Markus Andrews

At loggerheads with your busy schedule? Like many women today, trainer Stacie Clark is juggling a career, family and social life, all of which doesn’t leave much time for working out! So, in keeping with her mantra – “burn kilojoules, not time” – she creates quick and effective workout routines that are pretty much excuse-proof and work like a charm.

Can you believe she’s forty-something with two kids?! Also, Stacie can’t be bothered with fitness and diet fads; instead, her approach focuses on functional strength training, which uses exercises that mimic real-life movements (think squatting down to pick up a washing basket or hoisting hand luggage into an overhead compartment on a plane) and engages multiple muscle groups at once to maximise results.

The seven moves here in this quick and effective workout are a taste of her method for scoring an amazing lean, toned, fit body.

Time: 20 Minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells & Medicine Ball | Good For: Total Body

1/ TRACK-START DEADLIFT

Many women neglect the muscles on the back of their body. Get a brand-new rear view with this move, which concentrates on toning your hamstrings and glutes.DO IT: Place a dumbbell on the floor in front of you and stand with your right foot a few steps in front of your left. Bend both knees, keeping your right knee over your ankle. Lower to grab the dumbbell by both ends, keeping your chest lifted (A). Press through your right heel to straighten your leg, raising your left leg into the air behind you (forming a T shape with your body) and lifting the weight off the ground, arms straight and directly under your shoulders (B). Slowly lower your body back to start. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 12, then switch sides and repeat.

2/ ROPE CLIMB

Some ab moves don’t fully engage your obliques; others completely neglect them. This one recruits your entire core to cinch your waist with every reach.DO IT: Sit on the floor, knees slightly bent, and lean your torso back. In one motion, reach your left arm up and across your body while lifting your right foot and glute off the floor (A). Slowly repeat on the other side (B). That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15.

3/ PLANK TO POP-UP SQUAT

A twist on one of the most effective body-weight exercises there is: the burpee.DO IT: Start in push-up position, hands under your shoulders and legs extended, body forming a straight line from head to heels (A). Brace your core and jump your feet outside your hands, then quickly lift your chest and hands so that you’re upright (B). Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 60 seconds.

Quick tip: This move reinforces proper posture and form – something most women lose during quick, dynamic exercises. Focus on keeping the movement controlled.

4/ REVERSE LUNGE WITH FRONT RAISE

Reverse lunges activate your glutes, while raising your arms sculpts your abs. Doing them together makes it more challenging and effective.DO IT: Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides (A). Keeping your chest tall and shoulders back, step one foot back and bend both knees to lower into a lunge, while simultaneously raising the weights in front of you to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight (B). Press through your front heel to return to start. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do eight to 10.

5/ REACH-OUT PUSH-UP

This subtle tweak on the classic push-up recruits more of your chest muscles with every rep.DO IT: Place your hands on the floor under your shoulders and extend your legs behind you, so your body forms a straight line (A). Reach one hand 30cm to the side and bend both elbows, lowering your chest towards the floor (B). Return to start; repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do eight to 10.

Quick tip: Keep your core tight to prevent your hips sagging when you reach.

6/ CHANGEUP SPLIT HOP

Dynamic, multi-directional exercises like this build power and agility, improve balance and dial up the kilojoule-burning potential of any workout.DO IT: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent and hands raised in front of your chest (A). In one motion, jump and rotate 90 degrees to the right, bending both knees into a lunge as you land (B). Jump back to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in 30 seconds. Switch directions (rotate to the left) and repeat.

7/ OBLIQUE CRUNCH WITH BALL

No easy button here! Your shoulder blades have to stay lifted off the floor the entire time (which engages your abs fully throughout the move).DO IT: Grab a light medicine ball and lie on your back. Raise both knees over your hips and place the ball between them. Raise your right shoulder and bring your right elbow to the outside of the ball; hold it in place while extending your right leg out in front of you (A). Pause, then return to start and repeat on the other side (B). That’s one rep. Continue alternating for 10 to 12 reps.

