The Base Body Babes' Full Body Workout

Base Body Babes, Felicia and Diana, often get asked if their training programs can be followed by men as well as women, and the answer is yes!

Men are definitely able to follow our programs and get great strength gains and results. There are however some exercises we would include more of if we were specifically programming for men over a longer period of time to build more mass in the upper body. When we program for women in particular we are more mindful of the amount of upper body work we put in, as we do not want to build too much upper body musculature to ensure a well proportioned feminine physique.

Generally speaking, men naturally have more mass in the the upper body and women are more lower body dominant so the training for men would involve a lot more upper body work than in the training for women. However, our programs are based around compound movements like squats, deadlifts and upper body push and pull movements, so they are most definitely suitable for both sexes. To give it a go, we have designed this full body workout to get you strong, fit and in great shape!

How to perform this BBB his-and-hers full body workout:

1. Perform exercises A1-A5 back to back with no rest in between exercises, only the time it takes to move to the next exercise
2. Rest for 100 Seconds after A5 at the end of each circuit
3. Repeat circuit 3-4 times

A1 12 x High Bar Back Squats
A2 12 x Barbell Military Press
A3 12 x Conventional Deadlifts
A4 12 x Barbell Bent Over Row
A5 Sled Push

NOTE: Choose weights that you believe you can complete all reps and sets with correct technique without failing, yet still keep the weight challenging enough to have a great workout.

High Bar Back Squat

1. Grabbing the barbell with your hands, place the barbell on the muscles of your upper back (trapezius) and squeeze the shoulder blades together to engage the muscles of your upper back so the bar is secure
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and toes pointing slightly outwards, the feet must remain flat on the floor throughout the entire movement.
3. Keep your chest up and look straight ahead.
4. Squat as deep as your body will allow while still maintaining a neutral spine and perfect posture.
5. Stand back up and repeat the movement again.

Tip: If it is difficult to maintain correct posture and squat to full depth (below parallel), elevate your heels with a 1-inch block of some sort or some small weights plates.

Barbell Military Press

1. Pick up the Barbell with a pronated grip (hands over the barbell)
2. Standing tall, hold the bar high on your chest, across the front of your shoulders
3. Push the barbell straight up above your head
4. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement
5. Control the barbell back down to the start position and repeat the movement

Conventional Deadlift

1. Pick up the barbell with your hands positioned on the outside of your legs. This ensures that the weight is close to the center of gravity, which makes the weight easier to lift, as well as reducing the risk of injury to the lower back.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, ensuring your feet are firmly on the floor and the weight is distributed evenly across the whole foot throughout the entire movement.
3. Hold your body tight and imagine putting your shoulder blades back and down into your back pockets. Holding this tight position, pick up the weight while keeping it as close to your body as possible, until you are standing in an upright position.
4. Still maintaining tightness, lower the weight back down by bending forward at the hips, move the barbell back down the front of your legs until the bar reaches the ground whilst maintaining a neutral spine. The hips must be below the shoulders at all times. This ensures that you are using the muscles of the lower body and not just the muscles of the lower back.
5. Repeat the movement again.

Barbell Bent Over Row

1. Pick up the Barbell with a pronated grip (hands over the barbell)
2. Bring your body down till you reach parallel to the ground
3. Pull the barbell in towards your sternum, squeezing your upper back
4. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement
5. Release the barbell back down and repeat the movement

Sled

1. Get down low and go go go!

Tip: Ensure you brace your body and stay nice and tight while you keep pushing the sled.

Our top tips to get the most out of your training:

1. Technique is everything! Correct technique is designed to keep you free from injury, to allow you to lift the correct weight and to ensure you are working the exact muscles that you are targeting. If the body starts to fatigue and the technique breaks down, it’s time to stop the set. Many people like to train until failure or until the body can’t take anymore, taking the body beyond what it is capable of. This increases the risk of injury. Always remember - safety first!

2. Progression is key! Always aim to progress in the gym. The body must continuously be challenged in order for it to change and develop. If you keep doing what the body can already do, the body doesn't need to change, so if you want to make a change to your body, you need to learn how to progress in the gym. Every week aim to increase the amount of weight you are lifting and challenge your body for the best results.

To learn more about our customised training programs, please click here and for the guys who want to train, sorry we don’t take on male clients, but our business partner and strength coach Sebastian Oreb is the man to see, so click here.

Happy Training! xx