K. Aleisha Fetters

<p>For this routine, you can use what youve got. While Scott performs these exercises with dumbbells, he explains that you can also take it on with your bodyweight or whatever you have lying around the house (suitcase, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a31707175/dog-workout-at-home/" id="2553aa5b-6c55-31ba-a3c1-82f17191127c">  golden retriever </a> , etc.) as resistance. And, if you dont have a bench at home, a sturdy chair, ottoman, or couch works perfectly.</p>

<p>First, youll perform one minute of slow, controlled <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28351443/bulgarian-split-squat-form/" id="f28e0b1a-b6e3-39bb-a454-abb335e34385">  Bulgarian split-squats </a> with one leg elevated, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat on the other leg. Here, Scott lowers and raises over the count of three and two, respectively. Maintain a neutral spine throughout and make sure to avoid resting with your knee on the ground.</p>

<p>Next, repeat deadlifts for one minute. As you watch Scott work, you can see that he has some next-level hamstring mobility and goes very lower into his deadlifts. Don't try to mirror him perfectly when you give it a shot. Youll find your end range of motion when your hamstrings catch, or you feel tension in them. Your torso likely wont reach parallel; keeping a flat back, your shoulders wont lower past your hips. </p>

<p>That said, if youre really bendy and can perform deficits without compromising your back or losing hamstring tension, you can experiment with going lower. Just make sure that you don't overextend into a painful position. Again, stick with a three-two tempo, and rest for 30 seconds at the end of your set.</p>

<p>For the last minute, perform heel-elevated glute bridges with a two-two tempo. As Scott demos, you should maintain a braced core position throughout, working to keep a straight spine in the locked out position at the top. At all times, your ribs should point to your navel. If they flare at any time, youre losing core tension. Reset. </p>

<p>Drive through your heels with each rep to focus on your glutes rather than quads. If you find that your feet are moving with each bridge, scoot your heels to the edge of the bench. </p>

<p>At the end of all three exercises, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat for up to four rounds. </p>

Focusing on your <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19685934/how-to-gain-muscle-fast/" id="2e6dd5c5-9dc2-33ba-ac84-db72c2e5324b">  tempo </a> can be one of the most effective tools for workouts, especially if you don't have a ton of equipment handy to vary up your reps. In this lower body routine from trainer , creator of the Men's Health fitness series, youll work deliberately through every portion of each exercise to increase your muscles total <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/...

Slow Down for a Better Leg Workout

<p>Here, Sklar demos the routine. All you need is enough space to spread out and willingness to focus to get the most out of every single movement. </p>

<p>For the first exercise, bodyweight renegade rows, he sets up in a high plank position with his feet about shoulder-width apart. Prioritizing total-body tension and keeping his shoulders down and away from his ears, he performs a single pushup. At the top of the move, he transfers his upper body weight into one hand, rowing the other to his waist, then returning it to the ground. He then repeats on the other side.</p>

<p>Keeping your hips square and whole body engaged, as Sklar does in this video, is critical to truly benefitting from the exercise, while also making the move much more challenging. If you still feel like you could do more, position your feet closer together; a narrower base of support will require increased core recruitment. </p>

<p>Next up, Sklar cranks out single reps of squats, side lunges, and reverse lunges. Between each lunge, he does a squat. The exact order matters less than doing all three moves with solid form, which might be good news if youre uncoordinated. Work to keep an engaged, neutral torso at all times, and staying lowering into each step with control. Sklar finishes the lower body series off with jump squats. </p>

<p>To finish off, Sklar performs forearm plank pushups. Set up on the floor in a low plank with your hands together. Once youre owning the position, press through your hands and squeeze your triceps to extend your elbows, pause, then lower back down with control. At the bottom of the move, your upper arm and forearm should come together to form a 90-degree angle.</p>

<p>For a total-body workout, Sklar advises performing all the exercises consecutively, resting for one minute, and repeating for a total of five to 10 times, depending on your fitness level. What about reps? Here, he does 10 renegade rows, three rounds of squats and lunges, and 10 forearm plank pushups. </p>

<p>Thats a good general rec, but since fitness level varies, you should also keep tabs on how hard you feel youre working. Make sure you're focused enough on your form, and even the most experienced guy will feel the burn. </p>

Whatever your fitness level, this bodyweight workout from trainer  , will help you build total-body strength and muscle. Thats the elegance of using your bodyweight for resistance: Everyone, from beginners to the most seasoned gym rats, can give the movements a try. And as you make gains, the demand placed on your body increases, too.

This No-BS Bodyweight Workout Will Challenge You

<p>Ideally, the chair would be armless, but you can also make it work with an armchair. Just make sure that its sturdy and wont slide around on the floor. Perform each of the four below exercises, resting for 15 seconds between moves. At the end of one round, rest for another 30 to 90 seconds, and repeat for a total of five.</p>

<p><strong> Chair Dips with Knee to Chest  </strong></p>

<p>This move pairs your traditional triceps dips with knee-raises for an increased challenge on the core. The priority here is to maintain strong, engaged shoulders at all times. If you feel any discomfort in your shoulder during the triceps dips, swap out this exercise. We recommend incline close-grip pushups with mountain climbers for a similar benefit. </p>

<p><strong> Seated Squat Jumps  </strong></p>

<p>Harder than they look, these squat jumps involve sitting all of the way down and stopping at the bottom of each rep. Let your feet rise just a bit off of the floor with each one so that you can initiate each jump by driving feet forcefully into the floor.</p>

<p><strong> Plank-Jack Mountain Climbers  </strong></p>

<p>Your priority here is maintaining total-body tension with a straight, neutral spine, just like you would in a standard plank. Your arms and body should form a 90-degree angle at all times.</p>

<p><strong> Alternating Pop Squats to Jumping Jacks </strong></p>

<p>Control the movement; you should actively pull your body down into each squat.</p>

No matter your at-home gym set up, were betting you have a chair somewhere around your house. Thats all you need from this fast-moving conditioning workout from  , former Broncos safety and Super Bowl 50 champ, and fellow trainer  .

