How Suranne Jones Uses a 5-Step Strength Routine to Stay Fit at 48

Suranne Jones' 5-step circuit and what it actually does

The structure: 35 minutes total, three rounds, eight to ten reps per movement, performed at least once per week. Load selection follows a single rule — final two reps must be challenging but still completable.

The relevance here isn't celebrity. It is a textbook application of two non-negotiable variables: progressive overload (increasing weight, reps, or time under tension once an exercise becomes easy) and compound loading (movements recruiting multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously). For a midlife trainee balancing schedule constraints, this is the minimum effective dose for maintaining lean mass and bone mineral density.

The movement stack

Each exercise maps to a specific mechanical demand. Treat this as a checklist, not a suggestion.

• Romanian deadlift. Hip-hinge pattern. Targets the glutes, hamstrings, and erectors. Bar or dumbbells. Keep the load flush against the anterior thighs throughout the eccentric phase. Drive the hips posteriorly — think "closing a drawer behind you" — to shift the moment arm off the lumbar spine and onto the hamstrings and glutes.
• Hip thrust. Posterior chain extension at the hip joint. Upper back braced against a bench, barbell or dumbbell seated in the hip crease. Force production is near-horizontal. Recruits glutes maximally and demands isometric trunk stability.
• Pallof press. Anti-rotation core work. The resistance vector is lateral; the torso must resist rotation while the arms press the load forward. Resistance band anchored at chest height is an adequate substitute for a cable column. Yerby frames it as low-cortisol core work — useful framing for the 40+ population, where recovery cost matters more than absolute intensity.
• Farmer's carry. Loaded grip walk. Trains static trunk stabilization under asymmetric load, grip endurance, and traps. Two equal kettlebells or dumbbells. Duration and load are the variables; gait stays rigid.

Implementation protocol

Stop optimizing and execute the baseline. The protocol is rigid for a reason.

• Frequency: minimum one session per week, non-negotiable for the first eight weeks. Consistency compounds. Intensity does not — not yet.
• Load selection: the load must permit full range of motion while making rep nine and ten mechanically difficult. If rep ten is clean, the load is subtherapeutic. If form degrades before rep eight, the load is supratherapeutic. There is no middle ground.
• Progression rule: when all three rounds of ten reps feel mechanical, increase load by the smallest available increment (typically 2.5 kg on barbell movements, 1 kg on dumbbells). Do not increase volume and load in the same week.
• Equipment substitutions: resistance band with door anchor replaces cable for the Pallof press. Hex dumbbells prevent rolling and store efficiently. Cast iron or plastic kettlebells are interchangeable for the carry.
• Failure mode to monitor: lumbar discomfort during the Romanian deadlift indicates the hinge is migrating to the spine rather than the hip. Reset foot pressure, reduce range of motion, or reduce load. Do not push through.

This is a maintenance-level program. It is not designed for maximal hypertrophy, it is not designed for athletic transfer, and it is not designed for beginners without prior hinge patterning. It is designed to keep a midlife biological system moving and resisting load three to four times per week — which, per the available reporting on consistent training, is where the actual return on investment sits.