One Move, Full Workout

The latest question asked to me was one regarding a time efficient workout, many people are pressed for time and can’t really spend an hour or two in the gym, so I was asked for a super quick and worthwhile routine and to be honest I thought immediately there is a single move that is a great workout in itself, the front squat shoulder press, also known in Crossfit circles as a ‘thruster’.

This exercise incorporates a front squat with a shoulder press, you can use a barbell or a pair of dumbells . Take the weight up to the level of your shoulder, keep your chest lifted and your back straight, sink into a squat, aiming for hip crease to drop below knee crease, keep the heels flat on the floor, keeping your back straight drive up through your heels keeping your core strong as you reach a full standing position press the weight directly over your head, then drop the weight back down to upper chest level and quickly and smoothly repeat the squat and press movement.

This exercise incorporates so many muscles that it gives a great workout, incorporating strength, stamina and focusing on the development of lean functional muscle. Also by taking the weight at the front of the body (anterior) and as opposed to on the shoulders carry the weight on the back (posterior) it promotes better alignment of the spine and puts a greater emphasis on the abdominals, giving a great abdominal workout throughout the lift and press.

This move can be put very easily into a great interval workout, 300 meter row 20 Thrusters, hit 8 intervals with strong technique, go for time and hit the showers. Quick, functional and efficient, time in the gym minimal, benefits maximum!

-Karl O’Sullivan, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor.

Method, Load and Intensity

Two of the most common things we hear on the gym floor are ‘I want to lose weight and tone up’ and ‘I want to build muscle and tone up’ first of all toning is a myth, the principle is incorrect, the toning of muscle is an illusion, we can increase and decrease muscle mass and we can increase and decrease body fat percentage, toning is what we see when we increase muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.
So how do we hit these goals, I use the same method, compound moves, also known as multi joint movements, such as squats, dead lifts, bench press and rows. The reason these exercises are so great is because they use large muscles we require a huge calorie burn to fuel the movements which means great for fat loss. Also sticking with compound moves from a muscle building point is good because lifting heavy through compound moves increases testosterone and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) release, which results in increased gains in muscle mass.
So if you’re looking to slim down or bulk up its time to focus on those compound moves, for either gain the method is the same (compound lifts) what we change is load and intensity, if you’re looking to get ‘toned’ and drop body fat perform your compounds moves in a circuit, focus on challenging but achievable weights, with a high intensity and little rest. If the building of muscle is your goal then stick to a move hypotrophy based training using a heavy weight with between 12-15 reps, lifting heavy, increasing load and strength, taking adequate rest to ensure maximum lifting capability and remembering never to sacrifice technique for weight.

For the first week or two practice compound moves focusing on technique and range of movement then start to use appropriate weights. Happy lifting!

a few compound moves are: squats, dead lift, pull up, press up, bench press, bent over row, squat snatch.