Get your body beach ready!
★ CELEB trainer Simon Waterson is responsible for getting the likes of Daniel Craig, Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz in shape.
Now the ex-Marine Commando is on a mission to help the rest of us get buff too with a new book called The 10-Week Intelligent Fitness Challenge.
★ And he’s put together a brilliant summer fitness plan for Daily Star readers to get you beach ready, with an all-over workout involving seven easy-to-learn exercises…
ACTIVATION: Before you start your workout, do whatever activation feels good. This is often called a warm-up but if you look into the physiology of that, nothing actually raises your core temperature. What you’re actually doing is prepping body and mind for the workout ahead and getting into activity mode.
SQUATS: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your toes pointing slightly outwards. Lower yourself down until your knees are at 90 degrees and hold that position for a count of four. Push up through your heels to return to the start position.
LUNGES: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lunge back, dropping your rear leg until your knee kisses the floor. Push upwards, returning to the start position. Swap the legs over, doing the same number of reps on each side.
SIDE-STEP: With a band just above your knees, position your feet so they are shoulder-width apart and then bend your knees slightly. Start with sidesteps, repeating small squat steps to right and left, the number of reps dependent on what level you’re exercising at. Maintain tension in the band.
PUSH-UP: Place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart. If this exercise is new to you, you might find it easier to rest your knees on the ground and cross your ankles behind you. Lower yourself down until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Push up and return to the start position, breathing out on exertion.
TRICEP DIP: You’ll need a raised surface for tricep dips – a bench or sofa will be fine. You should be almost sitting on your hands, with your knees at 90 degrees and your fingers coming off the edge of the surface, and then lower yourself down, until your elbows are 90 degrees.
BICEP CURL TO SHOULDER PRESS: Hold a dumbbell in each hand so they are about 6in away from your legs, palms facing away from the body. Slowly raise the weights to shoulder height. From there, press upward to straighten arms. Bring back down, slowly, to the start position.
PLANK: Lying on your front, place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart and push upwards, keeping your body in a straight line from the top of the head to the heels. Hold it for as long as you can – you should feel the ab muscles working. If this exercise is new to you and you’re finding it difficult, try resting your knees on the ground to start with.
COOL DOWN: Stretching after the workout feels good, and signals to your mind and body that the workout is over, as your heart rate comes down and returns to normal – so it’s always a good idea.