Dumb-bells do a pretty good job of living up to their name – when it comes down to it, they are stupid chunks of metal that are completely unresponsive (although sadly they don’t ring). Often this is just what you need, but working against the resistance of another person’s muscles introduces a new challenge by forcing your muscles to stabilise your joints against a shifting target. The added benefit of training with a partner is that you don’t need any exercise equipment, and you don’t have to pay a personal trainer £50 to motivate you – your mate will do that for free.

The push-me-pull-you nature of working against someone else also makes this fat-torching workout one of the most functional forms of training possible, which means you’ll become fitter and stronger both inside and outside the gym. Just make sure you choose someone who’s a similar build to you unless you want a totally one-sided workout.

How to do this workout
Find a training partner with a similar fitness level. Do the exercises below in order, taking no rest in between. Once you’ve completed one circuit, rest fortwo to three minutes before repeating it. You should aim for at least two circuits. Leave one day of rest between workouts.

Start
Warm up with five to ten minutes of gentle cardio to get the blood pumping oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. Some competitive banter might be useful too.