There are many benefits of total body workout routines – they help to work out all the muscles of the body, energizing and strengthening them, they improve stamina and endurance, they give an attractive toned shape to the entire body and help improve body balance and flexibility.
While it is true that different total body workout routines will work for different people, here is one that is tried and tested and seen to work at first to help lose weight and build lean muscle and in the long run to keep weight off and maintain that muscle.
We take you through the total body workout routine taking it one day at a time below. You can use a practical time saving measure of either walking or cycling to the gym – this helps save time by starting out your full body exercise routine as soon as you leave home.
This way, you have already warmed up before you arrive at the gym, with your body feeling warm and limber and ready to start the workout.
Day One
If you haven’t done so already, start your total body workout routines with a 10 minute warm up – jog up and down on the spot, use the elliptical machine, or the exercise bike.
Then hit the weights – depending upon the sort of equipment you have at the gym, work on your shoulders and arms the first day and do exercises targeting those.
Day Two
Don’t go to the gym at all, rather go for a lovely long bike ride, or a long walk or go for a swim for at least 30 to 45 minutes, taking along some favorite music if required. And enjoy it but make sure that it is not leisurely; your pulse rate should be high in order for you to get the benefit from your workout.
Day Three
Warm up any way that you like and then target the abs – work the roman chair, do ab crunches or sit ups – this is not so that you get flat abs, but this is to tighten and strengthen the stomach muscles which is good for the body’s core and because it is strenuous to do this.
Also do three sets of jump rope today – start with as many as you can comfortably do and then work your way up.
Day Four
Again skip gym for a bike ride or walk or use the exercise cycle, the elliptical trainer or the treadmill in the gym.
Day Five
This part of your total body workout routine should target the lower body – work the legs and the glutes after your warm up.
Day Six
This should be another day to just enjoy any brisk outdoor activity such as walking, swimming or bike riding.
Day Seven
This day should be for rest.
So this is one of the balanced sample total body workout routines that work really well. Keep in mind however that the weights should be heavy enough that you can’t comfortably do more than 8 reps and not so heavy that you cannot go beyond 6 reps. You should be taxing your body optimally, without risking injury.
