Your Beach Body for FREE!

Okay... before we dive in and design our own workout, let me clarify three things. First of all, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. So before you start any new exercise program, including the one in this post, you should consult with your doctor. Second, I'm not a certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, or certified anything for that matter. However, I've managed to learn a lot about health and fitness over the years -- through reading, from conversations with trainers, and through trial-and-error -- so what I'm sharing today is based on experience. And third, this isn't for everyone. There is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to exercise. If this workout isn't for you, don't give up. Tweak it, twist it, add and subtract exercises... just focus on coming up with something that meets your needs.

Enough disclaimers! On to the workout...

In creating this workout, I wanted to accomplish 4 things:

1. Create a basic full-body workout;
2. Make it easy to do at home with minimal equipment;
3. Keep the time required to less than 45 minutes (if you hustle); and
4. Use free online resources to illustrate exercises.

The basic workout structure is to do a warm-up circuit to get your heart pumping, followed by a warm-up set that leads into the first "superset". A "superset" consists of 2 or 3 exercises where the sets are performed one after the other with little or no rest in between. The specific exercises in a superset will work opposing muscle groups (e.g. biceps and triceps) or non-related muscle groups (e.g. thighs and chest).

This is a full-body workout and should be performed 3 times per week (M-W-F).
A "rep" is one full repetition of the specific exercise.
Links are provided for exercises you may not know (and some that you probably do).

Warm-Up Circuit
Complete circuit 2 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between circuits
Increase or decrease reps based upon your individual fitness level

Freehand Jump Squat -- 8 reps
Push Ups -- 8 reps
Jumping Jacks -- 20 reps
Mountain Climbers -- 10 reps per leg

Warm-Up Superset
Complete superset 2 times
Use 75% of normal weight (e.g. 30# instead of 40# dumbbells)
No rest between exercises
30 seconds rest between supersets

Dumbbell Squats -- 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press -- 8 reps

Superset #1
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between supersets

Dumbbell Squats -- 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press -- 8 reps

Superset #2
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
60 seconds rest between supersets

One-Arm Dumbbell Row -- 8 reps each arm
Offset Push Up -- 6 reps each way (12 reps total)

Superset #3
Complete superset 3 times
No rest between exercises
No rest between supersets

Plank -- 30 seconds
Wall Sit -- 20 seconds

To complete your workout, you can do some basic stretches, and I suggest walking around until your heart rate returns to normal. Also make sure you drink plenty of water throughout your workout, and STOP if you feel dizzy, light-headed or weak. You'll have to determine what amount of weight to use for each dumbbell exercise, based upon your own strength and fitness level. And finally, if you need to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout, use one or more of these methods: change the weight used, change the number of reps performed, and/or change the amount of rest between supersets. (I don't suggest changing the number of supersets performed.)

If you cannot do an exercise with correct form, then use less weight. If you are unable to do the push ups with correct form, then start by doing them from your knees and then work your way up to regular push ups (the plank exercise will also help with this).

So there you have it. A full body workout that you can do at home, with minimal equipment, and all of the exercise explanations, descriptions, and videos can be found online for free.

Of course, if you want to send me $39 for this info, I won't complain. But I'd rather you put that money towards some additional exercise equipment that you can use at home as you continue to train the temple!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon