We’re not saying it won’t take any work and we’re not saying it'll be easy, but you can fit fitness into your life and reshape your body and confidence with this 20-minute workout, devised especially for Red by That Girl.
Do this workout four times a week ideally, for 20 minutes. To make up your 20 minutes, you can do one set of each exercise (usually 12 to 15 repetitions, unless specified otherwise) in any order, or two or three sets of just a few exercises each day.
It doesn’t require a specific warm-up, but it’s important to perform stretches after each training session – find examples at Thatgirllondon.com.
Chair pull
This strengthens the upper body and challenges the core.
Start position: Lie under a strong chair, legs bent at a 90° angle, heels firmly rooted on the floor. Hold either side of the chair seat, palms facing inwards.
1. Push down into your heels as you use your arms to pull your body weight up until your chest touches the chair (or as far as you can get).
2. Lower your body, in a slow, controlled movement, back to the floor. Repeat eight to 12 times.
Tip: Engage your abdominal muscles, and be mindful not to arch your back.
Cobra Lift
A great postural exercise that works the lower and upper back muscles.
Start position: Lie face down with your legs and arms extended to form an X shape. Activate your core by drawing your belly inwards.
1. Now extend your spine and lift your chest, shoulders, arms and thighs off the floor, keeping your gaze downwards to avoid lifting your head. Hold this position for two breaths.
2. Lower back down to the floor. Repeat eight to 12 times.
Tip: Allow the back to relax and stretch afterwards by resting in child’s pose (curled up into a ball, facing down) for up to 60 seconds.
Thread the needle
Challenging, but great for activating the glutes (your bottom).
Start position: Lie on your back, arms alongside your body, right leg bent at a 90° angle with the heel resting on a chair. Your left leg is in the air, also bent.
1. Lift your hips by contracting your right buttock, keeping your body and pelvis in a straight line.
2. Allow your left knee to drop to the side, then thread your left foot under your right leg. There will be a natural tilt of the hips but try to keep this minimal.
3. Reverse the movement and lower your hips back down to the floor. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: Think about pushing through the heel on the chair when you thread the other leg through, to engage the bottom.
Pigeon-toe Plie
Works the glutes and legs while honing your coordination and balance.
Start position: Stand with your right foot in front of your left foot, toes slightly turned in, hands clasped in front of your chest.
1. Sit down into a deep squat. As you lower yourself, your knees will come together as you push your bottom out. You should feel it in your right glute.
2. From this squat position, place your weight down into your left heel and dynamically propel your body weight upwards as you step the right leg open, then go into a deep plié squat. Your toes will be turned out and your stance wide. If you can, allow your hips to drop below your knees.
3. Spring off your right foot to return to the pigeon-toe squat. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: Sit really low into the squat, and move slowly and mindfully.
Skater Lunge
This is great for the legs and boosts your balance and flexibility.
Start position: Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
1. Lunge your left leg out to the side and behind, keeping your right leg straight with the heel firmly on the floor.
2. Reach your left arm up and gently back to open the chest while your right hand touches the floor.
3. Return to the start position. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: Keep your chest lifted. Be mindful not to just reach your hand to the floor, but rather bend at the hip to sit into the lunge.
The Nike Swoosh
Works the inner thighs and abdominals.
Start position: Lie on your back, propped up on your forearms, facing a chair. Bend your right knee so the right foot is on the floor. Extend your left leg out to the side, rotating it so that the knee and foot point outwards (this is very important to activate the inner thigh).
1. Lift your left leg up to the chair, keeping the knee turned out. Think about working from the inner thigh.
2. Lower your left leg, tap the floor with the heel, then sweep it up and out to the left, as if you were drawing a Nike swoosh. Keep hips level.
3. Return your leg to the starting position. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: This one can get quite intense. Try to keep your abdominals engaged and your hips even.
Kicking Reverse Plank
Strengthens the entire back of the body.
Start position: Sit with legs extended, arms behind you, palms down, fingers pointing outwards.
1. Press into your palms as you lift your hips and torso to form a straight line from head to toes – a reverse plank. Your shoulders should be over your wrists.
2. Keeping your hips up, draw your right knee towards your chest. Extend the leg up towards the ceiling.
3. Bend the leg back towards your chest and return to the floor. Repeat six to eight times on each side.
Tip: If it’s too difficult to raise your leg, simply work on holding the reverse plank for 20 to 30 seconds each time.
Kicking Plank
This challenges your core muscles and the movement element tones the bottom, too
Start position: Go into the plank position, with your forearms under you, hands clasped, shoulders directly over elbows. Think of pulling the shoulder blades down the spine as you lengthen your neck.
Bend your left leg so the knee rests on the floor, foot flexed.
1. Scooping your lower abdominals, extend the bent left leg straight up, focusing on pushing through the heel to engage the glutes.
2. Return the knee to the floor momentarily to reset your abs and your focus. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: Make it harder by hovering your knee above the ground between moves instead of putting it all the way down.
Chair Wrap-Around
A very hard-working bottom lift.
Start position: Kneel on all fours facing away from a chair, close enough so that your bottom is almost against it, your left leg is under it and your right leg extends out to the side. Place your left forearm on the floor, hand facing inwards. Tuck the pelvis under as you engage the abdominals.
1. Lift your right leg and wrap it around the back of the chair so that your knee is in line with your hip. Keep your right foot flexed.
2. Working from your bottom, lift the knee up around the chair back, around 3-4cm.
3. Lower the knee back down, unfurling your leg to the start position so that your leg straightens. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: You can do the move in the gym without a chair, but remember to really wrap the leg.
Waist Trimmer
Works the obliques (the side abdominal muscles) outer thighs and lower back.
Start position: Start in a modified side plank as shown above. Your right shoulder should be in line with your right wrist. Reach your left arm over your head.
Your left leg should be straight, foot softly pointed.
1. Keeping your weight balanced, lengthen and lift your left leg to hip level while you extend your left arm above your leg.
2. Return to the start position, stretching your left arm back over your head. Keep the movement controlled. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side.
Tip: Keep the underside of the waist lifted throughout.
Crab Reach
An amazingly active stretch to open the front of the body and strengthen the arms.
Start position: Sit with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Place your right hand behind you, fingers pointing away from the body. Bend your left arm in front of the midline of your chest. Roll your shoulders back as you extend your chest forwards to open the spine.
1. Root down into your right hand as you push your hips up. At the same time, reach your left arm up and over towards your right hand on the ground.
2. Lower back to the start position and reset before repeating on the other side. Repeat six to eight times.
Tip: It’s not as hard as it looks, but if you do have difficulty, just go halfway. Keep the movement slow, pausing in the stretch as much as you need.
Star Press
A great upper body exercise that works the chest, back of the arms, shoulders, abdominals and obliques.
Start position: Kneel on all fours, hands hip-width apart and pointing forwards, abdominals drawn in.
1. Keeping elbows tight by your sides, lower into a half press-up (your feet will lift off the floor).
2. Return to straight arms. Place your feet on the floor, tucking your toes under, and straighten your legs so the knees lift off the floor into plank position, your body in a straight line. Keep your back straight and your neck long.
3. Now place your weight on to your left hand as you rotate your body to the right, stepping your left leg through for support. Lengthen your right arm up to the ceiling.
4. Return to the plank position then drop your knees to the floor. Repeat six to eight times on each side.
Tip: If you want a challenge, keep your knees off the floor when performing the press-up.
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