Basic Pursuits

The problem with me is that I adapt to my workout extremely fast. This is the reason I keep trying to come up with different ways of working my body. The second biggest problem that I have is that I am extremely limited to the equipment available to me. I few weeks back I made a video on my websit demonstrating four of my favorite one-arm dumbbell exercises. I received very good feedback from people who were trying to find exercises that they can use to develop a quick, easy, and effective workout.

Here was the workout that I constructed with the exercises:

Perform as Circuit:

One-arm Dumbbell Clean and Press 3x20 for each side
One-arm Dumbbell Overhead Squat 3x20 for each side
One-arm Dumbbell Windmill 3x20 for each side
One-arm Dumbbell Swing 3x20

I adapted after a few times of performing this workout. So then I began thinking of ways of taking it to the next level. I remember reading somewhere about hyrid lifts. Hybrid lifts are lifts that combine two to three exercises that flow well together. I realized immediately that all of these exercises can easily be thrown together to form a hybrid.

Hybrid Exercise One: One-arm DB Clean and Press + Overhead Squat

Perform a clean and press with one arm, then while keeping your arm extended over your head, perform a squat.

Hybrid Exercise Two: One-arm Dumbbell Swing + Overhead Squat

Perform a one-arm swing, then while keeping your arm extened over youer head, perform a squat.

Hybrid Exercise Three: One-arm Dumbell Swing + Windmill

Perform a one-arm swing, then while keeping your arm extended over your head, change your foot positioning and perform a windmill.

Hybrid Exercise Four: One-arm DB Clean + Press, Overhead Squat, + Windmill.

Perform a one-arm DB clean and press, go into an overhead squat, come back up, change your foot positioning and perform a windmill.

The Routines

Now this is where things get a little complicated. Because these are hybrid lifts, I think that you should start out with doing only one or two in a workout. Work up to 3x20 on each side, then slowly add in other exercises. If you wanted to construct a schedule using these exercises, I suggest only performing them twice a week. So here is what the schedule would look like:

Day One:

One-arm DB Clean and Press + Overhead Squat 3x10
One-arm Swing + Overhead Squat 3x5

Day Two:

One-arm Dumbell Swing + Windmill 3x10
One-arm DB Clean + Press, Overhead Squat, + Windmill 3x5

This guest post if from Parth Shah, a workout specialist who regularly blogs at Shah Training.