Best full body exercise

30/10/2010 Off By AlexPinto

Very often people ask me what is the best movement to work with your whole body (not talking about exercise programme – cardio, weights, etc; I’m talking about a specific movement, a specific exercise) or what is the best movement to include on my exercise programme to burn more fat or to get more/faster results.

It’s hard to say what is the best as it depends on so many factors but if you look for an exercise which you can work upper and lower body, pushing and pulling muscle groups and finally utilizes almost all joints on your body, all at same time, you will probably find the clean and press (or clean and jerk) one of the most complete. You can do it with barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells.

Keep in mind technique is crucial in an exercise like this. It’s really important to perform the movement with the correct technique. The efficiency of the exercise is definitely not about the weight you lift but how you lift it. With the correct posture and technique you will keep you free from injuries and will be able to lift more weight, making your whole body work harder, consequently getting more results.

And especially for the women, you are not going to get bulky lifting heavy weights. You probably heard this from other trainers but if you still prefer to believe on what some magazines say or simply don’t want to work too hard think again. You might be wasting your time in the gym. Look at the arms of the girl in the video above. She’s a professional weight lifter.

Just don’t try to do it without asking advice from a good trainer. Even if you start with light weights it’s important to start with the correct technique so you can progress to heavier weights safely.

PS: don’t drop the bar on the floor as your finish or you can hurt yourself or hit that person who just lay down on the floor to do some crunches (ouch!).