I developed this circuit for my super-busy clients so that they can maximize results and hit all the major muscle groups in just a few minutes.
The bonus is that you can do this routine almost anywhere – in a hotel room, office, living room, etc. If you don't have a set of dumbbells, sub with some water bottles, detergent jugs or soup cans.
1. Lunge Shoulder Press
(2-3 sets, 20 reps)
I love this movement because it hits the quads, glutes and the shoulders.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand. Bend elbows to bring dumbbells next to shoulders, palms facing away from you. From this position, lunge forward with left leg, bending both knees 90 degrees (keep your head up – never look down when you're doing a lunge).
Step back to your original position, feet shoulder width apart, and press dumbbells up, straightening your arms, and then back down to your original position. That's one rep. Alternate legs.
Reverse-Grip Deadlift-Back Row
Courtesy Harley Pasternak
2. Reverse-Grip Dead-Lift Back Row
(2-3 sets, 20 reps)
The name of the movement may be a mouthful, but the exercise is really quite simple. It is a great way to strengthen your hamstrings, which go all the way up to the glutes and also strengthen the upper back (the rhomboids). This will help to pull your shoulders back which improves your posture and helps you look lengthened through the midsection.
Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms by sides, palms facing up. (This is why it's called reverse-grip – traditionally, you do most rowing motions and deadlifts where your palms are toward you, but this rotation really helps maximize the movement.)
Hinge forward from your hips, pushing your butt back as far as you can. Bend and drive elbows behind you, squeezing your shoulder blades together, to bring dumbbells tight against your ribs, keeping your palms facing up.Make sure you look straight ahead – not at the ground – for the duration of the movement.
Lower dumbbells toward floor, slowly releasing the row movement and return to standing start position. That’s one rep.
Side-bend Hammer Curl
Courtesy Harley Pasternak
3. Side-bend Hammer Curl
(2-3 sets, 20 reps)
This move targets obliques (love handles) and biceps.
Stand with your feet together, holding a light dumbbell in your right hand and arm straight by your side, palm facing in. With your left arm, touch your left fingertips to your left temple like you're saluting. Keep that arm in the same position for the duration of the movement.
Stretch out the left obliques and crunch your right obliques, bending to the right, and then squeeze the left oblique to straighten back up and bend to the left side as you curl the right bicep up at the same time. Make sure you get a full range of motion with this movement, so when you're bending to the right, your left elbow is pointing up the ceiling, and then when you’re bending to the left, your left elbow is pointing down to the ground.
Do 20 reps of these, and then switch the dumbbell over to your left hand and repeat for 20 reps, and you’ll be feeling the burn tomorrow!
Reverse Crunch with Triceps-Extension
Courtesy Harley Pasternak
4. Reverse Crunch with Triceps-Extension
(2-3 sets, 20 reps)
This move is a little more difficult to master from a coordination standpoint, but once you get the hang of it, you'll love how it tones your triceps and front of your abs.
Lie face-up on a mat or soft-ish surface with knees bent, legs parallel, and about hip distance apart. Grab dumbbell in each hand and bend your arms so that they're right next to your ears, with your upper arms and elbows parallel to each other.
As you roll your knees in towards your torso for the reverse crunch, hinge your arms at the elbow and extend straight. Bring both arms and legs back to the starting point in a simultaneous, controlled movement.
It's important that you remember to breathe during this (and every) exercise. Breathe out as you crunch and extend the weights outward, breathe in as you return to start.
If you're having trouble doing both movements at once, try the tricep movement and crunch separately, and then combine them.
Pullover Curl-Up
Courtesy Harley Pasternak
5. Pullover Curl-Up
(2-3 sets, 20 reps)
This move is awesome because it's a simple move that hits the upper body and lats, and also your abs, but try to really focus on controlled, focused movement so that you don't end up letting momentum do the work.
Start out lying face up on a mat with your knees bent, hip width apart, legs parallel and feet flat on the floor and straight ahead. Hold the ends of one dumbbell in your hands and extend straight back over your head.
Keeping your arms straight, pull them forward directly over your body. When they get just over your rib cage, curl your body up by crunching your abs, while keeping your arms straight.
Curl your midsection back down to lying while pulling that dumbbell back to starting position, keeping arms straight. During this move you should feel a stretch on the sides of your back next to your armpits.
Have any questions about these exercises? Tweet me @harleypasternak.
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