The fastest way to maximise your kilojoule burn is to hit the big three – cardio, bodyweight work and weightlifting. Grab a skipping rope and a medium-weight kettlebell and, following a cardio primer, tackle a 12-minute AMRAP, in which you train against the clock to log as many reps as possible. Deploy this every other day and hit peak condition before switching on your OOO.
1|| SKIPPING SINGLE UNDER
(500 reps)
This is your buy-in. Before you progress to the AMRAP, you have to complete every skip. It’s a warm-up, with the thermostat dialled up to 11. Hold the handles with the rope behind you (A). Using your wrists, flick the rope overhead and jump it. Stay on the balls of your feet (B) and find a rhythm. Then it’s time for the hard part.
2|| AMERICAN KB SWING
(12 reps)
Your AMRAP begins here. Hold the weight in both hands between your legs (A). Hinge forward at the hips, then contract your glutes to swing the weight overhead (B). Return and repeat in a fluid swing. If the KB speed slows, don’t let your form suffer – use this as a cue to take a 15-second breather in later rounds.
3|| V-SIT
(12 reps)
Drop the weight and hit the deck. Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended in a straight line. Lift your hands and feet 5cm from the floor (A). Contract your abs to lift your hands and feet together above you (B) before lowering slowly. Go steady and under control to maximise the benefit to your core and minimise the risk to your lower back.
4|| SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH-PULL
(12 reps)
Jump up and reach down for the kettlebell. Set up with your feet wider than your shoulders, knees bent and your back flat (A). Contract your glutes to stand up and lift the weight. Don’t stop: in one fluid movement, lift the weight close to your chest until it reaches chin height (B). Reverse, ignore the increasing burn and repeat.
5|| SKI JUMP OVER KETTLEBELL
12 reps
Drop the kettlebell and stand to the side. With feet shoulder-width apart, sink into a half-squat (A). Jump up and over the weight (B). Jump side to side to round off the set before picking up the weight and swinging into round two. Go all out for 12 minutes, record the number of rounds and try to go one better on your next attempt.
