A ‘landmine’ is simply a regular Olympic-sized barbell that’s anchored to the floor at one end. Most gyms now have specialist landmine attachments, which allow you to easily slide one end of the bar into.

If your gym doesn’t have a landmine attachment, you can wedge one end of a barbell into a sturdy corner, and place a heavy dumbbell over that end to keep it from moving around.

(If you find your grip strength giving out before your target muscles do, a pair of the best lifting straps can be a very useful training aid.)

What are the benefits of landmine exercises?

Due to the unique design and leverage factors associated with the landmine setup, landmine exercises can offer some unique benefits over more traditional dumbbell or barbell exercises.

The landmine setup offers a little stability, since the barbell is fixed to a unit on the floor, or attached to a rack. This stability is enough for beginners to feel more confident performing an exercise, or for someone more advanced to capitalise on it as a bodybuilding tool. When there’s greater stability, your target muscles can put in more work and muscle tension is increased. 

The landmine setup also offers a form of variable resistance. For example, while it might be a 20kg barbell you’re using, the actual weight is closer to 7-10kg at the top of the movement, and 9-12kg at the bottom of the movement. Depending on the design of your landmine unit and the length of your barbell this will vary, but one thing that doesn’t is the fact that you’ll be lifting more weight at the bottom of the movement than the top. That means if you really want to hone in on the details of an exercise, you can use the landmine to overload a certain portion of a movement. For example, a landmine squat will be harder at the bottom and stress your glutes more, while at the top it won’t be as challenging. 

You can also use landmine training to introduce some novelty to your workouts to keep them interesting. For example, single-leg hip thrusts using the landmine across one hip, or even standing lateral shoulder raises. If ever the 20kg barbell is too heavy, you can even swap that for a shorter barbell or even an EZ bar.

Six of the best landmine exercises

1. Landmine power clean
2. Landmine front squat
3. Landmine rotation
4. Landmine lateral lunge
5. Landmine single-arm thruster
6. Meadows row

1. Landmine power clean

My coaching cue: Think of your whole body like the crack of a whip. Your lower body is generating most of the power here, with triple extension of your ankles knees and hips. Your arms finish it off.

• Angle a barbell into a heavy weight plate on the floor
• Squat and grasp the bar with both hands
• Drive up powerfully, pulling the bar up quickly
• As the bar passes chest height, drop under it and catch it with your elbows tucked in to your body

2. Landmine front squat

My coaching cue: Getting a heavy loaded bar up to your chest can be a struggle. To get around that, load your plates on the bar and rest it on top of a bench. All you’ll need to do is squat under the bar to rest it in a hockey position and then you’re good to go.

• After the final power clean rep, keep holding the bar in front of your chest and sink into a deep squat, keeping your knees wide apart and chest up
• Press down through your heels and drive your hips forward to stand tall

3. Landmine rotation

Make it harder: To increase the challenge and train more of an anti-rotation movement pattern, you can try the squat anti-rotation. Simply squat down while holding the landmine in front. Then, without twisting your torso, ‘rainbow’ the landmine side to side. You’re trying to limit all other movement beside your arms. If this doesn’t light up your core, you’re not doing it right.

• Hold the bar with both hands and keep your arms straight as you rotate the bar from one side to the other in a big arc, keeping your core tight throughout
• Pivot your knees to follow the direction of the bar
• Alternate sides

4. Landmine lateral lunge

Coaching cue: “Point your toe diagonally so your knee tracks over your toes,” says Mishal Dasani of Own Your Fitness.

• Hold the bar in front of your chest and take a big step to one side so your feet are double shoulder-width apart
• Keeping your chest up, bend your right knee to lower into a deep side lunge, then repeat on your left side
• Alternate sides

5. Landmine single-arm thruster

Coaching cue: “Keep your core engaged to transfer power from your lower to upper body,” says Dasani.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the bar with one hand at shoulder height
• Lower into a squat, drive back up to stand and use the momentum to press the bar overhead
• Swap sides halfway through the timed set

6. Meadows row

My coaching cue: Raise the nearest hip to the bar higher than the other hip to target the lower lats. Watch me demonstrating how to do the Meadows row in the clip above.

• Stand in a staggered stance with your front foot aligned horizontally to the landmine set-up
• Lean your torso forward and grasp the barbell with a firm grip
• Place your other forearm on the front leg for support
• Initiate the movement by driving your elbow back and retracting your shoulder blade. Keep the working shoulder down
• Pull the bar toward your back hip until your elbow is parallel to your torso
• Slowly lower the bar until your elbow is fully extended, then reset and repeat the movement

Landmine workout: how to combine these exercises into one continuous session

Training with a complex allows you to use your whole body during a short and intense workout. The result will be increased lactate output – the thing that makes your muscles burn – and your body being flooded with growth hormone.

This combination is the perfect workout weapon to rapidly burn body fat and improve muscle growth.

• Complete each exercise back-to-back
• Do 30-45 secs of work for each exercise
• Once one round is complete, rest for 60 seconds then go again

The Strongway 20kg 7ft Olympic Bar is ideal for these landmine exercises:

The post Landmine exercises: 6 of my favorite moves appeared first on Men's Fitness.

The beauty of this workout is that you can squeeze it in even when you’re short on time, because it’s a short, sharp, intense session that needs minimal kit and provides maximum gains.

Once your 40 seconds are up, rest for 20 seconds. Repeat that pattern four times for the first exercise, rest for 60 seconds, then move on to the second exercise in the kettlebell HIIT workout. Rinse and repeat until the mountain climbers are out the way – and breathe.

If you’re new to using kettlebells, we’d recommend trying these beginner exercises first, which uses some simplified versions of this kettlebell workout. Or as a variation, you can try this full-body kettlebell workout. We think both are great at delivering a whole-body workout. However, if burning fat is your primary goal we’d suggest focusing on this 40/20 circuit. We don’t think you can beat the 40-on/20-off format for elevating your heart rate and torching body fat.

The exercises in this kettlebell HIIT workout

1. Double kettlebell swing
2. Kettlebell goblet squat
3. Kettlebell clean and press
4. Kettlebell sumo deadlift high pull
5. Kettlebell Russian twist
6. Mountain climber

1. Double kettlebell swing

How to do a double kettlebell swing:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and push the kettlebell off your body to start the swing.
• As you lower, hinge at the hips by pushing your glutes back.
• When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, drive your hips forward, swinging the kettlebell up.
• Don’t worry too much about how high the kettlebell gets in this fat-burning workout exercise – the snap at the hips and drive through the glutes is more important than air time.

2. Kettlebell goblet squat

How to do a kettlebell goblet squat:

• Start by holding a kettlebell by the horns – or upside down at the base – with both hands.
• Keeping your back straight and chest up, lower into a deep squat.
• Drive through your heels to stand.

3. Kettlebell clean and press

How to do a kettlebell clean and press:

• Start this fat-burning workout exercise by holding a kettlebell by the horns.
• Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulder.
• Rotate your wrist as you do so, so that the palm faces forward.
• Press the kettlebell over your head, locking out your arm.
• Lower the weight to the floor to return to the start.
• Alternate sides every 3 reps.

4. Kettlebell sumo deadlift high pull

How to do a kettlebell sumo deadlift high pull:

• Stand with your feet double shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell on the floor in front of you.
• Squat and take hold of the horns with both hands, so your arms are inside your knees.
• Keeping your chest up and your back straight, drive through your heels and push your hips forward to stand.
• As you do so, bring the kettlebell up to chest height.
• Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat.

5. Kettlebell Russian twist

How to do a Kettlebell Russian twist:

• Sit on the floor to begin this fat-burning workout move.
• Hold the kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands and bring your legs off the floor.
• Brace your core to keep your balance, and slowly twist to one side, then the other, without letting the weight or your legs drop.

6. Mountain climber

How to do mountain climbers:

• Start in the top of a press-up position.
• Keeping your shoulders locked, alternate jumping each foot forward so your knee comes towards the elbow of the same side, but your hands stay on the ground.

Model: Sasha Green | Photography: Eddie Macdonald

If you’re looking for one kettlebell for all your workouts, we’d recommend the JaxJox KettlebellConnect 2.0:

Related content:

• Kettlebell workouts for beginners
• Full-body kettlebell workout
• Hand care for kettlebell training

The post Try this fat-burning kettlebell HIIT workout for a full-body blast appeared first on Men's Fitness.

The benefits of push/pull training are numerous, but chief among them is balance. This method makes it very difficult to either overtrain, or overlook, certain areas – ideal for developing a well-rounded physique. It’s for this reason that we incorporate push/pull training into our own regimes.

Rater than over- or under-training particular muscle groups, each muscle gets its time in the spotlight – and by the end of this dumbbell-only workout, your entire upper body will be singing (or screaming) in perfect harmony.

Exercises in this upper-body dumbbell workout

1. Dumbbell reverse bent-over row 
2. Reverse dumbbell flye
3. Dumbbell pullover
4. Incline dumbbell bench press
5. Dumbbell crush press
6. Dumbbell flye
7. Finisher: dumbbell press-up to renegade row

1. Dumbbell reverse bent-over row

Why we like it: The row is a compound exercise that’s great for building a strong back – crucial for so many other exercises. And the reverse grip hits your arms and lower body too, emphasize the lats and biceps. Bracing the movement also activates the muscles in your core.

