover!

Before we released The Lean Body Jumpstart, you were the first to test run the workouts. What has your personal experience with the training?

I really enjoy the workouts – they were tougher than I thought! I’ve done several HIIT workouts in my time, lifted weights heavier than my bodyweight and sweated it out in some of London’s top studios, so I was a bit surprised at how sweaty I was from The Lean Body Jumpstart workouts. I love that you can do them anywhere! It really gives me no excuses on those days when I just don’t feel like going to the gym.

The recipes in The Lean Body Jumpstart are personal favourites of yours. How important is cooking as part of your weight loss and fitness journey?

Cooking is how I really learned to eat healthily. Lots of convenience foods have added sugars, salts and additives; by cooking your own meals you can avoid all of that and really get creative in the kitchen. For The Lean Body Jumpstart, I really wanted the recipes to be as faff-free as possible. We don’t always have the time to spend hours in the kitchen, so a lot of the recipes can be made in under 30 minutes.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your pursuit of your optimal fitness and ideal body shape?

To enjoy the journey. I used to be so hung up on the end result. I tried endless quick fixes that only made me further from my goal in the end. Now I try to enjoy every workout; celebrating each time I can lift a bit heavier or do an additional rep and each time I make a healthy choice. Some days I’ll eat chips and some days I’ll eat kale. It’s all about getting the right balance that you can maintain for life.

Who do you look to in the blogging and/or fitness industry for inspiration?

Brit, I honestly look up to you. I love your drive and enthusiasm. You make every workout so much fun and it’s clear you really care about your clients. That’s why I couldn’t think of a better person to partner with for The Lean Body Jumpstart! I also look up to Massy Arias because she is just so super fit and incredible, and also Nicole Mejia because I love her figure. I have a similar shape to her so it is great to have found a fitspiration with thick thighs and a petite torso. The goal is to be as toned as her!

Now it’s your turn! Start your fitness journey today and join our growing community of The Lean Body Jumpstart challengers! Post your experiences and workouts using #LeanBodyJumpstart so you can connect with others following the programme. Good luck!

Brit xx 

As I promised in my recent New Year’s Resolutions post, I want to do more this year to give back to my sweat squad (that’s you!). Which is why I am super excited to launch a new challenge. Get ready for it… The 2016 Reps Workout! Yep, a whopping (but totally feasible) 2016 reps await!

I’ve designed this workout using extremely effective full-body cardio conditioning circuits, targeting every muscle group and jumpstarting your heart rate so you’re firing on all fat-burning cylinders as you begin your 2016 fitness journey. Because you’re constantly moving between exercises with minimal rest, you’ll be burning calories from start to finish. And with bodyweight conditioning at the heart of every section, you’ll also be strengthening and toning the muscles as you move. Plus, stronger and denser muscle tissue means a higher metabolic rate, so the super good news is you’ll continue burning more calories in the long-term as well as the short-term.

Of course, these benefits don’t come without some effort, so prepare to sweat and to give 100% to every exercise. I know that everyone is at different stages in their fitness journey, so I’ve given this workout a flexible format suitable to all levels. You have the option to complete it in one go as a 55-minute full-body session, or to break it into 3 weekly 25-minute workouts targeting your legs, torso and core respectively. That means you’ll either be completing the whole 2016 reps in one workout, or in one week. Either way, you’ll be getting healthier and fitter with every workout! 

How does it work?

There is a 5-minute warm up and 5-minute stretch section you’ll need to complete every workout. Between the warm-up and stretch, there are 3 15-minute conditioning sections – which you can complete all at once or split up over the course of the week. Within every section, progress from one exercise to the next with minimal rest. If a section calls for you to repeat the circuit, you can take up to 60sec rest before starting again!

What do you need?

You can do this workout at home, in the gym or outdoors. All you need is the following:

• The 2016 Reps Workout Cards (print or save on your phone)
• A mat (optional)
• A pair of light dumbbells (or couple of full water bottles)
• A skipping rope (optional)
• A water bottle you can actually drink from!

Get started

Sign up to my newsletter to receive the full-page workout cards previewed below. On the front you’ll see the exercises and reps you need to complete. Turn them over for a detailed exercise description to help you perform each move with perfect technique. Or, if you’re familiar with all the exercises and want a more portable workout guide, you’ll also receive a print-friendly Pocket Edition.

Stay motivated

I’ll be posting regular Instagram videos to help you master your technique and achieve the next level of fitness. Plus, you can join others taking on the 2016 Reps Workout challenge by posting about your experience using #fitbritcollective #2016reps. Become part of the inspiration and let’s create an awesome, supportive community. Stories shared = results magnified! Don’t forget to tag me, @fitbritcollective, so I can follow along with your journey!

