Today was a good day: for the first time in over 12 months I was able to bench press without shoulder pain. You can read here why I favour full body workouts, but for the last year, push ups were just about the only option for me to work my chest. In celebration of my recovery from the shoulder injury that has dogged me for so long, I came up with this 45 Minute Full Body Workout that I’m going to incorporate into my routine.
45 Minute Full-Body Workout for Men: Train Like a Spartan?
Most of the full body workouts for men that appear in the popular fitness publications are far too gruelling for the average Joe like me. They often involve total rep counts in excess of 500 reps. I’m fitter now in my forties than I was two decades ago, but that kind of volume just isn’t going to happen.
I’m a realist, I know my limitations and I’m not looking to kill myself during a workout!
I’m training for optimum health not the ultimate physique.
Circuit Training Workouts For Men: Maximum Efficiency
I love to structure my workouts into small circuits. I find that not only is this method efficient in terms of getting the most out of your time working out, but the workouts also pass quickly and you barely have time to become distracted.
The main benefit of circuit training workouts for men in a home-gym environment is that they can be completed with focus and intensity. It would be very hard to complete this kind of workout in a commercial gym, unless you use it at a time when you have the gym to yourself and can be confident of being able to use each piece of equipment in the sequence of the workout.
What Equipment Will You Need?
- Adjustable Dumbells
- Flat Bench / Reebok Deck
- Resistance Bands
- Mini Paralettes
- Phone with countdown time
45 Minute Full Body Workout
Here it is. Aim to complete the whole workout in 45 minutes. Rest one minute between rounds.
Round | Exercise | Reps / Time | Number of Rounds |
---|---|---|---|
1: Warmup | Shelf Stacker (left to right) | 1 minute | 2 |
Shelf Stackers (right to left) | 1 minute | ||
Push Up | 10 | ||
Alternating Forward Lunges | 10 each side | ||
2: Chest / Back | Dumbbell Bench Press | 15 | 3 |
Dumbbell Bent Over Row (left) | 15 | ||
Dumbell Bent Over Row (right) | 15 | ||
3: Shoulders / Legs / Biceps | Alternating Rear Lunge & Curl | 10 each side | 3 |
Mini Parallette Pike Press | 15 |
Workout Notes
‘What’s a Shelf Stacker?’ I hear you ask. It’ simple.
Stand with you legs shoulder width apart. Reach down and touch the outside of your right foot with both hands, then in a twisting motion reach over your left shoulder as if trying to touch the ceiling. Repeat