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WORK IT OUT
I’m a PT and here’s how to get a body like Victoria Beckham – and all you need is a towel and a bed sheet
WORKING out can be tough and it’s hard fitting it in between doing the laundry and the school run.
While she’s got plenty of resources at her finger tips, at 47, Victoria Beckham’s body has been admired by many for what seems like forever.
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Her hubby David Beckham recently revealed the former Spice Girl has kept the same diet for 25 years, living off grilled fish and steamed vegetables.
Becks said his wife ‘rarely deviates’ from this meal - but experts have warned this could mean she has high levels of mercury in her blood.
When she’s not eating grilled fish and vegetables, Posh Spice knows how to build up a sweat.
She’s appeared on Instagram working out using one piece of equipment that you can pretty much take anywhere: TRX.
The bit of kit, which stands for Total Body Resistance Exercise, uses your body weight and gravity as resistance, to help tone and build strength through suspension exercises.
Whether travelling the world for business or taking the family on holiday, the TRX likely enables Victoria to fit workouts in around her hectic work-life commitments because it can pretty much be attached to anything.
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Tom Cuff-Burnett, trainer for the , says TRX training is ideal for women who have had babies too: “TRX provides the perfect tool with which to rebuild an iron-strong core and repair weakened stabilising muscles around the pelvic girdle.”
He adds that “TRX training can help offset the potential health-related issues brought about by menopause, such as osteoporosis, arthritis and cardiovascular disease, using low-impact strength training to help develop and maintain bone density, and metabolic conditioning workouts to promote heart and lung health.”
TRX kits start at around £79.95, but if you haven’t got that sort of cash to spend, experts say you can improvise at home.
Here are five exercises you can do to get a body like Victoria Beckham, with and without equipment…
1. THE SQUAT
With TRX: Start facing your anchor point and set your feet about hip width apart, with your hands holding the rubber handles at chest height, says Tom.
“Then break at the hips, knees and ankles (imagine 'sitting' on a chair behind you) until your knees are bent at 90 degrees, or if you have the mobility, keep going down until your hip crease sits below your knees.
“Drive through your heels to return to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top.”
Tom says to keep your eyes forward and chest and chin up to maintain correct posture in your upper back.
Do 8-10 reps of this exercise - for each exercise you should aim for 3-5 rounds, with two minutes between rounds.
Take a 30 second rest between each different exercise.
Without TRX: personal trainer, Andrew Walls explains that a ‘zombie squat’ is a great alternative if you don’t have a TRX.
For each exercise without a TRX do 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.
“Place your feet hip to shoulder width apart. Toes turned out slightly (10-11 and 1-2 on an analogue clock).
“Squat down by initiating the movement at the hip joint then bend the knees, ensuring you keep your core engaged.
“Hands out in front at shoulder height. Ensure your hip abductors are firing by pushing the knees outwards as you lower your body.
“Aim to get to your thighs parallel or lower to the ground, but only if you can maintain good
posture through your torso. Think chest up and straight back.”
Aim for three seconds down, hold for three seconds, and come up for three seconds.
“You’ll really feel the muscles working.”.
2. THE LOW ROW
With TRX: The low row helps target your lats, biceps, rhomboids and traps - no more bingo wings for you.
Tom says to start by facing your anchor point and holding the rubber handles with the palms facing each other.
Then lean back into the straps - allowing the TRX to take your weight.
“Pull yourself up towards your hands and finish with your wrists at the bottom of your ribcage, keeping your elbows squeezed hard into your sides at all times.
“Extend the arms to return to the start position.”
Do 8-10 reps of this exercise.
Without TRX: Andrew says this exercise is easy to do at home - all you need is a bedsheet.
Tie a knot in the end of the sheet and hang it over the door, close the door and ensure the door opens away from you - if you can lock the door, even better.
“Using an underhand or overhand grip, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart,” says Andrew.
“Lean back and let your arms straighten out, maintain a straight line from head to toe. Keep your core and glutes engaged.