Blur’s famous summertime anthem talks about those joggers who go “round and round and round”, but exercising outdoors doesn’t have to centre around the same old running trail. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Hit the sound on my videos below!) When the weather is glorious, there’s nothing I hate more than staying indoors – whether I’m stuck at my desk or constrained to the gym. But my boredom threshold is also quite low and you won’t find me pounding pavement for mile after mile.

Time for the good news. There’s no reason to look longingly out the window when you can get a well-rounded workout that’s every bit as interesting and effective as a gym session. How? With two pieces of portable equipment that weigh less than your water bottle and fit into a small rucksack. No, I’m talking about a TRX, which can put you out by £150 or more… The following workout uses nothing more than a skipping rope and resistance band – I picked my rope up from Sweaty Betty for £12 and got my resistance band free at a ZICO coconut water event (but these £10 Sweaty Betty ones also deliver excellent bang for your buck).

Your instructions are simple.

1. Find a park bench.
2. Unpack your resistance band and skipping rope.
3. Perform the following circuits.
4. Be prepared to sweat. 

Warm up

Jog to your nearest park. If you’re lucky enough to live with green space on your doorstep, run a couple laps until you’re just slightly breathless. You may even want to take your skipping rope for a spin around the park with you – just watch out for passersby and pooches.

Circuit 1

Bench single leg step up with reverse lunge

12 reps each leg

Plant your right foot firmly on the seat of a park bench and explosively channel your weight through that foot to bring your opposite knee in towards your chest. Keep your chest pointing forwards and your core strong to help stabilise through the spine. Now step down and take the right foot behind you into a deep lunge.

Single leg bench squat

12 reps each leg

If you found that easy, just wait until the burn kicks in on this one. Take a seat (for now) and keep your right foot on the ground while you hover the left foot out in front. Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to come to a single-leg stand while your left leg hovers in the air – the higher you lift it, the greater the challenge for your hip flexors. Come back down, slow and steady!

Fast skipping

60secs

Pretty self-explanatory, this one! If you don’t want to keep checking your watch, you can expect to get about 120 fast skips in 60 seconds. If that’s not true, it’s time to turn up the tempo! Too easy? Try getting 2 full rotations of the rope with every jump or hopping from side to side to work a little bit harder.

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

Circuit 2

Static squat with resistance band bicep curl

60sec

While trees are a great source of shade on a hot sunny day, they can also help to turn up the heat on your squats. Find a good sturdy trunk and rest your back flat against it, your knees bent to 90 degrees so your thighs run parallel with the ground. Now place your feet hip-width over a resistance band and keep your elbows glued to your sides as you curl your hands towards your shoulders. You’ll feel mercury rising in both your legs and your biceps!

Resistance band pulls

12 reps

Hold the resistance band straight out in front of you with your hands in line with your shoulders. Now pull the band down and out until it brushes your hips and you feel a deep squeeze in your upper back muscles. This one is amazing for correcting kyphotic posture – those rounded shoulders often associated with desk jobs!

Single arm overhead tricep extension

12 reps

Step on one end of the resistance band and take the other end in your right hand so your elbow points to the sky and there’s at least some tension in the band when your arm is bent. Now extend that band straight overhead, keeping the elbow as stable as possible. Perform all your reps on one side before switching to the left.

Plank with resistance band row

10 reps

This one hurts – in a full-body, core-sculpting kind of way (that’s a good thing). Tie the resistance band in a big loop around the base of the bench. Now get into a plank position on the ground and move far enough away from the band that you have to extend one arm to reach it. Keeping your hips stable and level with the ground, slowly row the band into your body until your elbow grazes the midsection. Do this 10 times, then grab the band in your opposite hand and perform another 10 reps. If you feel your lower back start to dip, come onto your knees and tuck your hips to maintain a straight line from your pelvis to your head.

Resistance band Russian twists

12-15 reps

Turn over onto your backside and sit far enough back that you have to create tension in the resistance band in order to hold it. Now find a 45 degree seated position and slowly twist your right elbow to the ground as you exhale all the air out of your right side. You should feel the contraction in your obliques. Alternate sides and try to resist relaxing your core between reps.

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

Cardio Blast

These moves need no introduction but they’re here because they work and they are the perfect way to finish with a strong cardio burst after some full-body conditioning. You’ll get your heart rate soaring one last time and fire up your metabolism for a good 24 hours after you pack up and jog home in the direction of a hot shower. You’ve earned it…

Skip

60 sec

Squat jump (check your form here)  

30 sec

High knees

30 sec

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

How do you like to exercise outdoors? Let me know how I can help to inspire your summer workouts, and check in with me on Instagram for regular insights into how I get my RDA of vitamin D and exercise all in one!

