Boost Your Strength and Endurance With Our Full-Body Muscle-Building Workout – Men’s health UK
Take a day off from intervals. Our workout, designed by Ross Edgley and extracted from The World’s Fittest App, focusses on improving your ‘muscular endurance’ – how long your muscles can perform at full capacity. Which, when you think about it, is the foundation of true fitness.
Work at 50-60% of your 1-rep-max on all the movements, even if it feels light on the first set. You’re only allowed 30 seconds off between sets, so it will catch up with you. The aim here is to execute each rep perfectly and with the right tempo: fast on the way up and controlled on the way down. If you’re acing every rep for all five rounds, add 2.5-5kg next session. Time to work.
1) Goblet Squat: 5 reps, 5 sets, 30 seconds rest
Short rest periods in this session means the later sets will really work your muscular endurance. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell by the sides of the handles under your chin.
Drive your hips back then down to drop into a squat. Keep your back muscles switched on and fight the urge to lean forward. Now drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top of each rep.
2) Dumbbell Bench Press: 5 reps, 5 sets, 30 seconds rest
Set up on a flat bench, holding two dumbbells directly over your chest. Squeeze your glutes and screw your feet into the floor for extra stability.
Now push the dumbbells up until your arms are straight. Squeeze your pecs at the top. It helps connect the right muscles with the movement, so you don’t take all the load on your shoulders and arms.
3) Barbell Bent-Over Row: 5 reps, 10 sets, 30 seconds rest
Hold the barbell at your waist with a wide, overhand grip. Now bend your knees slightly and let the bar hang with straight arms. Keep your back flat.
Fire the muscles in your upper back to pull the bar up to the bottom of your rib cage. Pause for a second at the top to squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly lower back to the start.
4) Barbell Glute Bridge 5 reps, 5 sets, 30 seconds rest
Lie on the floor with the barbell resting in the crook of your lap. Your feet should be flat on the floor and knees at 90 degrees. Use a towel or bar pad if that’s more comfortable.
Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to push the bar up, until your back and hips form a straight line. Lower slowly back to the start. You don’t want to be banging up and down…
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