This one requires some dumbbells. It’s written by a colleague, BJ Gaddour and was written for Men’s Health
Here’s what BJ has to say:
– It trains your whole body in all 3 planes of motion: sagittal (front to back and up and down), frontal (side to side), transverse (rotational). Most training plans only address the sagittal plane which is a big no-no.
– It covers all foundational movement patterns you must work on a regular basis for total fitness including lower body hip-dominant (glutes and hamstrings), lower body knee-dominant (quads and calves), upper body push (chest, front shoulders, triceps), upper body pull (upper mid/back, lats, rear shoulders, biceps), integrated pushing/pulling (simultaneously utilizing the opposing shoulder and hip), core stabilization (abs, obliques, lower back), and total body.
– It addresses what I believe to be the X-factor metabolic movement pattern of hip rotation with pivoting feet and a neutral lumbar spine with movements like the lawnmower pull, rotational deadlift, and shoveling. Mastering this skill is the key to successfully transitioning from the athletic position (triple bends in the knees, ankles, and hips) which will boost performance on every movement like running, jumping, hopping, leaping, pushing, pulling, etc.
– It preferentially emphasizes your two most metabolically active body zones, the shoulders and the glutes. Not only will this help provide the biggest metabolic boost, but from a male perspective, it will also best elevate your T-levels (check out this Men’s Health article I contributed to regarding how to “Banish Your Man Boobs” for more info on this topic). Plus, wider shoulders and a more pronounced posterior will make your waist look smaller with a really nice V-taper any superhero would admire.
– It only uses a pair of dumbbells so you can do it anytime, anywhere. Men should start with a pair of 15-20 lb dumbbells, women with a pair of 8-12 lb dumbbells.
– It takes some of the best movements from kettlebell training (e.g. threaded lunges and bottom-half get-ups) and sandbag training (e.g. shoveling and shouldering) and shows you how to modify them with dumbbells.
– You can customize the workout for your most pressing goal: Want more fat loss? Use 50-10 intervals. Want to more muscle? Use 30-30 intervals? For best results, I’d recommend you mix it up between both timelines as studies show using varied loads/intensities throughout the training week lead to better strength and muscle gains.
– It’s the ideal bootcamp-style metabolic workout for busy men and women looking to burn fat, build muscle, and skyrocket metabolism. It’s truly a total fitness experience for the human body that knows no sex.