Sally Mae Fitness

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My Go-To Full Body Workout!

Sally Willoughby

How do I know what type of workout I should be doing?!

There seems to be a lot of confusion around how to exercise or what type of workout is "best." The truth is, sticking to a program is important; however, adding variety and changing up your routine is also essential to continue burning fat and resist "plateauing," as we like to call it in the fitness world.

One thing that works really well for my clients and myself is having a template to work from. This does NOT mean I give everyone the same workout. However, having an idea of what exercises to do in an organized fashion can be really effective and eliminates the confusion around what in the heck you should be doing.

Why is my full body workout effective?

I am going to be honest, there are a ton of workouts all over YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, you name it. And the more I look, the more crazy, and honestly, weird, the workouts I see are. It seems like in order to get followers, you need to be doing the most bizarre, body-twisting, twerking, acrobatic, gymnastic-like workouts I have ever seen!

Example - I saw a woman doing the splits and then went into a handstand AND on top of that added in some handstand push-ups...what?! I mean, that is amazing that you can do that, but please do not promote that as a workout for your followers. Not only is that workout strictly for advanced fitness types, it is actually dangerous to attempt if you are just starting out!

It's true, I have about 50,000 fewer followers than the top fitness Instagrammers out there, but what I lack in followers, I make up for in experience and training, exercise and coaching knowledge. I have found an effective way to create workouts that go back to the basics but give you actual real results. I prevent boredom, not by making you do jumping jack, handstand, push-up, box jumps ;), but by giving you options for different exercises that activate the same or similar muscles. On top of that, I recommend changing up the workouts at least every 6 weeks.

You don't have to do insane looking exercises to get results. You just need to know how to do simple exercises that work for various muscle groups, while maintaining proper form. You need to be consistent. You need to practice and work hard. If you do those things, you will be successful. You will lose fat, gain strength and reach your goals in a healthy and sustainable way!

My go-to full body exercise template:

What makes for the perfect full body workout? Well, exercises that work your entire body obviously! But all jokes aside, through my experience and research, I have discovered what I believe to be the best full body template for getting real results.

Perform this workout in a circuit-style. Repeat circuit 2 to 5 times depending on your fitness level. For beginners, complete 1-2 circuits. For the intermediate to advanced, complete 3-5 times. Change it up from week to week by using undulating periodization (this is a whole other topic for another time).

*Basically, use different set and rep schemes - perform 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps (use heavier load since it is fewer reps) one week, 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps the next week, and 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps (use a much lighter load as you are performing a lot more reps) another week. Add this full body-circuit to your weekly routine. I would suggest doing an upper body push and/or pull day, a lower body and core day and this full body day every week to start out with.

FULL BODY WORKOUT TEMPLATE

  • Exercise 1: Hip Dominant Exercise
  • Exercise 2: Pulling Exercise (Mix it up with a vertical pull some weeks and horizontal pull other weeks...I will explain below)!
  • Exercise 3: Knee Dominant Exercise
  • Exercise 4: Pushing Exercise
  • Exercise 5: Core Exercise
  • BONUS: Conditioning Exercise

This template still might not mean much to you if you are just starting out, so let me show you what 2 example workouts might look like.

Example 1: Full Body Circuit Workout (Week 1)

*Complete 4 circuits of 6 to 8 reps. (Complete 1 to 2 rounds if you are just beginning)  

  • Exercise 1: HIP DOMINANT - Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (4 to 6 reps on each leg)
  • Exercise 2: VERTICAL PULL - Pull-up (use bands for assistance if you are just starting out - the heavier the band, the easier your pull up will be)
  • Exercise 3: KNEE DOMINANT - Sumo Squat
  • Exercise 4: HORIZONTAL PUSH - Cable or Band Chest Press
  • Exercise 5: CORE - Slider Knee Tucks  (can use paper plates or even wearing socks on a hardwood floor works if sliders are not available)
  • BONUS: Burpees

Example 2: Full Body Circuit Workout (Week 2)

*Complete 3 to 4 circuits of 10 to 12 reps. (Complete 1 to 2 rounds if you are just beginning). 

*Notice how I changed the "PULL" to a horizontal pull and "PUSH" to a vertical push. This allows you to work around different joints, forcing you to adapt to different ranges of motion from week to week!

Go and try it out!

So there you have it, my go-to full body workout that utilizes basic, yet super effective exercises. The great thing about this template is you can insert different exercises when you want to change it up. The possibilities are endless! This is a great article showing you different exercises in the categories I laid out (hip dominant, knee dominant (they use quad dominant), pull and push).

If you would like to see more workout videos, hear more tips and advice regarding flexible nutrition, lifestyle, and fitness, follow me on Instagram and Facebook! And if you are like me and need a little accountability and structure in your life, check out my services or start by booking your free health consultation!

Sally is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Health Coach. She believes in approaching health and fitness in a holistic manner, this means looking at the WHOLE picture. She has helped clients to gain strength, lose fat, and enjoy life by implementing flexible nutrition plans and simple, effective workout routines. This is Sally's passion and true calling. She lives and breathes health and fitness and cannot think of a more rewarding job. Book your free consult today and discover how to get in the best physical, mental and spiritual health of your life!

Disclaimer: I am not acting in the capacity of a doctor, licensed dietician-nutritionist, psychologist or other licensed or registered professional, and any advice I provide is not meant to take the place of advice by these professionals. You should discuss any dietary, fitness changes or potential dietary supplements use your doctor, and should not discontinue any prescription medications without first consulting your doctor.