The beach muscle maximizer

Trainer 

Jim Smith, C.S.C.S., owner of Diesel Strength & Conditioning, Elmira, NY

Best for 

Cranking up your metabolism and boosting muscle growth so you can go shirtless with pride

Equipment 

Bench, dumbbells, pullup bar, barbell, weight plates, cable machine, medicine ball

Focus 

Strength, definition, weight loss

Calories burned 

438*

*as measured by a fit 5'11", 175-pound man using a Polar FT7 watch

How to do it: Perform exercise pairs as supersets (back-to-back). Rest for the allotted time after the second move. Finish with standard sets of the medicine ball pike.

Total duration: 

29 minutes

SUPERSET A 

Dumbbell Bench Press

Chinup with Knee Raise

SETS: 4

REST: 90 to 120 seconds

SUPERSET B 

Barbell Deadlift

Rope Triceps Press-Down

SETS: 5

REST: 90 seconds

SET C 

Medicine Ball Pike

SETS: 4

REST: 60 seconds

Dumbbell Bench Press 

Lie on your back on a flat bench and hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest, arms straight. (Your palms should face forward but be turned slightly inward.) Without changing the angle of your hands, lower the weights to the sides of your chest. Pause, and press them back up to the starting position.

Reps: 12 to 15

Chinup with Knee Raise 

Grab a chinup using a shoulder-width, underhand grip, and hang at arm's length (also known as a dead hang). Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your chest to the bar, and then lift your knees to your chest. Pause, and slowly lower your knees as you return to a dead hang.

Reps: as many as possible

Barbell Deadlift 

Load a barbell and roll it against your shins. Bend at your hips and knees and grab the bar using an overhand grip, your hands just beyond shoulder width. Without allowing your lower back to round, pull your torso back and up, thrust your hips forward, and squeeze your glutes as you rise with the barbell to a standing position. Lower the bar back down to the floor, keeping it as close to your body as possible.

Reps: 5

Rope Triceps Press-Down 

Attach a rope to the high pulley of a cable station and grab an end in each hand (palms in). Tuck your upper arms next to your sides. Pull your shoulder blades back and down and hold them that way for the entire move. Without leaning forward or moving your upper arms, simultaneously rotate your wrists and palms toward the floor and push the rope down until your elbows lock. Slowly return to the starting position.

Reps: 30

Medicine Ball Pike 

Assume a pushup position with your feet on a medicine ball and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, arms straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without bending your knees, roll the medicine ball toward your hands by raising your hips as high as you can. Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by lowering your hips and rolling the ball backward.

Reps: 8 to 12