Work 638 Muscles, With Only 1 Piece Of Equipment

Because there are other muscles beyond your biceps and pecs - by Scott Henderson

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Here’s a fun fact to help you during your next trivia night down at the pub; the human body has a total of around 640 muscles (although the jury is still out on the exact number due to the classification of what constitutes a muscle). That’s right mate, there are other trainable muscles besides chest and biceps, no matter the official tally. Big, small, long, and short, strengthening this intricate network of muscular tissue not only helps you look jacked after a powerful workout, but training them often and training them well will provide you with a functional strength that will make everyday life a breeze. But with so many muscles and so little time to train them all, wouldn’t it be great to hit every single one, in the one session, using only one piece of equipment? Yes. Yes it would. And yes you can.

We can hear the internet trolls already. “Surely it can’t be possible to work all of these muscles at in one workout?!” We hear you, which is why we’ve left off the 2 ear muscles in our tally of 638 muscles. However, if you engage the rest of your facial muscles by smiling throughout this MH barbell complex, you’ll effectively hit all remaining 638 muscles with this series of compound movements.

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To complete this truly full body workout, start by gripping an empty barbell. Complete the following exercises, in order, without letting go of the bar. After each complex, chase the round with 5 burpees and then rest for two minutes. Repeat, adding 5kg each round until failure.

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FULL BODY COMPLEX

5 x Deadlifts

5 x Power Cleans

5 x Front Squat

5 x Push Press

Lower barbell behind the head at this point

5 x Back Lunges (each leg)

5 x Back Squat

5 x Burpees Over The Bar

Rest

Scott Henderson

As a fitness addict, adventure sport lover, and passionate story-teller, Scott Henderson is committed to living the Men’s Health brand. When he’s not researching and writing about the latest health and fitness news, you’ll find him crushing it in the gym, running up a mountain, or out on the waves.