Stay active with our Workout of the Week

It's our penultimate Workout of the Week and this week it's delivered by Sport and Public Services tutor Daniel Millen

Our Weekly Workouts are a series of home fitness and wellbeing workouts delivered by The Manchester College's Sport department. These workouts require minimal equipment and aim to engage and grow body muscles but those all important brain muscles too..

Our penultimate Workout of the Week ahead of the summer break is delivered by Sport and Public Services tutor Daniel Millen. The majority of Daniel's time is spent teaching on Level 2 coaching programmes and supporting our scholarship student athletes.

He has extensive knowledge of the football industry, playing and coaching to a decent level and this is supplemented by experience delivering physical education in primary schools.

Check out this week's Workout of the Week!

Important information - If you have any respiratory or heart conditions, we recommend seeking advice from your GP before commencing this type of cardiovascular exercise.

Pre-workout checklist

• Comfortable clothes
• Trainers or flat shoes
• A glass or bottle of water
• A skipping rope – desirable but not essential
• An open space.

Information you need to read before watching Daniels's workout

• Warm up

Two to three minutes of skipping to raise your heart rate.  If you don't have a skipping rope you can jog on the spot (normal or high knees) or perform continuous star jumps.​

• Main session

Daniel is challenging you to complete three rounds of the 10 exercises listed below.  You will perform each exercise for 40 seconds, with 20 seconds rest in between exercises.  At the end of each round, give yourself two minutes rest so that you can recover and have a drink of water before going again.

1. Squat jumps

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.

Bend your knees and descend to a full squat position.

At the bottom of the squat, powerfully explode straight up bringing your knees towards your chest while in mid-air.  At the top of the jump, your thighs should touch your torso.

Release your legs and control your landing through your foot (toes, ball, arches and heel) and descend into the squat again for another explosive jump.

Upon landing immediately repeat.

Tip – Daniel lands on his toes, which works his calf muscles more. If you are looking to work your glutes, then land flat footed.

2. Burpees

Start in a squat position with your knees bent, back straight, and your feet about shoulder-width apart.

Lower your hands to the floor in front of you so they're just inside your feet.

With your weight on your hands, kick your feet back so you're on your hands and toes in a push up position.

Keeping your body straight from your head to heels, do one push up - remember not to let your back sag.

Do a frog kick so that your feet return to their starting position.

Stand and reach your arms over your head before quickly jumping into the air so you land back where you started.

As soon as you land, return to a squat position and do another repetition.

3. Walk out press ups

Start in the press up position, with your back straight and core tight.  Use your upper body strength to hand walk backwards, until you end in a standing position.

Tip - remember to bend your knees when performing this exercise.

4. Plank hold

Start in the press up position. For a high plank, your arms should be fully extended.

Keep your palms and toes firmly planted on the ground, with your back straight and your core tight.

Make sure your body is in a straight line throughout the time you are holding the plank position.

If your form begins to go at any point, drop to your knees or stop until you're ready to return to the correct position.

Tip - if you're a beginner, you can start by doing a plank on your knees.  If you're more advanced and require a greater challenge, you can plank on your forearms.

5. Knees to chest star jumps

Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. Perform a tuck jump (knees to chest), then explode into a star jump – arms above your head and legs spread apart.

Tip - if you cannot perform this movement, take out the tuck jump.

6. Squat thrusts

Start in the press up position.

Make sure your body is in a straight line (head, shoulders, hips, knees and toes).

Breathe in, then breathe out as you jump your feet forwards so that they land as close to your hands as possible.

Breathe in as you jump your feet back out to the start position, holding your core tight.

7. Hip twists

Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart.

Bring your left knee to your right elbow and your right knee to your left elbow.  Keep your core engaged (tight) and you should begin to feel your abdominal muscles tighten.

Repeat this movement for the duration of the set.

8. Press up with shoulder taps

Start in the press up position.

Keeping your body straight and rigid, inhale as you lower your chest to the floor and exhale as you push your body back up to the starting position.

At the top of the movement, quickly tap your shoulder with the hand on the opposite side, before returning your hand to the floor.

Repeat this movement, making sure you alternate the shoulder that you tap.

Tip - to make the exercise easier, perform a normal press up without a shoulder tap.

9. Crunches

Lie down on your back. Plant your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Bend your knees and place your arms across your chest. Contract your abs and inhale.

Exhale and lift your upper body, keeping your head and neck relaxed.

Inhale and return to the starting position.

10. Jump squat taps

Start in the squat position.

Keep your core tight and raise your arms above your head on the upward phase of the jump, land back in the squat position, tapping the floor as you land.

Tip - slow and controlled movements are necessary if your balance requires improvement.