Meet James Hutchison – VFT Fitness Expert! 🙂
James has been working in the Health & Fitness industry for well over a decade and has plied his trade in some of London’s finest personal training studios. And has recently graduated with a BSc in Psychology…
…Which has allowed him to combine his expertise of functional fitness training with a scientific knowledge of behaviour change and motivation.
James has come on board at VFT as he shares our feelings that there are too many conflicting and confusing messages about fitness, health and wellbeing being sent out to the public.
AND is just as passionate as us about sharing his knowledge with VFT readers.
So… to kick things off BIG-TIME I’ve asked James to whip up a kick ass full body circuit workout for you.
You’ve been asking for more advanced workouts – so you got it! Direct to your email address. See Video and Article Below!
This workout isn’t for the faint hearted… As always seek permission from your GP before you start any new exercise or eating plan.
Enjoy and don’t forget to comment!!
I can’t wait to hear your feedback after you’ve finished this workout!
VirtualFitnessTrainer.com
VFT – NO BS Fitness!
Those of us who have spent any time in gyms or health clubs over the years will have noticed people who seem to spend hours in the gym but never break a sweat. Well, I believe that it is not about how long you workout for, but how effective your workout is. I personally never spend more than 40 minutes working out.
This is extremely effective for a number of reasons;
1) It is enough time to raise your metabolism without turning your body catabolic, therefore not breaking down important muscle mass.
2) It allows you to put maximum effort without placing huge time constraints on your workout.
3) It prevents boredom in your workout regimes.
This particular workout is designed for strength and conditioning and does not require much equipment, so can be done at home, in the gym or even in the park. The exercises are quite advanced, but as with all routines you can find beginner, intermediate or advanced options for each.
So, the first thing to do is to prepare your workout station; you need a kettle-bell (weight is dependent on your own preference), a pull up bar and a gym mat if you don’t like laying on the floor. It is then important to perform a 5 minute warm up, this can be anything from jumping jacks to a jog on the treadmill, as long as it will gently raise your heart rate and warm your muscles.
Now its time for the main workout; this will be done as a 6 station circuit. Each exercise will be performed for 30 seconds, making a 3 minute circuit. Then a 90 seconds rest period will be taken. Repeat 4-5 times making approximately a 20-25 minute intense circuit.
The 6 exercises are as follows (see video for demonstrations);
– Kettle-bell swings (Squats with weights or medicine ball*)
– Jump Lunges (Static or dynamic lunge*)
– Pull Ups (Assisted pull up or lat pull down*)
– Spider man push ups (push ups*)
– Burpees (star jumps or squat thrusts*)
– Plank (plank on knees*)
(* = alternative exercises)
Each exercise should be performed with a full range of motion and I always encourage correct technique in favour of number of repetitions performed, so please make sure you watch the video to see the demonstrations. This will make the workout safer and more effective for you.
This workout targets the full body; the Kettle-bell swings are a fantastic exercise for your glutes (bottom) and your hamstrings. The jump lunges target the quads and those important bottom muscles once again. The pull-ups hit the lattisimus dorsi, or upper back muscles, the spider man push-ups work the chest, arms and oblique’s.
The burpees are a full body exercise but also an amazing heart raiser and the plank works on the transverse abdominus (TVA), a sheet of muscle underneath the main abdominals that are important stabilisers for the core. As all of the major muscle groups are worked, not only do you get an amazing strength and conditioning workout but you will also expend an impressive amount of calories.
This workout isn’t just good for your waistline, due to its functional nature it will improve your performance and strength on the sports field. My workouts put the FUN in functional!
Tips
– Keep hydrated throughout your workout. Remember if you feel thirsty you are already approximately 15% dehydrated.
– Perform a full body stretch post routine to aid with recovery.
– Eat a protein meal or snack within one hour of working out to help replenish energy supplies. It is also a good time to eat as your metabolism will be raised post workout.
– If you find the circuit too intense to begin with, give yourself 2 minutes rest between circuits.
– If you wish to increase the intensity of the workout, try adding an 800m run or a 1000m row at the end of the circuit.
So, the only thing left to say is good luck with the workout, I hope you enjoy it and look out for more of my articles and videos here at VFT. Please feel free to leave any comments, all feedback is greatly appreciated.
All the best
James Hutchison, VFT Fitness Expert
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James Hutchison has been Personal Training in some of London’s finest studios for over a decade and has developed a style that focuses on a functional fitness and corrective exercise approach to his clients bodies. This includes using stability, resistance training, kettle-bells, TRX, bodyweight, primal patterns and cardio vascular training.
James is also a graduate of Psychology which allows him to use a scientific knowledge of motivation and behaviour change to embed the principles of health & wellbeing into his client’s life as well as promoting a psychological approach to weight management. James is looking forward to sharing his expertise with VFT readers and helping them achieve their fitness goals.
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