GIVE FAT LOSS A BIG LEG-UP

PT / 01.2019 THE MH FINISHER # 09 Pairing hefty lower-body moves at the end of your workout is tough. But the metabolic shock means you’ll be torching calories long after the last rep. It’s worth the burn

THE FORMAT:

Follow a ladder structure, going from 10 reps per move in your first round to one rep per move in your last. So, start with 10 reps of barbell front squats, then perform 10 Romanian deadlifts. In your next round, perform nine reps of each, then work your way down the ladder. Rest as little as possible between rounds.

01 SQUAT FOR STARTERS

As your body’s biggest muscle group, your legs can fire up the afterburn. Load the bar with 75% of your bodyweight, held across your shoulders, hands under the bar, so your elbows are in front. Drop into a squat. Keeping your elbows high, drive upward. After 10 reps, move on to deadlifts.

02 RISE FROM THE DEADLIFT

Now you’ll switch your focus to your hamstrings. Grip the bar just wider than your shoulders, and raise it to hip height with arms straight throughout. With your knees slightly bent and your back straight, lower the bar until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Reverse the move until the bar is back at your hips. Brace yourself: your nine squats await.

03 MAKE IT, DON’T BREAK IT

Performing more than 100 reps may seem daunting, but if you pick the right weight, the descending rep structure and the push/pull pairing will allow you to keep going without the need for significant breaks. Grit your teeth. The more exhausted you are, the greater the impact on your metabolism for the rest of the day. Suck it up and hang on to that bar.