THE FIVE MOST EFFECTIVE WORKOUTS:
Here we'll explain the 5 prime exercises that are most effective in transforming your body.
It's crucial to know how to master the perfect body weight exercises before moving on to more intense modifications. If you struggle to maintain one of these full body weight exercise in proper form, you should work on perfecting this first before trying to add on additional weight. This will then enhance your body's muscle building abilities.
There are so many different forms of these 5 key exercises that help target different areas of your body. Progressive loading is essential as you are progressively adding on more resistance to your body and producing more muscle and burning more fat.
1. THE SQUAT: hits: quadriceps, hamstring, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, calves, back, and core.
Variations: Weighted Back Squats Box Squats
Bar with Chain/Bands (provides accommodating resistance, which unloads the weight at the weakest portion of the lift. Lift gets heavier as you go up and feel more of the load.)
Jump Squats Single Leg Squats (aka pistol squats)
Fast reps & lighten weight (fat burning) Slow reps & load weight (increasing time under tension)
How Many? -Beginner: 100 body weight squats -Moderate: squat with additional weight equaling your own body weight
-Advanced: 1.5 x your body weight for 5 reps or 2 x your body weight for 1 rep
2. THE DEADLIFT: This exercise works more muscles simultaneously than other other movement. hits: glutes, quads, hamstring, core, shoulders, traps, forearms, and back
Variations:
Conventional Bands Sumo Single Leg Romanian
How much? Beginner: deadlift lbs equaling your own body weight Moderate: 1.5 x your body weight Advanced: 2 x your body weight for 5 reps, or 2.5 x your body weight for 1 rep
3. THE LUNGE: Trains both flexion and extension in the leg.
hits: hamstring, quads, gluteus maximus
Variations: Walking Lunge Jumping Lunge Reverse Lunge Curtsey Lunge Lunge Pulse
Weighted Lunge Split Squats
How many? Beginner: 50 body weight lunges Moderate: lunge with 20-40 lbs for 20 reps
Advanced: +40 lbs of additional weight for 20 reps
4. THE PULL-UP/CHIN-UP: pull up: pronated grip (palms faced away) as you elevate body over the bar. chip up: supinated grip (palms faced towards as you pull your chin up over the bar
hits: lats, traps deltoids, back, & biceps
Variations: Lateral pull-downs
Band assisted
Negatives (start position above bar and slowly lower) Weighted
How many? Beginner: Male10; Female 5
Moderate: Male 15; Female 8
Advanced: 20 full range, or with additional weight for 10-15 reps
5. THE PUSHUP:
If you struggle to do body weight pushups, then you should refrain from doing any incline or bench press machines. When changing the angle of the pushup, you can change the resistance.
hits: chest, pec major/minor, triceps, anterior deltoids (front shoulder), and core
Variations: Conventional Pushup Kneeling Pushup
Incline Pushup
Decline Pushup (more intense modification)
How many? Male- 50 pushups Female- 20 pushups
Once you have mastered the pushup, you can move on to other press exercises such as the bench press.
Beginner: bench press 85% of body weight Advanced: bench press 1.5 x your body weight for 1 rep
