Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert, Max Wilcocks, gives us his 4 week program to achieving the best body ever (for your wedding and beyond!)

Everyone wants to look fantastic for their wedding day and every bride knows that be to looking your very best for that special day it takes a bit of effort. Here we’ve put together a one week program (to be done four weeks consecutively) that will help you achieve the best possible version of yourself. Some of the session will require determination and more than a little sweat and others will be gentle runs/cycles to promote steady fat loss. Note to reader: click on the exercises that you are not sure how to do and Max Wilcocks will talk you through it.

Monday
We’re going to introduce the week with a gentle workout designed to work your larger muscle groups and improve your range of motion. The focus for this session is taking your time and doing each exercise correctly and steadily improving the range that you are able to work at. We’re targeting the glutes, hamstrings and quads.

20x walking lunges
30x squats
20x split lunge (each side)

Repeat this sequence 5 times. Focus on improving range of motion.

Tuesday
Take the time to either walk, run or cycle for up to an hour. This can be a 1/2 run in the morning and then another 1/2 hr later in the day. The idea is that your legs may well be suffering from yesterday and we want to promote blood flow to stimulate recovery so we’re ready for tomorrow. Don’t push too hard on your run/cycle unless you’re feeling comfortable.

Wednesday
Today we’re going to put the focus back onto our resistance training and incorporate a little cardio at the same time. We’re going to superset some body weight exercises with some moves that are going to get your heart jumping. Does everyone know what a burpee is… You will in a bit!

20x squats straight into 15 burpees
20x standing lunges into 40 mountain climbers
20x reverse lunges into 15 burpees
20x squats into 40 mountain climbers
20x push ups into 15 burpees

Repeat this 4 times with 5 mins rest in-between each set.

Thursday
Today we can taken the tempo back down and put the focus on our stomachs. Here is a great ab routine, don’t be afraid to use this as many times during the week as you want. If you find you still have the energy at the end of a session the get down and work those stomach muscles.

30x bend knee sit ups
30x abs crunches
30x elbow to opposite knee sit ups
40x leg cycles
30x alternate leg raises
20x double leg raises
1 min front plank

Repeat whole thing twice.

Friday
I would suggest either having a rest day or again going for a gentle run. Keep it similar to Tuesday’s exercise. It’s always going to be better if you get out and do something, it doesn’t have to be hyper active, take a walk or brave a run.

Saturday
This is going to be our first session where we use actual weights, so far it’s just been based on our own body weight. Everyone should be familiar with a kettle bell and every gym worth it’s membership will have them lying around.

Have a go at this. These exercises are based on time NOT reps.

1 min- kettle bell swings
45 sec rest
1 min- split lunge with kettle bell in one hand. Left leg
45 secs rest
1 min- split lunge with kettle bell in one hand. Right leg
45 secs rest
1 min- step up, alternating legs
45 secs rest
1 min- squat into one arm snatch. Left side
45 secs rest
1 min- squat into one arm snatch. Right side
2 mins rest then repeat
Get at least two circuits out

Sunday
It’s been a great introductory week into training and hopefully yesterday’s program has got you hungry for more. Today we’ll go back to focusing on our core and will keep it simple and relatively short.

1 min front plank
45 sec side plank each side
Repeat this 4 times

15x Swiss ball roll outs (elbows on Swiss ball, knees on floor)
15x Swiss ball roll out ab crunches ( hands on floor, feet on Swiss ball)
Work from one to the other of these and see how many times you can do each in 8 minutes.

If you feel up for it then incorporate a few ab exercises from Thursdays session.

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