Bad backs have become one of the most common plights of office workers, and the symptoms are hitting us earlier and earlier. My husband is just 32 and he regularly sees a physio to contend with painful pressure on his sacral spine caused by long hours at his desk. A colleague of mine at Sweaty Betty (repeatedly recognised as having the UK’s healthiest employees) has also raised concerns about back pain and poor posture, so she asked me to train with her once a week to help rebalance her upper body.

I’m personally thrilled that spine health has become the topic du jour because, aside from my appreciation of a well-sculpted back, I’ve always prioritised the posterior in my own workout programmes to prevent spinal misalignment and better support my body through all other exercises and activities. These three exercises are a great addition to your floor work and ideal for gradually building up your strength by choosing the best adaptation for you.

Extended plank with front raise and row

Take an extended plank position with your feet in a wide stance and a dumbbell to your side. Make sure you feel secure in that posture, with your hips parallel to the floor and your belly button glued into your spine. Now hold the dumbbell in one hand and slowly raise it to shoulder height in front of you, then row it up to your obliques with your elbow pointing directly to the ceiling. No wriggling hips! Repeat all your reps on one side (I suggest 8-12), then switch over.

Adaptation: If you start to dip through your lower back or feel overly tempted to raise your butt to the ceiling, drop to your knees, tuck your pelvis and engage your core to maintain a single straight line from your ankles to your head. You can also perform this movement without weight – the element of instability can be enough to improve the muscular balance around your spine.

Resistance band back raise

Lie flat on your stomach with your arms extended above your head, holding a resistance band with just enough tension to engage the muscles around your shoulder blades. Now breathe in as you slowly curl your head and shoulders off the mat, then breathe out to row the resistance band in towards your chest. Try to keep steady tension in the band throughout. Extend your arms as you inhale and lower down on the exhale. Do 10-12 reps.

Adaptation: If you feel too much pressure on your lower back, lose the resistance band and try it without using added resistance. Or take your hands beside your ears and simply lift and lower your shoulders off the floor, removing the row from the exercise.

Windshield wipers

Turn over to your back and take your legs to a table top or extended 45 degree position, keeping your lower back glued to the floor and your core switched on. Maintain this ‘corset’ feeling as you slowly lower your legs towards the floor on your right side, keeping your left shoulder in contact with the floor. Now slowly return to the centre and repeat to the left. Repeat this slow ‘tick tock’ motion 8-12 times.

Adaptation: Keep your knees bent in tabletop position to reduce the pressure on your lower back as you twist from side to side. Only go as far as feels comfortable for you – reduce the range of motion if you begin to feel as though you need momentum to get back to the central position.

Plus, the non-negotiable stretch… 

You may not think that stretching your hamstrings has any impact on your back, but tightness through the thighs is one of the most common reasons for lower back pain. When your hamstrings are tight, they pull down on your pelvis and the strain has a domino effect up the spine. Prolonged tightness can eventually compress the discs in the lumbar and sacral spine – pair that with hours at your desk and you risk developing unsightly hunchback tendencies. Take your pick: Clark Kent or Quasimodo? Queen Grimhilde (Snow White’s wicked witch) or Mulan?

The key to an effective hamstring stretch is holding it long enough. Set your time on your iPhone to 60 seconds – and don’t stop short! I like to wrap a towel around my foot to gradually increase the stretch, extending the leg straight with each in breath and relaxing it further towards the forehead with each out breath. Switch legs. Now get up, and stand tall.

Are there any other niggling weaknesses you’d like to address? Let me know in a comment below so I can plan a post to support your training!

As many of my closest friends are preparing for their winter holidays – some to sun & sand destinations and others to the mountains with ski thermals in tow – I felt inspired to compile a workout comprising of five winter-inspired HIIT exercises. As well as being fun and seasonal, the result is a timelessly convenient and effective circuit you can use to boost your fitness for the slopes or shed some excess winter weight before the beach.

How it works

The premise of this workout is to work to your maximum effort during the intervals, and to use your recovery to mentally and physically prepare for the next exercise in the circuit. Depending on your fitness level, I suggest completing each exercise for between 30 and 45 seconds, then resting for 30 to 15 seconds to make up a full minute. Whichever time you decide on, try to stick to it and avoid the temptation to reduce your intervals as you become tired.

Use this workout for a quick HIIT session on its own, or fit into your existing workout. Complete it between one and three times for five to 15 minutes of work.

