This is a full-body workout that has you doing one exercise per bodypart for a period of time (five minutes) instead of for a particular number of sets and reps. You will simply do as many reps as you can in five minutes, resting when you need to. This is a quick and extremely effective workout. Not only will it help with muscle building, but the rapid pace of the workout is almost like doing cardio also. This workout will really get your metabolism going and you will be a calorie burning machine. The pace reminds me of p90x, but it is completely different.

The reason this workout is good is because some people just aren’t able to do 15 straight sets in a half-hour, probably because they’re accustomed to resting too long. This “choose-your-adventure” method requires you to train each bodypart in five-minute increments so you never lose track of time. For safety reasons, all the exercises are done on machines – you’ll probably fatigue quickly and will be working off of limited rest, and machines tend to be safer.

For each exercise, select a weight that will cause you to fail at 10 reps. Do 10 reps right off the bat, then rest until you feel ready to go again. Do as many reps as you can, then rest again. Do this for five minutes, which means you’ll have to keep a close eye on the clock or your watch.

Here is an example routine that I found:

This workout is great for weight loss. It will rev up your metabolism like nothing else. And if you can put in some cardio afterwards, more power to you. But for those of you in a hurry, this will take care of everything you need.

Go to any gym in America and aside from the cardio equipment, the bench press will be the most used piece of equipment. The bench press is the classic American weight lifting exercise. Every man wants to get buff, and there is no better place to start then with the bench press.

But what most people don’t understand is that even if you spend a lot of time on the bench, you are wasting your time if you aren’t doing the exercise correctly. Here is a guideline for performing the bench press correctly and maximizing strength and growth.

Grip:

Keep it shoulder width, and never outside the rings on the barbell. The wider you go, the more stress you’re putting on your shoulders, and the less impact your triceps have on the lift. As we’ve discussed previously, your triceps are vitally important to a big bench, because they’re the muscles that should take over about halfway through your range of motion, and they’re the muscles that lock out the bar at the top so you can complete the lift. If you’re too wide, it takes them completely out of play.

Elbows:

Your elbows shouldn’t be flaring out. They should be tucked toward your sides, and they shouldn’t extend out at any more than a 45-degree angle from your body. This, too, will help avoid shoulder injuries, and as we’ll explain further, it helps turn the bench press into a full-body exercise, taking advantage of the power produced by your legs.

Tight Shoulders:

Before you get into position to bench, retract your shoulder blades as tightly as you can, and “squeeze” them down into your lats. You want to stay in this position throughout, because this gives you a nice, tight base to push from. Staying tight in this manner also decreases the distance the bar has to travel from your chest to lockout. This is what coaches mean when they tell you to “get into your lats” when you bench

Tight Arch:

The only parts of your body that should be touching the bench during the lift are your butt, your traps and your head. You should arch your body into this position, taking care to ensure that your lower back and shoulders remain tight throughout. Line up with your head slightly behind the bar and work your way into a position where you’re able to comfortably press the bar without ramming it into the J-hooks.

Leg Drive:

Your body should feel like one piece, from your heels to your traps. Your feet should be in a position where, if you push your toes into the front of your shoes, you feel yourself sliding backward toward the bar. Now, instead of allowing yourself to slide backward, position yourself on your traps so you “roll” back onto your traps instead of sliding toward your head. When the bar hits your chest, violently push your feet forward in this manner, and you’ll feel that leg drive assist the bar in getting off your chest. This is difficult to describe in writing, and it takes a lot of practice, so be patient. It’s worth it, though – I’ve spoken to powerlifters who’ve said that leg drive has given them upwards of 150-200 pounds on their bench press.

Bar Path:

Contrary to popular belief, everyone’s bar path is different. Some people are better off as “belly benchers,” while others are better served pressing the bar from just below their nipples. It works the same way with the path the bar traces upward. Some people are stronger pushing it in a straight line – it’s the shortest distance to the top, after all – while others, for a variety of reasons, are stronger if the bar drifts “upward” and finishes over the face. As with everything in the gym, experiment and find what’s right for you.

Form is very important. Not only does it build strength, but it is extremely important for safety. Remember to always have a spotter. If no spotter is available use your gyms power rack (cage). When you bench in a rack, you can set everything up exactly where you want and need it – the bench itself, the J-hooks and the spotter bars. If you’re benching by yourself without spotters, position the spotter bars just under your arch, so if you get stuck, you can simply loosen your arch and let the barbell rest on the spotter bars without injuring yourself.

Additionally, it helps to use benches with soft leather in order to get that heels-into-traps feeling without sliding backward. If your bench is too smooth for this, lay some Muscle and Fitness Strength Bands flat across the length of the bench in order to get traction.

Happy Lifting!