Fast track fitness

What if we told you that to burn fat, tone up and feel full of beans, you wouldn’t need to dedicate much time?

After all, loads of fitness enthusiasts have taken to CrossFit in recent years—either joining ‘boxes’ (the name for CrossFit gyms), replicating the popular exercises or performing ‘WODs’ (Workouts Of the Day) at home.

So what’s all the fuss about? Aside from the sessions being entirely scaleable (meaning no matter your experience or fitness level, you can get the same results and challenges as anyone else doing the exact same workout), it’s also super-quick and very effective.

CrossFit is basically a super-high-intensity workout, which has you pushing yourself to the absolute max during every workout. It’s fast and it’s furious.

Crossfit workouts usually involve a set of high-rep exercises, which are often described as functional — this normally refers to compound exercises which use all your major muscle groups to perform movements that replicate those made in everyday life. You should find you’re done and dusted in less than 15 minutes. Don’t tell us you can’t squeeze that in!

KIT YOU’LL NEED:

Kettlebell

Pull-up bar

Barbell

Skipping rope

KETTLEBELL SUMO DEADLIFT

Areas trained:

Bottom, rear, thighs, lower back.

Technique:

Stand with a foot either side of a kettlebell, with your toes pointing slightly outward. Hinge at your knees and hips, pushing your bottom out behind you to lower yourself to take hold of the kettlebell.

Straighten your legs to stand up straight, picking up the kettlebell, then lower and repeat the exercise.

SAFETY TIP: Keep a flat back and keep your shoulders back when lowering

LEG RAISE

Areas trained:

Stomach

Technique:

Hang from a bar with your arms straight. Tense your bottom and stomach muscles and pull your knees up as high as you can without swinging your body.

Slowly lower your legs and repeat.

SAFETY TIP: Try to keep your shoulders back and away from your ears

PRESS-UP

Areas trained:

Chest, rear upper arms, shoulders

Technique:

Start in plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.

Bend your arms to lower your chest toward

the ground, keeping your core tight to keep your whole body in line as you do so. Push back up to the start and repeat.

SAFETY TIP:

Direct the elbows back rather than out

BENT-OVER ROW

Areas trained:

Upper back, front upper arms

Technique:

Start standing and take hold of a barbell in both hands. Hinge at your hips, keeping a bend in your knees, so your upper body is almost parallel to the floor.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you row the barbell up toward your belly button.

Slowly lower and repeat.

SAFETY TIP:

Keep a flat back throughout

BURPEE

Areas trained:

Core, bottom, legs, shoulders

Technique:

Crouch down to place your hands on the floor by your feet.

Jump your feet back to bring your body into plank position, then jump them back to the starting position.

Jump up as high as you can, then land softly, bending your knees, and go straight into another rep.

SAFETY TIP: Don’t let your lower back overarch as you jump back into plank

SKIPPING

Areas trained:

Legs, shoulders, cardio

Technique:

Holding the handles in each hand, turn the rope from your wrists, keeping your arms relaxed and elbows close to your sides.

Jump on the balls of your feet, keeping the jump as small as possible.

SAFETY TIP:

Keep your chest up throughout