Metabolic Conditioning

Getting Fit with Sandbag Training

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Even though sandbag training isn’t necessarily a new concept, it hasn’t been until recent years that it has become more consistently used with fitness professionals and athletes.

Sandbags can mimic most exercises performed with dumbbells, barbells and medicine balls, but the key difference is that they bring more challenge to stability during exercise due to the shifting of the weight. This helps improve core strength and endurance in our postural muscles. Plus, with more of a “dead weight” feel, there is more metabolic demand placed on the body, which creates a great cardiovascular challenge as well.

Lastly, sandbags effectively allow the exerciser to train for movement and in all planes of motion. We need to remember muscles are designed to work in synergy and in three-dimensional space, allowing the body to rotate, move forwards/backwards and side to side. This will help minimize muscle/movement imbalances, decrease risk of injury, improve athleticism and simply improve overall function.

Sandbags themselves come in a variety of sizes and allow for the user to adjust the weight depending on his/her strength or skill level. There are two approaches that can be utilized: a heavier, more stable sandbag or a lighter, less stable sandbag. Specifically, the more the sandbag weighs or is filled, the more strength is emphasized. In contrast, by removing one of the filler bags, the overall weight is less, but it also allows for more shifting of the weight inside of the sandbag, thus placing more emphasis on stability.

Brand-wise I personally recommend the Ultimate Sandbag. They are durable and don’t have any issues with leaking sand like some of the less expensive models I have tried. They offer four sizes based on fitness/strength levels. If you are just starting out I recommend the “core” or “power” bag. For more advanced users, the “strength” or “burly” bag may be the best fit.

Now that you’re ready to give sandbag training a go, here is sample circuit to get you going.

Perform 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions each.

Cleans: Begin with the sandbag directly in front of you. From there, “hinge” at the hips by pushing them behind you, as you lower and grab the parallel handles of the sandbag while keeping your shoulders pulled down and back to lock in the upper body. Pushing through the heels, quickly accelerate by extending at the hips and simultaneously pulling in a straight line with the arms, keeping the bag as close to your body as possible. Allow the bag to roll as you catch it shoulder-level with your elbows up. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Shoulder Lunge: Begin with the flat side of the sandbag resting on your right shoulder. Step forward with your right leg and lower into a lunge position by bending your front leg until you reach a 90-degree bend in your front leg while maintaining an upright posture. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Continue for 10 reps total, and then position the bag on your left shoulder and repeat.

Shoveling: Begin with the sandbag in front of the body. Pivot one foot while rotating the bag to the opposite side by the knee. Absorb and decelerate the bag by bending the knee and hinging at the hip. Extend the knee and hip, pivot and swing the bag back to the other side. Continue to pivot and swing the bag back and forth to either side until the set is complete.

Bear Hug Squats: Hold the sandbag vertically by wrapping your arms around the midpoint of the bag at chest level by squeezing the bag, keeping your shoulders down and back. Slowly lower into a squat, keeping your knees slightly outward, keeping weight in the heels and maintaining squeezing pressure with your shoulders back. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Plank/Lateral Jump Combo

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Here is a fun one to add into the mix. Essentially you’re getting a combination of core, strength, power, and cardiovascular endurance with this partner drill!

Here’s the basic set up:

  • One person is in a plank position while the other is doing either a forward or lateral tuck jump over their partner.
  • You can either alternate every 2-4 repetitions or continue jumping for 20-30 seconds before switching.
  • Make sure you jump over the highest point that your comfortable and confident with! You don’t want to trample your workout buddy 😉

There you have it. Quick, easy, and more fun than a plyo box!

Enjoy!

Snow Day Workout

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Now grant it…I’m from Utah and today’s snow conditions are pretty elementary from my experience. So with that being said, this workout will still require some equipment and actually making it to the gym for most of you.

The theme of the workout is more for getting out some aggression that comes with cabin fever and is a better alternative to the “All work and no play” approach as we’ve all seen with our “dull boy” in the clip above.

So without further ado…here’s what I felt inspired to do on today’s snow day.

Dynamic Warm Up – 10 Minutes

Anaerobic Circuits: 3 rounds total. Complete the first circuit for the designated reps. Alternating between the two exercises as many times as you can for the full two minutes. At a minimum you should complete each exercise at least one time through.

Rest 1 minute. Then use the same approach for circuit #2. After completing both circuits recover for two minutes, then repeat two more times with the same rest schedule. Note that the reps descend each set as indicated below.