All You Need for This High-Intensity Workout Is a Chair

<p>These eight exercises from former NFL star <a href="https://www.instagram.com/demarcusware/" id="da1d4a53-d87c-3227-a24c-7fce95e89886">  DeMarcus Ware </a> and trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/msjeanettejenkins/" id="b6745dda-571c-36dd-a483-727ac2d50c18">  Jeanette Jenkins </a> will get your moving and light you up. Whether you parse them out through your weekly routine or perform them all together for an intense bodyweight circuit, you'll find something that works for you.</p>

<p>You can watch how to do each in their recent Instagram video, but were taking the liberty of sharing some text-based pointers with you here as well.</p>

<p><strong>  Pushup to Pike Ankle Tap: </strong>  If youre having trouble maintaining a straight spine, try breaking this up into two separate exercises and bending your knees.</p>

<p><strong> Lateral Triple Knee: </strong>  Get your heart rate up by focusing on high knees and full arm pumps with each step. Think fast feet.</p>

<p><strong> Reverse Lunge to Front Kick: </strong>  Maintain an engaged core with your back in neutral at all times. Dont let your lower back dip as you step behind you. This will help you maintain better lower body stability and control.</p>

<p><strong> Squat Jacks: </strong>  Be intentional with the movement, focusing on total-body tension.</p>

<p><strong> Squat Jacks with 180: </strong>  Initiate each turn with your hips, not your chest or head.</p>

<p><strong> Mountain Climbers + 2 Plank Jacks: </strong>  To benefit from this exercise, its imperative that you own the plank position throughout. Focus on form, rather than speed, and consider regressing the exercise by dividing it into two separate moves.</p>

<p><strong> Ab Tuck to Ab Toe Touch: </strong>  You can add this exercise to your routine once hollow holds no longer feel challenging enough. Maintain a hollow core position with each phase of the exercise.</p>

<p><strong> Tuck Jumps: </strong>  Youll build some power here, but the main focus here is moving quickly. If high-impact jumps are uncomfortable on your joints, try performing alternating knee-ups.</p>

Building up workouts using <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a31915962/bodyweight-couch-home-workout/" id="514da409-a963-3c0f-a051-4951b7676fa4">  bodyweight exercises </a> can be tough. You might get bored repeating the same steps again and again. Time to try something new.

7 Challenging Bodyweight Exercises That Get You Moving

<p>Called a negative or eccentric pullup, you're focusing on the downward part of the exercisethe part that you probably don't think of when you envision a pullup. You'll get your chest up to the bar, and then ever-so-slowly lower yourself down, maintaining control and total-body tension as you do. Just like regular pullups, you'll work your lats, core, and arms. But instead of focusing on pulling with those muscles, making them shorten, negatives hammer them as they lengthen under tension.</p>

<p>After all, your muscles are strongest as they move eccentrically, which makes negatives great for guys of all experience levels. You'll also be able to handle more reps than would be possible with traditional pullups, allowing you to rack up volume for greater hypertrophic benefits. </p>

<p>Still, negatives can be challenging and will make your muscles quake. Youll spend an exceptional amount of time with your muscles under tension. The more slowly you lower with each rep, the greater the challenge. You may also notice extra post-exercise soreness with this variation, since eccentric contractions are a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19542200/what-is-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness/" id="bf5173c3-206b-3285-acf3-b80e6fb9acc3">  main driver behind DOMS </a> .</p>

<ul><li> Set up by standing under a pullup bar and on top of a sturdy box. When you grab the bar (with an overhand, shoulder-width grip), you want your upper arms to be parallel with the floor.  </li><li> Brace your core, tuck your tailbone, and squeeze your glutes to assume a strong standing plank position.  </li><li> Bring your chest up to the barjump, use a step, whatever works for you. At the top, your elbows should be down by your sides.  </li><li> Pause at the top.  </li><li> Still owning that position, slowly straighten your arms to lower yourself down to return to start. </li></ul>

<p>Want to try out more exercises and workouts from Saladino? Check out his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Superhero-Starring-Saladino/dp/195009927X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G3D53GV9JRDH&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=superhero+shred+mens+health&amp;qid=1583360926&amp;sprefix=superhero+shred%2Caps%2C154&amp;sr=8-1" id="4cca4e70-1c39-3fd2-a33d-a92cbb889514">  Men's Health Superhero Shred program </a> , which is designed with the same principles he uses to get his star clients in shape. You can also find Saladino's program, alongside a ton of other fitness content, on our new <a href="https://go.onelink.me/TAq2/mharticle" id="778286ab-eab2-35da-a430-999299a3e1bc">  All Out Studio streaming app </a> .</p>

Whether you can crank out a dozen strict pullups in a row or are working to get over the bar for the first time, you can do this pullup variation from celebrity trainer  , and it will make you stronger.

