Total body strength workouts like this are one of my favorite ways to workout - it's really a tie between dynamic supersets like these and high intensity interval training.
Combining both upper and lower body strength exercises make your body and your brain work harder. Not only do you get a higher calorie burn & both muscle groups hit in a shorter amount of time, you also put more demand on your coordination and balance.
The only slight drawback to a workout that combines such a varied group of muscles is that the amount of weight you're lifting is going to be determined and limited by your weakest muscle group relative to each set. For example, if your legs are much stronger than your upper body, you will be lifting lighter than you normally would when you combine a squat and an overhead press. That "slight drawback" is cancelled out by all of the benefits of training comprehensively, and you can easily work around it by varying your training program; during some sessions, train for strength by isolating certain muscles (i.e. just deadlifts, or just bicep curls, with a weight that challenges you) and other times put your entire body to work with all-encompassing moves (i.e. a reverse lunge + knee + overhead press). If you were doing an average of 3 strength training workouts a week, you could do two strength workouts that isolate certain muscle groups, and one that uses compound movements as this routines shows - or vice versa, depending on your goals.
Workout Structure
- Strength training that engages both upper & lower body simultaneously, resulting in a higher calorie burn, more work done in less time, and an emphasis on not only strength, but also balance, coordination, and control over your own body.
- Total body strength exercises in groups of two
- 8 Reps, 2 sets in an ABAB format
- You will need: dumbbells
- No warm up or cool down; both are recommended
Recommended warm up routines
5 Minute Calorie Burning Cardio Warm Up - Total Body Warm Up Workout
5 Minute Get Moving! Easy Calorie Burning Cardio Warm Up Workout
Recommended cool down & stretch routines
Fast 5 Minute Cool Down and Stretching Workout for Busy People
13 Minute Cool Down Workout - Cool Down Stretching Routine
Printable Strength Workout
Clean & Press (alternating, from floor)
Plank Push Up + Close Row Kickback
Goblet Squat Curls
Reverse Lunge + Knee + Overhead Press
Lateral Raises + Curtsy Lunge
Deadlift
Ski Squat + Ventral Raises
Pullover Press & Bridge
I just want to "tone" or lose weight, I don't want to bulk up, should I do this workout?
Strength training is one of the best allies you can have in a weight loss program, and it's also the best way to get that "toned" look. Cardio is excellent for health and used properly within a training program it can also help with weight loss and burning off fat to look more toned, but strength training is a more efficient, and more longterm investment of your time spent exercising that will make it easier for you to maintain a healthy, lean, strong and capable body over the years and decade (loss of muscle mass is the main reason why it seems inevitable to gain weight as you get older). Don't shy away from lifting heavily!
How often can I do this workout?
You can do total body strength training routines like this up to three times a week; it's not the kind of training that you want to do on back to back days, and if you aren't sore the day after your workout you may want to consider lifting more heavily and be sure to double check your form. Give the muscles you have targeted at least 24-48 hours of rest after a heavy strength training routine.
What did you think of this workout? Were you sweating like mad, too?
Routines like this one
1000 Calorie Workout - Strength, HIIT Cardio and Abs Workout to Burn 1000 Calories
Brutal Fat Burning Cardio HIIT + Dynamic Total Body Strength Training - FB Blend
44 Minute Cardio, HIIT, Total Body Strength, Stretching and Abs Workout - FB Blend
40 Minute Fat Blasting Total Body Strength and Toning Workout