by Brad Schoenfeld, DTG Fitness Pro
Who has time to work out? If you're like most people, you're too busy running around, dealing with life's challenges. With so much going on, where are you going to find a couple of hours to spend in the gym?
Fortunately, you don't need to devote a lot of time in order to stay fit. In fact, a half-hour a week is all that's required for a great body sculpting workout.
The following program is a streamlined routine that will optimally target all of the major muscles in three, 10-minute weekly sessions. By utilizing a technique called supersets, where one exercise is followed directly by another, you can efficiently sculpt your body to its ultimate potential. Best of all, since only a set of dumbbells is required, you can perform the workout without leaving the comfort of your own home!
The routine should be performed three days per week, training your muscles in the following order:
Day One: Shoulders/Triceps/Biceps
Day Two: Back/Chest/Abdominals
Day Three: Thigh/Hamstrings/Calves
For best results, the following protocols should be observed:
- The supersets for each muscle group should be performed in succession (i.e. shoulders immediately followed by biceps immediately followed by triceps, etc.), in essence creating one giant set.
- Perform each giant set three times.
- Rest approximately 30 seconds between each giant set.
- Repetitions should be kept between 10 to 15 per set.
- Weights should be heavy enough where it is difficult to complete the last few reps of each set.
- The routine should be performed on non-consecutive days (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, etc.).
Using these protocols, here's the routine:
SHOULDER SUPERSET
Arnold Press: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp two dumbbells and bring the weights to shoulder level with your palms facing toward your body. Press the dumbbells directly upward, simultaneously rotating your hands so that your palms face forward during the last portion of the movement. Touch the weights together over your head and then slowly return them along the same arc, rotating your hands back to the starting position.
Lateral Raise: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp two dumbbells and allow the weights to hang by your hips. With a slight bend to your elbows, raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides until they reach shoulder level. At the top of the movement, the rear of the dumbbells should be slightly higher than the front. Slowly return the weights back to the starting position.
BICEPS SUPERSET
Hammer Curl: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your core held tightly. Grasp a pair of dumbbells and allow your arms to hang at your sides with your palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows pressed into your sides, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders and contract your biceps at the top of the move. Then, slowly reverse the direction and return to the starting position.
Concentration Curl: Sit at the edge of a chair or flat bench with your legs spread wide apart and your feet planted firmly on the floor. Grasp a dumbbell in your right hand and brace your right elbow against the inside of your right thigh. Straighten your arm so that it hangs down near the floor. Your elbow should be straight but not locked. Curl the weight up toward your right shoulder, contracting your biceps at the top of the move. Reverse the direction and slowly return to the starting position. After completing the desired number of reps, repeat the process on your left side.
TRICEPS SUPERSET
Triceps Kickback: Stand with your body bent forward. Grasp two dumbbells and press your arms against your sides with your elbows bent at 90-degree angles. With your palms facing your body, raise the weight by straightening your arms until they are parallel with the floor. Slowly return the weights back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Skullcrushers: Lie back on the floor or a flat bench. Grasp two dumbbells and hold them overhead with your palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows in, slowly lower the dumbbells until the weights are just above the level of your head. Press the dumbbells back up until they reach the starting position.
FRONTAL THIGH SUPERSET
Side Lunge: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Grasp two dumbbells and hold one in front and one in back of your body. Keeping your left leg straight, bend your right knee out to the side until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Slowly rise back up and then repeat this process immediately on the left side.
Dumbbell Squat: Grasp two dumbbells and allow your arms to hang down by your sides, with your palms facing your hips. Assume a shoulder-width stance with your toes pointed slightly outward. Keeping your core tight, slowly lower your body until your thighs are approximately parallel with the ground. When you reach a seated position, reverse the direction by straightening your legs and return to the starting position, contracting your triceps at the top of the move.
HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES SUPERSET
Stiff Legged Deadlift: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp two dumbbells and let them hang in front of your body. Keeping your knees straight, slowly bend forward at the waist and lower and lower the dumbbells down until they touch your toes. Slowly rise upward until you reach the starting position.
Hamstring Curl: Lie face down on the floor or a flat bench. Place a dumbbell between your ankles and bring your legs into a parallel position with the floor. Curl your legs upward until the dumbbell approaches your butt. Slowly lower the weight back down until you reach the starting position.
CALVES SUPERSET
Standing Calf Raise: From a standing position, grasp a pair of dumbbells and let them hang by your hips. Rise up as high as possible onto your toes until your calves are fully flexed. Slowly reverse direction until your heels touch the floor.
Seated Calf Raise: Sit at the edge of a chair or bench and position a dumbbell across your thighs near your knees. Place your toes on a small block of wood and allow your heels to drop as far below your toes as possible. Rise up as far as you can onto your toes until your calves are fully flexed. Slowly reverse direction until you reach the starting position.
BACK SUPERSET
Bent Row: Stand with a shoulder-width stance and your body bent forward at the hips. Grasp a pair of dumbbells and allow the weights to hang straight down from your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows back and close to your body, pull the dumbbells upward as high as possible. Slowly return the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Pullover: Lie back on a flat bench or the floor. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and raise it directly over your face. Keeping your arms slightly bent, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head as far as comfortably possible. Reverse direction and return the dumbbell back to the starting position.
CHEST SUPERSET
Flat Press: Lie back on a flat bench or the floor. Grasp a pair of dumbbells and let them rest at your armpits with your palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows back, lift the weights straight up over your chest and touch them together at the top. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Flye: Lie back on a flat bench or the floor. Grasp a pair of dumbbells and lower them out and down to either side of your body in a wide arc. Keeping your arms slightly bent, raise the weights over your head in a semi-circular, hugging motion. Slowly return the dumbbells back to the starting position.
ABDOMINALS SUPERSET
Twisting Crunch: Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor and fold your hands across your chest. Your upper back should be held slightly off the ground to maintain constant tension on the target muscles. Move your shoulders up and forward toward your chest, twisting your body to the right. Feel a contraction in your abdominal muscles and then slowly reverse the direction, returning to the starting position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process, twisting your body to the left.
Reverse Curl: Lie face-up on the floor with your hands at your sides. Curl your knees up toward your belly until your butt is lifted slightly off the ground. Keeping your upper back pressed into the floor, raise your butt as high as possible so that your pelvis tilts toward your chest. Contract your abs and then reverse the direction, returning your butt to the starting position.
Brad Schoenfeld is one of America’s leading fitness experts. He’s the author of Sculpting Her Body Perfect, 28-Day Body Shapeover and the bestseller Look Great Naked. Schoenfeld is certified as a strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and as a personal trainer by both the American Council on Exercise and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. He’s also been named “master trainer” by the International Association of Fitness Professionals. Check out his website www.lookgreatnaked.com
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