Workout of the week: 35-min full-body strength workout

ALL LEVELS / full-body strength workout / 35 minutes

Equipment: Dumbbells, incline chest press machine, leg extensions machine & lat pull-down machine

There are countless ways to approach your workout routine, catering to different fitness goals and preferences. First, consider the different types. From high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to cardio, strength training or push and pull routines — the possibilities are endless. Then, there’s the way you split them: some folks focus on specific muscle groups and train them on specific days while others go for the full-body approach.

Today, we’ll focus on the latter with this full-body strength workout. It consists of 5 exercises to complete in a 50-second, 10-second rest scheme. It has 5 rounds with 1 minute to rest between them. All in all, this workout will take you 30 minutes to conclude.

1. Dumbbell deadlift
2. Incline chest press
3. Leg extensions
4. Lat pull-down
5. Russian sit-ups

Let’s complete this full-body workout!

WORKOUT SETUP

• 5 exercises
• 50 sec on, 10 sec off
• 5 rounds
• 1-min rest between rounds
• Equipment: Dumbbells, incline chest press machine, leg extensions machine & lat pull-down machine
• Duration: 30 minutes

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

5 rounds

1 – Dumbbell deadlift

50 sec on, 10 sec off

• Begin in standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand. As the video shows, the dumbbells can be positioned in front of the body; however, if this puts too much stress on your lower back, hold the dumbbells by your side.
• Engage the core and begin the movement by bending the knees slightly and hinging the hips. Then continue the bending by pushing the hips backwards, lowering the dumbbells as far as comfortable.
• At the bottom of the movement, actively engage the glutes, push the feet into the floor and drive the hips upwards and forwards to return to the start position.
• Repeat.

2 – Incline chest press

50 sec on, 10 sec off

• Lean back and press your feet actively onto the floor.
• Find a symmetrical grip that lets your forearms stand almost parallel to the floor in the starting position.
• Engage your core and press forward and up with as much as possible.
• Make sure your back stays in contact with the cushion behind you.
• Repeat.

3 – Leg extensions

50 sec on, 10 sec off

• Sit up straight on the leg extension machine.
• Adjust the pad so it sits on your lower leg and just above your feet.
• Extend your legs straight out in front of you, making sure you’re using your quads to power the movement.
• Then slowly lower them back to the starting position.
• Repeat.

4 – Lat pull-down

50 sec on, 10 sec off

• Adjust the pad on your legs to reduce the movement.
• Grasp the bar above your head with a wide grip. Keep looking forward with your torso upright.
• Engage your shoulder blades, and then pull the bar down in front of you – upper chest level.
• Squeeze your lats at the bottom of the move and avoid leaning back too much to facilitate the movement.
• Slowly return up and repeat.

5 – Russian sit-ups

50 sec on, 10 sec off

• Start in a supine position, with your legs bent and your feet on the floor hip-width apart. 
• Grab a dumbbell with both hands horizontally, stretching your arms. That’s your starting position.  
• Engage the core and perform a full sit-up, bringing your arms overhead. 
• Return to the starting position, with your core engaged all the time, and repeat. 

After this full-body strength workout, find the strength to choose your next challenge here: