Choosing the appropriate workout routine is important if you are trying to maximize the time you spend in the gym and get results. Each type of workout program has its own pros and cons, so it’s important to know what you are looking to get out of each workout.
Full body workouts have many benefits, the most obvious being that you get to work your whole body in one workout. Major muscle groups work together in compound exercises, like squats and lunges, and they require more energy to coordinate movement, move heavy weight, and provide oxygen to working muscles than single-joint exercises that only work one or two small muscles. This leads to more calories burned in less time.
Another benefit of full body workouts is that they build more muscle and increase muscle strength. With full body training, alternated with rest days, you’re targeting multiple muscle groups two to three times per week for increased muscle strength. If getting stronger is your goal, it’s important to perform exercises that allow you use the most weight. Compound exercises such as the squat, deadlift and bench press variations are full body movements that require the most effort to complete. By doing these exercises more frequently, you’ll be challenging your body to continuously and effectively build strength.
Push your body and get the most out of your workout with this full body outdoor workout!
50 Jumping Jacks
1. Begin by standing with your legs straight and your arms to your sides.
2. Jump up and spread your feet beyond hip-width apart while bringing your arms above your head.
3. Jump again, lowering your arms and bringing your legs together. Return to your starting position.
50 High Knees
1. Stand up straight and place your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands palms down facing the floor.
3. Quickly bring your right knee up to meet your right hand, bring the same leg back to the ground and immediately bring the left knee up to meet your left hand.
4. Alternate knees with a hopping motion.
5. Make sure you are engaging your abdominal muscles as each knee comes up to meet the hands.
50 Mountain Climbers
1. Get into a plank position. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, your back should be flat and your core should be engaged.
2. Pull one knee to your chest, then switch legs and do the same thing with the other while bringing your other leg out.
3. Keep your hips down and run your legs through these motions as fast as you can.
20 Squats
1. Start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2. Keep your chest up, engage your core, and shift your weight onto your heels as you push your hips back into a sitting position.
3. Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel or almost parallel to the floor.
4. Exhale and push back up to the starting position.
10 Burpees
1. Start from a standing position, then squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
2. Quickly kick both feet out behind you so you are in a push up position, and then do one push up.
3. Bring your legs forward to go into a squatting position again, and jump up.
25 Sit-Ups
1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your legs and place feet firmly on the ground to stabilize your lower body.
3. Cross your hands to opposite shoulders or place them behind your ears, without pulling on your neck.
4. Curl your upper body all the way up toward your knees.
5. Slowly lower yourself down, returning to your starting point.
30 Second Plank
1. Get into forearm plank position. Ensure your elbows on the ground directly underneath your shoulders with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Make sure your back is flat and your head and neck are in a neutral position.
3. Drive your elbows into the floor, and squeeze your quads, glutes and core.
REST
50 Jumping Jacks
20 Lunges
15 Push Ups
1. Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. Straighten your arms and legs.
3. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
4. Pause, then push yourself back up.
20 Squats
15 Tricep Dips
25 Crunches
1. Lie down on your back. Plant your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Bend your knees and place your arms across your chest. Brace your abs and inhale.
2. Exhale and lift your upper body, keeping your head and neck relaxed.
3. Inhale and return to the starting position.
30 Second Plank
REST
50 Jumping Jacks
20 Cross Body Punches
20 Donkey Kicks (10 each side)
1. Start on all fours, knees hip-width apart, hands under your shoulders, with your neck and spine neutral.
2. Engage your core and begin to lift either leg, knee staying bent with a flat foot.
3. Use your glute to press your foot up toward the ceiling and squeeze at the top. Your pelvis and hips should stay facing the ground.
4. Return to the starting position and switch to the other leg.
20 Squats
20 Russian Twists
1. Sit on the floor and bring your legs out straight.
2. Lean back slightly so your torso and legs form a V-like shape, bracing your abdominal wall to engage your core.
3. Balancing here, twist your torso from side to side without moving your legs.
25 Bicycle Crunches
1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and knees bent. Your feet should be on the floor and your hands behind your head.
2. With your hands holding your head, slowly raise your knees to about a 90-degree angle, lifting your feet from the floor.
3. Exhale and go through a bicycle pedal motion, bringing one knee up towards your armpit while straightening the other leg, keeping both elevated higher than your hips.
4. Rotate your torso so you can touch your elbow to the opposite knee as it comes up.
5. Alternate to twist to the other side while bringing that knee towards your armpit and the other leg extended until your elbow touches the alternate knee.
30 Second Plank
Great work! You just completed an intense full body workout. Be sure to stay hydrated and get good rest to speed up your body’s recovery process.