How to do a dumbbell reverse bent-over row:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells with palms facing forward
• Bend your knees, press your hips back, keep your chest up and your shoulders down
• Row the weights up to your sides, keeping your elbows tucked in
• Pause at the top, then return

2. Reverse dumbbell flye

Why we like it: The reverse dumbbell flye is an isolation exercise used to train the muscles that help extend your arms horizontally. It’s excellent for working your rotator cuffs, which can often get overlooked, and hits the rear deltoids and trapezius. It’s useful for training the antagonists to the muscles you use most often for pressing exercises.

How to do the reverse dumbbell flye:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding both dumbbells with palms facing towards you
• Hinge at the hips and lower your torso towards the floor. Your chest should be almost parallel with the ground in the starting position
• Extend your arms directly towards the floor and bend your elbows slightly – your palms should be facing each other
• Arc the weights to the side, then up as you squeeze your shoulder blades together, maintaining a bend in your elbows
• Slowly perform the same movement in reverse to return to the start

3. Dumbbell pullover 

Why we like it: The dumbbell pullover not only targets your back and chest, it helps improve mobility in your shoulders too. Done correctly it will work the lats, teres major, triceps, posterior deltoids and wrist flexors. When you slow down and focus on technique, you’ll also be engaging your abdominal muscles for an added core workout.

How to do a dumbbell pullover:

• Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor
• Holding a dumbbell over your chest, keep your arms long and begin to lower the weight over your head towards the floor
• Pause when you feel a good stretch through your pecs and upper back, then squeeze your lats to bring the dumbbell back to the start

4. Incline dumbbell bench press

Why we like it: The incline dumbbell bench press targets the chest, shoulders and triceps and, unlike using a barbell, it does so independently on each side. The reason for using an incline is to shift the movement’s focus to the upper portion of the pectoral muscle groups and the front of the shoulder. That way, if done regularly, you’ll see more significant hypertrophy (muscle growth) of the upper chest.

How to do an incline dumbbell bench press:

• Set the bench to a 45-degree incline
• Pick the dumbbells up off the floor and sit on the seat of the bench
• Kick your knees up as you lean back onto the bench – using the momentum from your kick to bring the dumbbells to the sides of your chest
• Tense your glutes and core, then powerfully press the weights towards the ceiling, stopping when the dumbbells are an inch or so away from each other
• Lower with control – all the way down until the dumbbells are at chest height – then repeat

5. Dumbbell crush press 

Why we like it: The dumbbell crush press is a dumbbell chest press variation that works your chest, triceps and shoulders. Having your hand close during the crush press, your triceps are forced to do most of the work, and so are targeted more than any other muscle.

How to do a dumbbell crush press:

• Sit on a flat bench, with dumbbells held on your thighs
• Lie back, keeping the weights close to your chest
• Once you’re lying flat on the bench, the dumbbells should be held together in the centre of your chest
• Force the weights together, then press them up until your arms are extended
• Continue to ‘crush’ the dumbbells together as you lower under control
• Once the dumbbells touch your chest, push them back to the starting position
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions

6. Dumbbell flye

Why we like it: The dumbbell flye targets your pectoral muscles, particularly the lower and outer pecs. It doesn’t end there, though, as your delts, biceps, scapular stabilizers and rhomboids, among other muscles, will also be targeted.

How to do a dumbbell flye:

• Lie back on the bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight and palms facing
• With your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weights out to the sides until you feel a good stretch across your pecs
• Reverse the movement, focusing on moving the weights with your pecs, until your arms are extended
• Stop the weights just before they touch and squeeze your pecs for a count of one – you should really feel it in your inner chest

7. FINISHER: Dumbbell push-up to renegade row 

Why we like it: What’s not to like about this combination? The push-up part works your chest muscles, triceps, shoulders, core and back while the renegade row shifts the emphasis to your upper back, including the rhomboids and rear deltoids.

How to do a dumbbell push-up to renegade row:

• Assume a push-up position with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand directly below your shoulders
• Keeping your core engaged and elbows tucked, lower your chest until it’s almost in line with your hands, then push back up to the starting position
• Row the dumbbell in your left hand towards your ribs
• Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position, press-up, then row the right-hand dumbbell
• Keep the tempo up to complete as many reps as possible in the time

Model: Alex Beattie | Photography: Eddie Macdonald

These York Fitness Rubber Hex dumbbells are ideal for these exercises:

Related content:

• 15-minute dumbbell workout
• Dumbbell biceps workout
• Full-body dumbbell workout

The post Take on this upper-body dumbbell workout to blitz your top half appeared first on Men's Fitness.

If you want to learn how to burn belly or body fat, the beauty of this workout is that it ticks multiple boxes. Your quads and glutes are going to be fired up by the goblet squats, and your abs, lats and even biceps are going to feel the force of the renegade rows.

