Christine McGuinness recently revealed the full-body workout she fits into her hectic schedule despite juggling work and parenting.
‘Ever feel like fitness plans weren’t designed for real life? Kids to juggle. Work stress. No time for two-hour gym sessions. Zero clue where to start? [That’s why] you need fitness that fits you,’ the model and TV personality shared.
Focusing mainly on compound movements that engage multiple joints and muscle groups, Christine began with single-leg bodyweight hip thrusts to target her glutes and thighs — including the hamstrings and quads — while also improving balance and stability by working one leg at a time.
Next came dumbbell bent-over rows using a bench to target the upper and mid-back muscles, including the lats, rhomboids and trapezius, as well as the biceps.
Medicine ball Russian twists worked her core, particularly the obliques, while developing rotational strength, control and stability.
A session on the rowing machine added a high-intensity cardio element. ‘The major muscles in your legs, arms, back and core must all activate, providing a total-body workout that will increase your strength as well as your cardiovascular fitness,’ says Annie Mulgrew, vice president and founding instructor of City Row.
Explosive kettlebell swings rounded off the workout, targeting Christine’s posterior chain — the muscles along the back of the body — as her hips hinged and extended.
‘Your glutes and leg muscles generate force while your core, shoulder girdle and pecs stabilise to control the movement,’ says strength and conditioning expert Jacquelyn Baston. The exercise also elevates the heart rate, combining strength and cardio in one movement.
Christine’s own workout platform
Putting together efficient, well-rounded workouts that fit into a busy routine is ‘exactly why’ Christine launched her fitness and nutrition platform, Lean With Christine, guided by coach Katie Cooke.
Christine also gave followers a glimpse into the strength and conditioning workouts featured in the programme, including Arnold curls, farmer’s carries, medicine ball slams, sled pulls and rounds on the SkiErg.
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