You don’t have much time.
Your motivation to workout isn’t exactly where you hoped it’d be.
Your period cramps are starting to kick in.
You have things to do, people to see- the gym isn’t your only obligation.
Whatever the reason is, you need a quick & effective workout. You came to the right place!
I needed a lift that wasn’t too labor-intensive…but I wanted to sweat & feel the burn in all of my muscles. I made up a circuit workout that let me take care of those needs, but still get of the gym to do the things I had planned for the day.
All you need for this workout is a barbell & some plates (or various dumbbells) & about 20 minutes. In just 3 moves you’ll use almost every muscle in your body, build muscle strength, & get your sweat on 🙂
*I did about 15 mins on the treadmill (walking) to warm myself up before lifting. For a video of this workout, check out my Insta: @leedle_g*
Hang Clean ~ Hang cleans are sort of a deadlift variation… Accessory work HANN.
- Stand with your feet hip-distance & your hands shoulder-distance on the bar.
- Bend at the waist with the bar just below your knees. Keep your back straight, stick your butt out, keep your knees loosey-goosey.
- Spin around 3 times. [HA! Don’t spin around, just making sure you’re paying attention.]
- Now, pull the bar up along your legs into a forearm curl. Move the bar back down in a controlled way.
You just worked your whole front & back body. Yay muscles!!
Bent-Over Row ~ Bent-over rows use your upper back to pull the weight ~against gravity~
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-distance. Bend at the waist with your knees loosey-goosey again.
- Keep your chest loud & proud!
- Pull the bar up by bending your elbows & squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower the bar back to start.
Military Press ~ Military press primarily works your shoulders & back. Everyone loves to work on their shoulder aesthetic. Back aesthetics are pretty lit too. Not to mention-you get stronger, you can hold weight over your head…it’s a terrific accessory lift.
- Start with the bar parallel to your shoulders, either in front or in back of your head.
- Put your hands shoulder-distance or wider on the bar.
- Push the bar up using the power of your legs. Trust yourself! You got this, you can hold yourself & the weight of that bar.
- Slowly bring the bar back down to your shoulders.
You’re using your shoulders, chest, upper back, & even your legs to successfully move weight through this lift!!
~ Repeat each lift 8-12 times (heavier weight, lower reps..lighter weight, higher reps) & complete the circuit for 4-6 rounds. Circuit workouts like this are great for strong, fat-burning, time restricted gym sessions. Your muscles get confused, they work during each lift, & your ticker (heart) gets a run for its money. This particular circuit also involves 3 compound moves; this means you’re utilizing multiple muscles to perform each lift. Efficiency at its best!
I went with a barbell circuit for this workout for multiple reasons. I’ve been working on my deadlifts…which means I’ve been working on my entire body’s strength & endurance. I’ve adopted some CrossFit-esque lifts (as you can see from this workout) in my efforts to add plates to my deadlift. That means more barbell-based lifts. More hang cleans, more overhead presses, more compound lifts. More sweat, more gains, more pain, more food, more sleep… Yeaaa…
Give this workout a try! You’ll feel strong, productive, & all-in-all like a badass.
Happy lifting, my friends!
ordinarilyfit 