Monday, July 7, 2008

Carve a Beach-Ready BodyGo hard for 30 seconds — and don't count reps

Go hard for 30 seconds — and don't count reps

By the Editors of Men's Health

This routine tests your willpower, says C.J. Murphy, M.F.S., a strength coach in Everett, Massachusetts. Start with 3 sets of the clean and press. Then do the next three moves in succession, with one twist: Don't count reps. Instead, do as many reps of each as you can in 30 seconds. Rest 30 seconds between exercises, and repeat the three-move sequence once or twice.

1. Dumbbell clean and press

Holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, bend your knees. Jump up in one explosive movement as you shrug your shoulders and pull the weights up. Catch the weights at your shoulders and then press them overhead. Lower to the starting position. Do 6 reps total.

2. Cable squat with row

Attach an EZ-curl bar to the low pulley at a cable station. Grab the handles with your arms extended. Bend to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand up and draw the handles to your rib cage, and then straighten your arms back out in front of your chest.

3. Dumbbell burpee

Stand holding light dumbbells at your sides. Bend down until the weights touch the floor, then kick your feet behind you into a pushup position, resting your hands on the weights. Do a pushup, then bring your feet back underneath you and jump up. Land softly and move into your next repetition.

4. Dumbbell floor sweeper

Lie faceup holding dumbbells above your chest. Lift your legs up and out to the left, keeping them straight. Then return to center and repeat to the right. Return to center, lower your legs, and do a situp, keeping your arms straight above you.

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