This Pullup Variation Will Help You Master the Bar

<p>First, youll work your core, building strength and activating your abs to help support the exercises that follow. Then, youll get right into upper back work, engaging often-missed muscles and getting your shoulders nice and warmed up. For move number three, youll put it all together, working your shoulders while owning your core and upper back stability. </p>

<p>Lay face up with your arms and legs extended toward the ceiling, pressing your low back firmly into the floor, then lower your arms and legs until you feel tension in your core. Maintaining your lower back position, rock back and forth for one rep. If you have trouble keeping your lower back pinned to the floor, raise your arms and/or to make them more vertical. This will reduce the length of the lever and stress on your core. For more tips, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26887081/hollow-hold-form/" id="10f0aeaa-b845-305b-a872-1a213b157176">  check out this guide </a> .</p>

<p>Standing tall with your arms extended, hold a resistance band taut in front of your body at shoulder height. Brace your core. Squeeze your shoulders together to pull the band apart out to your sides. All movement should come from your shoulders. Dont lean back, use momentum, or scrunch your shoulders toward your ears. </p>

<p><strong> Half-Kneeling Presses </strong></p>

<p>Get in half-kneeling position, and hook your back foots toes into the floor to help brace your foundation. Clean the bell up to a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a31118497/front-rack-position/" id="753c8722-3ce1-3cd1-a4fc-410fa161cc8c">  rack position </a> . Holding your opposite arm out to the side for balance, press the bell up, engaging your core to keep a strong torso position throughout. No leaning.</p>

<p>The kettlebell should always be in the same hand as the knee you have on the ground. Use a dumbbell if you dont have a kettlebell. If you dont have any free weights, you can also press a resistance band, looping one end of the band under your back knee as an anchor point. </p>

This 3-Move Upper Body Circuit Is Super Quick

<p>Complete each exercise, rest for 30 seconds, and then move onto the next. At the end of each round, rest for 30 seconds before going at it again for a total of five rounds. </p>

<p>Want to try out more exercises and workouts from Saladino? Check out his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Superhero-Starring-Saladino/dp/195009927X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=superhero+shred&amp;qid=1583258713&amp;sr=8-1" id="f8bb519f-d4bf-3d8c-ac1c-00ca1b82deec">  Men's Health Superhero Shred program </a> , which is designed with the same principles he uses to get his star clients in shape. You can also find Saladino's program, alongside a ton of other fitness content, on our new <a href="https://go.onelink.me/TAq2/mharticle" id="778286ab-eab2-35da-a430-999299a3e1bc">  All Out Studio streaming app </a> .</p>

If you need a quick workout to help build strength and hone stability, this core, back, and shoulder three-move circuit from  , is just as effective as it is convenient.

Take on This 3-Move Upper Body Circuit When You're Short on Time

<p>Heres how the routine works: Perform 20 reps of each exercise in the circuit back-to-back-to-back, rest for 60 to 90 seconds, and then repeat, but this time for 18 reps. Each time you repeat the circuit, subtract 2 reps from your sets, hitting 16 reps, 14 reps, 12 reps, and so on until you reach zero and the end of your workout. Its all about volume. </p>

<p>By the end of the routine, youll have done 10 sets of all three exercises, and your muscles will be completely wiped. Just make sure to keep your form consistent throughout the workoutit won't be easy.</p>

<p>For the first exercise, dumbbell alternate curls, perform one traditional, supinated curl, then go straight into a hammer curl. One pair equals one rep. </p>

<p>While your biceps will do the brunt of the work here, to keep good form, and get the most out of the exercise, keep your glutes and core engaged. Stand tall, focusing on not leaning back with each rep. Your elbows should be the only body part to move.</p>

<p>When performing the second exercise, kneeling single-arm presses, your positioning is even more of a challenge. Focus on squeezing your glutes and core as tight as possible. The offset load youll use here will require additional work from your obliques. Keep your torso vertical as if a string is pulling the crown of your head straight toward the ceiling.</p>

<p>Lastly, Scott performs T-pushups, flowing from a pushup to a T-spine rotation with his upper body in a straight, vertical line from hand to hand. If you have shoulder problems, or feel any discomfort with this move, opt for traditional pushups instead.</p>

You Don't Need Go Heavy to Smash Your Upper Body

This subtraction-set workout from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeremyscottfitness/" id="d91e6b0e-a7ed-3929-ace0-3157c8cc68dd">  Jeremy Scott </a> , creator of the Men's Health <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19745356/shoulder-workouts-sylvester-stallone-action-hero-jacked/" id="a0729607-622e-31be-a567-bdd237fdc71b">  Action Hero Jacked </a> fitness series, is a great way to mix up any workoutand help you push your muscles to work hard even if the weights you have av...

