ShareOften at the gym, I witness bizarre things.
As you know, I live in New York. Now you see plenty of crazy things everyday so on the scale of bizarre, this guy who stole my attention during my fat loss workout was really nuts.
He was a body builder. Not an uncommon sight at the gym. His hugely, overdeveloped chest and biceps were a dead giveaway. It was easy to see what exercises his workouts consisted of, as he was so unbalanced. Clearly, he wasn’t doing any of my top 3 bodyweight exercises.
Next came the most insane part. He was attempting to do dumbbell chest press with 140 lb dumbbells. That’s equivalent of pressing one of me – on each arm! He was making quite a scene, you know chanting and yelling with his buddy (as you do in a nice, upscale gym in New York). It was a total circus.
Funny this is, this guy could hardly move this weight through any range of motion. Thank god he had two spotters.
Worst form ever.
I was secretly hoping for a much better show after all this crazy lead up drama.
Anyway, while all this commotion was going on and he did 2 set of 4 reps (if you could even call it that), I finished a whole fat loss workout. Not only did he waste time walking around in circles, I don’t think he got much benefit out of it.
So I came to thinking, how much time do people waste in the gym?
BEST 6 EXERCISES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR WORKOUT
My training philosophy is based on movement efficiency. Fat loss workouts involve using multiple muscle groups at once and functional movements. This way you maximize your time in the gym and improve your total body movement patterns. I think of my style as training movements, not muscles. As a bonus, you burn more calories without spending hours training everyday.
It is so important to be able to manipulate and move your own bodyweight before you start trying to lift dumbbells and other heavy things. If you can’t move your own bodyweight efficiently and with full range of motion, how on earth do you think you can lift anything else with proper form?
Bodyweight training helps you build a strong foundation. The following movements should be the fundamentals of your workout to get maximum benefits and time efficiency. When you can perform these correctly, then you can add resistance.
1. Squat
Can you get up out of your chair with ease? Unfortunately I see folks cheating all the time. A squat uses all the major muscles of your thighs and hips, and is considered the most functional of all movement patterns. Round of applause for the squat. Makes sense to always include this one in your workout. It also requires core stability and mobility in you hips and ankles. It’s complex, and that’s why many people have issues doing it correctly. Take time to assess and refine your squat. Looking at me as an example, my butt could be a little lower, with thighs parallel to the floor.
2. Push Up
This movement is an effective way to hit all muscles of the upper body – and your core. If you have difficulty doing a full push-up, it’s important NOT to do “girly” push ups, with your knees on the floor. This eliminates the benefit of your core muscles in your spine and back that stabilize throughout the movement. Instead, elevate your hands to a bench or the wall.
3. Pull Up (or Self-Row)
This is a tough exercise, especially for the ladies. Again, all the major muscle groups of your upper body are utilized. Fortunately there are modifications, and you can use an Equalizer (as shown below) or TRX to assist while you gain strength. The key is to balance pull with push. In this day and age of computers and endless sitting, pulling exercises are even more important. Use a ratio of 3:1 (pull:push) and your posture will thank you. It will counterbalance the dreaded “computer shoulders” (you know, the far from sexy, rounded hunchback look).
4. Lunge/Step
Whether you are stepping forward in a lunge or stepping up, this is a vital move for everyday life. Sadly, climbing stairs is becoming a thing of the past, like CD’s. With escalators and elevators everywhere, you really have to go out of your way to get incidental exercise. Incorporating bodyweight static lunges and step-ups in your workout is a great place to start. Below I’m doing the Prisoner Reverse Lunge. put your hands up behind your head and squeeze your shoulder blades together for extra fun in your fat loss workout.
5. Hinge
If you spend your days sitting in a chair, there’s a high chance you could be suffering from “gluteal amnesia” – your glutes have forgotten how to function properly. This leads to a whole range of other issues, particularly for your lower back. Hinging movements from your hip primarily hits your glutes and hamstrings, but also utilizes your erector spinae, transverse abdominus and adductors as stabilizers. The best exercise to start with (whether you are advanced or a beginner) is the not the most obvious. Try a glute bridge as hip extension is perfect for glute activation. It’s important, particularly for women to incorporate this exercise into your program, even if it’s just for your warm up to get your glutes activated and firing.
TIP: start with your arms out by your side in a T shape. If that simple and your range is good, try putting your arms above your head like demonstrated below.
6. Stabilization
Your core is your foundation of movement. Train it that way. The goal of core training is to increase endurance, stability and strength of the surrounding muscles that co-ordinate movements. I’m not anti-crunch, there are just more effective ways to utilize your time. Start with a plank, you should aim to hold it for at least 30 seconds and work up to a minute. Stabilization training is part of your workout, not a whole workout. It should take no longer than 5-10 minutes.
For best results with your training, make sure your fat loss workouts incorporate a combination of these movement patterns.
The most effective way to set up your fat loss workout is non-competing supersets or a circuit, so you cycle through all the muscle groups without completely killing one. More on this point in our next post.
Make the most of your workout today!
KV 
