Ready to give in yet?
We thought not. We’ve built strength, we’ve attacked every muscle you’ve got – but now it’s time to see how powerful your body actually is.
Because after all, strength is nothing without power. Your fat cells will be screaming for mercy after this one.
There are some seriously tough moves in this devastating #Power workout from our New Year series with PUMA and Barrys Bootcamp body transformation specialist Jay Copley.
Grab yourselves a set of dumbbells and get at it…
Power
Strength movements are great – but they can only get you so far. That’s why we’ve created a workout with some raw power moves to really test your body.
While traditional strength exercises are designed to be slow and steady to keep your muscles under tension, power moves are the exact opposite. They are fast, explosive and recruit a greater range of muscle fibres.
There are some big power lifts like the snatch and clean and jerk with some other exercises like the lunges and goblet squats to create and strong and athletic base.
They’re unilateral movements (one-sided) which shocks your muscles, recruits more fibres and wipes out any muscle imbalances. So do your left side first and then your right in this workout.
Beginners go for 7.5kg-10kg dumbells, intermediate 10kg to 12.5kg and advanced 15kg or more.
Hit each move as hard as you can, notching up as many reps as possible in the 45 seconds. Doing this workout three times over the week you should see the amount of reps you can power through go up.
Dumbbell power snatch
Why?
The single-arm dumbbell snatch increases power and strength throughout the body with an emphasis on the shoulders and back. This exercise also improves coordination, core strength, and serves as a stepping stone to the clean and jerk and snatch
How?
- Using an overhand grip, grab a dumbbell in one hand and stand with the feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips to the floor until your knees are bent at 90-degrees.
- Quickly pull the dumbbell toward the ceiling while simultaneously extending your knees and hips and raising your body on the balls of your feet. Keep the dumbbell close to your body.
- As the dumbbell reaches its highest point, quickly rotate your elbow under the weight and extend your arm. The dumbbell will rest over the top of your shoulder with the palm facing away from your body.
Clean and press
Why?
This exercise is a great addition in helping your to build full body power and strength.
It improves core and shoulder stability, while the benefit of using a dumbbell is that you can break the movement down to focus on form and technique to help as a stepping stone for using a barbell.
How?
- Allow the dumbbell to hang at arms length between your legs, holding it with one hand.
- Keep your back straight and your head up. Flexing at the hips and bending the knees slightly swing the dumbbell between your legs and hammer curl the dumbbell up onto your shoulder.
- Keeping a firm grip press the dumbbell straight up keeping your bicep close to your ear.
- Return the dumbbell onto the shoulder and continue from the swing to repeat the movement.
Reverse lunge
Why?
The lunge is an incredible movement and one that will help you build a strong base. A long lunge hits the glutes while a short lunge emphasizes the quads.
Because you’re targeting on leg at a time using a dumbbell weight there are huge benefits for balance, core strength and stability too.
How?
- Keeping the dumbbell gripped with your palm and resting on your shoulder, step backward with your right leg around 2ft or so from the left foot and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance.
- Inhale as you go down. Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, as this will put undue stress on the knee joint. Make sure that you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground.
- Push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale.Use the ball of your feet to push in order to accentuate the quadriceps. To focus on the glutes, press down with your heels.
Single arm row
Why?
The single-arm dumbbell row, when performed correctly, is one of the most versatile “bang for your buck” upper body exercises in your arsenal. The row is typically intended to work the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, lower traps, and erector spinae.
How?
- Using a neutral grip, pick up the dumbbell with your hand. Pull your shoulder blade back while keeping your arm straight. This is the starting position for the exercise.
- Slowly pull the dumbbell up as far as possible.
- Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Goblet squat
Why?
This is a lower-body exercise that will build strength throughout your legs. But as well as the squat giving you a solid base, the position you hold the weight means it also hits the shoulders and core while improving posture and hip mobility.
How?
- Stand holding a light kettlebell by the horns close to your chest. This will be your starting position.
- Squat down between your legs until your hamstrings are on your calves. Keep your chest and head up and your back straight.
- At the bottom position, pause and use your elbows to push your knees out. Return to the starting position, and repeat for 10-20 repetitions.
https://youtu.be/cZdeouOQPKg
