Looking for a killer total-body workout with weights when you are short on time? This full-body gym workout includes exercises to work every area of your body. Plenty of great choices of moves to shred your entire body. Get ready because today you will tone and tighten your chest, shoulders, legs, back, arms, and abs.
Quick Full Body Gym Workout
- Chest: Bench press or dumbbell flies
- Shoulders: Military press or upright rows
- Legs: Squats or walking dumbbell lunges
- Back: Seated rows or lat pulldowns
- Arms: Dumbbell curls and triceps pulldowns
- Abs: Decline sit ups or med ball Russian twists
Keep reading for a step-by-step guide with pictures, videos, and descriptions of each of these exercises.
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The other day I was walking into the gym short on time (as usual, when is there ever enough?).
I wanted to get in a total-body workout with weights as I wasn’t going to make it back in for a couple of days. As I started looking around, I go to thinking “okay – I can do that chest exercise or that one. Then I want to do that leg exercise… or maybe that one…”
Basically as I looked around I got to thinking – there are so many good exercises for specific body areas it’s hard to pick just one.
Then it hit me – a “Choose Your Own Adventure” gym day. I pick the body areas and the order, you pick the exercise you do.
A fun workout that gives you plenty of options to shred your entire body. Sound good?
Here we go, keep reading below for the workout.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TOTAL BODY WORKOUTS?
Total body workouts are a very simple and effective way of training. A full body workout hits all the major muscle groups in a single workout.
If you have a busy schedule and want to fit in a workout that will use all your main muscles, total body workouts are the answer to get an intense, time-efficient workout.
Total body workouts can fit all levels of fitness such as beginners, seniors, individuals who are overweight, and those who are more advanced.
HOW MANY TIMES IN A WEEK SHOULD YOU DO A TOTAL BODY WORKOUT?
You only need to do a total body workout about two or three times a week. It’s rarely recommended to do the same types of workouts every single day.
Start by including a total body workout a few times per week. It’s important to include a balance of various workouts including cardio, weight training, stretching, etc. Give yourself a rest day, listen to your body, and challenge yourself enough to make sure you are progressing.
Now keep reading to give this total body workout a try.
Need more total body workouts? Here are some great ideas.
Total Body Cardio Strength Workout
30 Minute Total Body Gym Workout
30 Minute Total Body Hiit Workout
Below are 6 different stations you will find for 6 different body areas. Pick your favorite exercise from the specific body area. Try to shoot for about 5-7 minutes to complete the recommended sets/reps of each exercise.
With a 5-minute warm up this workout should take 35-45 minutes to get through the whole thing. Ready…. GO for it.
Need some dumbbells?
Here are my favorites for beginners
and here’s a great set if you’re getting more serious.
Warm up
Whenever I’m doing a full-body workout I try to pick something that’s going to warm up my entire body. Elliptical with the arms and row machine are my two favorites.
5 minutes to get the blood flowing.
The Workout
Chest
Barbell Bench Press OR Dumbbell Chest Flies
3 sets of 10-12
Barbell Bench Press
- Lie flat on your back on a bench.
- Lift the bar from the rack with a medium-width grip and lift it until your arms are straight.
- Breathe in and come down slowly until the bar touches your chest.
- Breathe out and push the bar back up using your chest muscles.
- Caution: you should be in control of the bar at all times, don’t bounce the bar. It is wise to use a spotter.
Dumbbell Chest Flies
- Lie flat on your back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Lift the dumbbells above you at shoulder width, palms facing each other.
- Focusing on the movement from your shoulders, slightly bend your elbows and lower arms out to both sides in a wide arc until you feel it in your chest.
- Return arms back up to starting position.
Shoulders
Military Press (barbell or dumbbell) OR Upright Rows
3 sets of 10-12
Military Press (barbell or dumbbell)
- Sit on the edge of a bench and grab the barbell with hands just wider than shoulder width apart, or grab a dumbbell in each hand. Grip with palms facing forward.
- Lift the barbell up over your head until you lock your arms.
- Lower the bar back down to your collarbone level slowly.
Upright Rows
- Grip a barbell with palms facing you, a little less than a shoulder width distance apart. Keep your back straight.
- Lift the bar by bringing your hands straight up and bending your elbows up and out to the side, keeping the bar close to your body and your torso stationary.
- Lift the bar until it comes close to touching your chin.
- Lower the bar back down to the starting position by your thighs.
Legs
Squats OR Walking Dumbbell Lunges
3 sets of 10-12 (if lunges do 3 sets of 10-12 lunges per leg)
Squats
- Stand in front of the barbell with feet about shoulder-width apart and toes facing slightly out.
- Get below the bar and position yourself with the bar behind your head, weight on your upper back with your shoulders just below the bar. The bar is NOT on your neck.
- Grab the barbell from the rack with hands a few inches beyond shoulder-width distance apart. Step out from the rack
- With chest and head up, bend at the hips and knees to lower down as if sitting. Keep your knees just over your toes.
- Lower until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
- Straighten and stand up.
Walking Dumbbell Lunges
- Start in a standing position holding dumbbells in each hand, palms facing in.
- Step forward on one leg and drop your weight straight down, keeping your knee just above the toe.
- Drop until your thigh is parallel to the ground and your opposite knee almost touches the floor.
- Come straight back up.
Back
Seated Rows OR Lat Pull Downs
3 sets of 10-12
Seated Rows
- Use the row machine with the close-grip attachment with the palms of your hands facing each other.
- Grab the handles and sit down on the bench with arms extended.
- Bend your elbows and pull the handles toward you until they almost touch your abs.
- Slowly straighten your arms and repeat.
Lat Pull Downs
- Grip the bar attachment with hands wide.
- Bring the bar down to your upper chest, concentrating on squeezing the back muscles.
- Slowly raise arms to bring bar back to starting position.
Arms
Dumbbell Curls AND Cable Triceps Extensions (sorry – no choice on this one.)
3 sets of 10-12 each
Dumbbell Curls
- Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Rotate the palms of your hands to face forward.
- Keeping your elbows close to your torso and upper arms stationary, slowly bend at the elbow and curl the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
- Slowly lower the weight back to starting position.
Cable Triceps Extensions
- Grab the rope attachment with a neutral grip and palms facing in.
- Straighten your arms to pull the rope downward until your elbows are no longer bent.
- Slowly bend elbows and raise back to starting.
Core
Decline Sit-Ups OR Russian Twists
3 sets of 10-12
Decline Sit-Ups
- Sit on the decline bench with your legs resting under the pads.
- Lean back until your back almost touches the bench and put your hands behind your head or across your chest.
- Use your abs to pull your head, shoulders, and torso up into a sit up until your upper body is vertical.
- Slowly lower to starting position.
Russian Twists
- Sit on the floor and elevate your upper body to create a v-shape with your thighs, your back will be 45 degrees off the floor.
- Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor a few inches.
- Twist your torso to the right side, then come back up and twist to the left side.
- Hold a weight with both arms for more resistance.
And that’s it. You totally crushed it.
Congrats on completing this quick, total-body shredder, I hope you liked it as much as I did.
Looking for more great gym workouts? Tone and Tighten has you covered.
Click here to see all of our awesome gym workouts.
Make it happen,
Jared
You’ll also love this 25 Minute Total Body Tone Workout
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