Anaerobic Circuit #1 – 2 minutes
1. Straight Punches (Heavy Bag) x 100-90-80
2. Burpees x 15-12-10

Anaerobic Circuit #2 – 2 minutes
1. MB Power Getup to Wall Ball 20# x 10-8-6
2. Jumping Jacks with Battle Rope x 50-40-30

Rest 3-5 minutes after completing 3 rounds of the anaerobic Circuit.

Strength Circuit (Push/Pull): Pretty straight forward.  Complete both exercises for the outlined reps below (Descending Rep Scheme).  Complete both exercises without stopping, then rest 1 minute between each compound set.  Strict form on the chin ups.  Use a superband or minimal kip if needed.  But try to stay as strict as possible.  For you stronger ladies and gentlemen…you can put your feet on a plyo box if it’s too easy 😉

1. Ring Pushups x 10-10-8-8-6-6-4-4-2-2

2. Chin ups x 10-10-8-8-6-6-4-4-2-2

Rest 2-3 minutes after strength circuit

Core Circuit:  Complete each exercise for the designated reps.  Minimal rest between exercises.  1 minute recovery between rounds.  Use a 8-12# Med Ball for the first two exercises.

1. Long lever crunch with vertical leg raise x 20-15-10

2. V-Sit with rotation x 20-15-10 (per side)

3. Plank with spiderman kick x 20-15-10 (per side)

4. Cobra (McKenzie Press Ups) x 20-15-10

That’s it!  Go home, kick your feet up by the fire and relax…you earned it!

 

Burpee and Front Punch Combination

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

his week’s exercise combines two of my favorites…burpees and punches.  Now I know most people don’t care for the first one, but when it comes to straight punches let’s face it…it feel good!  Great for the arms, amazing cardio, and excellent stress relief, anger management…whatever you want to call it!

You can do this drill solo or with a partner holding the bag.  A heavy bag is used in our video, but a kick/punch shield works great too.

Basic set up is starting off with 10 punches immediately followed by 2 burpees.  From there we decrease the punch count by two, while increasing the burpee count be two each time, until we reach 2 punches and 10 burpees to finish the set.  Basically it breaks down like this:

  • 10 punches/2 burpees
  • 8 punches/4 burpees
  • 6 punches/6 burpees
  • 4 punches/8 burpees
  • 2 punches/10 burpees
Of course, this isn’t the only rep scheme you have to use.  Pretty much any combination will suffice.  Feel free to play around with it.More details are explained in the video above.So check it out and enjoy!

Get more results in less time: High-Intensity Interval Training

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Most people’s primary motivation for working out involves weight loss. The original school of thought for optimal results was performing a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at a moderate intensity three to five times a week in conjunction with resistance training two to three times per week. But in today’s world, most of us simply don’t have that much time to commit to the gym. The good news is we may not have to.

A multitude of recent research studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has the potential to be just as effective for burning fat, increasing strength and improving cardiovascular endurance.

Researchers from the city of Eugene’s FitCity Wellness Center completed a 10-week study. Twenty-one people participated in HIIT three times per week with workouts finishing in just under 30 minutes. The results? Participants showed reductions in body weight, body fat percentage and circumference measurements. Another study published in The European Applied Journal of Physiology showed metabolism to be in an elevated state for up to 16 hours following intense exercise. And from a fitness perspective, the Journal of Applied Physiology did a study measuring the cardiovascular response of a high-intensity program and found endurance actually doubled in the high intensity group.

Now this isn’t at all to suggest we should completely eliminate longer workouts, especially if your goals are endurance-based. However, considering how precious time is in today’s society, isn’t it wise to incorporate short, intense workouts into the mix? So the question is, how does it work?

In a nutshell, HIIT workouts typically involve total body strength and conditioning exercises performed in a quick, all-out intensity for 20 seconds all followed by a 10-second recovery. This cycle is repeated for a total of four minutes, and HIIT workouts usually last between 20 and 25 minutes (5-6 cycles), not including the warm-up or cool-down. The goal is to work as quickly as possible but without compromising form.

And on that note, because of the intense nature and speed of the workout, it’s recommended to incorporate only exercises that primarily use body weight, resistance tubing or a medicine ball (5-10 percent of body weight). This will ensure better form and minimize the risk of injury. HIIT workouts should be self-paced and adjusted to your fitness level. If you are just starting an exercise program, I recommend at least 12 weeks of aerobic base conditioning, muscular endurance training and mastering the exercise technique before adding HIIT to your routine.