Use Less Weight and More Volume to Crush Your Upper Body

<p>The movement is something of a cross between a Y raise (which, if youve tried before, is surprisingly challenging) and a lat pulldown, zeroing in on the rotator cuff muscles, rhomboids, lower traps, and lats. </p>

<p>"The goal is simple: keep the weights off the floor," Boyce writes in an Instagram post sharing the move. "You must keep your head in contact with the mat and the rest of your body down."</p>

<p>Grab a pair of super-light dumbbells. You might have to go as low as 2 pounds, or ditch the weights altogether, to keep proper form. That's okay. Even if you're Hercules, resist the urge to train this exercise heavy; at most, use 10-pound dumbbells.</p>

<p>Lay on your stomach, preferably on a mat, and keep your body in one straight line with your core braced and forehead flat on the floor. No matter what, lift your feet off the floor or let your ribs come off the floor. Tighten your abs to draw your ribcage in, and keep your chest on the ground. Keep your toes on the ground too. </p>

<p>Keeping a thumbs-up grip on the dumbbells, squeeze your shoulder blades to lift them off of the floor in a W position. All movement should come from your shoulder blades; dont arch your back or lift your forehead from the floor.</p>

<p>Extend your arms to a Y position, then pull your elbows back toward your sides, as if youre doing a lat pulldown. </p>

<p>During your workout warmup, perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets. Then go on and hit your upper body strength moves with better mobility. </p>

Get Your Upper Back Activated for a Better Workout

Your upper back is home to a lot of little muscles that are crucial to shoulder health and mobility but, unless you consciously work to activate them, you might struggle to move within your optimal range of motion. This deceivingly difficult warmup drill from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coachleeboyce/" id="3b0e7170-bc6c-3a38-a272-33593ccbaea6">  Lee Boyce </a> will help to bring them to attention for stronger, safer upper body workouts.

This Sneaky-Tough Drill Will Wake Up Your Upper Back Muscles

<p>The first movement of the series is actually a few kettlebell moves in oneotherwise known as <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25256292/kettlebell-workout-flows/" id="af34c877-9197-3f27-a2bb-66a20be0fe81">  a kettlebell flow </a> . First, Leija knocks out alternating bent-over rows. After completing one rep per side, he cleans the bells to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a29493094/kettlebell-front-rack-position/" id="1a557175-71ae-3435-ad0b-51b462d594b4">  a front-rack position </a> , then alternates overhead presses for one rep per side.</p>

<p>By focusing on unilateral pulling and pushing work, this flow strengthens the anterior and posterior chain while keeping the core fully engaged and working the entire time. If your shoulders dont agree with overhead pressing motions, stop each rep in the front-rack position, then go immediately into the next row. </p>

<p>In both the rows and presses, keeping a neutral spine is critical to keeping the intended muscles working and your low back out of the equation. Brace your abs to help stay balanced. </p>

<p>The second move, a breakdancer, focuses on the transverse abdominis ability to stabilize the spine and the obliques role in torso rotation. But the maneuver doesnt exactly take it easy on your shoulders either, so dont expect upper body rest here.</p>

<p>Total body tension again is key: Keep a neutral spine, arms straight, and move slowly and with control. Dont let yourself fall to the floor at the end of each rotation.</p>

<p>Finish with a suitcase hold <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28195034/lunges-exercise/" id="532300f3-345e-317d-ae1f-44f7dd92e1c0">  reverse lunge </a> , gripping a kettlebell in each hand. Again, you'll need to keep your core engaged to get the most out of the movement. Control your eccentric descent and don't slam your knee down on the groundbe mindful enough to pause at the lowest point before raising back up to the standing position.</p>

<p>Leija recommends performing 6 sets of 30 seconds for each move. Focus on transitioning from exercise to exercise in minimal time, then enjoy a solid 90-second rest between each set. Dont rush the rest, either; less rest here does not equal a better workout. Taking the full 90 seconds is critical to hitting your sets with your muscles full potential.</p>

<p>Want more workouts from Leija? Check out his <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/255260" id="d6dded1b-79e8-36b4-a239-f19e0ae096e4">  Men's Health Kettlehell program </a> (now available on our <a href="https://go.onelink.me/TAq2/mharticle" id="2040ac9d-8773-3825-a6db-a9fa7a548767">  All Out Studio app </a> ), which is designed to burn fat and build muscle with just one kettlebell.</p>

This creative circuit from trainer Eric Leija (a.k.a. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/primal.swoledier/" id="32ab1f1d-0b91-3cf3-a539-e661a494158c">  Primal Swoledier </a> ) is guaranteed to build strength through the lats, shoulders, arms, and core. And its probably way more engaging than your current routine.

Shred Your Upper Body and Core with This Double-Kettlebell and Bodyweight Circuit

<p>Theres no one exercise thats universal and is for everyone, Saladino says. The conventional deadlift position sometimes can put the people into a compromising spot. And if you dont have a specific range of motion or are lacking mobility in certain areas of the body, in my opinion, it suddenly becomes a poor choice of exercise.</p>

<p>With conventional deadlifts, the top mobility areas of concern are the hamstrings and ankles. If they are lacking in range of motionor even if you just have really long legsyoure probably going to have to use some funky form with a barbell. There could be all kinds of problemsyour torso might tip so far forward that your shoulders will drop below your hips, your back might arch, you might throw the weight into your low back, or you could even end up squatting each rep. And, no, a squat is not a deadlift. </p>

<p>We want to teach people to hinge at the hip, but we dont need to do that with a barbell, Samuel says. There are so many other options.</p>