Ski jumps

Start in a neutral standing position with your knees slightly bent and your hips tucked. Bend at the hips and take your butt back towards the back right corner of the room as you drop into a squat. Now explode up and twist your body to the right to land back into a squat with your butt towards the back left corner of the room. Feel free to bring those ski poles up for extra momentum as you jump.

Speed skaters

Time to hit the ice rink. Visualise yourself in full body lycra (add in a few more finely sculpted muscles, which will of course come from making this workout a regular feature in your routine) and use your right foot to push off towards the left. Land softly on your left foot and turn your left arm back and up to the ceiling in a nice clean line. You can touch the floor with your right hand for extra support. Repeat to the right, trying to clear more distance with every rep. Listen out for competitors on your heels, and remember efficiency is key.

180 snowboard jumps

Back to the slopes, but this time you’re headed right for the snow park. The jumps are going to come quick and fast, so assume a squat position with your arms out at your sides and keep your eyes fixed over your right hand. Push off the floor to explode up and turn your body to face the other direction, this time turning to look over your left hand. Never take your eyes off the prize.

Snow crab

Let’s work a little Animal Flow into the mix and make like a snow crab. Take a full bridge posture with your arms fully extended and your hands facing forward. Squeeze your glutes and contract your abs to hold this position, now shuffle to your right in three movements and pause for a tricep dip before shuffling back in the other direction. This will build a taut core as well as animal agility.

Ice climber

Pick axe at the ready? Good. Get into a plank position with your arms fully extended and everything from your head to your heels forming a single, solid line. Simultaneously reach your left hand out in front of you and plant your right foot as near to your right hand as possible. Just as the climber uses opposite sides of the body for balance, you’re building stability through your core and testing your coordination. Pause for a second in this reach position before returning to your neutral plank and repeating on the other side.

Good luck, and remember to personalise your workout by choosing the intensity and duration that challenges you. Read my blog about effective HIIT training to get the most from your workout. And don’t forget to share your results with me in the comments below, or on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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!)

Watch the above video for my 10 favourite exercises, which are designed to work major muscle groups as well as targeting trouble spots like your bum and tum. Try them as a complete full-body circuit or add just a few into your existing regime. I recommend at least 10 reps of each and 2-4 sets.

Like everyone, there’s days when I wake up, look outside and (rain or sunshine) can’t quite face the gym. And days that are so busy it seems impossible to squeeze in any exercise at all! But I keep a YouTube playlist of the top workout videos I’ve tried and tested throughout the years, and I always come back to them when I know a bit of exercise is going to do me a world of good (which is almost always the case).

As I’m off on holiday for a week – exploring the finest in Turkey’s R&R and fitness offerings – I thought I’d share with you my top five. Which leaves you with no excuse for sitting still while I’m off doing some tough research. The things I do for you…

Best for…

An empowering yoga escape

Mark Gonzales has called this video Onese1f for very good reason. You will definitely stretch yourself and explore the limit of your capabilities. It’s an intense 75 minutes of powerful yoga holds and dynamic flows that will get you to break a sweat and forget about anything outside your practice.

Motivating Pilates-style toning

Renee the instructor’s toned figure will keep you hanging onto her every word for the full 30 minute class. While I don’t find this workout overly challenging, I love it when I’m feeling a bit tired and want a gentle way to switch on all my muscles from top to toe.

A quick metabolic blast with dumbbells

I adore Jillean Michaels and can personally swear by her Making the Cut training programme – along with the diet, it took my body fat levels down to 18% in under a month. Her style isn’t for everyone so you’ll have to try it for yourself, but I find her mix of weight-based exercises and cardio intervals keeps me interested and challenged. If you don’t have dumbbells at home, try filling two 1L water bottles at least halfway and holding these instead.

Maximum calorie burn with minimal gear

All you need is a mat or towel and a big glass of water to tackle this HIIT cardio class. A countdown clock and calorie calculator help you stay focused and encourage you to push out as many reps as possible in the final seconds of each exercise. It’s simple, sweaty and scientific in execution – my favourite kind of workout!

Targeted trouble spot training

If I’m heading to the beach soon (like I am as I write), I like to spend a little more time on my legs, glutes and abs to boost my bikini confidence. This bum and thighs workout will also activate your abs if you do the exercises with good form – and Lisa-Jane talks you through each move to make sure you’re getting it right. It can be a little simple at times, but she expertly mixes up staple exercises to keep key muscle groups under working tension for longer, which means faster results when it matters most!

Right, off to go barefoot running in the sand! Enjoy your workouts and we’ll see you back here in a week!