Now that you’re ready, try this challenging circuit that is guaranteed to get your heart pumping and your muscles burning for more!

Burpees: 

 
Start in a standing position with your feet hip width apart.  Lower into a squat and place your hands on the ground shoulder width apart. Hop or quickly walk your legs behind you until you are in a pushup position.  Quickly hop or walk you legs back underneath you and jump into the air.  Perform 2 cycles (20 seconds work/10 seconds of rest) then move to the next exercise.

Resistance Tube Punches:  

Wrap a medium to heavy resistance tube around a solid anchor point at chest level threading it all the way through.  Grab the handle with your right hand and position your body with your back facing the anchor point in a split stance with your left leg forward. Stand far enough away so there is slight tension in the tube with your right arm cocked at your side.  Engage your abdominals, and explosively rotate your hips while pressing/punching your right arm straight forward towards 12 o’clock and then quickly return to the starting position, repeating the movement fast.  Perform 1 cycle on the right and 1 on the left (20 seconds work/10 seconds of rest) before moving to the next exercise.

Split Jumps:

  

Begin in a lunge position with your left leg forward and your right leg back.  Jump into the air scissoring your legs so you now land with your right leg forward and your left leg back landing both feet simultaneously.  For modification, add a stutter step by letting your forward leg land prior to the back leg landing.  Perform 2 cycles (20 seconds work/10 seconds of rest) then move to the next exercise.

Medicine Ball Slams:

Stand with your legs hip width apart with your arms hanging just below your hips holding a medicine ball.  Keeping your core tight, quickly raise the ball overhead and slam it down to the ground catching it on the bounce.  Repeat as many repetitions as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 then repeat for 20 more seconds.

Jason Wanlass, the owner of Champion Fitness Training in Meridian, has more than 18 years experience in the fitness industry. Contact him at championfit@live.com or www.championfit.net.

Strength Complexes Get Fast Results

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

It seems every summer is the same. Life simply gets … busy. Kids are out of school, there are vacations, you’re working more hours and still trying to maintain anything remotely close to a social life.

With the mad shuffle, it’s our fitness routine that usually gets put on the back burner first. Why? “I don’t have time to spend an hour at the gym.” Well, you may not actually need an hour. In fact, you might get more out of your routine now in as little as 20 minutes using strength complexes.

Strength complexes are similar to circuit training with one exception: We limit our workout to one piece of training equipment. This can be in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX, barbells – anything, really – as long as it’s simple and allows for a wide variety of exercises.

The advantages of using one training tool are: First, it minimizes setup time; and second, it allows us to move seamlessly from one exercise to the next without moving to another station.

Strength complexes come with many fitness advantages as well. Not only are they great for building strength, but they are highly effective at improving cardiovascular endurance. Also, strength complexes come with a high metabolic, which taxes our bodies more in less time, yielding a higher-calorie expenditure post workout, higher fat loss, etc. And lastly, strength complexes utilize total body movement, which is what our bodies were designed for. If you watch an athlete or people move in general, you see that movement involves multiple regions of the body.

Whether you’re hitting a tennis ball, picking up your kids or putting away groceries, these actions require multiple muscles to fire and work synergistically. So, by using full-body strength complexes, we experience a better carryover effect for our recreational activities and day-to-day living.

OK, here’s how we set it up:

Choose your equipment: The only rule for this is choosing something that can be taken anywhere in the gym, preferably where you have ample space to maneuver. My favorites are the TRX, dumbbells, barbells, resistance tubing, medicine balls and kettlebells. One isn’t necessarily better than the other; simply know that each has its own advantages, and any of them will suffice.

Pick a rep scheme: There are countless options when it comes to choosing reps. Typically, strength complexes are more endurance-based.

I recommend working with lighter loads and training at higher reps due to the high demand of the workout. Anywhere between 10-15 reps per exercise/combo works great. Another option is performing each exercise for a specific time, typically between 30-90 seconds per exercise.

Exercise sequence: Again the sky is the limit. Pick two or three combination exercises (e.g. barbell deadlift/row) or four exercises that focus on a total-body movement (e.g. lunge with lateral raise), a pressing exercise (e.g. overhead press), a pulling exercise (e.g. dumbbell row), and a squat and/or lunge. The goal of the sequence is to use all the movement patterns of the human body.

The workout: Once you have your exercises and reps selected, perform your strength complex for a 5- to 10-minute block of time, resting only when needed. This will get your heart pumping and your muscles burning in no time. Rest between 1 and 3 minutes and repeat, performing a total of 2-3 blocks.

