The only 5 exercises you will ever need

Everyone claims to have a magic exercise that will strip the fat in days or give you that flat stomach in only 7 minutes.The truth is, the body is only designed to move in a few key ways. Include these exercise movement patterns in your workout and you’ll hit every muscle in your body resulting in quick fat loss, rapid muscle building and a workout that is totally natural.

1. Lunge – the lunge mimics the natural walking or running pattern. You can lunge forwards, backwards, sideways, and with or without added resistance from weights. The lunge works the legs and buttocks very hard and a degree of core stability is required to remain upright.

2. Squat – every time you sit down you perform a squat. Ensure you squat down so the thighs are parallel to the floor, this activates the buttocks properly. The squat hits the thighs and buttocks hard as well as raising the heart rate quickly. You can squat with or without the addition of a weight.

3. Deadlift – if you pick something up off the floor then chances are you are using a variation of the deadlift. The deadlift works the buttocks, hamstrings and back. One highly effective variation of the deadlift is the kettlebell swing, this adds a more dynamic element to the deadlift and challenges the core too!

4. Press Ups – this exercise teaches the body to push, a fundamental movement. In order to perform an effective Press Up you need good core strength to stop your body from collapsing. If you can’t hold a press up position then work on this first to condition your abs and core strength. Press Ups condition the abs, shoulders, triceps and shoulders.

5. Rows / Pull Ups – a vital movement for any kind of climbing or pulling. This movement works the back of the body and biceps. Rows are particularly important for correcting posture due to the amount of time we spend hunched over at the desk

Try putting all 5 of these exercises in a circuit one after the other for a complete all over body workout.

Perform 8 reps of each exercise and 3 circuits. When you can do 15 reps add more resistance, it is that simple!

written by Greg Brookes of GB Personal Training http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com

If you would like any advice on training or would like to book some 1:1 Personal Training, please do not hesitate to contact Abbie on 07815 935147 or email abbie@totalp-t.co.uk