The lack of rest is going to tax your lungs, too, spiking your heart rate and torching a fair amount of calories – with the added benefit of slashing your training time.

How to burn fat fast with this workout

Position a kettlebell between your feet, then take one big step forward and put two light dumbbells on the floor. Now set your stopwatch and get ready to sweat.

Starting with the kettlebell, you’re going to do 1 single goblet squat. Then you’re going to put the kettlebell back between your feet, place your hands on the floor, and ‘walk’ your upper body out to place your hands on the dumbbells – you should now be in a push-up position.

Complete a push-up, then brace your core and row the right dumbbell up to your side, followed by the left. Walk your hands back to your feet and return to standing. Easy? Good. It’s downhill from here.

Repeating that sequence, you’re then going to do 2 reps of goblet squats, followed by renegade rows. Then 3 reps (see where this is going), then 4, all the way up to 10 reps – resting only as needed. Still got some gas in the tank? Descend the ladder back down to 1.

See if you can get this workout done in 12-15 minutes to burn fat fast.

Exercises in this 15-minute workout

Complete these moves, following the workout sequence outlined above, to burn fat fast.

1a. Kettlebell goblet squat
1b. Dumbbell push-up to renegade row

Workout to burn fat fast

1a. Kettlebell goblet squat

Why we like it: Compared to back squats, the goblet squat generally allows for a deeper squat, which enhances hip and ankle mobility.

How to do it:

• Hold a kettlebell by the horns – or upside down at the base – with both hands
• Keeping your back straight and chest up, lower into a deep squat
• Drive through your heels to stand

1b. Dumbbell push-up to renegade row

Why we like it: By combining a push-up and a row, it effectively works the chest, shoulders, and triceps during the push-up phase, while targeting the upper back and biceps during the row.

How to do it:

• With each hand on a dumbbell, begin in the push-up position (palms facing each other)
• With your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your hips level, perform a push-up – lowering your chest until it’s about an inch from the floor
• As you press back up, row one of the dumbbells to your side. Keep your elbow tucked in and pause briefly at the top of the move
• Return the weight and do the same with the other arm. That’s 1 rep

We’d recommend a set of dumbbells like these DNK Rubber Hex dumbbells for this workout.

Related content:

• Home dumbbell HIIT workout
• Dumbbell-only leg workout
• Dumbbell biceps workout

The post Burn fat fast with this 15-minute workout appeared first on Men's Fitness.

Footballers work in all planes of motion, using every part of their body in harmony. I look to strengthen football players from top to toe in workouts, to make them stronger and more robust to resist injury. If you want to train like a Premier League Footballer, just follow my workout below.

How to do this full-body football workout:

• The following exercises will help you to build a foundation of strength, increase leg power in order to jump higher and sprint faster, and build core stability to hold off opponents and reduce injury through impact
• Do 3 sets of each exercise, resting for 60 seconds between sets. Use a weight that takes you almost failure in the final rep

Exercises in this full-body football workout

1. Box jump
2. Squat
3. Alternating step-up
4. Barbell bench press
5. Wide-grip pull-up
6. Lunge and twist

1. Box jump

• Stand facing a box with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Lower into a half squat position, swinging your arms backward, then leap on to the box, swinging your arms forward in the process to gain momentum
• Land on the box with your knees bent to absorb the impact
• Step down and repeat

2. Squat

• Stand with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart
• If you’re using dumbbells, hold them by your sides; if a barbell, rest it on the backs of your shoulders
• With your chest up and core braced, squat until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor, making sure your knees stay wide apart
• Drive up through your heels to stand

3. Alternating step-up

• Stand facing a box or bench with your feet together. Keep your core braced throughout
• Extend at the hip and knee of your left leg and place your left foot on the box, then push upwards with your right foot to stand on it with both feet
• Exhale, step down and repeat on the other side

4. Barbell bench press

(Simply increase the load to increase difficulty)

• Lie on a flat bench holding a bar with an overhead grip and hands just over shoulder-width apart
• Drive your feet hard into the floor for stability and press the weight straight up powerfully until your arms are fully extended. This is your start position
• Lower the bar slowly to just above your chest, inhaling while doing so, then push back up to the start while exhaling

5. Wide-grip pull-up

• Grip the pull-up bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart
• Lean your torso back, stick out your chest and contract your core before pulling yourself towards the bar, keeping your torso still and looking straight forwards
• Once your chin has cleared the bar, lower yourself until your arms are fully extended 

6. Lunge and twist

• Holding a medicine ball straight in front of you, take a big step forwards and lower into a lunge, keeping your torso upright
• Keep your front knee in line with your front toes
• At the bottom of the lunge, contract your abs and rotate your upper body to the same side as your front leg, then return to the middle
• Push up with your front foot to return to the starting position. Alternate sides

For the dumbbell exercises in this workout I’d recommend these DKN Rubber Hex Dumbbells:

Related content:

• Dumbbells vs barbells
• 30-minute dumbbell workout
• Full-body dumbbell workout

The post Use this football workout to build full-body strength and power appeared first on Men's Fitness.

