If you conduct a search for “full-body workout” online, you’ll come across numerous suggestions. A significant portion of these suggestions typically involve the use of equipment, intricate repetition schemes, or extensive time commitments.
Personally, I prefer to keep things simple. The last thing I need is another cumbersome task to add to my routine. All I want is to put on some lively music (by the way, here are some great workout playlist suggestions if you’re interested!), move my body, and enjoy a good sweat session.
So, in times like these, I follow a very simple formula for the perfect full-body workout. And, I’m sharing it with you today!
Regarding the Ideal Full-Body Workout Formula
There are several reasons why this formula stands out as one of my favorites:
- It’s straightforward and easy to recall.
- You can utilize whatever equipment you have available, or none at all.
- It’s adaptable for both home and gym settings.
- You have the freedom to choose your preferred exercises or focus areas.
- Its duration can be adjusted to fit your schedule.
- You can do it alone or with a friend or partner.
- It targets your upper body, lower body, and core, while also incorporating cardio.
- It’s fast-paced and enjoyable (because it has to be fun!)
A definite winner, right? Now, let’s craft YOUR ideal full-body workout routine.
How to Formulate the Ideal Full-Body Workout You can devise your own optimal full-body workout routine using a straightforward framework:
- 1 minute of cardio
- 1 minute of upper body exercises
- 1 minute of lower body exercises
- 1 minute of cardio
- 1 minute of plank or core exercises
Cardio: Your cardio segment can encompass various activities such as jumping jacks, running, marching in place, cycling, or rowing—anything that elevates your heart rate. (You may repeat the same cardio exercise twice or opt for two different ones.)
Upper Body Exercises: Upper body exercises may involve traditional dumbbell exercises like push presses, bicep curls, or bent-over rows. Alternatively, they can consist of bodyweight exercises like push-ups (performed against a wall, on your knees, or on your toes) or tricep dips using a chair.
Lower-Body Moves: Lower-body moves can be weighted or bodyweight-only lunges, squats, hip bridges, deadlifts, wall sits, etc. Anything that challenges your lower half!
Plank/Core: For the core, a basic plank (on the toes or the knees) is a really great one to try for a minute, but you can also try crunches, sit-ups, v-ups, flutter kicks, or reverse crunches. You do you, boo.
All together, that formula gives you five minutes of a full-body workout that both boosts strength and gets your heart rate up. Simply repeat for as many rounds as you’d like.
Again, you pick the moves and how many rounds you do so it’s totally customizable to YOU.
Some Favorite Workouts Demonstrating the Formula
Interested in seeing how this translates into practical routines? Here are three workouts I personally enjoy, following the formula outlined above.
Bodyweight Dance Party Workout
This is my absolute favorite, requiring no equipment.
- 1 minute of dancing
- 1 minute of push-ups
- 1 minute of air squats
- 1 minute of jumping jacks
- 1 minute of plank
- This routine incorporates dumbbells for strength training.
- 1 minute running
- 1 minute push press
- 1 minute lunges while holding dumbbells
- 1 minute running
- 1 minute V-ups
All the Equipment Workout
And, this is one that I like to do in my garage gym.
- 1 minute rowing
- 1 minute pull-ups
- 1 minute deadlifts
- 1 minute rowing
- 1 minute plank with my feet in my TRX
