Want a stronger body without spending hours in the gym? Expect big changes in 30 days with this full-body home workout.
Celebrity trainer Chris Richardson has created a full-body home workout with a difference. Say hello to eccentric training!
‘Eccentric training refers to the force a muscle produces as it lengthens, as opposed to (what most people do in the gym) the force when a muscle shortens,’ explains Chris, who is also co-founder of Zero Gravity Pilates.
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For example, focusing on the movement of lowering a dumbbell back down, rather than the curling up part. ‘This downward phase of exercises has the greatest impact on muscle development. And thanks to the intensity, it ramps up your after-burn too,’ adds Chris.
In a nutshell, this workout will boost muscle strength in double-quick time. ‘Your strength will improve first, then you’ll notice more tone and definition,’ says Chris.
Full-body workout: Chris’s six sculpting moves
Before you get started on our 30-day challenge, first master these six key moves that the plan incorporates.
- Split squat - best for lower body
Stand with your back facing a chair. Extend your left leg back and place the top of your foot on the chair. Squat down by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg until the knee of your rear leg is almost touching the floor. Push back up, switch legs and repeat on other side to complete one rep.
- Push press - best for shoulders
You'll need some dumbbells for this move. If you haven't got a set already, we've picked what we think are the best adjustable dumbbells to add your home workout fit kit.
To do the move, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells. Bring weights up towards your ears, so elbows point down and palms are facing inwards. Push the weights above your head, then lower back to shoulders.
- Bent-over row - best for back and biceps
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge forward at your waist, so your chest is over your feet and your arms are hanging down. Lift the dumbbells in towards your chest, pointing elbows out to the sides. Slowly lower back down. Keep your back straight and shoulders back at all times.
- Single-leg deadlift - best for core and hamstrings
Grab a dumb-bell or kettlebell in your right hand and let it hang down at arm’s length in front of your thigh. Lift your left leg a few inches off the floor behind you. Hinge forwards at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Let your left leg stretch out behind you with toes pointed down to the floor. Return to starting position and repeat on other side.
- Goblet squat - best for bum and thighs
Stand holding a light kettlebell close to your chest. Squat down until your hamstrings are on your calves. Pause, then return to standing. Be sure to keep your head and chest up and your back straight.
- Dumbbell sit-up - best for abdominals
Lie down with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a dumb-bell in your hands and hold to your chest. Engage your core to roll up, so that your dumb-bell touches your knees. Lower back down in a controlled move.
Full-body workout: your 30-day challenge
Now that you’ve got the moves down, it’s time to put them to work with our 30-day full-body workout challenge.
A few final words of advice come from Chris, who says: ‘Don’t ignore the upward phase of the exercise. Be explosive with this part to get your muscles ring and burning fat.’
He adds: ‘Once you’re able to complete the full range of motion on each exercise, you can increase the weight.’
Now let’s do this!
Day 1
3 x Split squat
3 x Bent-over row
3 x Push press
Day 2
4 x Split squat
4 x Bent-over row
4 x Push press
Day 3
5 x Split squat
5 x Bent-over row
5 x Push press
Day 4
6 x Split squat
6 x Bent-over row
6 x Push press
Day 5
7 x Split squat
7 x Bent-over row
7 x Push press
Day 6
8 x Split squat
8 x Bent-over row
8 x Push press
Day 7
9 x Split squat
9 x Bent-over row
9 x Push press
Day 8
Rest day. Consider doing some recovery exercises - we've picked the best foam rollers to help.
Day 9
10 x Split squat
10 x Bent-over row
10 x Push press
Day 10
11 x Split squat
11 x Bent-over row
11 x Push press
Day 11
12 x Split squat
12 x Bent-over row
12 x Push press
Day 12
3 x Split squat
13 x Bent-over row
13 x Push press
Day 13
14 x Split squat
14 x Bent-over row
14 x Push press
Day 14
15 x Split squat
15 x Bent-over row
15 x Push press
Day 15
6 x Split squat
16 x Bent-over row
16 x Push press
Day 16
3 x Goblet squat
3 x Single-leg dead lift
3 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 17
4 x Goblet squat
4 x Single-leg dead lift
4 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 18
5 x Goblet squat
5 x Single-leg dead lift
5 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 19
6 x Goblet squat
6 x Single-leg dead lift
6 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 20
7 x Goblet squat
7 x Single-leg dead lift
7 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 21
8 x Goblet squat
8 x Single-leg dead lift
8 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 22
9 x Goblet squat
9 x Single-leg dead lift
9 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 23
Rest day - time to get that foam roller out again!
Day 24
10 x Goblet squat
10 x Single-leg dead lift
10 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 25
11 x Goblet squat
11 x Single-leg dead lift
11 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 26
2 x Goblet squat
12 x Single-leg dead lift
12 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 27
13 x Goblet squat
13 x Single-leg dead lift
13 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 28
14 x Goblet squat
14 x Single-leg dead lift
14 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 29
15 x Goblet squat
15 x Single-leg dead lift
15 x Dumb-bell sit-up
Day 30
16 x Goblet squat
16 x Single-leg dead lift
16 x Dumb-bell sit-up
If you've made it this far, congratulations! You've completed our 30-day full-body workout.
Natalia is a health and fitness journalist who has written for the likes of Woman & Home and Marie Claire, and likes to practice what she preaches when it comes to staying fit and well. She loves the outdoors and would happily swap the treadmill for the trail at any opportunity. As such, in her free time you'll likely find her up a mountain somewhere. She has hiked eight of the major mountain ranges across four continents, including the Appalachians, the Smokies, the Sierra Nevadas (where she hiked to the top of Half Dome during her honeymoon) and the Atlas Mountains, as well hitting the summits of Snowdon and Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons), Table Mountain in South Africa and the Blue Mountains in Australia. She was also a fencer for 13 years, wielding an epée for Team GB during her teenage years. Having recently welcomed a baby, Natalia is currently getting back into her fitness routine, and has her sights set on completing a triathlon, something she and her husband started out on before their bundle of joy arrived.
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