Workout of the Week: Intermediate Full-Body Day

Getting to the weight room and arranging your exercises so you can get a quick but effective full-body workout requires forethought. When doing full-body days, do not neglect a warm-up that not only warms you up (body temperature) but also includes a large variety of movements before lifting or calisthenics exercises.

Here is a workout that we arranged this week for a beginner/intermediate group that wanted a session that could be completed in 30-45 minutes.

Here is how it goes:

Warm-up: push-up/squats pyramid 1-10 with 20-meter runs or 20 jumping jacks in between sets.

How to do the pyramid warm-up/run:

• 1 push-up/1 squat; run 20m (or do 20 jumping jacks)
• 2 push-ups/2 squats; run 20m
• 3 push-ups/3 squats; run 20m ... keep going up to 10 push-ups and 10 squats. Stop at 10 push-ups and 10 squats. This total of repetitions is 55 push-ups and 55 squats. If this process is too difficult, stop at five or six on the 1-10 pyramid. Repeat in reverse order to limit your repetitions to 25-36 as a warm-up, if needed.

If necessary, resort to knee push-ups or half-squats. Add a variety of push-ups with changes in the width of grip (wide, regular, close grip) or change the width of leg placement in squats. Add a lunge per leg or tow. Total time: 5-10 minutes.

The weight room with calisthenics options, if needed:

• Repeat 2-3 times
• Bench press 5-10
• Dumbbell rows 10 per arm
• Step-ups on the bench 10 per leg

This classic push/pull/leg combination is a quick circuit that keeps you close to your bench (if in a busy gym). If you have time and the pull-up bar is close, try a set of max pull-ups before the rows if you can do pull-ups. After the push/pull, step up and down on the bench with or without weights to keep the legs warm for the next set that is a leg/cardio focus. If you do not have a bench press, you can replace it with push-ups or military press (overhead press) with dumbbells. Total time: 10 minutes.

• Repeat 3 times
• Leg press 10
• Lunges 5-10 per leg
• Easy cardio 3 min

Mix in some legs into this workout but also add some cardio options. The goal here is to complete the leg exercises in less than two minutes -- then take a three-minute break of short but intense cardio options (walk, jog, bike, elliptical or rower). Total time: 15 minutes.

• Repeat 4 times
• Run 400m at goal pace or bike 2 min
• Dumbbell biceps/military 10
• Dumbbell shrugs 10
• Dumbbell squats 10

If you can run, check your 400-meter times but keep it at goal mile pace. If you want to run an eight-minute mile, shoot for a two-minute 400 meters (quarter-mile). Or bike at high intensity for two minutes. Then mix in a combination of exercises that work both the upper body and lower body between runs or bike.

Cooldown bike or elliptical 10 min/stretch

This is just an easy 5- to 10-minute cardio cooldown that you can follow with a light stretch. If you have time (or you can save until later), do the following PT reset exercises:

PT reset plus core:

• Reverse push-ups -- 20
• Birds -- 20
• Arm haulers -- 20
• Swimmers -- 1 min
• Side plank 1 min (right) Plank 1 min
• Side plank 1 min (left)

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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