Workout Wednesday: Major Muscle Groups

Total-body workouts are extremely popular with most people. I use this approach in my 6:00AM Circuit Sculpt class. If I get people for one hour a week, I want to make sure I'm working every single one of their major muscle groups. It only makes sense, right? These major groups can be broken down into legs, chest/back, arms and torso. Or, more specifically, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, triceps...you get my drift. All the biggies that almost everyone can name. So today's Workout Wednesday post, if you haven't figured it out yet, will focus on these muscles.

I present to you a workout that will hit all of your major muscle groups. Please make sure that you've accurately warmed up, and do check with your doctor if you have any concerns. And modify as needed to avoid injury. 

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Clarifications: 

1) This workout should take you 45 minutes to an hour. To increase intensity, add short bouts of cardio between each exercise grouping. 

2) To elevate your heels for weighted squats, put two weight plates on the floor. This places greater emphasis on your quads. As you perform the chest presses, push your hips up toward the ceiling and hold to get max burn out of your glutes and hamstrings.

3) Triceps dips in bridge? Not as complicated as they sound. Simply get yourself into a reverse plank with bent knees (ankles under knees) and make sure your wrists are under your shoulders. And then you dip...and as you dip down, lift the right leg up toward the ceiling, taking it back down to the floor as you straighten your arms. (Alternate legs throughout.)

4) In your side plank position, oblique crunches are done by bringing your upper knee to your upper elbow. Don't let the upper shoulder roll forward as you crunch. Keep everything right above your obliques.

Question: How long does it take you to complete a traditional total-body strength workout? Do you prefer this method over quick, more intense and non-traditional forms of exercise? Why or why not?