Perhaps you have already heard of the XT 29 method , created by Jose Expósito, former Operación Triunfo coach and it is one of the favorites of many influencers and models.
You only need half an hour a day
“The XT 29 is a program with 29 easy exercises, to execute daily in 29 minutes and for 29 days. It is the time necessary to change the metabolism ”, explains its creator. The 29 days is imposed by the short deadlines with which actors, singers or celebrities often work, forced to get ready in a short time to embark on a tour or attend an event.
Train hard, but with your head, to perform
“The essence of high intensity interval training, the famous HIIT, is to achieve high muscle stimulation. And it is proven that over 30 minutes the body goes into fatigue. From that moment on, performance drops, there is no improvement. We start to perform the exercises poorly and the risk of injury increases, ”he says.
This is the formula for the success of the method
From Monday to Friday, within those 29 minutes, exercises are scheduled grouped under three large groups: Origin, Mind and Holistic.
• This is how a session is organized. Each block consists of 29 exercises to do in 40 seconds, with another 20 resting. Before and after, they do stretching and warm-up exercises and cool down.
• How is the Origin block. They are simple exercises to develop the cardiovascular system and the different muscle groups. The improvement is noticeable in endurance, strength, speed and flexibility. Here we find squats, crunches (the abdominals of a lifetime), planks, push-ups or lunges.
• This is the Mind. They are movements inspired by yoga asanas. Above all, they improve flexibility and coordination. Unlike the previous one, during the 40 seconds it is not necessary to repeat a posture, but to maintain it. The 20 seconds of rest are used to return to the starting position and prepare for the next asana.
• The Holistic block is the most complex. It is because in each movement several muscle groups work at the same time in a continuous development. There are no repetitions or sustained postures, but an evolving gesture. This is the case of the Gorilla exercise, in which the movement of this animal is imitated when walking on all fours, and then raising the arms in an upright position. This is how arms, legs and lumbar-abdominal belt are worked.
Each one, at its own pace and as far as it goes
"When I was designing this method, I had in mind that they were exercises suitable for my parents, aged 78 and 67, or my nieces, aged 22 and 15 …", tells us Jose Exposito. How is this achieved? “The point is that each one will do it at the maximum intensity that is possible. That is why I never speak of repetitions. You have 40 seconds to do squats or burpees. Do as many as possible, as long as you execute them well ”.
• Practice adapts to you, not you to practice. Let's say you're doing tricep curls, which are very tiring. If you need to do three repetitions and stop for two seconds, stop, recover and continue. The important thing is that the whole sequence is done well ”, he insists. Then, "with practice and muscle strengthening, you will see how you can do it faster and faster."
And, in addition, you have to rest
The 40 seconds of exercise are followed by 20 seconds of rest, which “are to catch your breath. When you work at high intensity, the level of cardiovascular demand is enormous. You have to lower your heart rate or we run the risk of even causing heart disease ”. Would you lose more weight without those seconds of rest? "Yes, but at what cost?"
You can be the best version of you, but not another
“By working the glutes with sumo squats (legs wide open and almost reaching the ground) we can tone the glute a lot, give it a nice shape, lift it. But if you are looking for a huge super gluteus like Kim Kardashian's, there is no other choice but to go through the surgeon ”, she clarifies.
Crushing yourself is useless
Less is more. Exposito explains that “recently a client said 'I'm going to do a lot more sit-ups, so I'll have more'. The answer is no. If the muscle becomes fatigued, it stops working. You will suffer for nothing ”.
Start small
“You have to give the body time to assimilate the changes. And, once on track, follow maintenance ”, he advises.
Two basic Origin exercises
Front kick
Standing with your arms at your sides, raise one leg and put your arms in a defense position; Then, kick your elevated leg, bringing it parallel to the ground. Fold it again and return to the starting position.
Squad X
With your legs apart and your arms along your body, bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair and cross your arms over your chest at the same time to balance the support and not fall.
THE KEYS OF THE METHOD: Jose Exposito emphasizes these three things to follow his method
1. NO WEIGHTS. “To tone up, the body's own weight is enough. Another thing would be to look for muscle hypertrophy. But women usually don't want to get square, but to toughen up. "
2. WITH RUBBER. “If you put them on your legs or arms, you create more tension and the muscle works more. And they are easy to store or take on a trip ”.
3. COMPLEMENTS. Incorporate the XT 29 into your running training, tennis … because it helps to balance the decompensations that arise with other sports disciplines.
Book 'The training of success' by José Exposito', € 18.95
