When you want to strip away body fat as quickly as possible it can be tempting to over-complicate matters by trying to do too many different things at once in a desperate bid to shift that spare tyre. But there’s only one way in which burning calories to accelerate fat loss should be complex: doing a barbell complex, which is multiple exercises done back to back using just that one piece of kit.
All you need is a barbell, a little space and 15 minutes to shock your body into relinquishing its fat stores so you start to sculpt a leaner and harder body. This five-move barbell complex is so effective because it will push your heart, lungs and muscles hard in a short space of time to work up a sweat and increase oxygen consumption, so you turn your body into a calorie-burning machine.
How to do the workout
Load the barbell with a weight you can manage for all the reps of the move you find hardest. Do the exercises in order without resting. When you finish all the reps of the final move, rest for two minutes, then repeat the circuit. Do three or four circuits in total.
1 Deadlift
Reps 10 Rest 0sec
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, grasp the bar with your hands just outside your legs. Lift the bar by pressing down through your heels and driving your hips forwards, keeping a flat back. Lower the bar under control.
2 Romanian deadlift
Reps 10 Rest 0sec
From the top of the deadlift, bend your knees slightly, then bend forwards from the hips and lower the bar down the front of your shins until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings. Reverse the move back to the start by pushing your hips forwards.
3 Hang clean
Reps 10 Rest 0sec
Stand holding the bar with a shoulder-width grip in front of your thighs. Squat down slightly, then drive through your heels to explode upwards, using the momentum to pull the bar up to chest height and catching it on your chest. Reverse back to the start.
4 Reverse lunge (left leg)
Reps 5 Rest 0sec
Stand tall with a barbell resting across your upper back. Keep your back upright and core braced throughout. Take a big step backwards with your left foot, then lower until both knees are bent 90°. Push off your left foot to return to the start position.
5 Reverse lunge (right leg)
Reps 5 Rest 2min
Stand tall with a barbell resting across your upper back. Keep your back upright and core braced throughout. Take a big step backwards with your right foot, then lower until both knees are bent 90°. Push off your right foot to return to the start position.
