After a long winter—and an even longer time spent indoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic—the approaching summer promises to be one of the most exciting times in recent memory. The theme of the season will be outdoor everything, from cookouts, to pool days, to workouts, too.
Itching for a sweat outside? Start by priming your muscles for any outdoor activity with an old bodybuilder technique—the superset. You’ll be able to do more work in less time by doubling up on these dumbbell exercises. That way, you won’t be in a rush to enjoy yourself once you get to the great outdoors.
Directions
Warm up for each session with a 3-round circuit of 10 bird dogs per side, 10pushups, and 10 jumping jacks. Then go through the exercises in order. Do this workout 3 times a week. Use a pair of 20- or 30-pound dumbbells.
Superset 1
Do these exercises back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 90 seconds between each superset. Do 4 sets.
1. Dumbbell Floor Press
Why: Builds chest strength and core strength.
Lie with your back on the floor, heels near your butt, feet flat on the floor, core tight, dumbbells held directly above your shoulders. Bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering the dumbbells until your upper arms touch the floor. Press them back up. That’s 1 rep; do 10.
2. Alternating Bent-Over Row
Why: Trains back muscles and bulletproofs shoulders.
Start standing, dumbbells at your hips. Keeping your core tight, hinge forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle. This is the start. Keeping your shoulders level, row the right dumbbell to your rib cage, then lower it. Repeat on the left side. That’s 1 rep; do 15.
Superset 2
Do these exercises back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 90 seconds between each superset. Do 4 sets.
3. Goblet Squat
Why: Builds quad strength and hones posture.
Stand holding a dumbbell at your chest, core tight, feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the knees and hips, lowering your torso until your thighs are just below parallel to the floor; press back up, squeezing your glutes. That’s 1 rep; do 12.
4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Why: Strengthens hamstrings and glutes.
Stand holding dumbbells at your hips, core tight. Lift your right foot from the floor, then, keeping your hips and shoulders square, hinge forward. Lower until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor or you can’t keep your balance, whichever comes first. Keep your right leg in line with your torso as you do this. Return to standing, squeezing your glutes. That’s 1 rep; do 10 per side.
Superset 3
Do these exercises back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 90 seconds between each superset. Do 4 sets.
5. Hammer Curl
Why: Builds biceps strength and the forearm strength to grip anything.
Start standing, holding dumbbells at your sides, core tight. Keeping
your entire body steady, curl the dumbbells upward with your palms facing each other. Lower slowly. That’s 1 rep; do 15.
6. Dumbbell Skullcrusher
Why: Strengthens triceps and trains your body to push anything away.
Lie on your back, core tight, heels near your butt. Hold dumbbells directly above your shoulders. Keeping your upper arms steady, bend at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells to your shoulders. Press them back up, squeezing your triceps. That’s 1 rep; do 12.
The Finisher
7. Dumbbell Clean to Squat
Why: Burns calories, strengthens legs, and builds ab strength, too.
Start standing, holding dumbbells at your hips. Keeping your core tight, push your butt back slightly and hinge forward, then explosively stand and squeeze your glutes. Pull the weights upward as you do this, keep-ing them close to your body, then squat under them, “catching” them on your shoulders. Stand up and squeeze your glutes. That’s 1 rep; do 4 sets of 12.
A version of this story originally appears in the April 2021 issue of Men’s Health, with the title “Supersets for Super Muscle”.
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