{"id":450302,"date":"2026-02-03T02:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T02:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/450302\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T02:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T02:35:12","slug":"josie-gibson-relies-on-this-short-but-intense-workout-routine-to-stay-strong-in-her-40s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/450302\/","title":{"rendered":"Josie Gibson relies on this short but intense workout routine to stay strong in her 40s"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Gyms can be intimidating sometimes but we are all there for the same reason and I love getting stuck into my own little circuits,\u2019 wrote daytime TV favourite Josie Gibson on a recent Instagram Reel<\/a> detailing her workout routine, which she said she had decided to post in response to all the questions about her recent weight loss.<\/p>\n

Simple but effective<\/p>\n

\u2018Hope this inspires someone out there,\u2019 she added. \u2018I was diagnosed with Lipoedema<\/a> last year which I always knew anyway. So the fight is real as my body retains fat unlike a normal body should.\u2019
<\/p>\n

In said workout, Josie explained that she runs on the treadmill<\/a> for 500m, followed by a round of weights, for which she does three sets of 20 reps. In the video that she posted, Josie is seen doing dumbbell squats, which primarily work your glutes and quads, with support from your hamstrings, core, calves and back, lat pulldowns, which work your lats (side back muscles), upper back and biceps, and tricep pushdowns, which strengthen your triceps, with support from your shoulders and core. <\/p>\n

Josie can also be seen doing Swiss ball hamstring curls, a simple movement involving the hamstrings, glutes and core. So, she’s getting in some cardio and effective full-body movements here.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

\u2018I just mix and match it up, get my headphones in, get stuck in, and I feel great after,\u2019 Josie said in the voiceover, again acknowledging how intimidating gyms can be sometimes. <\/p>\n

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Ready to build and burn? Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to the WH app, find the plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/p>\n

\"4<\/a>Short but intense<\/p>\n

Her approach highlights the benefits of short but intense full-body sessions that are straightforward and easy to follow \u2013 something trainer and The Body Camp<\/a> co-founder Rick Parcell<\/a>, who has worked with Josie, is passionate about, too.<\/p>\n

\u2018I told Josie it\u2019s all about keeping it simple with three or four different exercises, all in sequence, and doing it three times a week \u2013 Monday, Wednesday, Friday,\u2019 he tells WH. \u2018For example, you could do 10 squats<\/a>, followed by 10 push-ups<\/a> and 10 sit-ups<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s the basic, very simple concept. Just picking three or four exercises and rotating them, spending 10 to 20 minutes maximum.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018When I\u2019ve taken Josie to David Loyd\u2019s, I pick four different machines and we do 10 or 20 reps on one machine, then we go straight to the next machine and do 10 or 20 reps, straight to the next machine, 10 or 20 reps, and the same again,\u2019 says Parcell. Your only rest, he adds, is during the walks between the machines. <\/p>\n

Doing three relatively short sessions like this per week is Parcell\u2019s training recommendation for women over 40. \u2018I\u2019m into the old-school, bodybuilding training style, where it\u2019s all about high intensity and pushing your body quite hard for a short period of time, but doing it properly, intensely, and then getting the hell out of there,\u2019 he says. <\/p>\n

Create a solid base<\/p>\n

\u2018If you\u2019ve already got a good base and you\u2019re walking<\/a> a lot already and you\u2019re used to exercise, you can do high intensity,\u2019 says Parcell, adding that you\u2019ll likely struggle with that higher intensity work if not, which is why it\u2019s so important to create a solid base first.<\/p>\n

When it comes to lifting weights, in order to \u2018challenge the ageing process\u2019 and slow the accompanying natural decline in muscle mass<\/a>, Parcell advises \u2018pushing the muscle quite hard \u2013 I\u2019d say go to a maximum of 10 reps if you\u2019re using dumbbells as you can go quite heavy, but if you\u2019re using machines, I would say 20 reps \u2013 you could do a lot more volume because you\u2019re more in control of the machines and they are easier to use.\u2019 Dumbbells and bars, while great, require more balance<\/a>, so you\u2019ll likely do less reps, but with more weight, he adds. <\/p>\n

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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n