Fitness enthusiast, Harry Judd, speaks with HFM’s editor Tom about mental health and using fitness to get happy. The McFly drummer also shares his favourite workout that you can try at your local park
Read more about Harry in the March-April edition of Healthy For Men out now in Holland and Barrett, whilst stocks last.
Also in the issue, SBS veteran and host of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ant Middleton, sharing his tips on how to survive treacherous conditions, how to get SAS fit, and the best tech to use out on the field. Love a takeaway but concerned about the bad stuff? We share easy hacks to turn your favourite fast food into fitness fuel.
How much can you (park) bench?
‘No matter how slow you are, you’re still lapping everybody who’s sitting on the sofa,’ says Harry, which is an enlightening summary of his attitude towards fitness. If you’re moving, you’re moving in the right direction.
There are lots of different ways to approach Harry’s park workout. We’ve selected a mix of our favourite from his book to get you going.
- Bench sit
Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, and just sit down, and stand up. You can do this in intervals of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, a minute on, a minute off – whatever suits you! This should target your legs and works as a light warm up.
- Step up
Stand in front of the bench, step one foot on, followed by the other. You can also make it more biometric by adding a jump once both your feet are on the bench. This should be great cardio depending on the velocity, and perfect for warming up your calves.
- Split squats
Facing away from the bench, rest one foot on the front of the bench and lower yourself toward the floor by bending both knees. Do 30 seconds on one leg, then switch over.
- Push-up off back of bench
If you can’t quite manage a push-up, this is a great way to practice. Go around to the back of the bench, put your hands on the top of the bench, legs straight, and lower your chest toward the bench. You can make it easier by bending your legs, or harder by moving around to the front of the bench.
- Partner push up
If you’ve mastered Harry’s bench push-ups, move onto a standard push-up, and even further down the line, try getting a partner to lie on your back as you’re doing a set. Just make sure you know roughly how much they weigh before they clamber on.
- Decline push up
Facing the ground, place your feet on the front of the bench so your toes are resting on the edge. Keeping your body straight, perform a standard press up. This will target your upper chest region, and will be slightly harder than a standard press-up.
- Bench Dips
Facing away from the bench, place your palms on the front of the bench with your legs in front of you, knees bent. Lower yourself down to the floor by bending your elbows, and before your bum touches the floor, push yourself back up. This will focus on your triceps, and to add more weight to them, keep your legs straight out in front of you with your heels placed on the floor.
- Plank on floor
Position yourself facedown into a plank somewhere near the bench. You should be in a straight line from head to heels. Contract your abs and use your core to support your body. With your elbows tucked beneath your chest, reach one arm out to touch the bench. Switch to the other arm and repeat for 30 seconds.
GET FIT GET HAPPY by Harry Judd. Hodder and Stoughton Publishers 2017. Photography by Dan Jones © Hodder and Stoughton 2017
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