Regular readers of my weekly columns will know by now there is no such thing as a free lunch or pass when it comes to training. Success requires sustained commitment and real effort to get the body results you want.
However sometimes, cruelly, all this may not quite be enough!
If you've never performed a workout finisher before, then prepare yourself for a shock. Designed to blitz body fat like never before, workout finishers are certainly not easy. But if you're one of the few who is brave enough to add them into your workouts, prepare yourself for some serious results.
Contrary to typical 'cardio' training, workout finishers are used when your body is already in an increased metabolic state - i.e, at the end of a strength training session. By doing so, we take advantage of an elevated capacity for calorie burning, thus torching fat faster than ever.
Workout finishers typically consist of a short series of high intensity exercises at the end of a training session, typically lasting no more than 10 - 15 minutes.
Consider this a warning - they will be some of the longest minutes of your life.
With that in mind, here are 5 brutal workout finishers you can add to your programme today, and get yourself lean faster than ever before.
#1 - Prowler Finisher
If you have access to a prowler, use it to your advantage as one of the most effective finishers known to man. Prowlers are great for total body conditioning, fat loss, and also building leg strength.
To perform this finisher, load your prowler up with your desired weight, then position your body behind it ready to drive forward. Keep your spine and arms straight at all times, using your legs and glutes to generate momentum. Drive the prowler forward for a distance of around 50 yards, as fast as you can. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for 4 - 6 sets.
Prowlers can also be combined with other metabolic finishers in a superset for an even tougher fat burning circuit.
#2 - Treadmill incline sprints
Treadmill incline sprints are one of the easiest finishers that you can add to your programme. You might look like a masochist as you struggle for dear life to keep up as it whirrs at full speed, but the results of high intensity treadmill sprints seriously speak for themselves.
At the end of your workout, step on a treadmill with the gradient at full capacity. Begin to walk, and dial the speed up until you are at approx. 70 - 80% of your max speed. Now sprint for a lung-busting 30 seconds. It's easier said than done.
Once the 30 seconds are up, hit the stop button and rest for 1 - 2 minutes. Repeat for up to 5 times, each time aiming to hit at least 30 seconds at your sprint speed.
Note: It is important to start each sprint set at a walking pace, and dial the speed up until you reach a sprint. Never try and jump on a treadmill that is whirring away at full speed, as you're at serious risk of an embarrassing faceplant.
#3 - Death by Squats and Battle Ropes
The name alone tells you that this finisher won't be easy. It might leave you crumpled in a heap on the floor, but it will be more than worth it as it helps you reveal a champion physique.
The beauty of Death by Squats and Battle Ropes is that it's one of the easiest finishers to implement into your training. Perform 30 seconds of each exercise, back to back, with no rest in between. Repeat for at least 5 sets of each, until you can withstand the brutality no longer.
Bodyweight speed squats work great for this finisher, but if they become too easy, you can add in dumbbell or kettlebell and perform a goblet squat. Don't go too heavy, as your goal with this finisher is metabolic conditioning, NOT strength.
Interchange a 30 second set of squats with a 30 second of battle ropes. A great added bonus of the battle ropes is a serious arm pump!
This finisher is great at the end of a full body workout.
#4 - Tyre smash and flips
An old tractor tyre is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can get your hands on. Ask in the right places, and it also won't cost you a penny.
For this finisher, you will also need a rubber sledgehammer, which you will use to smash the tyre (repeatedly) as hard as you can. This will strengthen your shoulders and core, engage your glutes for stability, and provide a serious surge of testosterone into your tired muscles. Best of all, it's also a lot of fun.
Once you've done smashing the tyre, squat down and start flipping it. Bend your knees, keep your spine straight, engage your core, and drive upwards to flip the tyre. Feel free to let out a war cry as you do so.
This finisher will work on a 10 x 10 x 10 principle. That's 10 tyre smashes, straight into 10 tyre flips, each repeated 10 times. Rest for 30 seconds in between the sets. It certainly isn't for the faint hearted - but that's not you, is it?
#5 - Medicine Ball Throws
If you've got a rubber medicine ball weighing anywhere between 3 - 12KG, and a sturdy wall to throw it at, then give this finisher a go at the end of your next upper body workout!
10 x Wall Balls: Get into a deep squat position, with the medicine ball in your hands, facing a wall. Drive upwards from your knees, throwing the ball at the wall as you do so. Catch it again at the top of the movement, before squatting back down and repeating.
10 x Medicine Ball Slams: Lift the ball above your head, then throw it to the ground as hard as you can. Easy as that!
Like the tyre flips and smashes in finisher 4, this series of exercise works great on a 10 x 10 x 10 basis with low rest periods in between sets. However if you're pushed for time, anything upwards of 5 sets is great!
So there you have it! Add one of these finishers to your next workout to torch fat faster than ever. Which one will you brave first?
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