Six Old-School Exercise That Give You The Best Full-Body Workout!

When you’re starting out with your workouts, it can be a real challenge to choose which exercises to do from the one million options you see. Knowing the basics is a good place to start, and some of the old-school exercises are excellent moves for the best full-body workout. We’re looking at the moves that target multiple muscle groups and that will have you toned up for the summer! These won’t need any fancy pieces of equipment either – bonus!

Push-Ups

Good, old push-ups! If you’re new to exercise, this simple exercise is one you may come to dread. However, do your best to enjoy them because they are absolutely effective. You may have even been introduced to them in elementary school. Push-ups actually work a wide range of muscles, but primarily the tricep, chest, and the core. Every push-up equates to you lifting around 60% of your body weight. There are also many variations of this exercise — from simple variations for beginners to challenging ones for advanced trainers. Have fun and embrace them!

Squats

This is a classic exercise that, again, requires nothing but your body weight. It is highly beneficial for a lower-body burn as it directly works out the hips, glutes, and hamstrings. Indirectly, if you are holding the right form, you also work your core. If you incorporate weights, you can work out your upper body at the same time. If you’re someone who wants to focus for the upper body alone and plan on ditching lower body workouts, forget it — full body is the way to go!

Lunges

While lunges are deceptively simple, take none of it for granted because this exercise will have your legs screaming for mercy! It is simple and so easy to perform anywhere – either in a stationary position or even across a distance to a point. Lunges perform a triple threat – they work your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Of course, clutching dumbbells in each hand will make it even more of a workout!

Pike Roll-Out

When a study was conducted by the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy in 2010, ten exercises were tested, and the most effective core workout out of all ten was the pike roll-out combo exercise. This simple move just requires an exercise ball. First, position yourself in the push-up position, with your feet placed on top of the ball. Use your core muscles to lift yourself so that your bottom is above your torso. This is the pike. The rollout is when you bring your body back down slowly, moving along the ball until the ball is under your knees with your arms in front of you. This benefits almost every core muscle in the body.

Clean and Jerk

This sounds more like a TV show than an exercise moves, but trust us – it will torch your muscles! This is a lifting exercise that can be an eye-opener for your endurance. It’s the iconic strength test in the Olympic Games. You start out by snapping your barbell to your torso, with your arms under the bar. In one explosive movement, you push the bar over your head. A variation of this is the hang clean where you start off with the barbell hanging in your hands instead of on the ground. The muscles that are engaged in this workout are the hamstrings, triceps, biceps, back, quadriceps, core, and calves! For such a straightforward move, it’s impressive!

Burpees

This is an exercise that will have you feeling like a kid again – but it’s no child’s play, and this move really works! Begin in a standing position. Squat down and place your hands on the ground, kick your feet out, and do a push-up. Then tuck your feet back under you and spring up into the air in a leap. If you think you can handle it, place a dumbbell in each hand. This is a combination of a squat, push-up, and some legwork all in one!

Deadlift

This is perhaps the exercise that springs to mind when a person thinks of the gym. This lift is a perfect total body strength workout. It is especially important to maintain proper form when performing this exercise because doing it wrong can have you damaging your back – and nobody wants that! A correctly executed deadlift does wonders for your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, forearms, back, and core. It’s a simple lift, but it packs a punch.

Don’t waste any more time – get into the gym and work on that beach body. You can do it!