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Men's Health UK

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Building Muscle


Spring has arrived. Your winter body hasnt left. The answer: outdoor workouts. Porcelain skin and a spare tyre (or two) are both best tackled under the suns glare. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research found exercising outdoors has a positive effect on your stress levels and self-esteem. Youll be knackered, but youll be smiling.

Weve teamed up with personal trainer Jason Doggett (muddyplimsolls.com) to prepare a circuit that will strip fat, build lean muscle and save you cash. Complete the circuit twice with a 30sec rest between each station and two minutes to recover after each run through. Too easy? Step things up a notch by swapping your rest periods for burpees or squat thrusts.

1. Press-ups  20 reps

Go back to basics to get your upper body firing. Set your hands shoulder-width apart and keep your back neutral throughout. This will work your chest, triceps and even the fronts of your shoulders. If 20 is too easy, put your feet up on a bench to mimic an incline bench and really work on your man cleavage.

2. Bench jumps  1 minute

Stay at the bench, dust off your hands and get ready to work against the clock. Jump up onto the bench explosively before stepping back down onto the floor. Count to 60 out loud; if your breath isnt ragged, youre not working hard enough.

3. Plank  1 minute

Set your elbows under your shoulders and raise yourself up onto your toes. Focus on tensing the band of muscle around your hips, lower back and abs as you keep a straight line from your head to your bum. If youre shaking by the end, youre doing it right. Want to up the difficulty? Try these variations.

4. Inverted rows  20 reps

Head over to the parallel bars and avoid the temptation to do your best Louis Smith impression. Instead, grab the bar and hang underneath, arms fully extended, with your body at a 45 degree angle from the floor. Pull your chest towards the bar and focus on bringing your shoulder blades together for maximum activation of the upper back muscles.

5. Walking lunges  10 reps each leg

This isnt just a walk in the park. Unilateral leg training means maximum muscle activation and is ideal for boosting your performances on the sports field. It might not get you on the plane to Brazil but a man of the match performance at your next 5-a-side is almost guaranteed. Lunge forward as far as you can and ensure your trailing knee almost brushes the ground. Push off your front foot explosively into the next lunge.

6. Pull ups  to failure

We saved the best to last. Admit it. Jumping on the monkey bars is all youve wanted to do since you left the house. Set your hands shoulder-width apart and bring your chest up to the bar under control. Take 3 seconds to lower your body, making sure you maintain perfect form. Its only over once you drop. Thats one circuit. Now, one more round.

By: Edward Lane Photography: Getty

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15-minute outdoor workout