For those of you who think you don’t have time to get the body you want: think again. Build strength in this short but intense workout.
I’m about to give you a workout that will build major strength and mass in a short period of time. You’ve heard of working “smarter not harder” right? Well, your workout doesn’t have to be two hours long to hit every muscle for maximum mass building. This workout should take less than an hour to complete: including warm up and cool down.
A compound exercise is any movement that utilizes more than one major muscle group at a time. While there may be one or two major muscle groups doing the majority of the work, smaller muscle groups are also recruited to stabilize and support secondarily. This allows the body to burn a maximum amount of calories while challenging the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, which creates the biggest stimulus for growth. Try adding compound exercises to your workout routine and get ready for a calorie burning workout that will have you building up and leaning out in no time.
Do this workout to get the most bang for your buck the next time you’re short on time and ready for a killer workout. Remember to warm up with dynamic stretching and complete cool down when finished. As always: Do No Harm! This is an advanced program. Please consult a professional fitness trainer if you are unsure how to complete the exercises safely with proper form.
12–15 reps
This exercise will work your hip complex, glutes and hamstrings, shoulders, core, and quadriceps. Begin with a moderate weighted barbell in a deadlift stance. Complete a barbell deadlift and as you stand, clean the bar up to your chest with palms facing out. From this position, do a single barbell front squat. As you return to the standing position, clean the barbell to the floor. That complete exercise is one rep. Repeat until the set is completed.
15–20 reps
Get ready to feel the burn! You will be utilizing the large lower body muscle groups to complete this exercise as well as the core. Using dumbbells or barbells step forward with one leg into a lunge stance. With power and energy, explode upward, switching your lunge stance in the air and landing with the opposite foot forward. Repeat so that you land with the original beginning leg forward. This is one repetition. Be sure that the knee never overextends the ankle while performing this exercise.
10 reps
This heart racing exercise will work core, shoulders, back, and legs all in one swoop. Grab a sand-filled weighted med ball that you can throw without it bouncing. Stand, holding the ball with both hands, and raise the ball up over head. Using your lats and abs to pull the ball downward, throw it as hard as you can onto the ground. Once it hits, place your hands on the ball and complete a squat thrust (or burpee) by coming into a plank position and quickly jumping back up. When you do return to the standing position, bring the ball with you right back overhead to complete your second rep.
