Full-body workouts include exercises that move your entire body in different directions. They help you coordinate your movement patterns better and burn more calories in less time. You can perform such workouts without any equipment, allowing you to workout almost anywhere at anytime. Most of these exercises are adopted from yoga, martial arts, gymnastics and military calisthenics.
Stair Running
Stair running works all the muscles of your lower body and strengthens your torso, which helps stabilize and maintain balance, thus preventing injury. You can perform stair running drills on almost any flight of stairs, such as at a stadium, college campus, or in an apartment complex. Start with running up the stairs at a rate of one step per second and climb down at the two steps per second. You can increase the climbing up rate at two steps per second or climb up two steps at time instead of one step. Perform the stair climbing drill for 30 to 60 seconds per sets, and rest for one minute between sets. Maintain the climbing-down rate to minimize your risk of falls.
Pushup Combo
The pushup combo is a regular pushup with a torso rotation. This improves muscular endurance and joint stability. Put your hands on the ground about shoulder-width apart and your feet together on your toes. Tighten your buttocks and lower your body to the ground until it almost touches the ground. Exhale and push yourself straight up, lifting your right hand off the ground and turning your body to your right. Bring your right arm up so that it is almost perpendicular to the ground. Hold this position for two seconds, and return your hand to the ground. Perform another pushup and repeat the turn on the opposite side.
Lunge and Twist
The lunge and twist works on hip and spine stability as you combine a torso rotation with a lunge. Stand with your feet together and step forward with your left foot. Lunge straight down until your right knee gently touches the ground, and twist your torso to your left. Extend your arms in front of your chest with your palms facing up. Hold this position for one second, rotate your torso toward the front, and push yourself back to the starting position. Do not hunch your shoulders or back as you move. Perform the same movement pattern on the opposite leg.
Interval Training
With interval training, you perform an exercise for a short period of time followed by a short rest between sets. The exercises are usually performed at a faster rate while maintaining movement control to prevent falls or injuries. This method helps you improve muscular stamina, burn more calories in less time and reduce your recovery rate, says Coach Robert dos Remedios, author of "Cardio Strength Training." For these three exercises, perform one set of exercises between 20 to 40 seconds followed by 20 to 40 seconds of rest. After you have completed all three exercises, rest for two to three minutes, then repeat the course two to three more times. Remedios recommends beginners perform 20 seconds of exercise with a 40-second rest period. As you improve, increase the exercise duration by 10 seconds and reduce your rest period by 10 seconds.
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Cardio Strength Training"; Robert dos Remedios; 2009
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