Ever have those workouts that don’t feel as accomplishing as others? I know I do. I love a workout that I feel the next day. When I say feel, I mean really feel – I like feeling like my muscles were worked and are showing through their soreness the next day. Not to the level of where I can’t move, but like a little bird on your shoulder whispering to your body that your workout was worth every minute. I get it, muscles weren’t built in a day, but there are some exercises that tell you immediately how they are doing all the right things for progress in your muscle and strength growth. There are are a few exercises that get me every time and I love them extra hard for that exact reason!
Photo Credit: Men’s Fitness
- Kettlebell Swings – A good ol’ fashion kettlebell swing always leaves me feeling like I worked my whole body all at once – even my lungs. It is a dynamic, high intensity, move that will work all the power muscles from your backside – think butt, back, and hamstrings.
- Deadlifts – My Favorite exercise of all time. I personally like a stiff-legged (Romanian) deadlift the best, but either one does wonders for the butt and hamstring. This is one exercise that makes me feel the most powerful and really keeps the butt perky! I swear my butt always feels tighter the next day.
- Sumo Squats – If you want a butt, do squats. I like adding variations to my squatting and it is something I do every week to keep up on working my backside. However, I enjoy a sumo squat just a bit more as it helps shape up the butt on the outsides and works the inside of the thighs too, creating a great addition to the look of the butt.
- (Assisted) Chinups – This exercise works my whole upper body all at once, making it feel most effective in one punch. I always feel sore the next day. When performing this exercise, I always strive for failure and repeat 3-5 times. It is a great exercise when it comes to defining your arms, back, and shoulders.
Photo Credit: Anna Renderer
- (Wo)Man Makers – The next level up from the burpee. A man maker is more effective than a burpee as it added strength and muscle resistance to the move in addition to getting your lungs pumping. You only need about 10-15 of these bad boys (or girls) to really feel like you are working your whole entire body.
I challenge you to add these into your workout routine to achieve maximum results in a short amount of time!
