One of the benefits of heading to an exercise class at the gym is that you can be sure you’re not going to be wasting any time there. It’s all too easy to spend longer than needed drifting between machines or extending your rest breaks when you’re working out solo, but head to a class and you’re getting full value for every minute.
That’s certainly the case at new London fitness studio Victus Soul, which offers two workouts concepts – HIIT & Run and HIIT & Box. Both these high-intensity sessions involve pushing yourself to the max, and you’ll leave the building absolutely certain you haven’t wasted any time in the gym.
To get a taste of the sessions at Victus Soul we enlisted Lyanne Hodson, master trainer at the studio, for a workout. In a typical Victus Soul class this workout would be combined with a boxing routine, so if you know what you’re doing on the bags, feel free to add that aspect in yourself. And if you’re unsure of your boxing skills, you can always head to Victus Soul to try a HIIT & Box class with a trainer guiding you through every punch.
Section 1
Perform each of the following exercises once for one minute back to back. Aside from taking 30 seconds to grab some dumbbells before the alternating lunges, don’t rest between exercises.
1 Hand walk-out
Standing with your feet hip-width apart, roll down through your spine and then walk your hands along the floor until you’re in a press-up position. Then walk your hands back towards your feet and roll back up.
2 Dive-bomber press-up
From a top press-up position, push your hips up as high as possible so that your legs and arms are straight and your body forms a triangle. This is your starting position. Keeping your legs straight, allow your arms to bend and attempt to get your nose as close to the floor as possible as you push forwards so your chest nearly grazes the floor. Press back through your hands to full arm extension and repeat.
3 Lunge with rotation
From a standing position take a big step forwards and lower your back knee so that your legs are bent at 90°. As you do this extend your arms out in front and then rotate your torso over your front leg. Return back to centre and then to standing. Alternate sides.
4 Lunge
Grasp a medium set of dumbbells – around 5kg-8kg – and stand with your feet hip-width apart holding the dumbbells by your sides. Step forwards with one leg and lower your back knee, making sure both legs are bent at 90°. Push back up through your front foot to the starting position. Alternate sides.
5 Thruster
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly turned out, holding dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing. Brace your core, then send your hips back while bending your knees to squat down. Drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes, to come back to standing and then push both weights up above your head, making sure your arms are in line with your ears.
6 Renegade row press-up
Get into a top press-up position holding dumbbells. Keeping your hips level, row the right dumbbell up until your elbow is in line with or a little higher than your waist. Lower it and row the left dumbbell up. Finally, lower into a press-up – full or with your knees down – and push back up. That’s one rep.
7 Weighted burpee
Stand holding dumbbells by your sides. Drop down, put the dumbbells on the floor and kick your feet out behind you so you’re in a press-up position. Then jump your feet back up to your hands, stand up and jump straight up.
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Section 2
In this next section you will do six minutes of strength work using one heavy dumbbell (8kg-12kg). Spend a minute on each exercise and complete two rounds without rest. In the first round use your right arm for the dumbbell snatch and row, and in the second round use your left arm.
1 1¼ goblet squat
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly turned out, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest. Drop into a squat, then drive a quarter of the way back up, then go back down before pushing all the way back up.
2 Dumbbell snatch
Stand with a dumbbell between your feet. Squat down and grasp the dumbbell with your right hand. In this bottom position make sure your shoulders are pulled back, your back is straight and your arm is locked out.
Stand up by driving through your heels and snapping your hips forwards, simultaneously pulling the dumbbell up in front of your body and then pushing it over head until your arm is straight, making sure to keep your arm in line with your ear.
3 Single-arm row
Place your left knee and hand on a bench, making sure your hand is directly under your left shoulder and your back is flat. Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, start with your arm fully extended down to the floor, then bring your elbow up towards your waist, drawing your shoulder blade in to keep your arm close to your body.
Finisher
Reps 12
From a top press-up position, spring your legs forwards to the outside of your hands and take your hands off the floor. Then put them back down and jump the legs back to the start position.
Box jump
Reps 6
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, a slight bend in your knees and your hips slightly back. Swing your arms forwards and jump onto the box. Once on the box stand up fully, squeeze your glutes and then step back down.