<p>Here, Samuel and Saladino demo two favorite barbell alternatives: the kettlebell deadlift and trap bar deadlift. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B4zsM93nXOJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" id="a837fca7-f850-3402-a794-85cbdedbe531">  View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B4zsM93nXOJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" id="8f3607a8-e687-38c1-a212-0560fb7c0099">  Though I absolutely love to barbell deadlift, it may not be for everyone. Watch this video of @ebenezersamuel23 and I going through some variations of one of the most important movements out there. @menshealthmag #menshealthmag #suitupwithdon #workoutwednesday #deadlift #wednesdaymotivation </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/donsaladino/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" id="f0246f92-7a5b-3d6f-a7ed-26b302f00e4e">  Don Saladino </a> (@donsaladino) on Nov 13, 2019 at 5:44am PST</p>

<p>For good form, both exercises depend on pushing your butt back behind you, keeping the weight focused in your heels, and setting up with the lats engaged, a flat back, and neck in neutral. To raise up to finish a rep, focus on driving through the heels and squeezing the glutes to push the floor away. Think of your arms as ropes, albeit strong, stable ones, connecting your lower body to the weight. </p>

<p>If limited mobility is still giving you problems, the experts suggest either placing the kettlebell on a yoga block or sticking with the trap-bar deadlift. Because the trap bars handles extend up farther from the floor, this variation decreases how far you need to lower toward the floor with each rep. That makes the trap-bar deadlift a go-to for tall guys. If you like the trap-bar deadlifts, but have mobility to spare, try setting up with the bar upside down, as Saladino demonstrates in the video.</p>

How to Deadlift Without Picking Up a Barbell

<a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26568968/deadlift-form/" id="a9c757ad-a339-3121-a721-10ff8b89f794">  The deadlift </a> is one of the most effective movements for total body strength and function, but that <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a29265805/should-you-deadlift/" id="fa312ed2-fb3b-31b1-a100-a0cda268f901">  doesnt necessarily mean you have to, or even should </a> , do yours with a barbell and conventional set up. That's what Mens Health fitness director <a href="h...

Try These Deadlift Variations If You Hate the Barbell

<p>By linking some familiar movementspull, deadlift, squat, and lungeyou'll strengthen a good number of muscle groups in minimal time while also allowing you to push the pace (within reason) for a conditioning challenge.</p>

<p>Note that Everline isn't working with a ton of weight here, just 115 pounds. The goal isn't to hit big numbersit's more important that you can work through the reps without your form breaking down. If you need to drop the plates to only work with a naked barbell, that's okay. </p>

<p>For the first move, a barbell row, bend your knees slightly and push your butt back to hinge at the hips, keeping your torso tight and spine neutral. One of the most common mistakes here is letting the traps, rather than lats, do all of the work, and rocking back to help pull the weight up. To prevent that from happening, focus on keeping your shoulders down away from your ears, and pulling the barbell up as consistently as possible with a goal of breaking the bar with your chest. Take a note from <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28494495/barbell-row-workout/" id="7a5d255f-ddff-33a4-aa40-b28fdc472297">  our Form Check series </a> and flip your hands around to a supinated (underhand) grip, along with other tips.</p>

<p>To execute the second move, a clean to front squat, your number one priority should be control. Lower the plates all the way to the ground, then drive through the hips, keeping the bar as close to your body as possible as you raise it, and get into a solid front clean position hold before performing a front squat. </p>

<p>In the clean hold position, the goal is for the upper arms to remain parallel to the floor at all times. It may be tempting to arch your lower back to open up your chest and provide more room for the upper arms. Don't. Instead, keep your core braced, torso tall, and engage your back muscles to create tension. For any other form cues, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a27343317/front-squat-form/" id="df2272fe-6d2d-3982-a11f-34b13700f285">  check out this guide </a> .</p>

<p>For the last move, keep this clean position to lower into <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28195034/lunges-exercise/" id="d6b21858-8b69-34f6-a9ea-308297d63905">  alternating forward lunges </a> . Lower into each rep with control, keeping your hips square, and maintain that back and core positioning you did during your squat. That's one rep. You'll have to engage your core to keep the weight from bowing you forward, and make sure that you don't slam your knee down on the ground. If you're struggling with the weight, either drop down or try a reverse lunge instead.</p>

<p>While Everline throws out the number 50 in his Instagram caption, you should think of that as just a bit of motivational bluster. Start by trying to hit 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps instead, prioritizing quality reps over weight or speed. Reset between each move if need it to keep good form. Rest for 1 minute between sets.</p>

Load up a barbell and hammer your whole body with this smart complex from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justtrain/" id="f3f82665-cbf2-3416-a55d-bcfa93d1a029">  Ron Boss Everline </a> .

