Some of you may never go to the gym to get your daily workouts in. Some of you may visit the gym from time to time to convince yourself that you’re trying to be healthy. Some of you may be faithful to the gym and attend each and every day. It doesn’t matter what group of people you fit into. What matters the most is what workouts you do and how often you do them (or how often you’ll do them after reading this article).
In this article, I’m going to give you a brief walkthrough of the best five exercises according to four specific personal trainers. I will list the trainers and their top five exercises first, and then I will explain each exercise briefly so that you can choose what ones you’d like to fit into your workout schedule. Most of these you can even do at home!
Let’s get started.
Trainers & Their Top 5 Exercises
Ben Booker from Second Chance Fitness has his top five exercises that he uses in his training sessions all the time. They are as follows:
- Burpee
- Squat
- Push-up
- Pull-up
- Box jump
Patrick Frost from Nike Master states that every workout should be a combination of a push, a pull, a squat, a hinge, and an abdominal component. His list goes as follows:
- Push-up
- Pull-up
- Deadlift
- Lunges
- Burpee
Mike Dewar from J2FIT Strength and Conditioning also has his own set of workouts he encourages people to use. His list goes as follows:
- Deadlift
- Squat
- Push press
- Pull-up
- Clean
Ridge Davis from Ridgid Fitness also has his five go-to workouts. They are as follows:
- Side planks
- Bottoms-up
- Mini-band
- Cable face-pull
- Medicine-ball slams
Now that you know the top five exercises according to these professional trainers, it’s time to understand what each entails. Check the details out below and you’ll be one step closer to constructing your own personal workout strategy.
Burpee
This extremely simple workout is easy for people of all ages to do. It’s really just getting down on the ground and getting back up, according to Ben Booker. You basically put your knees on the floor, stand up, put your knees on the floor, stand up, etc. If you still can’t picture the workout in your head, check out a Google diagram of the exercise; It’s very self explanatory once you see it visually.
Squat
A squat is one of the most basic exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine, and you can do it just about anywhere, any time. All the squat entails you to do is bend your knees to a sitting position with your legs about two feet apart. Once you’ve gone down to the sitting position, you bring yourself back up, and your squat is done.
Many people say they cannot squat due to knee and/or joint issues, but that is actually false. Doing squats will strengthen your knees and joints, as long as you increase your daily squatting in a healthy manner.
Push-up
This exercise is great at producing healthy shoulders. If you can’t do a regular push-up, trainers suggest that you do a box push-up or a push-up on your knees. There are so many variations; You can really pick any kind. Check out the different types online and pick your poison.
Pull-up
If you do push-ups daily, you have to balance it out by doing pull-ups, too. Keep in mind, there is not only one type of pull-up; So, if you’re unable to do the regular pull-up because you don’t have a lot of upper body strength, do your research and pick a pull-up you can do. You can even have an assisted pull-up machine help you with the exercise.
Box Jump
Many trainers suggest that beginners start with stepping up on a ledge and then stepping down from the ledge (or curb, whichever you feel most comfortable with). Then, as you progress in your workouts, you’ll be able to add height every so often. Look up the box jump if you don’t know how it works out several muscles in your body.
Deadlift
Deadlift’s build both muscle and strength in your upper and lower body. If you’re a beginner with the deadlift’s, trainers suggest you start with small weights and work your way up. Check out some simple deadlift moves on Google when you get a chance.
Push Press
In simple terms, a push press is a workout that entails you to get down into a squat-like position (imagine yourself getting low before jumping up to dunk a basketball in the hoop), and push up to a standing position after the squat-like position is achieved. The only twist is that you have weight on your shoulders making it harder to push yourself back up. Weights such as kettlebells or dumbbells can be used.
Clean
Honestly, no matter what way I describe this exercise to you, you probably won’t understand it. So, be sure to get proper instruction before performing the exercise, and keep in mind it’s somewhat of a hybrid cross between a squat and a deadlift. Check out some videos or have your personal trainer walk you through how to do it before tackling it on your own.
Side Planks
Yes, it’s true, side planks are used to strengthen your obliques, but did you know they also work your entire body? If it’s too hard for you to do on the outside of your foot at first, bend your knees and try doing it that way. Check out some diagrams for your own personal reference to make sure you’re doing it the right way, too. If you’ve grown accustomed to the exercise and can handle making it a little harder, hold a small weight over your head while you do it. Increase the amount as you progress.
Bottoms-up
The technical term is bottoms-up kettlebell hold and press. These exercises make your shoulders look near perfect, while also strengthening your tiny muscles surrounding your wrists. Have your trainer walk you through these, too.
Mini-band
The technical term is mini-band lateral walks, and they are great for burning the crap out of your glutes. In turn, this exercise will perfect your rear end and it will make your knees stronger in the end. Plus, they’re quick and easy for anyone to do them at home once a day.
Medicine-ball Slams
This one has to be one of my all time favorite exercises. Although it looks like a fun game to do these medicine-ball slams, it’s not. It actually works your abs out very intensely. All you have to do is take a medicine ball and throw it off a wall, and then catch it. If you do it fast enough, you’ll be sweating in seconds. And, they target your cardio while also enhancing your power, strength, and endurance.
Tip: If you do them at home, make sure no kids are around.
By Jenny Lyn
