HOLLIE GRANT’S real-world WORKOUT

Tight for time? Enter Hollie Grant’s 12-minutes-a-day Model Method fitness plan, extracted from her new book. Complete the ‘strengthen’ and ‘sweat’ sections on alternate mornings for maximum benefit

STRENGTHEN WITH PILATES STRETCH MINUTE 1

Lie on your back with a belt/dressing gown cord hooked over the balls of the feet and the legs up in the air directly above the hips. Holding the ends of the belt, push the feet up to the ceiling, fully straightening the legs while pulling the balls of the feet gently down towards the floor.

SINGLE-LEG STRETCHES MINUTE 2-3

Why? The single-leg stretch builds abdominal strength and endurance. It’s also great for coordinating your breath with your movement. How? Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, arms long by your sides. Imprint your spine and take your left leg into a tabletop followed by your right. Inhale to lengthen the back of the neck and as you exhale lift your head and shoulders away from the mat, bringing your hands to outside your knees. Inhale, and as you exhale straighten your left leg out to the diagonal and bring both hands to your right knee. On the inhale, begin to switch the legs, and as you exhale, straighten your right leg, bringing both hands to your left knee. Don’t let your pelvis rock from side to side! Repeat.

KYPHOSIS CORRECTOR MINUTE 4-5

Why? This exercise works the muscles of the upper back and helps to reduce postural issues. Don’t force yourself to go too high. How? Start by lying on your front with a neutral pelvis, your arms straight and relaxed by your sides, legs straight and hip-distance apart. On your inhale, draw your shoulder blades together and open the front of the shoulders. On your exhale, lengthen out the spine, lifting the upper body very slightly away from the floor and reach your fingers back towards your toes. Inhale to hold, reaching the head forwards. On the exhale, slowly lower back to the start position with control. Repeat.

CACTUS MINUTE 6-7

Why? This exercise is great for those with hunched shoulders. Endurance of postural muscles is vital for long-term posture. How? Stand with your back in neutral, resting against a wall. Take your arms out to crucifix, along the wall and

then bend the elbows to 90 degrees, keeping them against the wall (you should look like a cactus). On your inhale, keep your elbows against the wall and rotate the arms so that your hands point down to the floor. Exhale to rotate them back to the start position. This is one rep. Repeat.

ARABESQUE DEADLIFT MINUTE 8-11

Why? The arabesque deadlift lengthens and strengthens the posterior chain of muscles while challenging your balance and stability.

How? Stand with your weight on your right leg, keeping the knee soft. Take your hands to prayer at your chest and keep a neutral spine. As you inhale, begin to hinge the upper body

SWEAT WITH HIIT WARM UP MINUTE 1

With squat rotations. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and arms by your sides. Bend at the knees and hips, sitting into an imaginary chair. Stand up and rotate your upper body to one side and reach arms up above your head, before returning the upper body to the centre. Repeat, alternating rotations from side to side.

MINUTE 2-11 Do the following three exercises for 30 seconds each, then rest. Repeat four times: SKATERS

Why? They work the glutes and hamstrings. How? Start at the right-hand side of your mat with your weight on your right leg. Jump to the left-hand side of your mat and land on your left leg, taking your right leg out behind you for balance and dropping down into a squat position. Repeat to your right. If you struggle with balance, use the non-weightbearing leg as a support behind you. Also use your arms to aid momentum. forwards at the hips while lifting the left leg out behind you. You’re aiming to bring your torso forwards to a 90-degree angle with your right leg, while elevating your left leg behind you to 90 degrees (like the letter T). Keep the movement slow and fluid. As you exhale, slowly lift your torso and lower your left leg back to start position. Repeat. After two minutes, switch legs.

SHOULDER TAPS

Why? Shoulder taps challenge the obliques, as they prevent the hips from rocking from side to side. How? Start in a strong plank position, feet hip-width apart and with a neutral pelvis and shoulder blades. Take one hand away from the floor and tap the opposite shoulder with it. Place the hand back on the ground and pick the other hand up and tap the opposite shoulder. That is one rep. Repeat.

STRETCH MINUTE 12

With a roll down. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and your arms above your head in prayer. Stretch up to the ceiling before gently softening the knees and slowly peeling forward one vertebrae at a time until your hands reach towards the floor and you’re folded in half. Grab your elbows and sway your hips from side to side allowing your arms and head to sway, too. Bend and straighten the legs a few times to stretch your hamstrings before peeling the spine back up to standing.

FLOOR TO CEILING

Why? These squat jumps are great at training the fast-twitch muscles of the legs and cause the heart rate to increase quickly. How? Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and arms by your sides. Bend at the knees and hips into a squat and lean forwards to reach your fingers towards the floor. Make an explosive jump up to the ceiling as high as you can and reach your arms overhead as if trying to touch the ceiling. When you land, bend at the knees and hips and repeat. Make sure the movement is smooth and fluid. Land as softly as you can by bending the knees as soon as you touch the floor. Don’t lean back as you jump up – keep a neutral pelvis.

REST

Take 30 seconds to rest; the next round is coming up! STRETCH MINUTE 12

(as before). Stand with feet hip-distance apart, arms above your head in prayer. Stretch up to the ceiling before softening knees and peeling down towards the floor. Grab your elbows and sway your hips, arms and head from side to side. Bend and straighten legs a few times before peeling spine back up to standing.