Crush Your Back, Legs, and Core With Just 1 Barbell

<p>"I like this for lighter days to just get a sweat and a little a pump going while burning some fat in the process," Scott writes in the Instagram post that demos the workout. </p>

<p>Grab what youve got and get to it. You'll perform 25 reps of each of the 5 exercises in the circuit, repeating for a total of 5 rounds (hence the whole 25X5X5 name). We recommend resting for 1 minute between rounds so you can focus in getting the most quality out of each rep. If you find yourself approaching failure mid-circuit, pause, shake it out, and get back to it. If you need to use a lower weight, that's fine toojust make sure to use proper form. </p>

<p>Scott performs most of these exercises from a tall kneeling position, which forces him to engage his core and makes it harder to use poor form and body English while working through the reps. You can perform any or all of these moves standing, toojust as long as you still focus on keeping your core tensed, ribs pointed down, and lats engaged.</p>

<p>Focus on pressing the weight between your palms, rather than gripping it with your fingers, to bring your pecs into the equation. Meanwhile, the neutral grip will hammer your <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a27041589/brachialis-muscle/" id="21891a42-b990-3f44-a2f5-5a9ec2f5892a">  brachialis muscle </a> , which can be a key to bigger looking arms.</p>

<p>By pushing through your palm, rather than gripping the weight with your fingers, youll up recruitment of your shoulder stabilizers. That said, a med ball balances nicely on the palm and, if it falls, lands soft. If you use a dumbbell or kettlebell, take a real grip. Whatever implement you have, by working your body unilaterally, you can expect an intense challenge to your corewith it increasing as your arms raises overhead. </p>

<p>Play with your working arms positioning to see whats most comfortable on your shoulder; for most guys, straight out to the side wont be the way to go. If you experience shoulder discomfort, no matter the position, swap this out for a 25-second front-rack hold per side.</p>

<p>To reduce your likelihood of shoulder discomfort, focus on keeping your delts and scaps completely tensed. If you have any questions about form, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28701803/kettlebell-halo-exercise/" id="6b9c5811-0bfc-3020-abdf-86afb1339211">  just follow this guide </a> .</p>

<p>Using a narrow, neutral grip on the weight, rather than floor, will increase pec recruitment while taking it easier on your wrists. </p>

<p><strong> 5. Overhead Triceps Extension </strong></p>

<p>Your number-one priority in this exercise is keeping your elbows tucked in beside your head. If they flare out to sides, you will decrease the tension on your triceps. </p>

This 25x25 Circuit Will Blast Your Upper Body

All you need is a 25-pound weight to build your upper body with this circuit from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeremyscottfitness/" id="d91e6b0e-a7ed-3929-ace0-3157c8cc68dd">  Jeremy Scott </a> , creator of the Men's Health <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19745356/shoulder-workouts-sylvester-stallone-action-hero-jacked/" id="a0729607-622e-31be-a567-bdd237fdc71b">  Action Hero Jacked </a> fitness series. He uses a medicine ball in the video below, which he recently s...

Burn Out Your Upper Body With This High-Volume Circuit

<p>The goal is to complete a bottoms-up Turkish getup with a half-filled cup of water balanced on the bottom of the kettlebell without the water spilling or the cup falling over. For the record, unless you have an anything-goes gym space, we recommend trying this at home with a paper or plastic cup and plenty of towels for clean up duty. You dont want to risk sloshing water all over your gyms floor or breaking a glass. </p>

<p>Make sure to shoot a video of your attempts and share via social. Tag Bolden and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/menshealthmag/" id="fea4f20e-f12c-375a-aa78-d54b779ea0a3">  @menshealthmag </a> and use hashtag #TurkishCupUpChallenge.</p>

<p>To take on the challenge, follow these steps. Check out the video from the <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/259292" id="127e6e98-e81c-36fc-a6c0-e7120f7b3f33">  Men's Health 6-Week Shred Off program </a> for some extra guidance:</p>

<a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a30564592/turkish-getup-exercise/" id="44130d7e-a946-3bea-a8fe-555ecb71f213">  Turkish getups </a> build total-body strength, coordination, and stability. But this water-wielding challenge from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/omar.bolden/" id="ab6f1306-4fe9-30f7-abbd-e01f745a0feb">  Omar Bolden </a> , former Broncos safety and Super Bowl 50 champ, kicks up the challenge to all of those factors up to another level entirely.

The Extra-Tough #TurkishCupUpChallenge Puts Your Whole Body to the Test

<p>Called the parallette leg lift, it amounts to alternating lifting each leg, and then briefly raising both together. Although, depending on where youre starting, simply pulsing each leg, then the other, is plenty to tax your abs. (Maryniak demos this version, too.) The last thing you want to do is push too far outside of your strength levels and risk poor form.</p>

<p>Maryniak recommends going for up to 30 seconds with perfect control, and repeating for 3 to 4 sets. Between sets, give yourself a good 30 seconds of rest. Upward-facing dog and gentle hip flexor stretches can help relax your working muscles before you get back to it. You may also want to perform some shoulder rotations and/or nice and easy shoulder and triceps stretches to loosen your upper body.</p>

<p><strong> A few form pointers: </strong></p>

<ul><li>  Press your arms down into the parallettes to maintain a strong upper body position with your shoulders down and locked. Dont let your torso hang.  </li></ul>

<ul><li>  Squeeze your core and lats to keep your trunk as upright as possible, your body forming a straight line from your shoulders to hips. </li></ul>

<ul><li>  Extend the tension through your legs; maintain flexed quads and point your toes.  </li></ul>

<ul><li>  Focus on using your core to draw your legs up. Move slowly and with control to cut momentum, and avoid tipping forward to bring your chest closer your feet. </li></ul>

<p>Once you're ready to move beyond the progression, check out <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25933152/abs-workout-l-sit/" id="107c1b06-3a44-3b42-ad5d-f5040ed10908">  this guide </a> to learn how to attempt the full L-sit.</p>

Build a Stronger Core With This L-Sit Progression

The <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25933152/abs-workout-l-sit/" id="17622896-002f-391f-a45d-39755483d96d">  parallette L-sit </a> , apart from looking badass, is awesome for building strength and stability through the core and hip flexors. The thing is, most guys dont just automatically go from floor core exercises to defying gravity. Thats where this smart progression from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jtm_fit/" id="5dc60a22-0934-3f9e-abf6-9e8036673d82">  Jay T. Ma...

