Top 5 Total Body Workouts

When it comes to short-term, intensive training, the full-body workout is one of the best routines that you can adopt. A total-body workout does exactly what it says on the tin, and works every major muscle group in one dynamic workout. With four of these a week you should see impressive results in about a month, especially if you can incorporate them into your regular workout routine.

The best all-body workout for beginners is possibly the easiest to get started with. Swimming is ideal for toning legs, arms and torso at the same time, and an hours’ steady swimming can have just as much effect as an hour of solid sweating in the gym in terms of cardio fitness and toning. It may not be particularly good for muscle development, but with half an hour of free weights and an hour in the pool on a regular basis your lean muscle mass should skyrocket.

Rowing is slightly more dynamic than swimming, but it has much the same effect. In particular it is great for the shoulders, back and hamstrings. However, it is also vitally important to maintain the correct technique while rowing, as it has a serious risk of back injury if proper form is not followed.

For toning, many people swear by a course of martial arts, particularly something with lots of fast aerobic movements such as kickboxing, kung fu or karate. Boxercise, tae-bo and other aerobic exercise martial arts derivatives are useful as well, but they don’t have the added benefit of the confidence and peace of mind that active self-defense instruction can encourage.

In recent years the benefits of dancing as an all-body workout have been extolled by everyone from celebrities to fitness gurus. Energetic forms such as jazz and hip-hop are great for cardiovascular work, while belly dancing and other muscle-focused dance styles can provide excellent toning opportunities. Dancing also comes with its own social life – particularly if you want to take advantage of your new-found skills outside the classroom!

Lastly, consider standard aerobics classes, particularly those which incorporate weights work. An instructional system such as the Bodypump course is an ideal choice for those looking for an all-body workout that also has the benefits of free-weights training, without the hassle of going to the gym and the benefits of the watchful eyes of the instructor.

Ask at your nearest gym, sports, or health-and-fitness centre for details of any of these sports, or just search online for classes in your local area.

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