Alesha Dixon, 46, does this one-hour workout twice a week to get fitter than ever
Women’s Health cover star Alesha Dixon says exercise to her is ‘like dusting off the cobwebs’. Speaking in her interview for this month’s issue, she said, ‘If I'm not working out, I can get quite low – don't feel great about myself and I can get into a negative mindset. But when I'm consistent with working out, everything's manageable. It has a ripple effect on all my other choices throughout the day.’
She’s been reaping these rewards for 15 years, since she started training with PT Janet Malinowska. Together, Alesha and Janet do two-three strength training sessions and one-two Pilates or yoga sessions weekly, while her current strength training programme has a ‘conditioning’ focus to get her super fit, Janet tells us.
Each of these one-hour strength and conditioning workouts is programmed to target a different part of Alesha’s body, Janet explains, while it always starts with a workout-specific (more on this below) dynamic warm-up, and static stretches to cool down. Here’s an exact workout taken from Alesha’s programme, courtesy of Janet.
Dynamic warm-up (exercises selected specifically to warm up the muscle groups that will be targeted in the workout – for example, leg swings prior to a lower-body workout)
Do: 10 reps each:
Bodyweight squats
Bodyweight lunges
Plank arm taps
Plank knee taps
Plank jumps
Leg swings
Resistance band crab walks, 10 reps each way
Main workout
Targets: Part one: quads and glutes, part two: chest and biceps, finisher: abs. Janet and Alesha apply workout splits to target individual muscle groups per workout.
Equipment used: Resistance band, barbell and weight plates (Alesha would do between 60-80kg per hip thrust set), set of dumbbells (Alesha would use dumbbells totalling 8-20kg, depending on the exercise – see below for specifics), cable machine, bench
PART ONE
Do: 12 reps per exercise, rest for 60-90 secs per exercise, repeat whole circuit three times
1A: 12 x barbell hip thrust. First set: 60kg. Second set: 70kg. Third set: 75-80kg
1B: 12 x elevated (heels on weight plates) wide-stance dumbbell squats. First set: 1 x 16kg dumbbell. Second set: 1 x 18kg dumbbell. Third set: 1 x 20kg dumbbell.
1C: 12 x cable chest flies. Level 7-8.
1D: 12 x alternating dumbbell plank pulls. All sets: 2 x 8kg dumbbells.
PART TWO
Do: 12 reps per exercise, rest for 60-90 secs per exercise, repeat whole circuit three times
2A: 12 x long resistance band hip thrust pull-throughs. (Attach looped long resistance band to a bench or chair.)
2B: 12 x heels elevated banded goblet squat. All sets: 1 x 14kg kettlebell.
2C: 12 x alternating dumbbell chest press. All sets: 2 x 8kg dumbbells.
2D: 12 x alternating seated bicep curls. All sets: 2 x 6kg dumbbells.
FINISHER
Do: 12 reps per exercise, rest for 30 secs per exercise, repeat whole circuit three times
12 x elevated bench leg lowers.
12 x sit-ups with wide legs and arms extended above holding a 10kg weight plate.
12 x 10kg plate crunch to suitcase hold.
12 x squat jumps
Cooldown (exercises selected specifically to stretch the muscle groups that have been targeted in the workout – for example, hip flexor stretch after a lower-body workout)
Do: 20-second hold in each stretch (each side if applicable)
‘Alesha and I currently do this type of strength and conditioning workout every other day, with a day of rest in between sessions if possible, with Alesha’s schedule,’ Janet explains. ‘This allows for each muscle group to recover and for Alesha’s muscles to grow back stronger.’
Although the current goal is to get Alesha fit for the upcoming season of Britain’s Got Talent, Janet says, ‘It’s not only about looks or aesthetics, it’s about feeling good in the body and mind. We both preach, “Healthy body, healthy mind”.’
She adds that Alesha has built significant strength over the last few years, ‘especially post-pandemic as we were training quite intensely then as Alesha had more time. Alesha has always been quite consistent with her fitness, even during pregnancy.'
Besides those strength and conditioning sessions, Alesha sticks to one weekly yoga or Pilates session, to ‘improve flexibility and core strength, while also helping to manage stress,’ Janet explains. How those sessions are programmed ‘depending on how intense the rest of Alesha’s training week has been, but most importantly, how Alesha feels.’ She tells us that she’ll ask Alesha how ready she’s feeling to train, and this will determine how intense those yoga or Pilates sessions are – usually done on a Friday or Sunday.
BRB, off to try the workout.
Read the full interview with cover star Alesha Dixon
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