Quick tip: Concentrate on keeping your hands behind your head, with your elbows out wide, during the entire set. More

When you think about your core, you’re likely thinking about those all-important ab muscles that peak out of crop tops. But there’s way more to them. According to Catherine Viljoen, a biokineticist at Virgin Active,

“The core includes a number of muscles that run the length of the spine and help stabilise the shoulders, spine and pelvis. These muscles create a strong base of support from which powerful movements can be generated and transferred to the working arms and legs.”

When these core muscles are in great shape they’ll go a long way to help prevent injury, which is why it’s so important to create good core strength.

How do you know you’re activating your core?

In order to make sure you’re training the right muscles, you first need to identify which muscles you’re actually trying to use. The best way to identify the muscle used for core strength is to:

Lie on the floor face-up with both knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor;

Place your hands (2 fingers) at the top of your hip bones. Now move your fingers slightly to the front of the hip bones and push firmly into the skin;

Now cough or laugh. The muscle you feel bulging at your fingertips is the transverse abdominus muscle contracting – this is one of the key muscles making up the core.*

The challenge is to try to maintain core activation throughout your regular gym exercises and throughout the day, even while standing in a queue or sitting at your desk.

How Will It Help?

They can take years off your appearance. Don’t think that because many of your core muscles are ‘invisible’ (buried underneath other muscles), you don’t need to pay attention to them. What better way to show off than a good posture?

They protect your insides, keep your spine and back healthy and they improve balance.

They protect you from injury. If the core muscles are weak, other muscles have to pick up the slack and eventually, this may result in pain or injury, particularly to the lower back.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of core activation, you may be ready for some challenging exercises to really sculpt killer core strength.

Core Strength Exercises

1. Plank

Do a 30-sec hold – 1 set of 5 repetitions

Support yourself on your elbows in a low position, with your knees on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles, lifting your knees off the floor and making sure that you’re in a stable position. Your back should be straight throughout this movement (ankles, hips and shoulders in line). Hold for 30 seconds and return to starting position and repeat.

Tip: To make this exercise easier, keep your knees on the floor.

2. Reverse Crunch Knee Raises

Do 2 sets of 15 repetitions

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and off the floor. Your back should be flat against the floor and your hands can be positioned at the sides of your head. Contract your lower abdominal muscles, bringing your knees towards your chest. Return slowly to starting position. Repeat.

Tip: This is not a big movement. You should just be lifting your glutes off the floor in a controlled way.

3. Segmental Bridge

Do 1 set of 5 repetitions

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Your arms should be straight with your hands lying at your sides. Lift your hips off the floor by rolling through the pelvis and continuing the motion by rolling segmentally through each vertebra from the pelvis to the rib cage. At the end of the movement, your knees, hips and chest are in a straight line. Hold for three seconds and then return slowly to the starting position by rolling your spine, vertebra by vertebra. Repeat.

Tip: Roll up for a count of 6, then down for a count of 6. The most benefit comes from performing this exercise slowly and controlled.

4. Four Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

Do 1 set of 15 repetitions (alternating)

Position yourself on all fours. Your knees should be aligned under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders. Keep a neutral spine position. Lift your left arm to shoulder height and your right leg to hip height. Hold for a few seconds (think of reaching forward with your left hand and stretching back with your right foot). Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.

Tips: Be careful not to tilt your hips or arch your back. If you’re new to this exercise, perform the exercise lying on your tummy, lifting the opposite arm and leg. Once mastered, progress to this exercise. Be careful not to lift your head during the movement – look down and not ahead of you.

5. Stability Ball Knee Tuck (advanced)

Do 1 set of 10 repetitions

Position yourself in a press-up position with your hands on the floor, about shoulder-width apart, and your ankles and feet resting on top of the stability ball. Bend your knees, so that they come towards your chest. Keep your elbows straight (not locked). Stop the movement once your feet are on the ball and your knees are tucked in. Hold for 3 seconds. Then straighten your knees and roll back to the starting position. Repeat.

If you have a medical condition or injury, please chat with your doctor or biokineticist before attempting these exercises. More