Faster Fat Loss With This Full Body Workout

Target more muscles in less time — and lose more fat — with these compound moves. Do them at home or in the gym!


Lose weight faster!

By John Berardi, Ph.D.

As a career-driven woman, fitness model and wife, Melissa Hall understands what it means to be busy. So when her clients start asking for something quick, she knows just what to give them – a total-body circuit that can be done anywhere.

Full-body circuits come with non-stop benefits. You can hit more major muscle groups with each workout versus isolating them with a segmented routine. Instead of exercising your hamstrings and quads once per week or four times per month, full-body workouts allow you to work them three times per week without the risk of overtraining. Since you are recruiting more muscle fibers with each training session, you expend more energy, yielding faster fat-loss results.

Your Personal Plan

You can do this workout in one of three ways. Simply pick the one that works best for you and get moving! Do it three times per week for four weeks to meet your goals.

• Three to four sets of each of the exercises demonstrated here for 12 to 15 repetitions with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

• Progress to heavier weights when you can easily complete 15 reps, and adjust your rest intervals to 45 seconds.

• Perform this program as a circuit routine. Do two minutes of intense cardio (which could include jumping rope, stationary running or using cardiovascular equipment) after completing a series of sets of an exercise.

DUMBBELL LUNGE & PRESS

Target Muscles: quadriceps, anterior deltoid, biceps
Synergist Muscles: glutes, adductor magnus, soleus, lateral deltoid, trapezius

Set Up: Standing upright with dumbbells at your side, step forward with your left leg into a lunge position (1). Be sure not to let your back knee touch the floor.

Action: From the lunge, transition into a standing posture by moving your right leg forward, placing your weight on your left leg. Simultaneously, curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders and (2) press them over your head while bringing your extended right leg in front of you. Repeat from the start (standing) position. Alternatively, you can try walking lunges.


ALTERNATING DUMBBELL PUSH-UP

Target Muscles: pectoralis major (sternal)

Synergist Muscles: pectoralis major (clavicular), anterior deltoid, triceps brachii

Set Up: In a push-up position, begin with your right hand on a dumbbell and your left hand on the ground (1).

Action: Move your body down toward the ground, as in a regular push-up (2), and then return to the starting position. After completing one repetition, place your left hand on the dumbbell (3) and remove your right hand, placing it on the ground to resume the starting position on the opposite side of the dumbbell (4). Again, perform a regular style push-up while keeping your left hand on the dumbbell (5). This is one rep. Repeat.




SINGLE-LEG STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT WITH ROW

Target Muscles: hamstrings, glutes, middle trapezius

Synergist Muscles: rhomboids, posterior deltoid, soleus, adductor magnus

Set Up: Stand on your left leg (right leg lifted off the ground with knee bent) and a dumbbell in your right hand held up at your side, in a hammer curl position (1).

Action: Move your right leg posteriorly as you bring your torso down and forward. Continue until your right leg and torso are on the same horizontal plane, almost parallel to the ground (2). Holding this
position, pull the weight in your right hand up towards your torso, bringing your elbow as high as you can (not shown). Return to the starting position by reversing the movement. Repeat, then switch sides.

FLOOR DIP WITH BODY WEIGHT

Target Muscles: triceps brachii

Synergist Muscles: iliopsoas, rectus abdominis, anterior deltoid, pectoralis major

Set Up: Assume a normal dip position with all four limbs on the ground. Extend your arms and keep them in line with your shoulders. The knees should be bent at approximately 45 degrees with the lower legs perpendicular to the ground. To complete the starting position, straighten your left leg so that it is pointing upward at 45 degrees in line with the right upper leg (1).

Action: Lower your body toward the ground by bending at the elbows and increasing knee flexion (2). Once you almost reach the ground, push yourself back to starting position. Repeat, then switch sides.

Full body circuit training workouts along with a good healthy eating program can give you the edge to the fastest fat loss possible.