Men’s Health cover star and podcast host Ben Shephard works hard to stay in shape. From competing in recent Hyrox races and 24-hour Spartan challenges to working with his personal trainer Steve Coleman for 10 years, his routine ensures his strength and conditioning is always up to scratch so he’s ready to take on any challenge.
One workout lifted directly from his routine programmed by Coleman and available in the Men’s Health training plans, is a 3-part conditioning session that will test your engine and muscular endurance. Check it out below.
The WorkoutCircuit 1
Complete 40 seconds work/20 seconds rest for 3-5 rounds of:
A1. Barbell Clean and PressA2. Renegade RowA3. BurpeeA4. SkippingCircuit 2
Then, complete 40 seconds work/20 seconds rest for 3-5 rounds of:
B1. Dumbbell ThrusterB2. Kettlebell SwingsB3. Mountain ClimberB4. High KneesFinisher
Finish with sprint efforts for 10 x 30 seconds of:
C1. Run, bike, ski or rowHow to Do the MovesBarbell Clean and Press
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hinge down and grip your barbell with a flat back and your torso upright. Drive upwards explosively, shrug your shoulders and use the momentum to pull the barbell upwards while quickly dropping beneath the bar. Catch the barbell on the front of your shoulders with a slight bend in the knees. Stand upright from this position and press the barbell overhead. Lower under control to your shoulders and then the ground. Repeat.
Drop into a strong plank with both hands gripping dumbbells. Keeping your hips from rotating, shift your weight onto your left hand and row the right dumbbell towards your hip. Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue in this fashion, alternating arms.
Hinge, squat and drop down, placing both hands on the floor between your feet.Jump your feet back into the top of a push-up and lower your chest to the ground.Straighten your arms to press back up and hop your feet back forwards. Jump into the air explosively, touching your hands together above your head.Skipping
Jump continuously with a rope passing beneath your feet on each jump.Keep your elbows close to your body and generate momentum from the wrists, maintaining a consistent pace at an appropriate intensity for the workout.Dumbbell Thruster
Hold two dumbbells on top of your shoulders. Squat down, keeping your back straight and chest up, until the crease of your hips drops below your knees. Stand back up explosively and, in one motion, press the dumbbells overhead to full lockout. Reverse the movement and repeat.
With a kettlebell between your legs, hinge at your hips, swinging the weight backward, high between your thighs. Drive your hips forward to explosively blast it up to eye level. Let the momentum return you back into the hinge position and straight into rep two. Keep your torso flat and knees soft throughout.Mountain Climber
Assume a strong plank position. Place your hands directly beneath your shoulders, with your arms straight.Explosively bring one knee towards your chest and then back out.Immediately repeat with the other leg. Keeping your back flat and hips low, quickly alternate legs. Aim for a fast, controlled rhythm.High Knees
Sprint in place, bringing your knees up as high as possible with each step. Keep the intensity high and stay light on your feet.
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.