I can’t stress how important looking after your rotator cuffs is. Unfortunately, this is one of the areas of the body most prone to tears – particularly among regular weight lifters. I see all too many clients with rotator cuff injuries. Regular rotator cuff maintenance is essential for upper body mobility and full range of motion. It’s not until you have a rotator cuff injury that you realised how important this part of your body is.

To prevent an injury to the rotator cuff, there are a number of strengthening exercises you should be performing regularly – either at the beginning of your shoulder/upper-body workouts or as part of a more general prehab routine.  

These are the best rotator cuff exercises

1. Side-lying external rotation
2. Cuban press
3. External rotation

1. Side-lying external rotation

Why I like it: If you’re looking to improve stability in your shoulder area, adding side-lying shoulder exercises will help train the rotator cuff for function, provide mobility to the shoulder blades, increase your range of motion and build overall shoulder strength.  

How to do a side-lying external rotation: 

• Lie down on the opposite side to the shoulder that you’re working
• Bent the elbow of the arm you’re working to 90 degrees and rest the elbow on your side
• Holding a light dumbbell or fraction plate in your working arm while keeping your forearm close to your abdomen, slowly raise the dumbbell towards the ceiling
• Hold the dumbbell up for a few seconds, before returning to the start position with your arm down
• At first you may find your range of motion limited – stop rotating your arm if you feel any strain

2. Cuban press

Why I like it: The Cuban press is an exercise that not only targets the rotator cuff, but also the muscles in your shoulders and upper back. It’s a hybrid between an external shoulder rotation and a press. The aim with the Cuban press is to activate and strengthen the rotator cuff while stabilising the shoulder muscles. It’s a great warm-up for benching or heavier shoulder work. It’s best performed with relatively light weight as part of a dynamic warm-up for upper-body resistance work. 

How to do a Cuban press: 

• Take the dumbbells or fraction plates in each hand with a pronated grip in a standing position
• Raise your upper arm so that they’re parallel to the floor, allowing your lower arms to hang in a ‘scarecrow’ position. This will be your starting position for the movement
• Initiate the movement by externally rotating the shoulders to move the upper arm 180 degrees. Keep the upper arms in place, rotating the lower arms until the wrists are directly above the elbows
• Press overhead by extending the elbows
• Return to the start with control

3. Seated External Rotation

Why I like it: The seated dumbbell external rotation greatly increases strength in the shoulder while also improving shoulder joint mobility and health. Using dumbbell or fraction plates ensures muscular balance throughout the body, while the seating position isolates the shoulders by removing assistance from other muscle groups. 

How to do a seated external rotation: 

• Sit on a bench with your right leg elevated, so that your foot is on the bench
• Keep your knee bent, while allowing your right elbow to rest comfortably on your knee
• Keep your left leg planted firmly on the floor for balance
• Take your dumbbell with your right hand and bend your elbow 90 degrees on your right knee, with your forearm crossing your body. This will be your starting position
• Keeping your upper arm as still as possible, externally rotate your left forearm until it’s perpendicular to the floor
• Reverse the pattern of the movement for 1 rep

If you don’t have weight plates, I’d recommend a light dumbbell like this DKN Unisex Rubber Hex dumbbell:

Related content:

• Best rotator cuff exercises
• Why is shoulder mobility important?
• Best back stretches

The post These are the best rotator cuff exercises   appeared first on Men's Fitness.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, the following eight-move circuit will get you primed for action. A single circuit is the perfect preparation for most workouts. Or you could do the whole thing three to four times – or divide it into a series of supersets – for a muscle-building full-body workout.

Exercises in this full-body resistance band warm-up

1. Front raise
2. Side raise
3. Bent-over row
4. Overhead squat
5. Push-up
6. Squat
7. Triceps kickback
8. Biceps curl

Front raise

Reps: 10

• Loop the band under both feet
• Hold the other end of the band and stand tall
• Keeping back and arms straight and shoulders pinned back, raise the band directly up until hands are shoulder height
• Pause for one second, then return to the start

Side raise

Reps: 10

• Stand tall, with one foot on the band
• Grip the other end of the band
• Keeping your chest up and a bend in your elbow, raise the band out to shoulder height, then lower back to the start

Bent-over row

Reps: 10

• Stand on one side of the band with both feet
• Hinge at the hips and grip the band
• Drive your elbows back to your side and pinch your shoulder blades together
• Pause for a split-second, then straighten your arms to return to the start

