I get it, some people just love separating their days at the gym: Legs, Chest, Butt, Back, Abs, Cardio. But the same routine is boring for your brain and your body. Lately, I have been throwing in some all over body workouts to keep it interesting and really get a good sweat in. Try this one and let me know where you get sore!
Repeat three rounds of each circuit.
Exercises:
Smith Machine Lunges: Depending on the angle of your smith machine, you may face the opposite way that I do. With the bar on your back like you are squatting, reach your leg back and go down into a lunge. Repeat reps on one leg and then the next.
Bent Over Barbell Row: Hinge forward at your hips to bend over with a straight back. Use your back and biceps to pull barbell towards your chest.
Dumbbell Chest Press: Lay down on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping the weights in line with your chest, come down to the outside of your chest and press up together. I put my feet on the bench for better balance since I am so short, my feet do not reach the ground otherwise. Plus, this helps to make sure my back lays flat on the bench and not arched.
Dumbbell Wood Choppers: Hold a weight with both hands. Reach it overhead like an axe, slightly to one side, and chop it down to the opposite side while moving your body into a slight squat. The trickiest part here is to keep your knees pushed out and not hitting them with the weight.
Smith Machine Good Mornings: With the bar along your upper back, hinge forward at your hips. Keep your back flat and set your hips backwards, being sure to push them all the way forward when you stand up. When you hinge forward, you should feel a pull in your lower back, booty, and hamstrings (back of your legs).
Barbell Curl: Stand up tall and underhand grip the barbell. Curl the weight up. You can set your elbows directly against your torso to keep a good up and down motion.
Dumbbell Skull Crushers: Laying down on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, directly above chest, lower the weights to the side of your face (hence, skull crushers). The hardest part in this movement is keeping your elbows in line with your chest. If they start falling towards the belly or face, you are giving your triceps a break and not working them properly.
Barbell Overhead Sit Up: If you can, put your feet under the side of the Smith Machine to make this a little smoother. Hold a barbell over your chest and sit up, keeping the bar over your head and really working those abs!!!
Amber Launstein 