Get A Full Body Workout With Only One Exercise

What would you do if you could only do a single exercise in the gym? Would you squat, plank, deadlift, or bench press? Here’s my take on this.

Is there a single workout that would help your posture, strength, health, and life outside of the gym?

What exercise would you perform if you only had a maximum of 15 minutes per week to work out?

I’d do the deadlift, even though it is my least favorite workout. It’s challenging and never seemed natural to me. That’s because I’m a squatter (love doing squats) at heart.

But if I had to pick a single exercise that would provide the most reward outside of the gym, that’d be the deadlift.

What Are The Benefits Of The Deadlift?

The tight gripping of the bar while performing the deadlift helps build the muscles in your forearms.

You will strengthen your entire back, which must remain tight during the entire exercise. Also, your lower back muscles should strengthen and significantly increase in size.

Because they are the main muscles targted by the deadlift, your hamstrings and glutes will definitely increase in size.

The continuous abdominal contraction required for an efficient deadlift will make your core rock-solid.

15-Minute Workout

The first thing you need to learn is how to properly perform a deadlift. Then you can start making the most of your gym time. That’s because you only have 15 minutes to do this exercise.

So here’s how to get the most out of your 15-minute deadlift workout:

Start with a three-set warm-up of light deadlifts. For the first set, do about 15 reps with light weights.
Then increase the weight and do 15 more.
Increase the weight again, and do 15 repetitions. This should be your third warm-up set.
Now put enough weight on the bar to accomplish at least 15 repetitions but no more than 20. Do as many sets as you can (with 40 seconds of rest in between them).
In the last 2 minutes of the workout, do as many reps as you can without any break.

Even though 15 minutes of deadlifts doesn’t sound like a solid workout, the burn you’ll feel at the end of the workout will tell you the truth.

Especially when you’ll push your body to the limit during the last two minutes of the workout. That’s when you’ll be out of breath and your muscles will hurt, literally.

What If You Have More Time?

If you only have 15 minutes each week and can only perform one exercise, the deadlift is what you should do.

But that’s most likely not you. You probably have several hours each week to dedicate to the gym.

In this case, you can do this 15-minute deadlifts workout along with a 30-minute cardio session. Three to four times a week should be enough to truly boost your progress.

The Takeaway

If you’re looking for a total body move that’ll engage multiple muscles and bring fast results, then the deadlift should be your first choice.

This exercise engages your arms, back, core, and legs. And it requires only 15 minutes of your time per week.

So learn to master the deadlift to reap the long-term benefits of this fascinating full-body workout.