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MEN’S HEALTH IS 38 this year, and like any self-respecting guy in their mid-thirties, we’re taking a beat to look back on some of the highlights over the three and a half decades we’ve been around, from the guys who’ve best exemplified strength over the years to some of our favorite recipes from the mag archives.
Since this is Men’s Health, of course there’s a major focus on fitness. We’ve selected the top exercises you need to include in your training to celebrate the anniversary—but it’s just as important to have a super efficient, super scalable workout you can follow along with right now. That’s the focus here: a 20-minute, full-body workout that will help you build balanced muscle.
When you have 38 years of workout history, you can’t always spotlight just one trainer. So we recruited six (including our first fitness editor, Lou Schuler, C.S.C.S.). Each trainer picked one exercise, creating a total-body workout that melds eras and training styles—and packs in plenty of fun.
The Warmup
Walkout to Spiderman Lunge
How to Do It:
- Start standing, then place your hands on the floor near your feet.
- Walk your hands out until you’re in pushup position, then squeeze your abs and glutes.
- Shift your right leg alongside your right hand, then reach your right hand to the ceiling.
- Reverse the movements to the start, then repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
Sets and Reps: Repeat reps for 60 seconds.
The Workout
Directions: Do each move for 40 seconds, rest 20 seconds, then continue on to the next move. Hit this for 3 rounds. Aim to do this 4 times weekly; on all other days, go for a 20-minute walk or run.
Romanian Deadlift to Alternating Row
How to Do It:
- Stand holding dumbbells at your sides, then push your butt back and lower your torso until it’s at a 45 degree angle with the floor or you feel your hamstrings tighten, whichever comes first. Keep the dumbbells close to your shins as you do this.
- Tighten your abs, then row the right dumbbell to your right hip. Lower it and row the left dumbbell. Return to standing. That’s 1 rep.
–via Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.—MH Fitness Director, 2018-present
3-Point Dumbbell Row
How to Do It:
- Start with a dumbbell in your right hand, torso leaning forward, left hand on a box, bench, or chair for support.
- Keeping your hips and shoulders square to the floor, row the dumbbell to your right hip, squeezing your shoulder blade.
- Lower. That’s 1 rep.
- Hit reps for 20 seconds on the right, then 20 seconds on the left.
–via Lou Schuler, C.S.C.S.—MH Fitness Editor/Director, 1995-2004
Sit-Through
How to Do It:
- Get on all fours, knees off the floor. This is the start.
- Now lift your right hand from the floor and push your left leg under your body and to the right, pulling your right arm back as you do.
- Reverse the move to return to a bear plank.
- Repeat on the other side.
–via Milo F. Bryant, C.S.C.S.—MH Contributor, 2019–present
Alternating Reverse Lunge
How to Do It:
- Start standing, then step back with your right leg.
- Bend at both knees, lowering your torso until your right knee is an inch from the floor, then drive back to standing position.
- Repeat on the other side.
–via Bobby Maximus—MH Contributor, 2012–present
Reciprocating Dumbbell Press
How to Do It:
- Lie with your back on a bench, dumbbells held directly over your shoulders, abs and glutes tight.
- Lower the right dumbbell to within an inch of your chest.
- Press it back up. As you do this, begin to lower the left dumbbell.
- Press it back up.
- Work this alternating pattern until time is up.
–via David Otey, C.S.C.S.—MH Contributor, 2017–present
Alternating Z Press
How to Do It:
- Sit on the floor, legs straight, dumbbells held at your shoulders, abs tight.
- Without arching your back, press the right dumbbell overhead. Lower it.
- Repeat on the left side.
–via Adam Bornstein, C.S.C.S.—MH Fitness Editor, 2008–2011
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