Overhead squat

Reps: 10

• Take a shoulder-width grip of the band
• Hold tight, with the band in contact with the heels of your hands
• Throughout the exercise, your elbows should be directly under your hands
• Press the band overhead and lock your elbows
• Now squat down, keeping your arms directly overhead
• Go as low as you can with perfect form, then drive back up to standing

Push-up

Reps: 10

• Start in a plank position, placing hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with the resistance band behind your back and around your palms
• Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor
• Pause just above the floor and press back up to the start position

Squat

• Loop one end of the band around the base of your foot
• Cross your hip crease with the middle of the band
• Loop the other end over your shoulders
• Squat down with control, keeping core braced and shoulders retracted
• Drive through your heels, raise and tuck your hips

Triceps kickback

Reps: 10

• Hold the band behind your back, with your heels anchoring one side of the band to the ground
• Bring your elbows up so upper arms are parallel to the floor
• Fully extend your arms with the other end of the band straight out behind your back and return to the start position

Biceps curl

Reps: 10

• Loop the band under your feet
• Grip the other end of the band with hands at shoulder-width
• Hold the band with arms extended
• Curl the band up to chest height, squeezing your biceps at the top
• Lower with control

This Mirafit resistance band set has a combination of resistances that would make them ideal for this full-body resistance band warm-up:

Photography: Eddie Macdonald

Related content:

• Best resistance band exercises
• Resistance band full-body workout
• How to use resistance bands

The post Add this full-body resistance band warm-up to your routine appeared first on Men's Fitness.

When you’re short on time (and that’s all the time, right?) it can be difficult to schedule regular workouts. This way you can take your workout with you, wherever you go. So by incorporating a backpack workout into your routine, you can be making regular strength gains even if you can’t get to the gym.

So grab your gym bag and tackle this backpack workout for a full-body circuit that’ll help you build muscle.

How to do this backpack workout

Fill your backpack with books, tinned food, bottles of water, or anything else you can find to add enough weight that will challenge you. Perform each rep with control and focus on form throughout.

The exercises in this backpack workout

These are some of the best bodyweight exercises on their own, but adding extra resistance with a backpack will help you build muscle fast.

1. Bent-over row
2. Single-leg Romanian deadlift
3. Russian twist
4. Overhead lunge
5. Upright row
6. Push-up

1. Bent-over row 

Why I like it: The bent-over row is an awesome strength-builder for the upper back, as well as the posterior chain and biceps. 

How to do a backpack bent-over row:

• Keep a soft bend in your knees and hinge at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the floor
• Start with arms at full extension, then contract your lats to pull the bag into your stomach, keeping your elbows tucked in
• Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top of the movement, then lower with control
• To increase the difficulty, single-arm row the backpack instead

2. Single-leg Romanian deadlift 

Why I like it: This move targets the hamstrings and glutes.

How to do a backpack Romanian deadlift:

• Gripping the bag, step one foot out in front of the other, keeping both feet hip-distance apart
• From there, slightly bend the back knee to increase the tension in the lead leg
• Keeping your chest up, hinge at the hips, leaning forwards until you feel the stretch
• Rise back to the start, complete the reps, then repeat with the other leg in front

3. Russian twist 

Why we like it: The Russian twist is great for blitzing your core and stabilizing muscles.

How to do a backpack Russian twist:

• Start by sitting up with your legs slightly bent and heels off the floor
• Hold the bag out in front and focus on keeping your spine neutral
• Rotate your shoulders from side to side and rotate your trunk
• Just before the bag hits the floor, twist across to the other side
• Keep it up for 30 secs, rest for 30, and repeat

4. Overhead lunge 

Why I like it: The overhead lunge works multiple muscle groups, while challenging core strength and stability. 

How to do a backpack overhead lunge:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
• Raise the bag above your head on one side, brace your core and step forward with your opposite foot
• Drop your back knee until it’s just off the floor, then return to standing
• Focus on hitting a 90-degree bend in both knees when you’re at the bottom phase of the move

5. Upright row

Why I like it: The upright row is a great exercise to build shoulder strength. 

How to do a backpack upright row:

• Starting with the bag held with a narrow grip and hand fully extended, pull the bag up your body
• Allow your elbows to flare out to the side and raise them as high as possible while keeping the bag close to  your body
• The focus on this exercise is to isolate the shoulders with a slow, controlled movement, and to keep elbows higher than the wrists at the top
• To progress, try using just one hand to pull the bag through the movement

6. Push-up

Why I like it: All the benefits of a traditional push-up but that extra weight will work your upper arms and shoulders harder.

How to do a backpack push-up:

• Start in the high plank position with feet shoulder-width apart and hands slightly more narrow
• Keeping your core tight, bend at the elbows to slowly lower your chest down to the floor, ensuring your elbows stay close to your body
• Once your chest is just off the floor, press yourself back to the starting position 
• To make it harder, raise alternate legs off the floor with each press-up, or bring the hands closer together to target the triceps more

One of my favorite exercise mats – the BodyPower Never Quit mat – would be an ideal choice for this bodyweight HIIT home workout.

