We live in a busy world, one where we don't always have time to hit the gym. But burning kJs and toning up doesn't always have to mean a treadmill with a side of dumbbells. Instead, fitness guru Sam Wood has you covered with simple bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere to feel fit and fabulous fast!
Try these 4 workouts - Work for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds in between each exercise. Aim for 3-4 rounds for a great full body workout.




Workout 1:
1. Windmills
Standing with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart, bend at the waist and reach and touch your left foot with your right arm. Then reach across with your left arm to your right foot and continue to alternate, swinging your arms up high after each toe touch, like a windmill.
2. Side lying leg raises - left side
Lying on a mat flat on your right side, channel your inner aerobics instructor and lift your top (left) leg up to the sky and lower back down.
3. Side lying leg raises - right side
Same as above but lying on the opposite side and therefore raising the opposite leg.
4. Butt lift/ glute bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands by your side. Your feet should be planted on the floor around shoulder width apart. Pushing your heels into the floor, lift your hips up to the highest point, squeezing your glutes hard and keeping your back straight. Pause at the top, lower you hips slowly down and repeat. As many reps as you can in 40 seconds.
5. Calf raises
With your hands the wall for balance, Lift your heels as high as you can off the floor. Pause, squeezing your calves and then slowly lower your heels down and repeat. As many reps as you can to get a good burn in those calf muscles.
6. Couch push-ups
Placing your hands on the cushions or arm of the couch form a slow controlled push up movement maintaining good posture to a comfortable depth.
7. Low impact burpee
Breaking a burpee movement down into low impact steps. Place your hands under your chest and step back one foot at a time and stand rather than jump. Please note this can also be done on the couch as an easier, modified version.
Workout 2
1. Push ups (on knees if needed)
Keep your back straight and make sure your hips and chest are going down and up as one. Breathe in on the way down and breathe out on the way up.
2. Sit-ups
Lie down on your back with your legs bent and your feet placed firmly on the ground. Cross your hands across your chest and using your core and not momentum, curl your upper body up towards your knees, exhaling as you do so. Slowly lower yourself back down to your starting position.
3. Chair or couch dips
Using a chair (or couch), sit on the edge of the seat with your hands planted behind your hips. They should be on the edge of the seat and shoulder width apart. Lift your body up and walk your feet out until your knees are positioned directly above your heels. Bend your elbows to approximately 90 degrees and lower your hips towards the floor. Extend your elbows to press your body up.
4. Boxing jabs (with or without resistance)
Start with your right foot forward and your arms up in a protective ‘guard position’ (your elbows bent and your hands in fists on either side of your chin). Throw a right jab by quickly extending your right arm into a punch. Forward punch, rotating your fist down as you extend. Alternate arms in quick punching motions to elevate your heart rate and feel a burn in your arms
5. Plank
Keep everything tight and don’t let your head drop. Keep everything in a straight line from your head to your toes and don’t hold your breath.
6. Squats
Make sure your heels don’t lift off the floor. Push your butt back and keep your knees out, don’t let them fall inwards.
7. Alternating Side lunges
Stand up tall with your feet together hip distance apart. Step one foot out to the side nice and wide. Sit your butt back by tilting at the hips to lower into a deep side lunge. Push up off the planted food to return to standing and lunge to the other side.
Workout 3
1. Bicycle crunches
Lie flat on your back with your lower back pressed to the ground and finger tips resting on your temples. As you crunch up bring your elbow across to touch the opposite knee. Repeat on the other side, getting a nice smooth bicycle motion happening for as many reps as you can.
2. Boxing uppercuts (with or without resistance)
Keep your elbows in against your ribs and your knuckles turned upwards. Then, one arm at a time, punch upwards as if you are trying to punch someone in the jaw (under the chin) with an uppercut.
3. Alternating lunges
Start in a standing position. Step your left leg forward and lower your body, slow and controlled, until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees. Ensure your knee does not track over the front of your toes. Your rear knee should be just off the floor into a lunge position and your torso positioned upright. Push off your front leg to return to the starting position and alternate legs.
4. Push ups
Keep your back straight and make sure your hips and chest are going down and up as one. Breathe in on the way down and breathe out on the way up.
5. Squat pulses
Just like your standard squat but when you are in the low squat position, pulse up down a few inches to get a great burn.
6. Side plank left side
Lie on your left side with your feet together and your left forearm holding your body up, with your arm positioned directly below your shoulder. With your hips up, you want your body to be in a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold this position for the whole work period without letting your hips drop.
7. Side plank right side
Lie on your right side with your feet together and your right forearm holding your body up, with your arm positioned directly below your shoulder. With your hips up, you want your body to be in a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold this position for the whole work period without letting your hips drop.
Workout 4
1. Boxing jabs (with or without resistance)
Start with your right foot forward and your arms up in a protective ‘guard position’ (your elbows bent and your hands in fists on either side of your chin). Throw a right jab by quickly extending your right arm into. Forward punch, rotating your fist down as you extend. Alternate arms in quick punching motions to elevate your heart rate and feel a burn in your arms
2. Squats
Make sure your heels don’t lift off the floor. Push your butt back and keep your knees out, don’t let them fall inwards.
3. Slow alternating leg lowers
Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you. Keep your legs straight and raise them up to the ceiling. Then, staying slow and controlled, lower them back to the floor and repeat without resting them on the ground.
4. Plank
Keep everything tight and don’t let your head drop. Keep everything in a straight line from your head to your toes and don’t hold your breath.
5. Alternating reverse lunge
Start in a standing position. Step your left leg back behind you and lower your body, slow and controlled, until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees. Ensure your knee does not track over the front of your toes. Your rear knee should be just off the floor into a lunge position and your torso positioned upright. Push off your front leg to return to the starting position and alternate legs.
6. Resistance bicep curl
Stand up straight with resistance in each hand (could be a tin of beans or a bottle of wine). Keep your elbows in tight with your torso and rotate the palms of your hands so that they are facing forward. Keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the weights upwards while contracting your biceps.
7. Sit-ups
Lie down on your back with your legs bent and your feet placed firmly on the ground. Cross your hands across your chest (to opposite shoulders) or simply place them behind your ears, without pulling on or straining your neck. Using your core and not momentum, curl your upper body up towards your knees, exhaling as you do so. Slowly lower yourself back down to your starting position.