Virgin Active blog
Your One-Piece Workout
When time – and socially-distanced space – is tight, workouts need to tighten up too. With one piece of equipment and a little creativity you can make an awful lot from a little.
You don’t need to get your hands on every toy in the box to get an excellent and safe workout. Jump into one of these with a kettlebell, a barbell, a plyobox or get creative and create your own.
Put the kettlebell on
When time is tight, it’s all about efficiency. And nothing punches above its weight like a kettlebell – this nifty piece of grab-and-go kit is great for building strength and stability.
Make the most of your time and space and push through this 20-minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible).
| Kettlebell clean and jerk – 10 each side | With the bell on the floor, take the handle in one hand. Bending through your knees and tensing through your tummy, drive through your heels and pop the kettlebell up to your shoulder. Soften your knees, then press the weight above your head. |
Goblet squat | Grab the bell by the horns and hold it in front of your chest. Keep your chest proud and lower down into a squat. Drive through your heels to stand back up. |
| Russian Twists – 25 reps | Sit on the floor with the kettlebell in both hands and your legs bent. Lean back slightly and rotate your shoulders to the side as you drop the kettlebell to the ground. Don’t let things go limp – tense your core to move the weight back to the other side. |
A long weight
Barbells can be daunting, but their shape and size make them one of the most versatile bits of kit on the gym floor – great for when you don’t want to stray too far. Push, pull, squat without ever needing to change up your equipment.
This barbell complex is anything but. Do each of the moves five times without stopping, rest for a minute then go again. Repeat ten times.
| Deadlift – 5 reps | Stand in front of the bar and grab it with both hands, palms facing towards you. Tense your core and soften your knees then stand up by squeezing your bum and hinging at the hips. Lower the weight again slowly. |
| Bent-over row – 5 reps | Once you come to your final deadlift, hold your position half way up. Squeezing through your back and bringing your shoulder blades towards one another, pull the barbell towards your belly. |
| Squat – 5 reps | Take a second to set yourself then bring the bar up and over your head and onto your shoulders. Keep things steady by squeezing your abs then lower your hips back and towards the ground. Feel those legs working. |
Shoulder press | Pop the bar over your head and onto your upper chest. Press the weight over your head and keep your elbows pointing forwards. Revel in the power pose then slowly lower the bar back down. |
Burpee-over-bar | A burpee with a hurdle. Stand with the bar on your right hand side. Drop your chest to the floor before popping back to your feet, jump sideways over the middle of the barbell then repeat. |
First Steps
Box fresh and ready to go, the plyo box is simple to use but with myriad benefits. This workout is set to get your heart racing and your body moving as you jump through the moves four times.
| Step Ups – 60seconds | Stand about 30cm away from the box and step up onto it, using your outstretched hands for balance. Stand tall on the box before stepping back down lightly. |
| Dips – 60seconds | Sit in front of the box with your palms on it behind you. Squeeze through the back of your arms to straighten them and lift your bum off the ground. |
| Box Jumps – 60 seconds | Stand in front of the box, squat down a little and then spring up onto it by powering through your toes. Land softly and then step back down. |
| Box Press-Ups – 60 Seconds | Make press-ups a little easier by putting your hands on the box. Or up the challenge by placing your feet on there instead. |
