Given that the stress and radical changes we are all going through in these times, it is more important to focus on your physical fitness than ever. Not just paying attention to muscular development but adding and equal focus on performance and conditioning to our approach to overall fitness will benefit us immensely.
What follows is a list of bullet-proof workouts to cover your whole body, burn fat and Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) , all with very little equipment that can be done in your garage, basement or home.
I've tried and tested all these effective routines myself and on others with great results. The key is that these workouts are all fairly brief, but intense enough to guarantee maximal conditioning while hitting all major muscle groups. For those seeking overall fitness and conditioning, shorter high intensity workouts also seems to come with additional metabolic benefits as well.
I would allow for 20-30 minutes for each session and vary the frequency to 3-6 workouts a week, varying it based on your recovery, energy levels and schedule.
Cycling through all these workouts in WOD style fashion isn't a bad idea either. This is a good way to train in general, in terms of variability and preventing overuse injuries.
So for example, if you were to train three days a week you have 4 weeks worth of varying workouts going through each of these 12 workout plans one after the other; 6 days a week gives you two weeks of workouts.
The only additional equipment you will need is a set of moderately weighted dumbbells, some way to do pull-ups and inverted rows and a skipping rope.
12 Workouts For Your Garage, Basement or Home
Workout 1:
Dumbbell Squats 15-20 reps, followed by 10 bodyweight with 10 sec pause and then 5 more reps. 3-4 sets
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-5x)
Superset Two:
Chin-ups 3-6 reps
One-arm Dumbbell Snatch 8-10 reps each arm
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-5x)
Workout 5:
Double Dumbbell Snatch 12-15 reps
Dumbbell Crossover Lunge 12-15 reps
Push-ups 15-20 reps
Jumping Jacks 1 minute
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 6:
Dumbbell Goblet Squat 12-15 reps
Clapping Push-ups 15-20 reps
Box Jumps or Jump Squats 10-12 reps
Spiderman Crawl 20 Feet
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 7:
Dumbbell Thrusters 12-15 reps
Pull-ups 5-6 reps
Mountain climbers 12-15 reps each leg
Jump Rope 1 minute
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 8:
Dumbbell Squat-to-curl-to-press 12-15 reps
Inverted Rows 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Skier Swings 15 reps
Diamond Push-ups 15 reps
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 9:
Single Dumbbell Swings 30 reps
Dumbbell BG Squat 12 reps
Push-ups 15 reps
Chin-ups or Pull-ups 4-6 reps
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 10:
Dumbbell Side (Lateral) Lunge 12-15 reps
Hindu Push-ups 15 reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch 8 reps each arm
Dumbbell Glute Bridges 15 reps
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Workout 11:
Reverse Lunge to Bicep Curl 10-12 reps
Pike Push-ups 15 reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Row 10-12 reps each arm
Hollow Body Hold 30-45 seconds
Workout 12:
Double Dumbbell Snatch 8-10 reps
Racked Dumbbell Front Squats 12-15 reps
Push-ups 15 reps
Dumbbell Bear Rows 6-8 reps each arm
(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 3-6x)
Exercise Descriptions
Here are some of the best informative YouTube videos I could find on the exercise movements in case some of you might not be familiar with some of them.
The Double Dumbbell Snatch
One Arm Dumbbell Snatch
Racked Dumbbell Front Squats
Dumbbell Bear Rows
Hindu Pushups
Pike Push Up
Hollow Body Hold
Single Dumbbell Swings
Dumbbell Squat Curl to Press
Reverse Lunge to Bicep Curl
Dumbbell Glute Bridges
Dumbbell Skier Swings
Side (Lateral) Lunge Technique
Dumbbell Thrusters
Spiderman Crawl
Diamond Pushups
Semi-Sumo Dumbbell Squats
Full Dumbbell Clean
Dumbbell Single Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Table Bridges
Give these workouts a try in your training sessions and let me know what you think in the comments!