A killer whole-body exercise

This morning I did Workout B of the Fat Loss program from Lou Schuler’s New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle, and one of the exercises is a real killer - the Bulgarian Split Squat with Overhead Press. At first blush, the name conjures up a picture of a Medieval torture device, and actually, that’s not far off.  This one involves several different muscle groups (quads, shoulders and arms) and movements (lunge, push, and pull), so it’s a great way to quickly work many muscles at the same time. I know that by the time I’m finished with 3 sets of 10-12 reps, I’m sweating up a storm.

Here are the instructions:

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells that you think you can use for shoulder presses for the designated reps. (Remember to multiply by two, since you’re going to do all the reps with each leg forward to complete a set.) stand with your legs split, the top of your rear foot resting on a bench. (Start with your weaker leg, probably your left, in front.) Hold the dumbbells with straight arms, your plams facing your sides.
2. As you lower your torso until your front knee is bent to about 90 degrees, “clean” the dumbbells to your shoulders (a clean is sort of a fast curl).
3. Press the weights overhead, then lower them to your shoulders. Life your torso back to the starting position, then lower the dumbbells back to your sides. That’s one rep. Do 10-12 reps on this side, then switch legs and repeat. That’s one set - do 3 sets with 45-60 seconds between sets, and you’ll be done (or done in, as in my case).

Have a great workout!