Fast Fitness! A Total Body Push-Pull Circuit (with Video!)

Neghar Fonooni
by Neghar Fonooni
Share it:
Fast Fitness! A Total Body Push-Pull Circuit (with Video!)

naghar fonooni logoIn the past few weeks of Fast Fitness!, we’ve gone over combination movements, ladders, complexes, and bodyweight circuits. I’ve shown you how to use all of these concepts to create quick, efficient, and highly effective workouts. Today I’m introducing the most basic and most effective form of program design: push and pull.

While I’ve designed today’s workout to be a 15-minute circuit, the concept of push and pull is integral to strength and conditioning, and can be applied to longer training sessions as well.

Push/Pull Circuits

This total body approach will ensure that you hit two essential movements patterns, regardless of time restrictions: pushing and pulling.

Upper body examples of pulling are chin-ups, bent over rows, inverted rows, and cable rows—basically anything where your back is the primary mover. Upper body pushing examples are push-ups, bench presses, overhead presses, and any exercise that involves your chest or shoulders as the primary mover.

Lower body pulling and pushing isn’t as straight forward. Pushing refers to any exercise where your anterior chain is more involved—movements such as squats and lunges that primarily use your quads are good examples. Pulling refers to the posterior chain, so deadlifts, swings, bridges, and other exercises that heavily involve the glutes and hamstrings qualify here.

Putting together a push/pull circuit is simple, and can be completely dependent upon your specific skill, equipment, and time restrictions. All you need to do is choose one exercise from each category, and perform it with as heavy a load as you can manage for about 5 reps. You’ll do the exercises back to back with minimal rest.

Here’s a good one to try.

  • Inverted or Suspension Trainer Row x 5
  • Double Dumbbell Squat x 5
  • Pushup x 5
  • Barbell Deadlift x 5
  • Repeat for 3 to 5 rounds

Remember, in order to make short workouts truly effective you’ll need to move quickly and intensely, take fewer breaks, and possibly even combine movements. But above all else, quality of movement is key; be sure to pay special attention to form and technique, and never employ sloppy, sub-par movement.

Move fast, move well, and above all, have fun!

Phew! Today’s Fast Fitness! Push Pull workout looks tough, but we know you can do it! Tell us about your sweat session in the comments below.

 

About the Author

Neghar Fonooni
Neghar Fonooni

Fitness expert, writer, entrepreneur, and mom, Neghar Fonooni is passionate about helping people empower themselves to live a vibrant, fulfilling life. Her intention is to teach women how to find and cultivate their inner radiance, living a lifestyle of their own design. 

Related

12 responses to “Fast Fitness! A Total Body Push-Pull Circuit (with Video!)”

  1. Avatar lance says:

    I just saw a bunch. . Five quick workouts that pok great. . I have deleted then. . Could I get those again

  2. Avatar Nancy says:

    I don’t think that you should squat below the knees, to protect the knees should only go to hip level

    • Avatar Supernova91 says:

      If you have healthy knees and good technique squatting below 90 degrees is considered healthier for the joints. It will also encourage good hip mobility 🙂 … if people have bad knees it may be best/more comfortable to only go to 90 as you say. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar Supernova91 says:

      If you have healthy knees and good technique squatting below 90 degrees is considered healthier for the joints. It will also encourage good hip mobility 🙂 … if people have bad knees it may be best/more comfortable to only go to 90 as you say. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar Mary says:

      People with weak glutes (most sedentary people and those who don’t work on glute strengthening exercises) will probably damage their knees squatting too low. But once you strengthen the glutes (and hamstrings), your knees won’t cue inward in a squat anymore, and the problem seems to be over. It’s a matter of strengthening the whole body over time – not just doing isolated exercises. All the muscles support all the other muscles.

  3. Avatar Nancy says:

    I don’t think that you should squat below the knees, to protect the knees should only go to hip level

  4. Avatar Nancy says:

    Thank you but good knees or not, to prevent any injuries I was always told to never squat below the hips

    • Avatar Neghar Fonooni says:

      This is completely untrue! If your body wasn’t meant to squat below the knees, you wouldn’t be able to do so. Have you ever seen a baby squat? Perfect and deep, and that is primal movement right there. I have been a trainer for 15 years, have learned from some of the best coaches in the world, and I can tell you that advice (not to squat below parallel) is complete and total nonsense.

      While I understand that you may have been told this in the past, it is very outdated and inaccurate information. If we only believe the advice we’ve been given in the past, how can we ever progress our line of thinking?

  5. Avatar Nancy says:

    Thank you but good knees or not, to prevent any injuries I was always told to never squat below the hips

  6. Avatar John Martinez says:

    I just saw a lot of five quick workouts that look great also!! I have deleted them. Could I get those again

  7. Avatar John Martinez says:

    I just saw a lot of five quick workouts that look great also!! I have deleted them. Could I get those again

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Never Miss a Post!

Turn on MyFitnessPal desktop notifications and stay up to date on the latest health and fitness advice.

Great!

Click the 'Allow' Button Above

Awesome!

You're all set.