Biggest Bang for Your Buck

No one likes spending hours at the gym. Here are five of my favorite compound exercises you can incorporate into your workout and hit multiple muscle groups and cut down your time exercising.

1. Shoulder Press in a Lunge Position 
Lower into a lunge until your front thigh is parallel to the floor, making sure the front knee does not pass the toes. Raise dumbbells overhead, palms facing forward, into a shoulder press, lowering until elbows are at 90 degrees, make sure to fully straighten arms at the top of the movement. Do one set and switch legs.
Works: quads, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, back and triceps.
Note: If you have any knee sensitivity you can also do this in a squat instead, make sure knees stay behind the toes.

2. Push-ups on a Ball with an Inverted Crunch
Laying face down, place feet on a stability ball, hands slightly wider than shoulder width and lower to a push up, as close to elbows bent to 90 degrees as possible. Raise up so arms are straight and roll the ball into your chest using your legs, as if you were doing a crunch.
Works: shoulders, triceps, back, chest, glutes, quads, hamstrings

3. Push-ups with a Row
Perform push-ups from toes while holding onto dumbbells. Lower into push-up until elbows are bent to 90 degrees, raise up until arms are straight, at the top of the push-up bring one dumbbell straight up to your body, palms facing in, keeping elbow tight to your body. Lower the weight, lower into push up, raise and lift the opposite hand with weight.
Works: core, shoulders, chest, back, triceps, biceps

4. Step-Ups with a Hammer Curl
Alternate stepping up onto a 24" box (a stair will also work) while curling dumbbells, palms facing in (as if you were pounding in a nail), keep elbows stationary in line with shoulders, do not pendulum swing your arms.
Works: quads, glutes, calves, biceps

5. Squat with Overhead Tricep Extensions
Lower into a squat, knees and feet together, thighs parallel to the floor, knees behind toes, back straight and upright, look straight ahead. With dumbbells in each hand raise overhead until biceps are next to ears, arms straight. Keep biceps and elbows stationary beside ears and lower weight behind your head, raise and repeat. Remain in a squat.
Works: quads, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps

Have fun!