In this post I take six well known exercises and tweak them to give you massive fitness results. There’s nothing better than a new twist on an old exercise to reignite your own workouts. So read on and workout along with the attached video to nail these drills and feel supremely strong.

Perform 6-10 repetitions of each exercise before moving straight into the next. Take up to 2 minutes’ rest before repeating the routine.

Overhead Squats

Take the good old squat and throw your hands above your head. Hold your arms straight and in line with your ears throughout and try to keep them out of sight if possible. Aim for a more upright position than usual, place your feet wider to help with this. Keep your knees behind your toe line as usual and aim for near horizontal thighs as pictured. Your knees should point the same way as your toes (pay special attention to this as you begin to go down and as you begin to come up).

Overhead Squat – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Asymmetric Press ups

Start in your normal press up position, kneeling or on your toes. Move one hand forward a little and the other hand back as pictured. As you lower yourself, keep your eyes in line with your top/front hand. Your chest and tummy should touch and leave the ground together. Perform 2 or 3 press ups before swapping hands.

Asymmetric Press Up – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Flexed Squats

Don’t freak out! This breaks one of the cardinal rules of squatting, but this is no ordinary squat. It is safe and adds something special to your bodyweight squats: Increased glute muscle activation. Meaning it is a great bum workout. Perform your normal squat, but bend forward as pictured to touch your shin or toes. Come back up and repeat. You flex forward at the hips and through the spine, just as you would if you were squatting down to do a burpee.

Flexed Squat – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Straight Sit-Ups (followed by Hand Walks)

Be strict and disciplined to get the best out of this. Keep your bottom still throughout the sit up, Keep your chin up and come up to touch your knees as pictured. Return to the floor and repeat. Perform 6-10 sit-ups then quickly turn over into the press up position/high plank…

Straight Sit Up – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Hand Walks (Press Up Position/High Plank)

Keep your bottom just below shoulder hight throughout and tense those glutes to support your back (If you raise your bottom your abs will slacken and you spoil the exercise). Walk your hands forwards as pictured until you feel your abdominals working. Walk back and repeat a second time. As you feel more confident you can walk further forwards.

Hand Walks – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Wide Press Ups

Get into your normal press up position again and place your hands one hand width wider (about as wide as your elbows when in the down position, as pictured). Note how the head is positioned in front of the finger tips. Perform 6-10 repetitions starting with straight elbows and going down to place chest and tummy on the floor.

Wide Press Up – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Sit Up Twists (followed by High Plank Knee to Elbow )

From your normal sit up position, come up with a twist of your trunk to touch the outside of one knee with both hands, as pictured. Make sure you twist as you sit up in one slick motion. Untwist as you lower to the start position. Alternate sides to do 6-10 then quickly turn over into the press up/high plank position…

Sit Up Twist – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

High Plank Knee to Elbow

From the high plank or press up position, bring your knee slowly towards your elbow of the same side. Avoid rocking forwards or backwards. It’s easy to get your knee to half way, your abdominals kick in for the second half so practise getting your knee all the way to your elbow. Alternate sides to complete 6-10 repetitions.

Knee To Elbow – Photo Credit: Taylor Grimley

Tell me how you get on with these exercise tweaks and ask me your exercise questions.