<p>Of course, simple isnt necessarily easy. As Saladino stresses here, one major challenge throughout this variation is maintaining stability and keeping the ribs down. To do so, focus on maximally tensing your glutes and core, and squeezing your shoulder blades tightly. With each rep, actively row the dumbbells back toward you, rather than just letting them fall or fall with control.</p>

<p>Be cautious of your decline angle; dont make it too pronounced. A slight decline, as Saladino shows, can be friendly to your shoulders, as long as you aggressively squeeze your shoulder blades throughout every set. But overarching your back (remember that your glutes drive you into proper position) can cause lower back issues. And any ribcage flair can compromise your shoulders, placing them into internal rotation.</p>

<p>Focus on lowering with your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Youll be hitting the sternal (lower chest fibers) more aggressively with this press, but youll still get plenty of good chest work overall.</p>

<p>Dont have a flat bench? Thats okay, too. You can perform this exercise right on the floor. This is limits your range of motion slightly (a shoulder-saver for some), and you may be able to move a bit more weight this way, too.</p>

<p>Maintaining stability and max glute engagement may even be easier that way, since youll be on a hard surface, rather than a cushioned one. </p>

This Decline Bench Crushes Your Chest and Glutes

When you want to work your chest, setting up on a decline bench lets you attack your pecs from a different angle. But if you dont have a decline benchor even if you dohis decline bench variation demonstrated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/donsaladino/" id="38d9ae1f-a1e9-3316-a6da-37ad930a38bb">  Don Saladino, NASM </a> (courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_muscle_doc/" id="7e33adcb-56e0-328c-acb7-d99e732cfbfa">  Dr. Jordan Shallow </a> ), puts you in a strong position whi...

How to Crush Your Chest and Glutes With 1 Killer Move

<p>Using a combination of bilateral, unilateral, rotational, and anti-rotational patterns, the workout is all about producing energy and keeping strict control of that energy, which is critical to sports performance across the board. This routine is particularly helpful for runners looking to train their knee drive.</p>

<p>In this video, Samuel and Plosser show how its doneand how you can customize the exercises to your individual needs.</p>

<p><strong> Half-Rack, Half-Overhead Pendulum Walking Lunge </strong></p>

<p>Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps, switching racks each set</p>

<p>Get into a half-rack, half-overhead position with your core braced. The weight shouldnt hang in your joints. </p>

<p>Step one foot behind you to lower into a reverse lunge, then step all of the way through into a forward lunge. If you have trouble keeping your balance and maintaining a tall, upright posture, Samuel suggests switching to a double <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a29493094/kettlebell-front-rack-position/" id="fa09ef23-537d-380d-a7c9-60b21f0addd5">  front rack position </a> and/or come to a stand on each rep. This will give you more control over the lunges.</p>

<p><strong> Knee-Drive Box Step Up </strong></p>

<p>Step onto a box with one leg, holding your kettlebells in a double front rack position. Drive through the foot of your front leg to come up to stand, forcefully raising your back knee to waist height. Hold and own that position at the top, then lower back to the floor with control, keeping your hips tight to fight rotation. If you have any other concerns about your form, check out <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a30121035/step-up-exercise/" id="6086eedd-5810-3abe-aed9-31177c00f655">  this helpful exercise guide </a> .</p>

<p>To regress this exercise, use a lower box and/or ditch the weights. The priority here is on moving with control and purpose.</p>

<p><strong> Rotational Cossack to Squat Hold  </strong></p>

<p>Step back and rotate into a Cossack squat, opening your hips and shoulders while letting the toes of your pivoting foot raise as you lower down on your back leg. Drive through your bent leg to step back straight into the starting stance and lower into a squat. Hold the greatest comfortable depth you can; if your hip joints allow, go to a parallel position. Hold the bilateral squat for an additional second for every rep, ending at 5 or 6 seconds. </p>

<p>To increase stability, hold a single kettlebell in the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26987492/goblet-squat-form/" id="4303f769-c7a2-32c2-a7c3-208550c3756d">  goblet position </a> instead of a double front-rack hold.</p>

Build Stronger Legs With This Kettlebell Workout

In just three exercises, this kettlebell workout from Mens Health fitness director <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2pjksGnWjT/" id="83ea87bf-33a2-3acb-af28-11ba3f83a5fc">  Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. </a> and Womens Health editor-in-chief <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizplosser/" id="543299dd-8bbc-3f18-abe7-d1446ad2dae1">  Liz Plosser </a> , strengthens the lower body in all three planes of motionsagittal, for up-and-down and front-to-back movement, frontal, for side-to-side movemen...

