When I stepped into a gym for the first time, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I hopped from machine to machine, guessing how each one worked, before cranking through a few dumbbell curls and heading home.
The game-changer for me was discovering an expert plan to follow. This gave me a clear guide for each session—I knew exactly which exercises to do, how many sets and repetitions I needed to perform, and how to do each move with good technique.
With this in mind, I asked NSCA-certified strength and conditioning coach Aleksander Saks to create a New Year strength training gym workout for Fit&Well readers. And he delivered, providing a full-body session that can be wrapped up in roughly 45 minutes, even with a thorough warm-up.
“The main benefit of this workout is that it targets almost all of the major muscle groups in your body. This makes it a functional and time-efficient workout, helping you build muscle and strength at the same time,” he explains.
How to do Aleksander Saks’ full-body gym workout
Perform the exercises below in straight sets. This means you will do one set, rest for the prescribed amount of time, then perform another set of the same exercise.
Once you’ve completed three sets of an exercise, move on to the next one until you finish the workout.
1. Goblet squat
(Image credit: Getty / Aldomurilla)
Sets 3 Reps 10-15 Rest 60-90 seconds
- Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes pointed outwards slightly. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest with both hands.
- Keeping your chest up and your back straight, push your hips back and lower them as if you were sitting down into a chair behind you.
- Lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your chest up, then drive through your feet to return to the starting position.
2. Dumbbell bench press
(Image credit: Getty / Will & Deni McIntrye)
Sets 3 Reps 8-10 Rest 60-90 seconds
- Lie on a flat weight bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms fully extended…
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