Want to ramp up your fat loss? Total body workouts can help you achieve your goals faster, while increasing your overall health and well-being.
Total body workouts incorporate compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. This means they offer a higher fitness return on investment (ROI) than traditional isolation exercises that focus on single muscles. Plus, total body workouts are excellent for building strength, burning major calories, and improving coordination and balance.
Why Total Body Workouts?
A total body workout is the perfect way to engage and strengthen multiple muscle groups at the same time. They can be extremely effective for fat loss because they:
- Promote increased metabolic activity and calorie burn,
- Allow you to work larger muscle groups, and
- Make it easier and faster to work workout more muscle groups during a single session.
Additionally, by involving a lot of different muscle groups and multiple joint types, you can recruit more overall muscle fibers, increase your maximum strength, and improve body composition.
Where to Start
Total body workouts require little equipment, so they’re an especially great choice if you’re working out from home. Here are the main points to consider when beginning a total body workout program:
- Choose the right exercises: Select compound movements that target multiple muscle groups and engage your core. Examples include bodyweight squats, plank variations, lunges, pushups, and more.
- Set a goal: Decide how many days you plan to work out, what exercises you’ll do, and how many sets and reps you’ll follow.
- Work up to your goal: If you’re just beginning, start by completing one set of each exercise. As you become stronger, you can add more sets.
- Try intervals: If you’re looking to maximize fat loss, consider a high intensity interval training (HIIT) routine.
Total Body Workouts FAQ
Q: How often should I do them?
A: This will depend on your individual fitness level and goals. If you are just starting out, try about 2-3 total body workouts per week. As your strength increases and you reach closer to your goals, you can gradually increase to 4-5 workouts per week.
Q: Can I add isolation exercises?
A: Yes, isolation exercises can be added to your total body routines. But they’re not necessary to get the benefits of a total body program. Focus your primary efforts on the compound movements that target multiple muscle groups.
Q: How long do total body workouts take?
A: It depends on the workouts you choose and how much rest you take between sets. However, you can plan on a total body workout taking about 30-45 minutes.
What are the key principles of a total body workout?
1. Frequency: Consistent frequency is the key to seeing progress. Aim for three days every week doing full body workouts.2. Time under tension: Allowing your muscles to remain under tension for longer periods of time encourages their development.
3. Variety: Keep your body guessing by changing up exercises, machines, and reps.
4. Progression: Challenging yourself consistently and increasing the weight or reps you’re working with will push you further.
5. Form: Perfect your technique and you’ll be able to target your muscles optimally.
6. Rest: Don’t skimp on rest and recovery. Active recovery is a great way to give yourself an edge without needing to slow down.
7. Nutrition: What you put in your body will help power your workouts. Get the vitamins, minerals, and fuel your body needs to keep powering through your workouts.
