Joey Bull

Joey’s 30 years in fitness covers competing, coaching, writing and radio. As a natural medicine practitioner, she blends her knowledge of the body for all into live and online courses. Specialising in regaining youth and self-care, with a particular interest in hormones and middle age, The Best Is Yet To Come course is an example of vitality revived, at any age. Visit joeybull.com

PT Joey Bull shares her quick and easy full-body home workout routine that’ll get you fit in a flash with minimal equipment

Words: Joey Bull. Header image: Unsplash. Workout images: Joey Bull.

I love a quick and complete workout that you can do anywhere. All you need is a towel and a little elevation, such as a ledge, step, sofa or bed. This is a great combination of exercises that will work all muscles in no time at all. Each of these moves work a few groups at once, the more muscles recruited in a move, the more it raises the heart rate so there’s a double bonus in getting more into your short workout time slot!

Warm Up

Start with a mini warm of anything that raises your heart rate a little, jogging on the spot, step ups, skipping or bend and touch toes and reach up, for a minute or so.

1) Wide Z squats

  1. Starting with your legs with the perch or ledge behind you.
  2. Separate your feet and make a nice deep squat, perching your backside onto the ledge. Stick your backside out and hinge the back forward a little so as to get the glutes working.
  3. Lower down at a normal speed but come up slowly to the count of 5. X 10

2) Split lunges

  1. With the ledge behind you still, place one foot on it, shift the support leg forward and slightly wide to help stability.
  2. Bend the front knee and lower into a deep lunge with steady control.
  3. Hinge forward from the hips as you lower down if you wish to work the glutes more in this move. Otherwise, stay upright.
  4. Repeat 8 times and switch sides.

3) Close split lunges

  1. In the same potion as with the split lunges, shuffle the supporting leg back towards the ledge so that it is beneath your hips.
  2. Lower yourself into this close stance lunge and focus on the front thigh.
  3. Repeat 8 times on each side

4) Squat jumps

To add some power and aerobic benefit to this routine, do 10 times squat jumps with a hip distance foot stance.

5) Upper Chest press

This is great for emphasising strength and volume on the upper chest.

  1. Get both feet, shins or even thighs onto the ledge or bed.
  2. Position your hands on the floor into a wide press up position.
  3. Push up until fatigue, 10 to 15 reps.
  4. To make it harder, straighten the legs and balance on the balls of the feet. To make it easier, shuffle backwards and get more leg wait onto the ledge

6) Shoulder presses

  1. Place hands and feet on the floor with the knees lifted.
  2. Load your weight forward onto the hands and tuck your head under, with the crown heading down to the floor. This should resemble the starting position of a roly-poly but don’t roll anywhere! Instead bend the elbows while keeping your shoulders over the hands. While bending the elbows up and down, feel the shoulders taking the load. Try for 6 or more reps.

7) Back strengthener

  1. Get a towel, strong tie or belt and loop it round the banister, strong door handle or post of a sort. Place your feet close to the post / anchor and allow your body weight to pull back with straight arms. Hold on well to avoid falling back.
  2. Bend the knees slightly and pull yourself in with your arms towards the anchor and then slowly extend the arms out.
  3. Keep going until you can feel this in your biceps and lats, the back muscles.

More: 6 simple stretches to improve your flexibility