This 3-Move Kettlebell Lower Body Workout Hits Your Legs from All Angles

<p>For the first move, do a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28701803/kettlebell-halo-exercise/" id="c31ab86a-bb42-37a6-aec7-6679845df40c">  kettlebell halo </a> , then lower down into a reverse lunge, simultaneously rotating toward one side to build stability through the obliques and lateral gluteals. Focus on keeping this a controlled, fluid motion and maintaining an upright torso. Dont let yourself drop toward the side of your bent leg; this will require a tense core and firm glutes. Lower with the same leg for each round, alternating the side of your rotation with each rep.</p>

<p>Next up get in quadruped position, on all fours, feet shoulder-width apart, hands directly below shoulders, core tight. Work to keep your back flat (but dont arch either!) and keep your hips and shoulders square to the ground. Now lift your knees an inch off the ground; youll need to tighten your abs more to do this. </p>

<p>From here, alternately touch opposite hand to opposite foot; keep battling to keep your hips and shoulders square. Having trouble? Raise your knees slightly higher to make this easier.</p>

<p><strong> Want more workouts from Leija? Check out his <span id="fbde5e8d-75f0-3fc3-acb8-c3b64f16cfac" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Men's Health Kettlehell program </span> (now available on our <span id="2040ac9d-8773-3825-a6db-a9fa7a548767" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  All Out Studio app </span> ), which is designed to burn fat and build muscle with just one kettlebell. </strong></p>

<p>For the last move, youre working foot speed and hip movement. Find a line on the ground (or place or draw one). Put one foot in front of the line and one foot behind it; set up on the balls of your feet in athletic stance, knees bent. </p>

<p>Now quickly hop your front door behind the line as you hop the back foot in front of it; try to keep your hips and shoulders square to the front as you do this. Keep working back and forth like this until time is up, gradually picking up speed as you go.</p>

<p>Do each move for 30 seconds, rest for 90 seconds, then repeat for a total of 6 rounds. </p>

If youre looking for a new workout to fill your total-body training days, try out this straightforward circuit from trainers Eric Leija (a.k.a. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/primal.swoledier/" id="32ab1f1d-0b91-3cf3-a539-e661a494158c">  Primal Swoledier </a> ) and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thedailykelsey/" id="d4c872da-15ef-38e4-a34a-f76a564867cb">  Kelsey Heenan </a> . You'll bulletproof your shoulders, work your core strength and stability, and even challenge your conditioning...

This 3-Move Kettlebell and Bodyweight Circuit Works Your Whole Body

<p>Completing those reps might not be the hardest thing to do in the first minutebut how are you feeling by the fifth? What about the tenth? In this EMOM from trainer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jtm_fit/" id="5dc60a22-0934-3f9e-abf6-9e8036673d82">  Jay T. Maryniak </a> , youll set that timer for 30 minutes and cycle through three different exercises, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to either make or miss the mark.</p>

<p>If you find yourself unable to make the target reps early on in the workout, feel free to scale down. Don't sacrifice your form to get more work done.</p>

<p>When the timer starts, get moving with 8 burpee rope slams. Slam the rope on the floor with both hands, then lower to the ground to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25558834/burpees-form-workout/" id="fa1fc088-42dd-3078-aff1-ca9cb6f23308">  perform a burpee </a> , keeping your hands on top of the ends of the rope in a neutral grip.</p>

<p>Rest until the minute is up. This will likely be your biggest rest break. If you have trouble finishing the reps, stick with just the battle rope slams. </p>

<p>At the top of the next minute, power through 16 rotational med ball slams. The goal here is to generate explosive, rotational power, starting in the lower body and extending up through the chest and shoulders. Wind up, then snap back toward the ball like a rubber band and propelling your weight onto the foot closest to the wall. Let go of the ball when your arms are perpendicular to the wall. Catch the ball on the bounce and flip to the opposite side, using its force to help wind you up for the next toss. </p>

<p>Maryniak alternates sides with each slam, but if youre relatively new to rotational slams, do 8 reps with your right side facing the wall, then another eight from the opposite direction. This will allow you to focus on proper execution to generate the most power possible. Rest for the remainder of the minute.</p>

<p>At the last minute, do 20 seconds of an all out band-resisted sprint. Anchor a resistance band to a squat rack, loop it around your hips, and run in place, driving your knees and pumping your arms. To counteract the force of the band across your hips, focus on maintaining a slight torso lean, working against the resistance of the band. </p>

<p>Rest for the leftover 40 seconds, then keep repeating the cycle for 10 rounds of each movement, or a total of 30 minutes.</p>

This 3-Move, 30-Minute Workout Will Push You

EMOM, or every minute on the minute, workouts are handy for emptying the tank with minimal fuss. Just set a timer and get to work, and all you have to do is finish the allotted reps before a minute ends. You rest in the time remaining, then start again on the next minute.

This 30-Minute EMOM Workout Will Push You to Your Limits

<p>This four-move kettlebell workout from trainer Eric Leija (also know as the  ) does exactly that. Its built like a traditional strength session, meaning youre doing sets and reps and working through focused movements, piling up plenty of muscle-stimulating volume. use challenging weights when you can for this, but never sacrifice form.</p>

<h1>  Warmup: Quadruped Leg Extensions   </h1>

<p>Do 4 sets of 12-15 reps, resting 1 minute between sets</p>

When it comes to building leg strength and muscle, you simply have to squat. The squat is a fundamental movement that hits quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and, if done right, it especially hammers your quads.