Crush calories and test your willpower with this grueling fitness challenge
December 27, 2012
The key to burning fat isn't slogging away on the treadmill—it's increasing workout intensity. The simplest way to do that: a dumbbell complex. "Each exercise begins in a similar positions—standing with dumbbells—so you don't waste any time transitioning between moves," explains Todd Durkin, c.s.c.s., author of The IMPACT! Body Plan, who created this week's "complex" challenge. The payoff: you accomplish more work in less time, while keeping your heart rate elevated and incinerating a ton of Christmas cookies in the process.
YOU'LL NEED A stopwatch and a pair of 25-pound dumbbells
DO THIS Grab a stop watch and perform the prescribed number of reps for each move as quickly as you can without pausing between exercises. Repeat two more times, resting only as long as you need to between rounds. Keep the clock running the whole time.
Dumbbell Hang Snatch Grab the dumbbells and hold them just below knee height. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. In a single movement, bend your arms, raise your elbows as high as you can, and try to throw the weights at the ceiling—without letting go of it. Allow your forearms to rotate up and back from the momentum of the lift, until your arms are straight and your palms are facing forward. Return to the starting position. Do 5 reps.
Dumbbell Clean and Press Grab a pair of dumbbells, push your hips back, and flex your knees. Pull the weights up and “catch” them at shoulder height as you rise to a standing position. Now press them overhead, keeping your knees slightly bent. Return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Do 5.
Dumbbell Clean Hold a pair of dumbbells just below your knees. Pull the dumbbells up and “catch” them at shoulder height as you rise to a standing position. Return to the starting position. Perform 5 reps.
Dumbbell Shrug Grab a pair of dumbbells and let them hang next to your sides. Stand tall and shrug your shoulders. That's 1 rep. Do 10.
Want to give it a shot? Watch the video above to see Durkin perform the dumbbell complex. He completed 3 rounds in 3 minutes and 3 seconds. What was your time? Let us know in the comments below.