Efficient exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck

Here is the scenario: you decide to start running in an attempt to get in shape. You run five times a week and see immediate changes to your body. After a few months you notice a bit of a plateau in the changes running makes to your body. What gives?!

Think of your body as a smart machine which continuously adapts to whatever you put it through. To get the most out of any workout, you need to keep your body guessing. A great way to do that is by incorporating different exercises into your routine.

Try adding these exercises (originally found on Thrillist) into your routine to give your muscles a much-needed shake up.

Ball Slams

Ball slams work the anterior and posterior muscles in an explosive manner. Most motions focus on the upward drive. Balls slams are unique because they focus on the downward slam, which builds strength in the legs, tightens the core, and adds burst of cardio.

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and the medicine ball between your feet. Grab the ball, then extend your body and arms upward with a rigid spine. Once you’re fully extended, fire the abs, flex your hips and aggressively slam the ball into the ground. Catch it on the rebound and chain repetitions together.

Related product: CanDo® medicine balls

Heavy Bag Kickboxing

Heavy bag kickboxing combines warm-up, body weight exercises, heavy bag work, and a cool down with stretching to provide a workout that keeps your body in constant motion. No two classes are the same, which means you can go several times a week and be challenged in new ways every single time. Punching and kicking makes for good cardio, while hitting the bag offers great full-body resistance training.

Plus, if you’re feeling particularly stressed out, a heavy bag provides a socially-appropriate method of releasing your frustrations.

Inverted Row

The inverted row involves pulling, which is an essential movement that many people often overlook not just at the gym, but in their everyday lives.

You can use TRX rings or a barbell secured in a rack to do this move. Hang in a straight line with your arms fully extended and about shoulder-width apart. Draw your shoulder blades together towards the spine, following with the elbows. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar, then return to the starting position. Try 10 to 15 reps.

Kettlebell swing (and snatch)

We’ve sung the praises of the kettlebell swing before, but that’s because this dynamic version of the deadlift works the body from head to toe. Winter is the perfect time to start getting prepared for bathing suit season (or that warm winter getaway) and the kettlebell swing will help you get there.

If you’re feeling good about the kettlebell swing, try upgrading to the kettlebell snatch. The snatch involves moving the kettlebell from the floor to overhead in one uninterrupted movement. It is a challenging move, so it is best done with professional supervision until you have it down.

Related product: CanDo® vinyl-coated kettlebells

Thruster

AKA: the squat-to-overhead press. This exercise is a combination of two moments and requires your entire body to produce force. Your legs, glutes, and shoulders and utilized during this move. Pair that with your body’s up-and-down motion and you’ll feel the cardio component of this move as well.

Push-ups

Sometimes you need to take it back to basic movements. The push-up while typically thought of as an upper-body exercise is a full-body compound exercise. It uses multiple muscle groups, including your core.

Turkish get-up

The Turkish get-up (TGU) is a full-body movement, which is perfect for strengthening your core and improving stability and mobility in your hips and shoulders.

Here’s how to do it: lie on your back with your right knee bent, foot flat on the floor, left foot is extended, your left arm is extended diagonally by your side, palm down. Roll onto your left elbow and forearm. Straighten your left arm, bridge your hips up and bend your left knee to sweep your leg under behind you, keeping your left knee lined up under your left hip. Lift your upper body into a kneeling lunge position with your right arm overhead, and stand up from the lunge. Reverse the movements in rewind before switching sides.

We know that’s a lot to digest. If you are a member at a gym, ask a trainer to demonstrate it for you and help you work through it. If you’re trying this at home, here’s a video demonstrating the move:

Single-leg bridge

This move works and tones all the muscles around the thigh, butt, back, and deep core. It helps to improve pelvic and lower back stability and helps treat and prevent injuries by balancing hip muscles.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels in line with your sit bones. Inhale and then exhale while you press into your feet and lift your hips up into a bridge. Inhale and reach your knees away from the top of your head to lengthen the spine. Exhale and stabilize your pelvis with your core as you extend one leg straight, keeping your knees aligned and hold the position for 10 counts. Press the standing foot into the mat and keep your hips level and thighs parallel. Repeat on the opposite leg.

You can adjust the difficulty of this move by moving the standing foot closer or farther away from your tailbone.

Thanks to the experts at Thrillist for developing this list. Click here for the original article.