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These 5-minute Finishers for Every Body Part Will End Your Workout with a Muscle-building Bang

5 minute finisher
5-minute Finishers for Every Body PartPeopleImages - Getty Images

Put simply, the final five minutes of your workout can be the difference between finishing with a muscle-building bang, or an ego-deflating whimper.

So whatever body part you're hitting in the gym, we've got a finisher that will ensure you leave no stone unturned in your quest for the ultimate pump and leave you with nothing left in the tank during the final throes of your workout.


Chest: Push-up Drop Set

This press-up drop set uses your bodyweight to scorch every last muscle fibre in your pecs. Take each movement to failure before moving onto the next, resting as necessary between rounds. Start a countdown timer for five minutes and complete as many rounds as possible.

1/ Feet Elevated Press-ups x Max Reps

Kick both feet up onto a box, bench or bed, creating a strong plank position with your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart (A). Slowly lower your chest to the ground (B) before explosively pressing back to lockout.

press up
press up

2/ Press-ups x Max Reps

Immediately lower your feet to the ground, and reassume your plank position (A). Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Keep your elbows close to your body as you press back up explosively.

arm, leg, muscle, sitting, physical fitness, furniture, elbow, table,
arm, leg, muscle, sitting, physical fitness, furniture, elbow, table,

3/ Hands Elevated Press-ups x Max Reps

Avoiding the temptation to drop to your knees, place your hands on your box or bench. This will elevate the angle and making the next set slightly easier (A). At the same tempo as before, flex at the elbow and lower towards the box until your chest just touches it (B). Power back up until your elbows are locked out.


Back: Run The Rack Rows

Start with the heaviest dumbbell you can row for 6-10 reps, perform a set on each arm then immediately move onto the next lightest set in the rack and repeat with both arms. Work your way down the rack, taking no rest between weights and upping the reps (if you can) as the weight drops. Can you complete the full set?

elbow, human leg, joint, white, standing, knee, sitting, muscle, wrist, physical fitness,
elbow, human leg, joint, white, standing, knee, sitting, muscle, wrist, physical fitness,


1/ Three Point Dumbbell Row x Max Reps Left and Max Reps Right

Hold a dumbbell in your left arm and hinge at the hips, placing your right hand onto a bench or box (A). With a flat back and rigid core, shift your weight onto your right hand and row the right dumbbell up into your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control until your arm is straight. Perform as many reps as possible and then switch sides.


Arms: Resistance Band Pump

Grab a resistance band and pump up your bi’s and tri’s with this high rep burn out. Perform 50 banded press-downs, followed by 50 banded bicep curls — take short breaks if necessary but keep chipping away at the reps. Next perform 40 of each, followed by 30, then 20 and finally 10 for 300 sleeve stretching reps.

human body, shoulder, elbow, textile, standing, joint, human leg, chest, muscle, shorts,
human body, shoulder, elbow, textile, standing, joint, human leg, chest, muscle, shorts,


1. Banded Tricep Press Down x 50/40/30/20/10

Loop a resistance band over a high anchor point, grip the bottom half with both hands, tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground (A). Pull the band down, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten out your arms (B), before slowly reversing the movement until your forearms are parallel once again.

2. Banded Bicep Curl x 50/40/30/20/10

Stand in the centre of a resistance band and hold both ends at waist height (A). Keeping your upper arms still, slowly curl your hands up towards your chest, squeezing your biceps hard at the top of each rep (B). Slowly lower your arms back to a dead hang and repeat.


Legs: Lunge ’n’ Squat

Use this high-rep leg burner to truly finish your pins. Holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in the ‘goblet’ position close to your chest, or just using your bodyweight — perform as many rounds as possible of: forward lunges, reverse lunges and feet-elevated squats. Begin with one rep of each (one rep on each leg for lunges), then immediately start round two with two reps of each, then three reps, then four etc. Climb as far up the ladder as you can manage in five minutes, then hobble back to the changing rooms.

walking lunge
walking lunge


1. Alternating forward lunge x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… etc.

Stand tall (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step forward with one leg, bending at the knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

bodyweight reverse lunge
bodyweight reverse lunge

2. Alternating reverse lunge x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… etc.

Stand tall (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

3. Goblet Cyclist Squats x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… etc.

Raise your heels up on a weight plate or block, keeping your feet within 6 inches of each other, heels close together. Hold your dumbbell close to your chest. Squat down until your thighs pass parallel to the ground (A). Stand up explosively, stopping just short of locking your legs out to keep the tension on the quads (B). Repeat.


Shoulders: Banded 21’s

Grab that resistance band again and pump up those deltoids with a shoulder-burning remix of a classic bicep protocol. Perform the full ’21’ protocol, 3 times, resting just as necessary between rounds to recover.

1. Band Lateral Raise 21’s x 3 Rounds

resistance band pump
resistance band pump

Step both feet into a light resistance band, gripping the top, with tension, at waist height (A). Pull the band upwards, laterally, until your hands reach shoulder height (B). Perform 7 reps in this fashion, followed by 7 reps only perform the top half of the movement and finally 7 reps of the bottom half.

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