Minimum effort, maximum results. That’s the dream combo when it comes to working out, especially if you’re battling waning enthusiasm for getting a sweat on and those healthy New Year resolutions are a distant, taunting memory. This plan, used by the England rugby league squad to cut fat and build lean muscle in a short pre-season window, delivers on both counts.
“In each 45-minute session you’ll get through a high number of reps and cycle between muscle-stimulating heavy lifts and pulse-quickening light bodyweight drills,” says performance coach Brendan Chaplin, who created these two streamlined workouts. “So long as you’re strict on keeping your rest periods short, body fat will have nowhere to hide.” In total these sessions will eat up less than 1% of your week – freeing up more time to convince your boss that you should apply a similar low-effort, big-results balance to your day job.
How it Works
“To build lean muscle, first you need to break it down,” says Chaplin. “This plan uses a high volume of exercises, time under tension and reps to failure that’ll stress your muscle fibres and tissue enough that they’ll have no option but to grow back stronger.”
Directions
There’s an easy option and a slightly harder one. The first is to do these two workouts once a week. The second is to do three workouts, in a 1-2-1 then 2-1-2 format, week by week. Either way, keep increasing the weight you lift or the number of reps to keep your body challenged, your muscles growing and body fat plummeting.
Tri-Sets Explained
In these workouts you perform moves A, B and C back to back with minimal rest between them. Each move works a different muscle group, so it can rest while your respiratory system is still being taxed to keep you burning calories.
Density Sets Explained
Density sets are high-rep, low-rest barrages that’ll stimulate a huge amount of muscle building and fat burning. Pick a timeframe and do as many reps as you can, resting as little as possible. Try them with anything from press-ups to goblet squats – one of our favourites is to do as many back squats with your bodyweight on the bar as you can in three minutes. But prepare for the lactic acid to burn and the DOMS to be savage. Some light exercise (the same moves with a very light weight) the next day will speed up recovery.
Workout 1
Pack on strength and size with these action-packed exercises
1A Dumbbell bench press
Sets 4 Reps 6-8
Lie on a flat bench, holding dumbbells with an overhand grip either side of your chest. Drive your feet hard into the floor and press the weights straight up, then lower them slowly to the start position.
1B One-arm row
Sets 4 Reps 6-8 each side
Support your knee on the bench and plant the other leg wide for balance. Keeping a natural arch in your back and your core braced, lift the weight to the side of your chest, making sure your elbow is tucked in. Pause and return slowly. Complete all reps on one side, then the other.
1C Lying leg raise
Sets 4 Reps 12 Rest 60 seconds
Lie on your back, holding the bench firmly with your hands. Keeping your legs together and straight, raise them, contracting your core to lift your lower back slightly off the bench. From here, keep your core engaged and lower your legs slowly until they’re just off the bench.
2A Pull-over
Sets 3 Reps 8
Lie on your back holding the dumbbells together above you. Keeping your core engaged and arms straight, lower the weights beyond your head until you feel a stretch in your chest, then return to the start.
2B Eccentric biceps curl
Sets 3 Reps 12
Hold dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing forwards. Curl the weights up to your chest, using momentum if needed. The weights should be slightly heavier than you would use for strict-form reps. Squeeze your biceps hard, then lower them slowly, taking five seconds to reach the starting position.
2C Reverse lunge
Sets 3 Reps 8 each side Rest 60 seconds
Holding dumbbells in each hand, take a big step backwards. Make sure you’re balanced, then lower your back knee until it’s just off the floor. Keep your back upright and your front knee in line with your front foot. Return to the start and keep alternating legs.
Finisher: Density set
Do as many rounds as possible in five minutes
3A Spider-Man press-up
Reps 5 each side
Start in the top of a press-up position. Bend your arms to lower your chest until it’s just off the floor and, as you do, bring one knee out towards your elbow, then return to the start. Alternate sides.
3B Dumbbell lunge and reach
Reps 5 each side
Stand holding dumbbells by your sides. Keeping your arms straight throughout, take a big step forwards into a lunge and touch the dumbbells to the floor just ahead of your front foot. Powerfully drive back up with your front leg to return to the start.
3C Barbell overhead lunge
Reps 5 each side
Hold a light barbell overhead with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your glutes and core engaged so your torso is solid, then lunge forwards. Alternate sides. Always be sure to find your balance as you plant your foot before dropping into the lunge.
Workout 2
Go heavy with the weights and high with the reps to keep progressing
1A Barbell lunge
Sets 4 Reps 6-8 each side
Holding the bar on the back of your shoulders, with your chest up and core braced, take a big step forwards and lower into a lunge so your back knee is just off the floor. Drive up with your front foot to return to the start. Alternate sides with each rep.
1B Dumbbell push press
Sets 4 Reps 8
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height. Lower into a quarter squat, then drive up powerfully, using the momentum to press the dumbbells overhead, keeping your core and glutes strong to protect your back.
1C Narrow-grip press-up
Sets 4 Reps 10
Perform a standard press-up but with your hands narrower than shoulder-width. Keep your elbows tucked close to your body to target your triceps and pecs more than your shoulders.
2A Sumo deadlift
Sets 3 Reps 6
Stand with your feet wide apart. Keeping your chest up, bend your legs and grab the barbell with hands narrower than shoulder-width apart. Keep your core braced as you drive through your heels to raise the weight, pushing your hips forwards to stand tall, then reverse the move to the start.
2B Body saw
Sets 3 Reps 15
Get into a plank position, supporting your weight on your feet and forearms. Keeping your body in line and feet together, slowly rock your body forwards and backwards. Squeeze your abs and glutes to help you keep your hips up.
2C Chin-up
Sets 3 Reps To Failure
Hold a chin-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body, then lower under control.
Finisher: Density set
Do as many rounds as possible in five minutes
3A Divebomber press-up
Reps 10
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, hips high and head tucked in so your spine remains neutral. Keeping your legs straight, bend your arms to bring your head towards the floor, then push through and up, arching your back but keeping your waist off the floor. Reverse the move back to the start.
3B Dumbbell high pull
Reps 10
In the bottom of a squat, hold dumbbells in front of your shins with straight arms. Drive up explosively to stand and use the momentum to draw the weights up to chest height, keeping your elbows high and rising onto the balls of your feet.
3C Kettlebell swing
Reps 10
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and push the kettlebell off your body to start the swing. As you lower, hinge at the hips by pushing your gluten back. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, drive your hips forward, allowing the kettle bell to rise to head height.
Brendan Chaplin has worked in pro rugby, MMA, tennis and cycling and is managing director of Strength and Conditioning Education, the UK’s leading developer of aspiring fitness professionals.
Photography: Danny Bird
Model: Lee McLaughlin@WAthletic. McLaughlin wears Be An Athlete Vest, available 2016, baaclothing.com; Zara basic plush trousers, £20, zara.com; Adidas Supernova Glide, £74, adidas.co.uk.