There you have it. A killer workout in 20-30 minutes. Outlined below are three strength complexes to get you started.

To see a video of these complexes click here

Barbell strength complex: Perform 10 reps each for a 5- to 10-minute block. Complete 2-3 training blocks total.

1. Alternating lunge

2. Push press

3. Deadlift to barbell row

Dumbbell strength complex: Perform 10 reps each for a 5- to 10-minute block. Complete 2-3 training blocks total.

1. Squat to lateral raise

2. Single leg squats

3. Renegade row

TRX strength complex: Perform 10 reps each for a 5- to 10-minute block. Complete 2-3 training blocks total.

1. Pistol squats

2. Wide row

3. Pushups

4. Hip press

Full-Body Strength Exercises for a Quick and Effective Workout!

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Full-body exercises place an emphasis on multiple areas of the body during one exercise. They are being used more by fitness enthusiasts and are popular for a variety of reasons. First, they are efficient.  Combining upper and lower body moves into a strength routine cuts down on workout time and the frequency to the gym.  It’s more feasible for most people to commit to a strength routine using two total-body workouts per week opposed to four to five using a traditional split-routine approach (i.e. Chest & Triceps on Monday, Legs, Shoulders & Abs on Tuesday, Back & Biceps on Wednesday, etc.).   Second, full-body exercises increase the metabolic demand on the body. Typically, the higher the metabolic demand, the higher the calorie expenditure per workout. Plus, you get more challenge to your cardiovascular system as well.  In other words, you’re getting more bang for your buck.  And lastly, our bodies were designed for total-body movement.  If you watch an athlete or people move in general, most movement involves multiple regions of the body.  Whether you’re hitting a tennis ball in, picking up your kids, or putting the groceries away, these actions require multiple muscles to fire and work synergistically.  So by using full-body exercises, we experience a better carry over effect for our day to day living.

So if you’re looking to mix up your routine or are short on time, try this four exercise circuit for a quick full-body blast!

Isometric Lunge w/Cable Chest Press

Muscle Focus: Chest & Legs

Begin by grabbing both cable handles and positioning your body into a split stance with your left leg forward.  Lower your center of gravity just like you would for a stationary lunge and position your arms in line with your body with your elbows bent at 90 degrees.  Straighten your arms by pressing out in front of you while maintaining your leg position.  Return your arms back to the 90 degree position and repeat the chest press for 10-15 repetitions before switching legs.

Squat w/Lateral Dumbbell Raise

Muscle Focus: Legs & Shoulders

Standing with a dumbbell in your right hand, lower into a squat position while positioning your arm across your body with your elbow bent at 90 degrees and slightly rotating your torso.  Perform a backhand like motion by returning to an upright position and performing a lateral raise with your right arm simultaneously.  Remember to keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees.  Repeat for 10-15 repetitions before switching arms. 

If you want more challenge, try this exercise with a single leg squat!     

Barbell Deadlift w/Bent Over Row

Muscle Focus: Legs & Back

Stand with your feet hip width apart while holding a barbell.  Use an underhand grip and position your hands on the bar just outside of your stance.  Keeping your chest out and back flat, contract your abs and slowly lower your upper body by hinging with your hips while slightly bending your knees.  Continue lowering until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground.  Keeping your abdominals contracted and a back flat, pull the barbell towards your mid-section and roll your shoulders back, then slowly lower the barbell away from you.  Once your arms are fully straight, contract your glutes and unhinge back to the upright position.  Repeat this sequence for 10-15 reps. 

This one is a little difficult to master, so remember start with lighter weight and master your technique before going heavier.   

Stability Ball Tricep Extensions

Muscle Focus: Hamstrings, Glutes, Triceps

Begin by lying on a stability ball while holding a pair of dumbbells.  Keep your head, neck, and shoulders in alignment with the rest of your body with your hips fully elevated and legs bent at 90 degrees.    Now, position your arms above your chest with your palms facing in.  Keeping your hips elevated and upper arms straight and slowly lower the dumbbells by bending your elbows to a 90 degree angle.  Return your arms to the straight position and repeat for 10-15 repetitions. 

 

For modification, use a wider stance to make balance easier or use a BOSU if you are uncomfortable using a stability ball.