“Ensure your shoulder blades are retracted (as if you’re puffing out your chest but not arching your lower back).
“Pull your body up towards your hands in a controlled movement. Hold at the top then slowly lower yourself to the start position.”
3. THE CHEST PRESS
With TRX: Chest presses aren’t just for the gym. Tom says this movement will help target your pecs, deltoids and triceps.
“Stand facing away from your anchor point, with the straps resting lightly on the tops of your shoulders.
“Set the hands shoulder width apart, lift onto tiptoes and squeeze the glutes to brace the core.
“Spread the hands apart as you lower the chest down in-line with your fists, then drive back up to the top to return to standing.”
Do 8-10 reps of this exercise.
Without TRX: An exercise that will work similar muscles is a push-up, which Andrew says is sometimes overlooked, but promises the ‘basics work best’.
You can make it easier or harder by changing the position of your hands or elevating your feet.
“Start by getting into the push up position. Ensure your hands are slightly wider than shoulder width apart, hands under the shoulder so that when you lower your body your elbows are angled around 20-30 degrees.
“Arms straight and locked. Your core and glutes should be engaged with shoulder blades retracted.”
To engage your core and glutes it’s almost as though you are tensing, as if someone is about to strike your torso.
“Lower your body to the ground and aim to get a fist width distance to the ground before coming up,” says Andrew.
“If you struggle to get this low I suggest you move to your knees or elevate your upper body using a chair.
“Ensure throughout the exercise your body is in a straight line from heels through to head.”
4. THE LUNGE
With TRX: Lunges can be difficult if you struggle with balance, but the TRX can help keep you centred. Tom says this move will target your glutes, quads, hamstrings and hip flexors.
“Stand facing away from the anchor point and place one foot into both foot cradles.
“Bend the standing leg until your back knee gently touches the ground, then drive up through your heel to return to standing.”
If you’re struggling, Tom says to try and fix your gaze on something ahead of you at eye-height to maintain balance and ensure the correct posture in the upper back.
Do 8-10 reps on each leg.
Without TRX: A split squat is a great alternative to a lunge and will work the same muscles.
For this exercise so 40 seconds on each leg with a 20 second break.
Andrew says it’s a great exercise for lower body strength, hypertrophy, balance, and stability.
“Start by placing your feet hip width apart and imagine your feet are on a set of tramlines.
“Step one foot back as if you were performing a back lunge. Your heel on the back foot should be raised and your front foot should feel stable.
“Your torso should be upright with your chest up and shoulder blades retracted. Lower your back knee towards the ground and push up just before you touch the ground.”
You can use something to keep hold of to help with your balance as long as you don’t use it to help pull yourself up, says Andrew.
5. THE KNEE TUCK
With TRX: This is probably one of the most challenging TRX exercises as it works your abdominal muscles, quadriceps and shoulders. To do the move Tom says to start on all-fours facing away from your anchor point before placing both feet in the cradles.
“Set your hands down shoulder width apart just in front of you, then lift into a plank.
“Drive your hips up towards the ceiling while simultaneously drawing the knees in towards your chest and tucking the head to look back at your feet.
“Return to the plank position slowly, ensuring your hips don't sag below your shoulders at the bottom.”
Do 8-10 reps of this exercise.
Without TRX: This might sound a little strange, but Andrew says you can actually use a towel to get the same results as Victoria does.
“This is a great exercise that will challenge your core, build strength, and stability. It’s much more effective than doing ordinary sit ups.
“You’ll need a towel and a slippery surface.”
Start in a full plank position, placing your feet on the towel and then ensure your hands are wider than shoulder width apart, arms straight and locked.
“Your core and glutes should be engaged with shoulder blades retracted,” says Andrew.
“Begin the movement by bringing your knees to your elbows while keeping your hips down.
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“Your core won’t engage as effectively if you lift your hips too high. Slide your feet back to the starting position and repeat.”
Andrew says if you don’t have a smooth surface to do the exercise on, you can put a tray under your feet instead of a towel.
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