You may have heard that multitasking is bad for you, causing you to be unfocused and less productive. But multitasking during strength training is actually your ticket to a slimmer, leaner body. For starters, there are two types of strength exercises: isolated and compound. Isolated exercises (think biceps curls and leg extensions) target only one muscle group at a time, while compound moves, like squats and lunges, work several muscles at the same time.
While both are beneficial, it’s the compound moves that give you more bang for your buck. “You get to the fat-burning zone faster,” says celebrity trainer Jackie Warner, creator of this workout.
But it’s combining both the isolated and compound motions into one exercise that is really the secret to working efficiently and effectively — think adding a curl to a lunge, for example. “Because you’re working the upper and lower body at the same time, your heart is pumping harder, giving you cardio benefits as well,” explains Warner. Plus, because you’re working more efficiently, you can knock out a full-body workout in just 20 minutes — or less.
Warner has designed this routine with exercises that combine both upper- and lower-body motions to strengthen your body from head to toe. With the stunning (and fast) results you’ll get from this total-body workout, multitasking could be your new exercise M.O.!
Your Plan
Grab a pair of dumbbells — you’ll have to experiment to find the right weight for you, but in general, “you want to use a heavy enough weight so that by the last three to five reps, you feel a burn in the muscles,” Warner says — and do this workout three days a week on non-consecutive days. Complete three sets of 10 reps of each exercise (with the exception of the renegade push-up, which you’ll complete 20 times per set).
Want to earn a little extra credit? Between sets of each move, do an intense burst of cardio for one minute. For instance, run in place super hard, jump rope or do mountain climbers. “This gets your heart rate up and turns you into a fat-burning machine,” Warner says. And who doesn’t want that?
