FIGHT TO THE FINISH

Want to up your workout game llike never before? These explosive endings will do the job

There’s no such thing as a happy ending around here

You know when you’ve challenged yourself during a workout. And if you’re all about the calorie burn, this usually translates to red cheeks, sweaty limbs and your heart going full throttle. Feels good, right? If, however, you suspect you don’t quite give 100% – or even 80% – during a session, you’d do well to add a little something special into the mix. A filthy finisher, if you will. Usually consisting of two to five moves, it’s a mini workout to tag on to the end of any sesh with the aim of expending those last energy reserves in the most intense way possible. Sounds brutal – and they usually are. ‘Finishers condense a high volume of work into a small amount of time,’ says Luke Barnsley, master trainer at Third Space, London. ‘As the intensity increases, your body taps into its anaerobic energy systems to build lean muscle. It’s tough, but it separates the committed from the day trippers.’ The payoff – as committed HIITERS will know – lasts. Studies have shown that the more calories you burn in a workout, the more you’ll burn after it, thanks to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC to its mates), which depends more on intensity than duration. Up for the challenge? Luke shares his four filthiest, whole-bodyblasting finishers with WH, guaranteed to leave you crawling to the showers.