I challenge you. Next time you go to the gym, do not get on one machine, do not do one single- joint movement and do not spend 30 minutes on 10 variations of crunches. If you are like many people, following these rules does not leave you with much to do. We have been brainwashed into thinking that triceps kickbacks and floor crunches are the exercises that will take the flab away and make your core stronger. If fact, the truth needs to come out about these time wasting moves. In order to burn fat at an incredible pace and get your body into competition shape, stop moving like a robot and start training like an athlete. Design your program based on exercises that pack the most punch.
Remember this: The best exercises for athletic success are also the best exercises for muscle gain and fat loss. These movements all have one thing in common: they mimic our everyday movements AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible. If you are ready to make the change, it is extremely important to forget about all single-joint exercises. Stay away from the leg curl/extension machine and forget about triceps pressdowns and bicep curls. They are a waste of time if you are looking for true strength and want to gain efficiency in your workout.
Let me repeat: For a more effective and efficient workout that has practical carryover into the real world AND will help you reduce your body fat, total body movements are superior!
When designing your routine it is imperative that you select exercises that are going to give you the most bang for your buck. You will accelerate your progress by choosing MULTI-JOINT EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, the kettlebell swing is the king of all power movements. Not only are you building incredible leg strength and power, you are also increasing your heart rate and revving up your metabolism.
It’s as simple as the Equation below:
More Muscles Involved =
Faster Metabolism + Improved Body Coordination =
Greater Fat Loss + Greater Muscle Gain + Superior Athletic Ability
For those of you who are conditioned to go to the gym and hit each body part separately, this is going to be a new experience. You will quickly find that your conditioning is not up to snuff. Your heart rate will be much higher and it will take you longer to catch your breath after each set than with a bodybuilding routine. In other words, these exercises are not for the weak of mind, body, or soul! But with each passing workout, your physical fitness will improve and so will your physique.
Without delay, here is a list of the 10 best exercises to turn you into a fat burning athletic machine:
Exercise#1- The Swing: (My favorite exercise!), Kettlebells or Sandbags
Exercise#2- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Burpee (Squat Thrust) Variation, Squat plus Overhead Press, Squat plus Row
Exercise#3- Power Clean + Squat + Overhead Press Combination (Kettlebell, Sandbag, Barbell or Dumbbells)
Exercise#4- Any Lunge Combination Exercise: Alternating Lunge + Overhead Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Sandbag Clean and Lunge
Exercise#5- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise: Push-ups plus Jackknife, Push-up + Burpees (Squat Thrusts), Spiderman Push-ups, Inchworm Pushup plus Hop to Hands.
Exercise#6- The Wood Chop: Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags
Exercise#7- Olympic Lifting Variations: Barbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls
Exercise#8- Deadlifts- Barbell, Kettlebells, Dumbbells or Sandbags
Exercise#9- Turkish Get-Ups
Exercise#10- Pull-ups: Regular or Modified with feet on floor
Here’s a great video of the above exercises so that you can add them to your own training routines for better results (please excuse the lack of breath towards the end of the vid...16 weeks pregnant.):
If there is one piece of advice I could give people wanting to improve their chances of success when losing weight and improving coordination, it would be to include these 10 exercise variations into their training. I use them everyday with my clients and have seen dramatic changes in strength and body composition. They are hitting the tennis ball harder, dancing for longer periods of time and shedding pounds faster than ever.
Keep checking in for more ideas for your workouts. In the meantime, stay off the machines!
Yours in Determination, Confidence and Physical Achievement,
Shawn Manning,
Russian Kettlebell Instructor
www.headstrongathletics.com
Call 910.231.5011 or email shawn@headstrongathletics.com for more information on our group kettlebell classes and personal training.
