Slimmed-down Huw Edwards shows off his knockout workout — but can our reader survive the punishing regime?
HE usually reads the headlines but TV anchor man Huw Edwards found himself MAKING them when he revealed his amazing weight loss.
Huw, 56, dropped an incredible 3st, from 16st to 13st, leaving female fans fawning over his new look last month.
Now his transformation has caught the eye of the Strictly Come Dancing bookers, with rumours he will quickstep on to the dance floor in November.
So today we exclusively reveal the workout behind Welshman Huw’s transformation — and a brave Sun reader tries it out and gives a blow by blow account.
The man responsible for Huw’s transformation is former British and European boxing champion, Clinton McKenzie.
The 63-year-old, who also boxed at the 1976 Olympics had 50 professional fight retiring.
Now he whips others into shape at the boxing gym he owns in East Dulwich, south-east London, using the techniques and training regimes he learned when at the top of his game.
And Huw admits nothing has come close to challenging him physically like Clinton’s workout.
Huw says: “It took me a while to get used to Clinton’s tough boxing regime, but it’s worked.
“He’s a tough trainer. Lots of pad work, some gentle sparring, floor exercises and bag work.
“It’s been great for weight loss but equally it’s a brilliant way to get rid of tension and stress.”
Clinton, who lives in East Dulwich, says his training methods are simple, but effective: “My workout is an old-fashioned boxing workout.
“It’s no frills, hard boxing with skills and some strength.”
But what does it feel like to take on Huw’s knockout workout? Sun reader Rebecca Exton-Russell, 41, agreed to try it out.
A jewellery and gift company owner, she lives in Derby with partner Darren, 41.
She keeps fit, yet says boxing is always a tough exercise.
As Rocky III theme tune Eye Of The Tiger fills the gym, Clinton guides Rebecca through a ten-minute, non-stop warm-up.
Star jumps, stretches and boxing on the spot.
Five minutes in, and the sweat is already visible.
Once suitably warmed up, it’s gloves on, and over to the bags where Clinton shows Rebecca how to throw punches like a pro. For the next ten minutes it’s flat-out boxing.
“Come on now, throw everything you’ve got at the bag. Punch, punch, punch”, Clinton shouts as the song Road To Glory blares out.
Halfway through, Rebecca stops and hangs off the bag, desperately trying to catch her breath.
“Take 30 seconds, but then you’re back in. You got this”, Clinton shouts over. Rebecca finishes up on the bags and barely has time to catch her breath before she is handed a skipping rope and Clinton instructs: “It’s three minutes of straight skipping, the ultimate heart-rate raiser.”
A minute in and Rebecca gasps: “I can’t do two more minutes, I’m knackered.”
But Clinton encourages her to keep up right to the end — and she makes it.
Red-faced and dripping with sweat, Rebecca drops to the floor immediately afterwards, eyes shut, struggling to catch her breath.
But the workout isn’t over. Clinton gets Rebecca in the ring and takes her through three rounds with pads, shouting instructions as she continuously fires jabs, cross punches and dodge his advances.
To finish it’s all about building strength.
Handed a heavy weighted medicine ball, Rebecca gasps for breath as she performs sit-ups, slams and Russian twists to finish.
Midway through Rebecca stops. “I don’t know if I can continue” she says, “My abs are on fire.”
Clinton offers firm encouragement: “Your body is telling you no but you’ve got this, you can finish this.”
And, three minutes later, she’s done. Rebecca says: “In one word, that was HARD. But I loved it. I feel like I’ve been worked out to my limit.
“The hardest part is by far the pad work in the ring as Clinton is on your case.
“You have no time to stop or to think ‘I’m tired’. You just have to keep going and going.
“It was my favourite part though.
“Skipping for three minutes straight is also much harder than it sounds.
“I can one million per cent see why this workout is so effective for weight loss — it’s hard, it works you out non-stop, but it’s all different skills, so it could easily become addictive.
“I know I’ll feel it tomorrow, but I’d come back in a heartbeat.”
Clinton's punishing regime
- 15-minute warm-up and stretch
- Touch toes and stretch up
- Punch air repeatedly
- Side lunge stretch to each side
- Knees up jumping
- Star jumps
- Bag work (or shadow boxing at home)
- Jabs and crosses for one minute
- Hooks for one minute
- Uppercuts for one minute
- Mix of all the above for intervals of 40 seconds
- Three-minute rounds of skipping
- Two-minute rounds of pad work, working with a partner
- Strength and conditioning
- Medicine ball workout for core strength
- Russian Twists for one min
- Sit up slams for one min
- Tricep dips for one min
- Finish with warm-down stretches and a light jog on the spot
Female celeb boxers
BOXING is having a moment among female celebrities too – with these knockout women packing some serious punches.
Former Pussycat Doll and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Ashley Roberts, 37, says: “Boxing is amazing as you don’t realise you’re burning calories as you’re too busy focusing on kicking ass.”
Meanwhile Our Girl actress Michelle Keegan, 31, says boxing helps her keep in shape for her role as a soldier – and has even become a fan of watching the sport with husband Mark Wright.
Singer Ellie Goulding, 32, also loves the buzz of the exercise, saying: “Boxing is very animalistic and there’s a lot of adrenaline in it. It makes me feel empowered.”
Kim Kardashian, 38, is keen too, despite admitting she was “scared” the first time she tried it. And presenter Myleene Klass, 40, is so devoted she gets her two kids, as well as those of her partner Simon Motson, involved.
She explains: “I train all our four kids to box, it’s so important to stay healthy.”
And model Karlie Kloss, 26, and Gigi Hadid, 23, pictured, also both say it helps them keep in shape for the runway. Gigi said: “I box every day.”
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