Exercises that work your entire body are the best of both worlds if you're trying to target multiple muscle groups at once and also save time. Take, for instance, squat presses or burpee rows. POPSUGAR spoke to Tommy Powers, the strength and conditioning coach for the NHL Florida Panthers and founder of Empowers Performance, about his favourite full-body exercise. His top pick? The hex bar deadlift.
The hex bar deadlift, Tommy told us, requires total body strength because you work your core, arms, and legs (yes, that means your booty, too!). "You're not doing a ton of axial loading [read: forcing] through the spine," so he said this is a safer exercise to do compared to others that might compromise your back. It's still important, as with every move, to engage the proper muscle groups and remember your form. Tommy said that, as you lift the hex bar off the ground, you should be engageing your abdominals, retracting your shoulders (pulling them together), and keeping your head and chest up. "Once your are in extension, ensure that you're in a neutral pelvic position and that your glutes and abdominals are engaged at the top of the movement," he instructed.
Ahead, check out exactly how to do hex bar deadlifts. Also, you don't need to add weight to the hex bar if you don't feel comfortable; it alone can weigh around 45 pounds. Your entire body will thank you!