Whittle Your Waist In 10 Days

When it comes to toning up, a long term fitness and nutrition plan is the best way to go. But we’re only human and sometimes, despite all our good intentions, that big event or holiday rolls around sooner than we expected and panic ensues. If this sounds familiar then fear not, as we’ve spoken to the expert in getting fit fast, founder of F45 Training (f45training.co.uk) Rob Smyth, who’s put together a belly-blasting 10-day routine for you to get stuck into.

How it works:

Each day you will perform two superset exercises, (two exercises back to back), followed by a finisher move. You will perform each superset for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest for four laps, resulting in 16 sets in total. At the end of this, you’ll perform the finisher move twice following the same 40/20 rule. The workout length in total should be 18 minutes (18 sets of 40 seconds on and 20 off.) Grab a variety of weights to work with.

• • Superset 1
    • Jack knives: Start lying on the floor with arms and legs extended. Flex your core and raise your arms and legs until your hands reach your toes, then lower back down.
    • Frozen V-sit: Hold the position above, keeping your core tight.

• • Superset 2
    • Rotational wood chops: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a weight near one knee, then twist and rotate it up to your opposite shoulder.
    • Reverse lunge and twists: With the weight held out in front of you, lunge backwards, twisting your upper body toward your front leg.

• • Finisher:
    • Vertical jumps: Hold onto the weight and jump as high as you can on the spot. Squat as low as you can when you land.

• • Superset 1
    • Kettlebell (KB) swings: Start with the KB as high as possible between your legs. Thrust your hips forward and flex your glutes as much as possible to raise the KB up.
    • Kettlebell side leans: Holding the KB in one hand, slowly bend to one side then raise back up using your oblique muscles. Repeat on other side.

• • Superset 2
    • Push ups: Keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and elbows pointing 45 degrees towards the back. Drop on to your knees if needed.
    • Plank hold: Squeeze your abs the whole time, keeping your elbows below your shoulders.

• • Finisher:
    • Broad jumps: Stand with feet slightly apart, knees bent. Swing your arms to propel you forward as far as possible.

• • Superset 1
    • Dumbbell (DB) renegade rows: Begin in the plank position, then row up the DBs to the lats one arm at a time.
    • Side plank hold with lateral raises: In a side plank position with your feet stacked on top of each other, raise the DB just before 90 degrees then slowly bring it back down.

• • Superset 2
    • Crunch to jab: Start lying on the floor, crunch up then punch forwards twice.
    • Ground and pound: On your knees, throw downward punches toward the floor (without actually touching it).

• • Finisher:
    • Lateral burpees: A variation of the regular burpee, bring your legs to one side as you extend them, then bring them back toward your hands before jumping.

• • Superset 1
    • Moving plank: Begin in the plank position on your forearms, then straighten your arms one at a time using your triceps. Once both arms are extended, bend them back down.
    • Hip thrust hold: Start with your shoulder blades against a bench, with your arms spread across it and knees bent to 90 degrees. Squeeze your glutes, lift your hips and hold for a few seconds.

• • Superset 2
    • Mountain climbers: Begin in plank position on your hands, then bring one knee up toward your chest at a time. Go as fast as you can.
    • Everest climbers: A mountain climbers variation, this time the foot goes outside of the knee. Go as fast as you can from side to side.

• • Finisher:
    • Bear crawl: On all fours, stay as low to the ground as you can and move forward using feet and hands.

• • Superset 1
    • Overhead sit ups: With a DB in each hand, crunch up then press them up overhead.
    • Hollow rock hold: Lie on the ground with your lower back in contact with the floor, arms extended and legs straight. Hold this position.

• • Superset 2
    • Dumbbell hooks: Perform boxing hooks (punching forwards) with a DB in each hand.
    • Dumbbells uppercuts: Perform boxing uppercuts (punching upwards) with a DB in each hand.

• • Finisher:
    • Burpees to punches: Burpee with the DBs, punching four times as you come back up.

• • Superset 1
    • Dumbbell sumo deadlift: Stand with your feet very wide apart with a DB on the floor between them. Keep your chest up and back flat as you push through the legs then squeeze your glutes to raise back up, lifting the DB.
    • Dumbbell goblet squat: Hold the DB like a cup as you squat, keeping your chest up, then raise back up using your legs.

• • Superset 2
    • Split squat: Position yourself in a lunge position with the back leg elevated and a DB in each hand. Raise the back knee up and down.
    • Glute bridges: Lie with feet hip-width apart and heels near glutes. Place your DBs on hips then drive through heels to raise hips off floor, pause at top and slowly lower back to mat.

• • Finisher:
    • Bicycle crunches: In a crunch position with a DB in each hand, raise your legs up in a cycling motion, bringing your left knee to right elbow.

• • Superset 1
    • Squat truck driver: Hold the squat position at the bottom, and turn a weight from left to right, keeping your arms extended out.
    • Russian twists: Sat on the floor with your legs raised if possible and twist the weight from side to side of your body.

• • Superset 2
    • Raising side plank: Start in the plank position on your hands, then raise your left hand and right leg. Repeat on the other side.
    • Lateral shoot through: Start sat on the floor with your left leg extended and right leg bent. With one hand behind you on the floor and one in the air, twist your hips to move to the other side. Try to go as fast as possible.

• • Finisher:
    • Dead ball slams: Raise the ball over your head and slam it down as hard you can. Squat to pick it up and repeat.

• • Superset 1
    • Bag power clean: Stand holding a weighted bag touching the floor, keeping your back straight, then thrust your hips forward to bring the bag up to your forearms.
    • Leg raises: Lying down, hold the bag overhead as a counter weight and raise hips off the floor.

• • Superset 2
    • Squat to press: Holding two DBs resting on your shoulders, squat down, and as you push from the legs, press the DBs up overhead.
    • Overhead walking lunges: Hold the DBs overhead and lunge forward, moving across the room.

• • Finisher:
    • Jumping Jacks: With the DBs still in your hands, open your feet and arms at the same time, then jump them back together.

• • Superset 1
    • Medball push ups: Perform a push up with one hand on the medball, then roll the ball to the other hand and repeat.
    • Double mountain climbers: A variation on normal mountain climbers, this time bring both feet up at the same time.

• • Superset 2
    • Plank transfer sideways: Hold the plank position on your hands, with one DB on the floor on one side of your body. Drag it to the other side using the opposite hand, then repeat on the other side.
    • Plank transfer up and down: Same as above but this time drag the DB forward and back.

• • Finisher:
    • Bench hops: Hold the bench at the top, then jump both feet at the same time to the other side.

• • Superset 1
    • Ice skaters: Jump from one foot to the other, swinging your arms across your body.
    • Speed skater: Holding DBs in each hand, rotate your body in order to reach your opposite foot with one hand.

• • Superset 2
    • Walk in/out: Start in a push up position, then walk back in raising your hips and keeping your legs straight, touch your toes then go back down.
    • Push ups to T-rotation: Perform a push up (on knees if needed), then twist one arm holding a DB toward the sky.

• • Finisher:
    • High knees: Jog with high knees on the spot, as fast as possible.

Top tip

Make sure you’re hitting your daily protein intake. If you need some help then try a protein powder from a brand such as Neat Nutrition, which has a range of whey and vegan protein powders.