Designed especially for ‘Red’ Magazine, these moves are taken from ‘That Girl’ training sessions with both the Health Director, Brigid Moss and Junior Content Director, Hannah Dunn. The principle of the workout uses your own body weight to get fit, shapely and strong, quickly and effectively. Cleverly interspersed with more straight forward exercises, That Girl’s Christina has added some of her favourite fun moves to keep your mind and body guessing.

4-Red

1: SCORPIANS

How She Does It
Repeat 6-8 times on each side.

Why She Does It
The scorpion opens up the hips and strengthens the spine, core and shoulders.

Position
Adopt plank position: your shoulders should be in line with, or just forward of, your wrists; back straight.

Action
Travel the right knee towards your left wrist as you scoop the abdominals in. Pause for a moment and then direct the right leg upwards and behind you in a circular movement allowing the knee to rotate towards the sky to open the hips. Return the leg drawing the knee towards the chin as you round the spine scooping the abdominals inwards. Finally return to plank allowing the spine to straighten.

Hot Tip
Give your self-time in the scorpion stretch to really open the front line of the body.

5-Red

2: BEAST REACH

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 alternate sides

Why She Does It
Taken from animal flow, this move encompasses flexibility, mobility, and strength and awakens the core.

Position
Come to all fours and extend you hips back towards your heels allowing the knees to fall open and hover about an inch off the floor. Your arms are extended in front of you, with fingers spread wide and palms firmly rooted into the ground. You gaze is downwards and the spine is slightly rounded.

Action
Extend your hips upwards as you scoop the belly inwards sending your body forwards allowing the right knee to travel to the outside of the right elbow. The shoulders move just past the wrists. Reverse the move to return.

Hot Tip
At first you may find bringing the shoulders in line with the wrists is enough to you develop strength.

9-Red

3: SWEEPING SQUAT

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12

Why She Does It
Come into a pigeon toe position, toes point towards each other. The knees will come together as you send the hips back and down to sit deep into the left glut. Hands are clasped together in front of your chest.

Action
From the pigeon toe squat position place your weight down into the right heel and dynamical propel your bodyweight upwards as you sweep the left leg open into a deep plié squat. The toes are turned out and your stance is wide. Allow the hips to drop in line with the knees. Transfer your weight into the left foot as you sweep the right leg to return to the pigeon toe squat and repeat.

Hot Tip
You don’t have to lift the leg as high as the model, in fact the exercise is just as challenging keeping the foot held a couple of inches from the ground.

8-Red

4: BRIDGE & ABDUCT

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 x each side

Why She Does It
Great for getting your butt in shape whilst challenging stability.

Position
Lie on your back with arms alongside your body, left leg bent at 90 degrees with the heel rested on a chair. Your right leg is straight in the air.

Action
Dynamically lift your hips towards the sky by contracting the left buttock, keeping your pelvis in line. Allow your right leg to open 3-4 inches keeping the hips level. Reverse the movement and lower your hips back down to the floor.

Hot Tip
Be mindful not to let the hips drop as you abduct the leg out to the side and back – this is a small movement.

6-Red

5: CRAWLS

How She Does It
Take 10 steps forwards and then try reversing the movement taking 10 steps backwards – this is harder than you may think.

Why She Does It
A fantastic body weight training exercise that challenges the core and your mind (because the performance and efficency of muscle is a product of nervous system).

Position
Come to all fours with hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width. Knees are just forward of your hips towards your navel. Your spine is straight and neck long, gaze is downwards. Hover you knees 1-2 inches off the floor and hold.

Action
Purposefully crawl your left hand and right foot forwards working in unison so you lift the hand and foot and place them down at the same time. Keep the middle back level and hips down, abdominals pulled inwards.

Hot Tip
This is a challenging exercise and if you find it hard to keep the hips level then keep both feet on the floor, weight through heels and repeat 12-15 times.

1-Red

6: SPLIT PLANK

How She Does It
Repeat 10-12 times

Why She Does It
Challenge your plank with some movement variation. To glide – paper plates, tea or hand towels, padded envelopes or you may find gliding pads in the gym.

