Since we’ve had to impose restrictions on how long each of you can spend in the gym, it’s made it more difficult to make sure you’re getting the greatest benefit from each session. That’s why we’ve come up with a selection of three full-body workouts that make use of the least amount of gym equipment possible. This will enable you to ensure that you’re spending more time exercising and less time cleaning gym kit and moving between pieces of equipment. This will make your workout more efficient and make sure you feel the most benefit.
Full-Body Workout 1
This first workout combines free weight, bodyweight and resistance exercises for a full-body workout. There’s also a cardio element between the two rounds. Each round uses one or two pieces of equipment that can be used in just one area. This means you’re not wasting time cleaning loads of different bits of kit and moving around the gym. To save time, collect the bits of equipment you need for each round before starting, so it’s all there ready to go.
Each round is organised in a circuit, which helps keep your heart rate up. This, in turn, will help increase your calorie burn and so help you get more out of your full-body workout. When you’re lifting weights, make sure you’re not too ambitious. You should be able to complete each set, but with the last few reps starting to get challenging.
Warm up 5-10 Minutes
Warming up before any workout is really important. Not only will it help you avoid injury by getting your body ready for exercise, but it will also help you get the most out of your workout. For these workouts, you don’t want to be doing anything too strenuous for your warm up. Just start with some stretches. Make sure to include those muscle groups you’ll be focusing on during your workout. Then just do some gentle cardio to get your heart rate up a little bit and you’re ready to go!
Cardio Element 1
We’re going to go for a quick cardio intervals for the first cardio element of the full-body workout. Jump on the treadmill and begin at a steady jog or brisk walk. Increase the incline by 0.5 or 1 (whichever you are comfortable with) every minute. Once you have reached the five minute stage, start decreasing the incline by the same amount each minute until you have completed 10 minutes.
Round 1
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between. Repeat each exercise for two to three sets.
- Chest – Cable chest press x 10-15 reps
- Back – Cable row x 10-15 reps
- Legs – Dumbbells Goblet Squat x 10-15 reps
- Core – Cable wood chop, left and right x 10-15 reps each side
- Rest – up to 60 seconds and repeat two to three times.
Watch these videos to check out how to do these exercises correctly:
Cardio Element
Choose any cardio machine you like, be it a cross trainer, a cycling machine or a treadmill and do 10 minutes of 30 seconds hard work, followed immediately by 30 seconds of lighter resistance or slower speed exercise. Keep doing this for the whole 10 minutes without stopping.
Round 2
Do each exercise with as little rest in-between as possible and repeat them two to three times each.
- Legs – Dumbbell side lunge to shoulder press x 20 reps
- Triceps – Dumbbell tricep extension x 10-15 reps
- Abs – Bodyweight twisting crunch x 10-15 reps
- Core – Bodyweight alternating single leg extensions x 20 reps
These videos will show you how to do each exercise properly:
Cool Down
Just as it’s important to warm up before a work out, it’s vital to cool down after one, too. In this instance, just spend five minutes or so on the treadmill doing a gentle jog or a brisk walk, just to help bring your heart rate down again, followed by some stretches.
Full-Body Workout 2
This second full-body workout is very similar to the first. This one, however, comprises three rounds of free weight, body weight and resistance exercises, with cardio elements in-between.
Warm up
As with the first full-body workout, you’ll need to warm up first. Begin with some stretches – concentrate on the muscle groups you’ll be using during your full-body workout. Then just do some very gentle cardio to begin with. A gentle few minutes on the treadmill or the exercise bike. This will help increase you r heart rate and get your blood pressure up a little bit and get you ready to go.
Round 1
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Chest – Cable single arm press and rotation x 10-15 reps on each arm
- Back – Cable back stepping lunge and row x 10-15 reps on each side
- Legs – Dumbbells side lunges x 20 reps
- Rest – Up 60 seconds and repeat twice or three times
Here’s how to do these exercises correctly:
Cardio Element 1
Get on the rowing machine and row 100m or 200m as quickly as you can.
Round 2
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Legs (hamstrings) – Dumbbell deadlift straight leg x 10-15 reps
- Biceps – Dumbbell bicep curl x 10-15 reps
- Legs – Dumbbells sumo squat x 10-15 reps
- Shoulders – Dumbbells side raise x 10-15 reps
These videos will show you exactly how to do these exercises:
Cardio Element 2
For this cardio element, get on the cross trainer. It’s an intervals exercise, lasting between six and eight minutes. Do 40 seconds at high intensity, followed by 20 seconds at a lower intensity. Keep alternating until you’ve completed the time.
Round 3
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Triceps – Bodyweight tricep press ups x 10-15 reps
- Core – Bodyweight V-Sit leg extensions x 10-15 reps
- Abs – Bodyweight crunches x 10-15 reps
In these videos, we illustrate exactly how to perform these exercises:
Cool Down
As with the first full-body workout, cool down by doing some stretches and some gentle cardio work on the treadmill or the exercise bike.
Full-Body Workout 3
The final full-body workout includes three cardio elements and three bodyweight, resistance and free weight rounds.
Warm up
As with the previous two full-body workouts, you’ll need to do a quick warm up before you begin. Do some stretches, concentrating on those muscle groups you’ll be working and do some gentle cardio to get the heart rate up and get a little bit of a sweat on.
Cardio Element 1
Row at a continuous pace for five minutes and make a note of what distance you managed. You’ll need it later!
Round 1
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Legs – Barbell back squat x10-15 reps on each arm
- Chest – Bodyweight press ups x 10-15 reps for each side
- Back – Barbell bent over row x 10-15 reps
- Rest – up to 60 seconds
Here’s exactly how to do these exercises:
Cardio Element 2
Choose any piece of cardio equipment you like. Start off at a steady pace and gently increase the intensity every minute for five minutes. Then, once you’ve reached the five minute mark, start reducing the intensity every minute until you’ve been going for a whole 10 minutes.
Round 2
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Full body – Barbell clean and press x 10-15 reps
- Core – Medicine ball Russian twist x 20. If you can’t find a medicine ball, then use a dumbbell.
Discover how to do these exercises properly here:
Cardio Element 3
For this final cardio element of the full-body workout, you repeat the five minute row that you did for the first, but try and row farther than you did the first time!
Round 3
Complete each exercise with minimal rest in-between and repeat two to three sets of each.
- Biceps – Cable bicep curl with bar x 10-15 reps
- Triceps – Cable tricep press down (rope or bar) x 10-15 reps
- Core – Cable wood chop high to low x 10-15 reps
Check out this round of exercises here:
Cool Down
Just as it’s important to warm up before a work out, it’s vital to cool down after one, too. In this instance, just spend five minutes or so on the treadmill doing a gentle jog or a brisk walk, just to help bring your heart rate down again, followed by some stretches.