Be Well Workout of the Week: Reimagine Your Full-Body Workout

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No muscles were left out in the making of this workout — you’re going to work every muscle group in your body, from the bottom to the top, and everything in between.

Here’s the deal: You’ll alternate between working your lower body and your upper body, working each muscle group until you meet in the middle for a final core exercise to round out the circuit. You’ll start with your calves, move to your shoulders, then quads, chest, hamstring, back, and so on. After four rounds of this circuit, every muscle in your body should feel happy and strong (read: jello-y). Happy sweating!

Be Well Workout of the Week: The Ultimate Full-Body Workout 

Directions: Complete circuit 4 times. Reps: 15-12-10-8
30 lateral hops (do 30 each round)
Lateral raise
Squats (holding dumbbells)
Chest press (on physioball, bench, or machine)
Dead lift
Reverse fly
Knee drives
Bicep curls
Plie squats
Tricep extensions
1-minute plank (do 1 minute each round)
Superman: lie on your stomach with arms stretched out overhead.  Lift arms and legs off the floor, squeeze at the top, then lower back down.

Explanations of exercises: 
Click links for how-to videos. 

Lateral Hops: Standing with your feet together, jump to the left, tapping the floor, then jump to the right, repeat.

Lateral raise: Holding dumbbells, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms out from on your sides to shoulder height, return to start and repeat.

Squat: Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder widt and your toes slightly turned outward. Keeping your weight in your heels, bending at the knees and lower until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back as upright as possible. Straighten legs and come back to the starting position.

Chest press on physioball: Lie with your head and neck on the ball and feet on the floor, lifting your hip and squeezing your glutes. With weights in hands, bend your elbows 90 degrees, so your arms make L shapes straight out from the shoulders. Push the weights up to the ceiling until your arms straighten. Return to starting position and repeat.

Dead lifts with dumbbells: Hold dumbbells with arms extended down so they’re resting on your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping shoulders back and abs tight (and without locking your knees), bend at the hips and let the weights lower towards the floor, going as far as you can without bending your knees too much. Drive your heels in to the floor and stand to return to the starting position.

Reverse fly: Stand with feet hip-width apart and hinge forward at the waist. Holding a weight in each hand (palms facing towards each other), keep your arms slightly bent and using your back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, lifting your hands to the side.

Knee drives: Start in a lunge with your right foot forward and your left leg behind you. Press into your right foot, driving your left knee up towards your chest as you move into a standing position. Return your left foot to the floor in one fluid motion. Do all reps on the right, then on the left.

Bicep curls: Hold dumbbells at your side with palms facing forward. Pretend your elbows are glued to your midsection and curl the weight toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arm still. Slowly return your weight to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Plié squats: Standing with feet a little further than hip width apart, turn your feet out and do a squat.

Tricep extensions: Holding a dumbbell with both hands behind your head, raise the dumbbell directly above your head, toward the ceiling. Return the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat.

Plank: Get in push-up position, resting on your elbows; keep back, hips, and legs in a straight line. Hold.

Superman: Start laying on your stomach with your arms extended. Lift your legs and arms of the ground and upward. Hold for two seconds. Return to the starting position.

» Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every week right here on Be Well Philly.

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