Position
Assume plank position on your hands and feet with the your “gliders” under your toes. Your wrists should be directly beneath your shoulders. Your body forms a straight line from head to feet, neck is long and gaze down.

Action
Engage your abdominals as you open the legs outwards whilst keeping the hips level. Focus on using the inner thighs to draw the legs back together. Be mindful not to arch your back or stick your bum in the air.

Hot Tip
If your wrists get sore, use a yoga mat and roll the top edge a few times placing the palms of your hands on the rolled portion of the mat, with your fingers gently curling. You can also perform this exercise on your forearms.

2-Red

7A: PLANK ROTATIONS

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 alternate sides.
Superset with Gliding Curtseys and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
On a glider, so you really have to focus on using your core. As you move across you’re engaging your abdominals and your oblique’s.

Position
Come into plank on your hands and feet with the your “gliders” under your toes. Your wrists should be directly beneath your shoulders. Your body forms a straight line from head to feet, neck is long and gaze down.

Action
Draw your right leg up towards your chest and thread the leg under the body in line with the hip. Return the leg and repeat on the other side.

Hot Tip
Try to stretch the leg out in line with the hip as you twist.

3-Red

7B: GLIDING CURTSEYS

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 x each side.
Superset with Plank Rotations.

Why She Does It
We love this one as it really works the butt and legs. It’s challenging too as you have to control the glider, so you need to focus on your balance.

Position
Standing feet together, arms by sides. Place the ball of one foot on your “glider”

Action
Glide the right leg diagonally behind you into a deep curtsey position. The right knee bends to 90 degrees as you reach the arm out at shoulder level. Return to start position then repeat.

Hot Tip
Balance can be difficult with this one and you can always keep your arms by your side or hold the back of a chair.

7-Red

8: BUTT REBOOT

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 x each side

Why She Does It
Primarily works the butt and front of thighs butt muscles and challenges balance and stability

Position
Standing at the side of a step/bench, with the left foot on top. Your spine is straight and hands clasped in front of your chest.

Action
Root down into the left heel and focus on “firing” the left bum muscle to stand tall, bring the right foot up beside it. Keep your spine as vertical as possible throughout and ensure that your knee always tracks in the direction of your toes Return the left leg slowly to the start position.

Hot Tip
If you slow the movement down, it’s even harder. Too hard? Use a lower step to start off.

11-Red

9: SIDE LEG LIFT

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times each side

Why She Does It
Challenges the whole body, and works the outer thigh muscles

Position
Come into a side plank position with your shoulder directly I line with your wrist and the legs aligned one on top of the other.

Action
Whilst maintaining the height of the side plank, slowly lift you top leg to hip height and return.

Hot Tip
To regress the move especially if you are new to exercise place the bottom knee on the floor for more stability

10-Red

10: STRETCHING TWIST

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 on one side and then the other

Why She Does It
Mobilisers the back, works the waist and opens through the chest.

Position
Lie on your back with your right arm extended out to the side and left arm reaches towards the ceiling. Raise your legs up wards in line with hips with knees bent at a right angle

Action
Engage your lower abdominals and lower your knees to the right as you lower your left arm in the opposite direction. Try to not quite touch the floor with the legs and return the limbs under control. Use an inhale to lower and exhale to return.

Hot Tip
To make the move easier simply keep both arms on the floor in a T shape. To increase the intensity lengthen the legs so they are almost straight.

12-Red

11: HALF HAND STAND

How She Does It
Hold 10-20 breaths

Why She Does It
For a finale to leave you feeling amazing, go upside down. Relieves physical and mental tension and focus the mind.

Position
Sit with your back against the wall and legs out straight in front of you. Take note or mark where your heels are as this is where you will place your hands. Now come onto your hands and knees, hands placed where your heels were and your feet against the wall. Hands are shoulder width apart.

Action
Place one foot on the wall as close to hip height as you can and then push into to the wall with the foot as you lift your other foot up to join the first one. Now walk your feet to hip height. Press into the floor with both hands as you draw shoulders away from your ears. Keep the legs straight as you push the feet into the wall. To return slowly walk the feet down the wall and rest in yogi child pose.

Hot Tip
Find child pose in our stretches section.