Lifestyle

A Fitness Expert Reveals How Long A Full-Body Workout Should Be & It's A Piece Of Cake

by Georgina Berbari

Full-body workouts are amazing because, well, hello productivity, but these exercises can also be downright exhausting given that they mercilessly target so many different muscles in your body, all at the same time. Yes, you always find yourself feeling satisfied and accomplished once the workout is over, but in the moment, it can feel like the routine lasts forever. So really, how long should a full body workout actually be? I mean, personally, I'm not trying to be out here grinding for an entire hour while my muscles feel like they're turning into Jell-O, you feel me?

Of course, when it comes to timing your workouts, whatever works best for you and your body is what you should roll with. But, if you're new to full-body workouts, and you're not quite sure how long is too long for these intense exercises, there are a few helpful tips you can follow.

Lisa Corsello, a fitness expert and founder and owner of Burn, which is an in-home workout that features fast-paced, high-energy, combination exercises, is a huge advocate for maximizing your workout time — especially when it comes to full-body exercises.

She tells Elite Daily that you don't have to work out for that long when you're focusing on your entire body — as long as you're working hard.

Honestly guys, I both love and hate the sound of that. But Corsello's a true expert when it comes to full-body workouts, and she knows how to make the most of the movements in as little time as possible. She tells Elite Daily she loves full-body workouts that include carefully curated combinations of cardio bursts, weight-training exercises, and deep mat pilates sets (which she includes in in her own on-demand video workouts). In fact, Corsello believes that creating a short-and-sweet workout that combines multiple exercises into one move is the best way to work out several muscles at once. "You can get a quick and effective [full-body] workout in as little as 10, 20, or 30 minutes," she tells Elite Daily. "It's all about how hard you work, and combining exercises."

Here's an example of one of Corsello's 10-minute workouts that you can easily try out at home — that is, if you consider profusely sweating and experiencing multiple muscle quakes and quivers "easy."

Corsello recommends starting with tricep jacks to warm up your body.

"It's like a regular workout, but you punch your arms down," Corsello tells Elite Daily. "After [you do] 20 reps, move to a regular jumping jack."

Here, she says, you'll be building your heart rate and warming up the muscles. Once you're done, you'll move on to a side-step-and-punch combo.

"Keeping the same pace as your tricep jacks, turn your body and side-step to the right, throw a punch, and side-step to the left, throwing another punch," Corsello explains.

Personally, I like to pretend I'm punching every creepy guy who's ever made me feel uncomfortable on the subway during these bad boys, but you obviously don't have to be as aggressive as I am with these moves.

Once your heart rate is up, Corsello suggests transitioning to single-leg lunges.

"Grab your weights and do a full-range, single-leg lunge," she says. "Do 25 reps, and then change sides."

Side note: You don't even need weights if they're not available! Bodyweight lunges are more than enough and super effective, my friends (and this applies to the next two moves, as well).

When you get to knee-repeaters, you're in the home stretch — you've got this, fam.

Weights are optional for this move, as well, but if you're using them, Corsello suggests dropping one weight to the ground, and putting all of your bodyweight into one leg. "Hold one weight out with both arms stretched in front of you, and stretch your other leg back behind you — then bring your knee to your weight, crunching in and out," she says.

Do 25 reps of this exercise, then switch sides. You're going to need a fire song playing to get you through this lower-body scorcher, peeps. Choose wisely.

Last but not least, finish up your full-body circuit with some sumo squats.

"Grab both of your weights and get into sumo position," Corsello says. "Drop low, and do 25 reps, then hold with your (optional) weights out in front of you."

Finally, pulse for 15 reps, if you can. This one will burn the most, but mind over matter, amirite?