Metabolic Conditioning

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

Most people’s primary motivation for working out involves weight loss.  Traditionally, experts suggest doing a minimum of thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise at a moderate intensity three to five times a week in conjunction with resistance training two to three times per week.  Realistically most of us can’t commit that much time to the gym. The good news is we don’t have to!  Current research shows you can burn more fat, increase your strength, and improve cardiovascular endurance in less time by utilizing  high-intensity, low volume training into your routine.

One study compared the effect of a 20-week endurance training program with that of a 15-week high intensity in terms of body fat loss and muscle metabolism.  Researchers found a bigger decrease in body fat in the high intensity group compared to the endurance group (Smith 2002).  Another study published in The European Applied Journal of Physiology showed metabolism to be in an elevated state for up to 16 hours following intense resistance exercise (Schuenke, et al. 2002).  From a fitness perspective, the Journal of Applied Physiology did a study measuring the cardiovascular response of a high intensity program.  The results?  Participants’ endurance actually doubled (Burgomaster et al. 2005).

While the research isn’t to suggest we completely eliminate longer workouts, especially if your goals are endurance based.  However, considering how precious time is in today’s society, isn’t it wise to incorporate short, intense workouts into the mix?  The question now is how?  While there are several methods to high-intensity training, one of the most popular and effective choices is metabolic conditioning.

In a nutshell, metabolic conditioning is a high intensity circuit workout using a combination of strength training exercises and cardio conditioning drills at a higher repetition. The goal is to complete the workout as quickly as possible while staying around your anaerobic threshold for maximal challenge and energy expenditure.  In most cases, circuits are three sets with a minimum of fifteen reps performed per exercise with minimal rest between exercises.  The workout usually lasts between twenty to thirty minutes (not including warm up).

Metabolic workouts should be self-paced and adjusted to your fitness level.  If you are just starting an exercise program, I recommend at least 12 weeks of aerobic base conditioning, muscular endurance training, and mastering lifting technique before adding metabolic conditioning into your routine.

Now that you’re ready, try this challenging circuit (See Video) that is guaranteed to get your heart pumping and your muscles burning for more!

Alternating Lunges w/Dumbbell Curl & Press:  Start in a standing position while holding a pair of dumbbells. Step forward and sink into a lunge holding the down position.  Remember to keep your knee behind your toes.  Perform a bicep curl immediately followed by an overhead press.  With control, bring the dumbbells back down to your sides and lunge back to the standing position.  Alternate sides until you complete a total of 10 reps per leg.

Burpees:  Start in a standing position with your feet hip width apart.  Lower into a squat and place your hands on the ground shoulder width apart.  Hop or walk your legs behind you until you are in a pushup position.  Immediately hop or walk you legs back underneath you and jump into the air.  Repeat for a total of 15 repetitions.

Pull ups or Weight Assisted Pull ups:  Grab the pull up bar with your grip just wider than shoulder width and you palms facing away from you.  Pull yourself toward the bar keeping your chest out and driving your shoulders down away from your ears until your chin is above the bar.  With control lower yourself back down to the starting position.  For modification, use a weight assisted pull up machine if needed.  Repeat for a total of 15 repetitions.

Split Jumps:  Begin in a lunge position with your left leg forward and your right leg back.  Jump into the air scissoring your legs so you now land with your right leg forward and your left leg back landing both feet simultaneously.  For modification, add a stutter step by letting your forward leg land prior to the back leg landing.  Repeat for 20 repetitions.

Pushups:  Depending on your strength start in a pushup position from your toes or knees with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Keeping your body straight from head to toe/knee, slowly lower yourself towards the floor until your arms are bent at 90 degrees.  Using control and staying aligned, push your body back to the starting position.  Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed throughout the movement and repeat for 20 repetitions.

Medicine Ball Slams:  Stand with your legs hip width apart with your arms hanging just below your hips holding a 6 to 20 lbs. medicine ball.  Keeping your core tight, quickly raise the ball overhead and slam it down to the ground catching it on the bounce.  Repeat for 20 repetitions.

TRX – Single Leg Burpee Pushup Combo

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

What’s not to love about this exercise?  It comes with numerous benefits and brings a total body challenge to balance, strength, power, and endurance!  This exercise is great for plyometric training,  metabolic conditioning, and/or endurance training.

As a prerequisite you should be able to perform at least 15 suspended lunges with relative ease, do 10 pushups, and be able to hold a plank for a minimum of 1 minute.

Here’s the setup:

  • Convert the TRX into a single handle position
  • Position yourself approximately 3 feet from your overhead anchor point with your back facing the anchor point, placing one foot in the heel cuff.
  • Descend into a burpee and perform a pushup.
  • Quickly hop forward and explosively jump upwards reaching overhead with your arms.
  • Repeat for anywhere between 5-15 reps/side depending on your fitness levels, goals, etc.
  • Enjoy!

