What is a full-body workout and how does it benefit you?

More than likely, you’re used to seeing people perform isolated exercises that only work one muscle at a time, like bicep curls, tricep kick-backs, hamstring curls, etc…  Not only are these body-builder style workout routines outdated, they’re so inefficient that you’ll have to put in A LOT of hours at the gym to get great results.

Luckily there’s a much faster, more efficient way to sculpt your body, getting you lean toned all over.  I’m talking about full body workouts.  Full-body workouts are made up of compound exercises (a.k.a full-body exercises). These compound movements are sometimes referred to as “multi-joint” exercises because you’re using more than one joint while performing the exercise, improving your exercise efficiency by working entire muscle groups, not just one muscle at a time.

Here are just some of the benefits of full body workout routines:

• Maximizes Your Fat Burning Potential - With full body workouts, you won’t just burn calories during your workout session,  you’ll continue to burn calories all day long—up to 48 hours afterwards! This effect is known as “EPOC” (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) and is also commonly referred to as the “afterburn”.  Basically, your body goes into an energy deficit that requires more energy to be restored—and that mean more fat burning!  So you can kick your calorie counter to the curb!

• Train Less, Lose More - Working more muscles at one time means you’ll be working out at a higher intensity since more energy will be required.  So yes, you’ll be working out harder, but you’ll get out of the gym faster.  With full body workouts you’ll be working out smarter, not longer.

• Promotes Muscular Balance & Reduces Risk of Injury - full body exercises are functional, meaning you exercise the way your body really moves.  For example, squatting, bending over, pressing overhead are all movements we do in our everyday lives, so it makes sense to incorporate these “functional” exercises into your workouts in order to make you stronger and move better.  Working your full body this way promotes muscular symmetry, getting you strong and lean in all the right places.  Isolated exercises on the other hand can cause a muscular imbalance - and that can lead to injuries.  Think about it for a second…when is the last time you did anything in your daily life that required you to use only one muscle at a time?  Now can you see why full-body exercises are more functional?

• Works Your Core - trying to get a flatter stomach or ripped 6 pack abs?  Say “sayonara” to sit-ups and crunches for good!  Full body exercises are the real “ab” exercises.  They recruit all your stabilizer muscles to really tighten and tone your midsection including your upper and lower abdominals, and your obliques.  To top it off, full body exercises burn more fat than crunches, which means you’ll be revealing your abs sooner.

• No Fancy Equipment Required - Fancy equipment might be great for gyms trying to attract new members, but if you want to get lean and defined all you need are free weights.  Free weights are great because unlike machines, they don’t restrict your range of motion.  So whether you work out at a gym or at home, dumbbells or barbells (or both), and a pull up bar are all you need for a full-body fat blasting workout.

• Great For All Ages and Fitness Levels  -  Young or old, beginner or athlete, full body workouts are great for anyone who wants to improve their physique or even athletic performance.  Just be sure you learn to train with good form before increasing the amount of weights you lift.  And of course, you should always check with your doctor before starting any fitness regimen.