The post This backpack workout is a full-body circuit made to build muscle appeared first on Men's Fitness.

This resistance band full-body workout will target all your main muscles. I recommend picking a pair of resistance bands that create a good amount of resistance in each exercise, but that you can still control through the movements. 

Bands can challenge you in different ways to free weights – typically the upper portion of the movement is harder, because that’s when the band is stretched tight with the most resistance. Overloading the top part of an exercise in this way can create greater muscular activation. 

Exercises in this resistance band full-body workout 

1a. Front squat (45 secs)
1b. Seated back row (45 secs)
1c. Push-up (45 secs)
1d. Reverse lunge (45 secs)
1e. Overhead press (45 secs)
1f. Bicep curl (45 secs)

How to do this workout:

Complete the exercises back-to-back. Do each exercise for 45 secs, rest for 15 secs, then move on. Rest 60 seconds after the last exercise and repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

1a. Resistance band front squat

Main muscles: Glutes, quads, hip adductors  

• Stand on the band with feet shoulder width apart
• Rack the band under the chin, palms facing the sky and elbows facing forward
• Push the hips back and bend the knees performing a front squat while keeping your elbows high throughout and your weight over your heels

1b. Resistance band seated back row 

Main muscles: Lats, rhomboids, mid to lower traps, biceps 

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended, loop the resistance band around the soles of your feet
• Pull the band toward your waistline, while squeezing the shoulder blades together
• Slowly release to the starting position and repeat
• Keep chest high throughout

1c. Resistance band push-up 

Main muscles: Pecs, delts, triceps, serrates anterior 

• Place the band around the mid/upper back, under your arms, and loop the band through the palm of your hands
• Have your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your head in front of your hands and shoulders back
• From a high plank position bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit until your elbows are at least 90 degrees. (If you can keep form, go lower)
• Push the ground away from you and lock out as you return to the top of the movement

1d. Resistance band reverse lunge  

Main muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves

• Loop resistance band around your right foot, behind your shoulders, and around in front of your neck
• Keeping your upper body tall, step backward with your left foot and lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees and the same for the back knee
• Push yourself back to the starting position

1e. Resistance band overhead press

Main muscles: Delts, triceps, traps

• Put one foot in the middle of the resistance band
• Now grab both sides of the band – near the top – and bring it to shoulder height
• Brace your core and press the band overhead until arms are locked out
• Now lower with control back to shoulder height

1f. Resistance band biceps curl 

Main muscles: Biceps

• Stand in the middle of a resistance band
• Grab each side of the band with each hand
• Brace your core then curl the band up until your hands reach about shoulder level, before lowering with control

1h. Resistance band single-arm overhead extension

• Grab the band by both ends behind your back
• Extend the top arm up behind your head, while the other hand holds the opposite end of the band securely at your lower back
• Complete one side before switching

Need some resistance bands? We recommend trying the TRX Bandit Resistance Band Kit. Tried and tested by the Men’s Fitness team, we found them to be portable, lightweight, comfortable to use, and ideal for a tough, muscle-building workout in higher rep ranges.

Related content:

• Benefits of mini resistance bands
• Resistance band full-body workout
• How to use resistance bands

Photography: @imagegod

The post No free weights? Try this resistance band full-body workout appeared first on Men's Fitness.

You’ll be familiar with most of the exercises in this dumbbell chest and core workout, but tried and tested is no bad thing. So, grab a pair of adjustable dumbbells and get ready to target your torso and midsection.

For the main body of the session, you’re going to hit your pecs from every angle, starting with the heavier stuff while you’re feeling fresh, then progressing to the lighter isolation work.

Once your chest is fully inflated and you’re feeling like prime Schwarzenegger, you’re then going to tag on a bit of functional core work.

Essential for every facet of fitness, a stable midsection also protects against injury, improves posture, and will keep your now-DD pecs from knocking you off balance.

The exercises in this dumbbell chest and core workout

1. Dumbbell incline bench press (4 sets | 8-10 reps)
2. Dumbbell flye (3-4 sets | 10-12 reps)
3a. Dumbbell pull-over (8-10 reps)
3b. Weight plate pinch raise (3 sets | 10-12 reps)
4. Spiderman push-up (3 sets | to failure)
5a. Side plank reach (15 reps)
5b. Dumbbell crunch reach (3 sets | 15 reps)
6a. V sit-up (15 reps)
6b. Extended plank (3 sets | 15 reps)

1. Dumbbell incline bench press

Why we like it: Using dumbbells rather than a barbell for incline bench presses requires greater stability for those unilateral movements. As a result it can help you develop a more balanced physique.

