SPRING INTO ACTION WITH THIS FULL-BODY CIRCUIT
Are you ready to increase your heart- rate, make lean muscle gains, sweat, and shred fat? This workout is designed with compound exercises and minimal rest in an effort to maximize caloric burn and increase metabolic rate both during and after your workout to get you shredded. It is also designed to help you build muscle fast. Begin this workout with a five-minute cardio warm-up.
1) Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split squat is a single-leg strength exercise that targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
HOW TO:
With your feet hip-width apart, place your rear foot on a bench behind you. Slowly lower until your supporting leg is parallel to the floor. To target your quads, create a shorter distance between your back foot and front foot and focus on pushing through the ball of your foot. To target your hamstrings and glutes, create a greater distance between your rear foot and front foot and press through your heel. For greater intensity, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended at your sides and your palms facing each other. Do eight to 10 reps on one leg and rest 30 seconds. Repeat on your opposite leg.
2) Wide Pull-Up
The wide pull-up mainly targets your lats or latissimus dorsi, which adds width to your back and gives your upper body the V-taper shape. Pullups also work your upper back, biceps, and forearms.
HOW TO:
Using a pronated grip, grasp a pull bar slightly wider than shoulder-width and engage your core. Depress your shoulder blades and then drive your elbows straight down to the floor while activating your lats. Draw your breastbone between your hands. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and repeat for six repetitions; rest for 30 seconds.
3) Anterior Leaning Stationary Lunge with One-Arm Narrow Row
This exercise targets your entire body, engaging your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and stabilizer muscles during the lunge. The narrow row targets your lats, trapezius, rhomboids, teres major and minor, deltoids, infraspinatus, biceps, and core.
HOW TO:
Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand and step the same leg back and lower into a low lunge so your back knee is hovering above the ground and your opposite hand is on your hip. Hinge forward from your waist. Retract your shoulder blade and draw your elbow in tightly to your side, pause, and return your arm to the starting position. Hold the lunge for six to eight reps; rest 30 seconds. Repeat on your opposite arm and leg.
4) Alternating Wide Plyometric Push-Up to Narrow Plyometric Push-Up
This compound exercise targets your chest muscles, anterior deltoids, triceps, and core.
HOW TO:
Starting in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, lower your chest toward the floor (place your knees on the floor for regression and elevate your knees for progression). With a powerful push, hop your hands under your shoulders and lower your chest toward the floor with your elbows tucked tight to your sides. With a powerful push, hop your hands back out to the starting position. Repeat for 10 to 12 reps; rest for 30 seconds.
5) Single-arm dumbbell Push Press
This powerful exercise works your anterior and lateral deltoids and core.
HOW TO:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding one dumbbell or kettlebell just outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and palm facing in. Dip your knees, and then explosively push up with your legs as you press the weight straight over your shoulders. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. Repeat eight to 10 times and switch sides with little to no rest. Rest 30 seconds after completing both sides.
6) Dumbbell Hop to Plank to Stand into Biceps Curl
Target your biceps and core and increase your heart rate with this full-body exercise.
HOW TO:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells facing each other by your sides. Engage your core and place the dumbbells on the floor in front of you, stacked under your shoulders. Hop your legs back to a high plank position and quickly hop back in to stand. With your palms facing forward, perform a biceps curl and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 12 times; rest 30 seconds.
7) Get Shredded with Battle rope Alternating Waves with Squats OR Jump Rope
This fat-loss finisher will crank your heart rate!
HOW TO:
Hold a battle rope in both hands with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Alternate arm waves as you lower into a squat and stand back up for 30 seconds. Jump rope for 30 seconds if you do not have access to a battle rope.
Rest for two minutes and repeat the entire circuit two to four more times..
Model: Heather Lowe Follow @heather.lowe13
Photos By @chrisvlinton
