The Turkish get-up (or TGU) may very well be the consummate functional, total-body exercise. After all, it leaves roughly zero muscles untouched, hits every plane of movement, gets your heart rate up, and improves total-body strength and stability, explains Cody Braun, CSCS. When you consider that the Turkish get-up is really a flow through about a half dozen different exercises, it becomes clear why it’s so beneficial — and why performing the Turkish get-up with proper form can be complicated. Fortunately, despite its complexities, the Turkish get-up exercise doesn’t have to be hard to learn ..read more

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to find a routine that works and stick with it. That’s fine for your daily coffee order, but when it comes to exercise, doing just one type of workout is a surefire way to shortchange your fitness. There’s no single discipline that can offer everything you need to be physically fit. One form of exercise that offers cardiorespiratory benefits may fall short in mobility, while another mobility-focused workout may never get your heart pumping. Plus, isn’t it a little boring to move your body the same exact way, day after day? To help you round out your ..read more

Cardio can be scary for any guy or gal looking to build serious muscle. After all, the idea that cardio kills gains has been circulating around the weight room for years. So, is it bad to do cardio if you’re trying to build muscle? The answer: only if you do it the wrong way. Read on to find out how to keep cardio from messing with your muscle gains. Does Cardio Make You Lose Muscle? There are a couple of ways cardio can interfere with your gains: Same-day workouts If you tackle cardio and strength in the same training session, your body won’t be able to adapt to either activity as ..read more

If your workouts always have you moving, it may be time to add some isometric exercises to take your results to the next level. “Isometric exercises increase the target muscle’s time under tension, which is a key growth stimulus,” explains Trevor Thieme, C.S.C.S., executive director of fitness and nutrition content at BODi. What Is Isometric Exercise? Put simply, an isometric exercise is one that engages muscle without movement. Instead, you pick one position and hold it. One example of isometric exercise that immediately comes to mind for most people is the plank. And that exercise alon ..read more

If strong, sculpted arms are one of your fitness goals, you might assume the only way to get them is to perform endless biceps curls and triceps kickbacks. But if you’ve done an at-home barre workout, like Xtend Barre or Barre Blend, you’ve likely felt the burn in your arms. So can you get a solid strength training workout from those barre arm exercises? Here’s what you need to know. Does Barre Build Strength in the Arms? “Absolutely!” says Jen Cordiner, education director for Xtend Barre, an at-home barre program that incorporates cardio, Pilates, and ballet fundamentals to help you burn ..read more

In the battle of bodyweight vs. weight training, which form of resistance training comes out on top? It’s not an unreasonable question; our time is precious, and we want to choose the activity that yields the best results. However, this debate simplifies a topic that’s more nuanced than you might initially think. Is Bodyweight Exercise Better Than Weight Training? The answer to the eternal bodyweight vs. weight training question is a resounding “it depends.” What are your goals? Your current level of fitness? Do you have access to space and equipment? Bodyweight exercise may be a be ..read more

Combine a front squat with a push press and what do you get? Dumbbell thrusters. Also called dumbbell squat thrusters, this exercise works your entire body, giving you a metabolic boost in addition to increasing strength and cardiovascular fitness. Maybe that’s why you see so many dumbbell thrusters in CrossFit workouts. Ready to add dumbbell thrusters to your workout? Here’s all you need to know. Dumbbell Thruster: Step-by-Step Instructions Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Keep ..read more

When you think of challenging, time-effective workouts, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) staples — like squat thrusts and tuck jumps — probably come to mind. However, high-intensity low-impact training (HILIT) can be just as useful for improving heart health, shedding excess weight, and strengthening muscles. HILIT goes against the pervasive “no pain, no gain” mentality and shows us that the toll that an exercise has on your body doesn’t directly relate to its benefits. What Is HILIT? Like HIIT, HILIT workouts are comprised of bursts of activity interspersed with short rest periods. Wor ..read more

If you’re looking to improve mobility, enhance performance, and foster a healthy mind-body connection, it may be time to take your workouts back to the basics with primal movements and functional strength training. Primal movement workouts incorporate natural movement patterns — like squatting, twisting, and bending — that serve as the foundation for the physical tasks we do in everyday life, like carrying a bag of groceries or picking up a pen that rolled under your desk. Because these primal movements are so instinctual, they can sometimes be an afterthought in your workouts. After all, when ..read more

Get obsessed with making yourself a priority this November. Inspired by the abs, booty, and total-body megahit 80 Day Obsession, Healthy Obsession is an all-new program with 3 weeks of dedication and commitment plus a week of functional recovery by fitness pioneer and Beachbody Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese, only on BODi. Starting November 7, Autumn will help you sculpt your core, lift your booty, and get an incredible allover workout in just 4 weeks, with her brand-new and first-ever Free Sample Super Block. What Is Healthy Obsession? Healthy Obsession is a fresh, new take on the original pr ..read more