How to do a dumbbell incline bench press: 

• Set the bench to a 45-degree incline
• Pick the dumbbells up off the floor and sit on the seat of the bench
• Kick your knees up as you lean back onto the bench – using the momentum from your kick to bring the dumbbells to the sides of your chest
• Tense your glutes and core, then powerfully press the weights toward the ceiling, stopping when the dumbbells are an inch or so away from each other
• Lower with control – all the way down until the dumbbells are at chest height – then repeat

2. Dumbbell flye

Why we like it:  The dumbbell flye is ideal for acting as a chest opener, reducing upper back pain and increasing shoulder mobility.

How to do a dumbbell flye:

• Lie back on the bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight and palms facing
• With your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weights out to the sides until you feel a good stretch across your pecs
• Reverse the movement, focusing on moving the weights with your pecs, until your arms are extended
• Stop the weights just before they touch and squeeze your pecs for a count of one – you should really feel it in your inner chest

3a. Dumbbell pull-over

Why we like it: An ideal exercise for improving shoulder mobility, you can increase its effectiveness by performing it on an exercise ball.

How to do a dumbbell pull-over:

• Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor
• Holding a dumbbell over your chest, keep your arms long and begin to lower the weight over your head towards the floor
• Pause when you feel a good stretch through your pecs and upper back, then squeeze your lats to bring the dumbbell back to the start

3b. Weight plate pinch raise

Why we like it: This is a great one for improving grip strength, which is transferrable to so many other exercises – ensuring your grip doesn’t give out before you do.

How to do a weight plate pinch rise:

• Stand holding a pair of light weight plates (2.5kg should do) together at chest height
• Not got plates? Hold a dumbbell end over end instead – pressing it hard between your hands
• Keeping the plates pressed firmly together, slowly extend your arms straight out and slightly up until your elbows are completely locked out
• The aim of the game here is to go slow and purposeful – you’re using light weights, so need to make the contraction count

4. Spiderman push-up

Why we like it: This is a simple but effective full-body exercise, hitting your shoulders, chest, arms and legs simultaneously, with that knee-to-elbow motion emphasizing your core.

How to do a spiderman push-up:

• From a push-up position with your feet shoulder-width apart, begin to lower yourself to the ground, while simultaneously bringing one knee up and out to the side
• Keeping tension throughout, try to connect your knee with your elbow at the bottom of the push-up
• Return that leg as you drive yourself back up to the start position
• That’s one rep. Now go again with the other leg

5a. Side plank reach

Why we like it: This one works your deep spinal stabilizing muscles and is a great core exercise that won’t put too much stress on your back.

How to do a side plank reach:

• Start in the side plank position with your core engaged
• Raise your right hand, then twist your torso so your right hand and head are pointed to the ceiling
• Twist back down and around so your hand goes under and across your chest
• Return to the start

5b. Dumbbell crunch reach

Why we like it: There’s loads of opportunity for variation here by changing the weight you’re working with or varying the arm angle.

How to do a dumbbell crunch reach:

• Lie flat on the floor, with knees bent and a dumbbell held in your hands
• Straighten your arms, holding the dumbbell overhead
• Keep your lower back flush to the floor throughout
• Engage your core and use your abs to crunch up, keeping the weight in a fixed position overhead
• Reach as high in the air as you can, hold for one second at the highest point, then slowly lower back to the start

6a. V sit-up

Why we like it: A great core strengthener and stabilizing exercise for cyclists, it can be done anytime, anywhere, using just your own bodyweight.

How to do a V sit-up:

• Lie flat on the ground
• Raise your legs as high as you can, keeping them straight and together, and lift your torso up towards your thighs so you form a V-shape
• Keep your back straight and try to keep your movements smooth and controlled – avoid jerking
• You can keep your hands on the floor, or bring them up to meet your feet
• Slowly lower back to the ground

6b. Extended plank

Why we like it: Extending your arms from the usual plank position works the upper back and upper abs harder to maintain a neutral spine.

How to do an extended plank:

• Assume a push-up/straight-arm plank position –  your body should form one straight line from your head to your heels, with no lifting or sagging at the waist and no rounding through the back.
• Squeeze your entire core, your glutes and your quads, and tuck your backside under a little to keep your lower back in good alignment
• Maintaining this position, and keeping torso movement to an absolute minimum, ‘step’ both hands further out
• Hold for one second, then step back to the start. That’s 1 rep

If you need a new dumbbell set, we recommend the Jordan Fitness Premium Urethane Dumbbells, which offer a floor-friendly design and a wide range of weights. 

Related content:

• Home dumbbell HIIT workout
• Dumbbell-only leg workout
• Dumbbell biceps workout

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Harry Sellers

The post Try this dumbbell chest and core workout to blitz your upper body appeared first on Men's Fitness.