Fast-track your strength gains and crank up your metabolism with this total-body sweat session
Perform the exercises as a circuit, moving from one to the next with 30 seconds of rest. After you finish all 5, rest 2 minutes. Do 3 circuits total.
Best for: Triggering new muscle growth, boosting mobility and stability, and building an injuryproof body
Equipment: Box or bench, chin-up bar, dumbbell, cable station
Focus: Strength, power, stability
Kilojoules burned: 880* (as measured by a fit 1.8m, 80kg man using a Polar FT7 watch)
1/Decline Push-Up – Assume a push-up position (your arms straight, hands slightly beyond your shoulders and body straight from head to ankles) but place your toes on a box or bench. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position. Do 8 reps.
2/Chin-Up – Grab a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width, underhand grip and hang at arm’s length (a position known as a dead hang) with your feet crossed behind you. Pull your chest to the bar. Once the top of your chesttouches the bar, pause. Then slowly lower yourself back to a dead hang. Do 8 reps.
3/Goblet Split Squat – Hold a dumbbell vertically in front of your chest, cupping one end in both hands. Assume a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right. Slowly lower your body as far as you can. Pause, and push back up to the starting position as quickly as possible. After 8 reps, switch legs and repeat.
4/Single-Leg Single-Arm Deadlift – Using an overhand grip, hold a dumbbell in your left hand in front of your thigh. Lift your left foot a few inches off the floor behind you. Keeping your left leg in line with your upper body, lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position. After 8 reps, switch sides and repeat.
5/Side-Plank Row – Attach a handle to the low pulley of a cable station and lie on your left side, facing the stack. Grab the handle with your right hand, prop yourself up on your left forearm and raise your hips to form a side plank. Pull the handle to your ribs. Return to the starting position. After 8 reps, switch sides and repeat.
