When Gemma Atkitnson isn’t parenting her two children, six-year-old Mia and two-year-old Thiago, she’s busy hosting on Hits Radio, managing her health and beauty brand Gem & Tonic and co-hosting the Women’s Health podcast Just As Well, alongside Editor-in-Chief Claire Sanderson. So, when it comes to working out, efficiency is essential – and she always trains first thing in the morning.
‘I need to be in and out before the kids wake up so it’s back to 4.30am wake ups and 5am sessions, but in just four days my body has adjusted and this morning I actually woke up naturally two minutes before my alarm,’ Gemma says.
‘For me, training early is far more beneficial because I know in the evening I just won’t do it. I don’t like training past 11am. I can’t focus and I’m chasing my tail of stuff I have to do in the day before leaving for work. I have much more energy and time for everything else in a more efficient way if I’ve moved in the morning. I’m a sucker for routine so it’s perfect both mentally and physically. It’s not always easy, not by any means and especially in the winter when it’s pitch black. But in order to grow and to feel my best, I have to have discipline (because motivation isn’t always there). You have to get past that voice in your head and get it done. It’s the only way you’ll make progress and it’s always worth it.’
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The workout below consists of just ‘three main exercises, and four sets,’ she adds – and that’s all you need. Here’s how to do it, with demos from Gemma.
The workoutTriset 1: Repeat for four rounds, rest for 60-90 secs between roundsBarbell hip thrusts x 8 Bulgarian split squats x 12 per leg Reverse hyper extensions x 20 Superset 1: Repeat for three rounds, rest for 30-45 secs between roundsBanded hip abductions x 20 Banded lateral walks x 15How to do the exercisesBarbell hip thrust 
Sit on the floor with your shoulder blades against a bench, box or step. If adding a dumbbell or a barbell, balance it on your hips.Keeping your chin tucked in, push up through your hips to lift your bum off the floor.Squeeze your glutes at the top – your shoulders, hips and knees should be in a straight line, without an arch in your lower back.Lower back down in a slow, controlled movement. That’s one rep. Bulgarian split squat
Start by standing with your back to a bench (or step, chair, or coffee table – just to make sure it’s sturdy). Holding a dumbbell in one hand, shift your weight to the opposite leg and raise the other behind you to lift it up onto the bench. Keeping your hips square, back straight and core tight, lean your torso forward slightly and sink down until your elevated knee and the dumbbell almost touch the floor. Make sure you keep your glutes engaged throughout.To come up, simply reverse the move, pushing through your grounded heel to return the start.Reverse hyper extensions
Lie face down on a reverse hyperextension machine or bench with your hips right at the edge so your torso is balancing mid-air. Engage your core as you lower your torso down to create a 90-degree angle with your legs.Then squeeze your glutes to lift your torso back up in line with your legs. Hold briefly at the top, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings. That’s one rep. Banded hip abductions Place a resistance band just above your knees, sitting on the edge of a bench or chair, feet hip-width apart. Push your knees outward against the band without letting your hips roll or your torso lean. Push out as far as you can without losing your form.Slowly return to the start position with tension still on the band. That’s one rep. Banded lateral walksPlace a resistance band just above your knees and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hips pushed back into a mini-squat. Step one foot sideways against the band’s resistance, keeping tension throughout. Bring the other foot in slowly, but don’t let your feet touch or band go slack.Continue walking sideways for 10–15 steps in one direction, then return the other way.RELATED STORIES
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.