OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2020 - 49

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49

stimulate the hormones, such as the deadlift and the
squat. Firing up the metabolism is a key factor in
transforming your physique.

Working the major muscle groups ensures
maximum muscle load on your entire body and it
works your body as a unit. The maximum muscle
load is a crucial element if you want to stimulate the
production of hormones such as testosterone.
Isolated or low-load training does not fire up the
hormones anywhere near the level that is required for
sufficient testosterone release into the bloodstream.
However, exercises that push your body to its
limits such as the deadlift and the squat are just the
type of maximum stimulators to do the trick. To push
your body to this growth zone, exercises involving
critical mass, your legs and back, must be at the
center of the training.
Both of these exercises not only employ your
biggest muscles, but they also employ a variety of other
muscles and most importantly, get the biggest muscles
fully firing all neuromuscular pathways. And when that
happens, the post-workout burn also comes into play.
Post-workout burn
A post-workout training burn is when your body
responds to a workout with a higher metabolic rate
long after the workout is over. This burn can go on
for as long as a full day after your workout.
However, there is a caveat, the training to fire up
the post-workout burn comes from exercises that
incorporate the massive muscles under a heavy load.
This translates into the same type of movements that

Full-body movements
A pair of the best full-body movements are the clean
and push press, and the lunge and press. Both
stimulate large muscle groups, are ground-based, and
bring balance and agility into play.
The clean and push press is a variation of the
clean and press, or the clean and jerk. This routine
involves taking a barbell from the ground, cleaning it
to your shoulder level, then explosively pressing the
weight overhead.
The press and push action comes from the triceps,
shoulders and even the legs. This routine is superb for
engaging a variety of muscle groups, coordinated
together in explosive action.
The next exercise is the lunge and press. This can
be performed with either a barbell or dumbbells. This
is one of the most incredible " single exercise "
workouts; however, ease into it.
Lunge forward on one foot, and hold your body in
place while pressing the barbell or dumbbells
overhead. Lower the weight back down to your
shoulder level and step back into an upright position,
repeating with your other leg.
You can vary this by performing the press off the
shoulders for two to three repetitions per lunge step,
or by blowing the weight overhead rapidly to bring
explosive action to the routine. Due to the complicated
balance and coordination required, start off with a very
light-weight and introduce the muscles to the action
before employing a heavier weight load.
Perform several repetitions for each leg, and
perform two to four sets of this excellent exercise.
If you have a minimal amount of time available, a
few sets of the lunge and press will give you a good
stimulation.
Even better is a mix, perform the clean and press
as well as the lunge and press for one workout per
week, and perform the squat and deadlift on a
separate session a couple of days later in the week.
This split's the ideal way to employ the full-body
workout. If you want to work your arms into the
equation a little more, include chin-ups and dips.
A full-body workout is a great way to fire up your
metabolism and stimulate your body considerably
while incorporating elements such as balance and
kinesthesia that are not always a part of the standard
workout fare.
Consider a simple workout split that has you
working full-body movements twice a week, with a
generous two to four days of rest between workouts
for a full recovery. Working your body as a unit is
certainly the best athletic approach to training, and
makes sense for those who simply want to improve
the overall fitness of their physique. Z

Barbell hip
thrust
The barbell hip thrust
may be the king of all
butt workouts. It
activates your upper
and lower glutes to a
greater degree than
any other exercise,
and it's known for
developing a deep
gluteal muscle burn.

W W W. O N F I T N E S S M A G . C O M | V O L 2 0 N O 5 | 2 0 2 0

Active exercise
In addition to stimulating your hormones and
creating a post-workout burn, a good full-body
exercise will be ground-based and incorporate
movement and balance into the equation as well.
When you perform a " complete " exercise, you
stimulate your body on a variety of levels.
The best full-body exercises include movements
that stimulate you beyond just power and strength, but
also bring into play balance, explosiveness and agility.

Place your upper back
against a bench with
your knees bent, feet
flat on the ground, and
a loaded barbell
across your hips -
you'll need padding
between the bar and
your body. Squeeze
your glutes and raise
up until your hips and
back are parallel to
the ground, making
sure not to arch your
lower back. Slowly
return to the starting
position and repeat.

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OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2020

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