The best exercise programs do not need to be overly complicated to be effective—they just need to execute the fundamental principles of exercise extremely well. This workout is designed to focus on the basic movements of exercise—squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling and rotating—but uses offset, staggered feet and hand positions for some of the exercises to add interest and variety, particularly at the hip and shoulder joints. 

The more we learn about the fascia system, the more apparent it becomes that movement variability is essential. Repeatedly doing the same exercise the exact same way can place repetitive stress on the joints, muscle and connective tissue and increase the risk of injury. Making minor adjustments to the positions of the major joints involved can incorporate different tissues and dissipate the stress across the entire system, resulting in stronger, more injury-resistant muscle and connective tissue. 

The way you approach this workout depends on what you or your clients are hoping to achieve. If you want to focus on increasing muscle size and strength, select a weight that makes completing six to eight repetitions difficult and rest 45 to 60 seconds between each exercise. If you want to focus on calorie burning and improving overall fitness, use a lighter weight to achieve fatigue by 12 to 15 repetitions and perform the exercises as a circuit. Move from one exercise to the next with no rest until the end, take a two- to three-minute rest and then repeat the circuit again.  

Quadruped with thoracic rotation

Spiderman high plank

Crossover step-up

Push-up with offset hands

Goblet squat

One-arm overhead press

Bent-over dumbbell row with alternating hands

One-arm cable press with hip rotation

Reverse lunge with two-hand cable hold