Strength Endurance Training

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

One of my favorite strength training workouts that I use personally and with clients is Strength Endurance Training.  Specifically from NASM, this strength endurance training method is a hybrid form of superset training that promotes increased stabilization endurance, hypertrophy, and strength.  This method of training entails the use of superset techniques where a more stable exercise (ex. bench press) is immediately followed with a stabilization exercise with similar biomechanical motions (ex. TRX push-up).  Thus, for every set of an exercise/body part performed, there are actually two exercises/sets being performed.  High amounts of volume can be generated with this method which can result in body fat loss and/or hypertrophy. Training variables should be manipulated depending on which is a higher priority. If body fat loss is desired, utilize more complex/total body strength moves while keeping the repetitions around 10-12 per execise. If hypertrophy is desired, segmenting per body part with each superset is more effective, keeping the repetitions at 8-10 per exercise (see acute variables below).

All in all, these workouts are very taxing but well worth the rewards!  Below are five of my personal favorites.  Countless combinations can be used with this training method…play around with them and you’ll be hooked too…

Strength Endurance Workout:

  • Perform a 10-15 minute dynamic warm-up
  • 3-4 sets/pair of exercises
  • 8-12 reps/exercise @ 70% of 1RM
  • Rest 1 minute between pairs/2-3 minutes between sets

Exercises:

  1. Barbell Clean to Overhead Press/Single Leg Squat with Dumbbell PNF
  2. Barbell Deadlift to Bent over row/Single Leg Deadlift to Dumbbell row
  3. Rockstars/TRX Atomic Pushups
  4. Barbell Squats/TRX Pistol Squat
  5. Pullups/TRX Rotational Pullup

Fitness Fast – Burpee Combination

Posted on by Jason Wanlass

This is the first of many posts to come with a “Fitness Fast” theme. Many think they don’t have time to exercise…well I’m here to say THINK AGAIN! With minimal resources there is always a way and it will be my pleasure to serve as your guide.

And now we are going to start this series off with one of my favorites, the burpee combination. There are many ways you can approach this sequence for a fast and challenging workout. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a pull up bar (optional). Weight selection is the same weight you would use for an overhead press for a 10-15 rep set (60-70% or your 1 rep max). Essentially when you break the sequence down there are five primary movements:

1. Burpee
2. Prone Dumbbell Row to Pushup
3. Dumbbell Bicep Curl to Overhead Press
4. Reverse Lunge
5. Pullup.

I love this sequence because it involves the four pillars of movement: a push, pull, raising/lower the center of mass, and rotation. Also, a the burpee combo comes with a high metabolic demand. Not only will it challenge your strength and endurance, it will tax your cardiovascular system tremendously as well.

There are two approaches I recommend for the burpee combination, flow or repetitions. By flow, I simply mean moving through the sequence exactly as its drawn up, 1 repetition for each movement. You can either do the sequence for time, in other words “flow” for one minute followed by a one minute recovery. Or you can flow through the sequence five consecutive times followed by a one minute recovery. The workout looks like this:

Burpee Combination – Flow
5 sets @ 1 minute each
1 minute rest between sets
Circuit Time: 10 minutes

This is a great circuit if you need to get in a workout fast. But, if you have more time you can easily add a second circuit of your choosing. However, I highly recommend a full 3-5 minute recovery before starting the second circuit.

Your second option is the repetition approach. Rather than flowing from one movement to the next, you perform 5-10 reps of each individual movement before moving to the next. In other words, a clusterf#$!:

Burpee Combination – Repetitions
2-3 Sets
5-10 reps/movement
Rest 2-3 minutes between sets

1. Burpees x 5-10 reps
2. Prone Dumbbell Row to Pushup x 5-10 reps
3. Dumbbell Curl to Press x 5-10 reps
4. Reverse Lunges x 5-10 reps/leg
5. Pullups x 5-10 reps

Because this approach had a high volume for each movement, I recommend only 2-3 sets. Plus you’ll need a little more recovery between sets, 2-3 minutes ideally since this option will take a little longer per set and will tax the muscles a more due to the compartmentalized approach. This option still will only take around 15-20 minutes. Still a pretty quick hit.

There you have it! The first of many “Fitness Fast” segments to come. You always have time now get after it!

Have Fun. Get Fit.
Jason