Training for fat loss has surely evolved over the past decade. For years the first thing most fat loss seekers have done is jump on the treadmill and do hours of endurance training with no results to speak of. In fact, it has been scientifically proven time and time again that aerobic training alone for fat loss just doesn’t work.
So what does work? A combination of total body resistance training workouts and cardio interval training has been proven in both the lab and in the gym to be the ultimate one-two fat burning punch for twice the results in less than half the time when compared to the primitive, outdated aerobic training approach to weight loss.
Now, what exactly is a total body resistance training workout? Well, there are many ways to skin a cat but for our purposes a total body workout means that you have effectively worked you upper body, lower body, and core within the same workout.
Now, am I saying that you need to perform three separate exercises each and every workout to get that total body effect? Not exactly, in fact I am about to share with you today a rather revolutionary approach to fat loss training that truly simplifies the process on the user’s end. Essentially I am going to teach you how to do ONE exercise total body workouts using combination exercises to burn belly fat fast!
A combination exercise is where you take one exercise and combine it with one or more exercises. The whole idea here is to get more muscles involved to burn calories (and fat) in the shortest amount of time possible. After all, the key to any successful fat loss workout is escalating density, or the accumulation of more work in the same amount of time or less from workout to workout. So, total body workouts are great, but why not turbo charge your results by using total body exercises within your total body workouts.
For example, let’s say you are doing a dumbbell lunge to work your lower body. The lunge is a unilateral knee-dominant exercise which when performed correctly dramatically increases single-leg strength and stability and is a key movement pattern to teaching your body how to decelerate or efficiently stop and go on command. Well if you add a dumbbell curl to press at the end of each lunge, you would transform this exercise from a great lower body exercise to an even better TOTAL body exercise by simultaneously involving your upper body. The curl to press is in itself a combination upper body movement that works both pull-push components at the same time. Plus, your core is the link between all integrated upper and lower body movements so any time you perform an upper-lower body combo exercise your core automatically gets called into action. In other words, choose the right exercise and it’s one and your done!
So, now let’s show you how to make use of this single total body exercise for a simple, yet brutally effective five to ten minute fat loss workout:
One Exercise Workout#1- DB Lunge + Curl to Press
- Select one dumbbell (in general, 8-15+ lbs for women and 15-30+ lbs for men works great)
- Perform max reps for time in 5-10 minutes, only taking brief 5-20 sec rest periods as needed when speed slows and/or technique/form is jeopardized
- Once you can perform at least 5-10 reps per minute, seek to increase the weight by 2-5 lbs per dumbbell
This is all made possible because each leg gets just enough rest as you alternate legs on each lunge and your upper body gets just enough rest while you reset and perform each lunge before the next curl to press. Plus, you are using the same piece of equipment in one place without the need to move to another exercise or station. Yep, that’s called making the most out of every available second to melt off that ugly, unwanted body fat as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Now, if this sounds easy, let me personally guarantee you that it certainly is not. Many noted fitness professionals like Charles Staley and Alwyn Cosgrove refer to this type of workout as Escalating Density Training (EDT) and have used it with their diverse clientele with great success. Just like every trainer has a different name for every exercise, so do I have a different name for this type of training. I refer to it as Continuous Work because you are literally performing the same total body exercise continuously for 5-10 straight minutes. My many boot camp and corporate clients have a definite love-hate relationship with these workouts. Love because of the intensity and hate… well, because of the intensity!
Here are three more great “One Exercise Workout” examples that you can do anywhere:
One Exercise Workout#2- 1-Arm DB Squat to Press
- Select one dumbbell (in general, 8-15+ lbs for women and 15-30+ lbs for men works great)
- 1 Round = Perform 10 total reps/side
- Perform max rounds for time in 5-10 minutes, only taking brief 5-20 sec rest periods as needed when speed slows and/or technique/form is jeopardized
- Once you can perform at least 1 round per minute, seek to increase the weight by 2-5 lbs per dumbbell
One Exercise Workout#3- 1-Arm DB Swing
- Select one dumbbell (in general, 8-15+ lbs for women and 15-30+ lbs for men works great)
- 1 Round = Perform 10 total reps/side
- Perform max rounds for time in 5-10 minutes, only taking brief 5-20 sec rest periods as needed when speed slows and/or technique/form is jeopardized
- Once you can perform at least 1 round per minute, seek to increase the weight by 2-5 lbs per dumbbell
One Exercise Workout#4- Killer Variation: DB Squat Thrust + Push-up + Core Row + Knee-Ins
- Select one dumbbell (in general, 8-15+ lbs for women and 15-30+ lbs for men works great)
- Perform max reps for time in 5-10 minutes, only taking brief 5-20 sec rest periods as needed when speed slows and/or technique/form is jeopardized
- Once you can perform at least 5-10 reps per minute, seek to increase the weight by 2-5 lbs per dumbbell
Well there it is, four great “One Exercise Workouts” involving total body combination exercises that you can do in 5-10 minutes at home or on the road when traveling. Now if you really wanted to ramp up your results with a full 20-minute workout, try selecting two of the total body exercises above and then doing two separate 10-minute workouts or selecting all four of the total body exercises above and then doing four separate 5-minute workouts. And for those of you hardcore lifters, try adding in these short, but sweet 5-10 minute workouts as finishers for a great metabolic boost to end each training session. It will go a long way to helping you stay lean year round.
Crank it!
BJ Gaddour, CSCS, YFS, is a nationally renowned fitness boot camp instructor with his Get Sexy Boot Camps (www.GetSexyBootCamps.com) in Milwaukee, WI. He is also the co-creator of Workout Muse: The World’s FIRST and #1 Audio Interval Trainer. To get your FREE Rapid Fat Loss Starter Kit and a sample 4-Minute 20-10 Tabatas Interval Training mp3 download so that you can press play to listen and lose fat fast, please visit http://www.WorkoutMuse.com
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