5 Epic Finishers to Burn Extra Calories After Your Workout
If you're done with your strength or cardio session but still have 10-15 minutes to spare, pick one of these five workout finishers to build core strength, work on your grip, shred your arms, or just straight up burn some extra calories. These quick routines are for when the gym is about to close, when you’ve hit a muscle-building or fat-loss plateau, or when you want to get a quick pump.
Related: The 100+ Best Exercises for Your Entire Body
Workout Finishers: What Are the Exercises That Burn the Most Calories?
Workout Finisher 1: Core Blast
3 Rounds — Equipment Needed: 2 Dumbbells
10 Dumbbell Ab Slams
How to Do It: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (hook lying position). Hold one dumbbell with both hands around its handle and place it over your head with your arms extended against the floor. This is the starting position. Do a sit-up with the dumbbell, using momentum to slam the dumbbell towards the floor between your knees. Return the weight back down to the floor behind you as you lower your back to the floor. That’s one rep.
10 Dumbbell Sit-Up and Gos
How to Do It: Start in hook lying position with one dumbbell in each hand and your arms extended toward the ceiling. This is the starting position. Do a sit-up with the weights in your hands, placing each weight on the floor next to each foot as you reach peak height with your torso. Return back to the starting position without the weight. Then, do a bodyweight sit-up, grab the weights again, and — keeping your arms straight — return to the starting position with the weights. That’s one rep.
40-Second Hollow Hold
How to Do It: Sit on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Now, lean back slightly and raise your feet off of the floor, reaching your arms toward your feet with your hands underneath or at the side of your legs. Hold this position — keeping your knees bent — for 40 seconds. You can also increase the difficulty by straightening your legs and/or raising your arms toward the ceiling.
10 Plyometric Sit-Ups
How to Do It: Lie on a mat on your back (supine) with your arms at your sides and your legs extended against the floor. Raise both legs toward the ceiling and even further until your toes reach the floor above your head. Lower your legs back down and tap your heels to the floor. That’s one rep. Throw the legs back over your head for the next rep. This is an advanced exercise that shouldn’t be performed by people with any injuries. (A modification would be leg raises that stop when they are at 90 degrees with your torso.)
Related: The 15 Best Exercises for Your Abs
10 Dumbbell Overhead Side Bends (each side)
How to Do It: Hold a light dumbbell (5-15 pounds) in each hand with your arms extended overhead and your hands about 12 inches apart. Your hands should be in an overhand (pronated) grip. Lean your torso to the right, keeping both of your arms straight and above your head. (It’s not a rotation, just a side bend with dumbbells overhead — not held at your sides.) Return your arms to the center, then reach toward the left side. Return your arms to the center once more, and that’s one rep for each side.
Workout Finisher 2: Grip Torcher
Equipment Needed: 2 Heavy Dumbbells (>30 pounds) and 1 Barbell (45+ pounds)
Dumbbell Farmer Carries
Duration: 3 trips of 25-50 feet each
10 Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls (each arm)
How to Do It: Use a short, straight barbell. Stand facing away from the barbell rack that holds the short (non-Olympic) barbells. Put your hands behind you so that your shoulders are extended, grab the barbell with your hands about 12 inches apart, and remove it from the rack so that you’re now standing with the bar held behind you. This is the starting position. Release your palms from the bar, rolling it onto your fingertips, then roll it back up your fingertips and into your palm. That’s one rep. Be sure to always keep a straight back and some space between your hands and your hips.
Related: These 8 Exercises Strengthen Your Grip and Prevent Hand Ripping During Races
10 Dumbbell Wrist Extensions (each arm)
How to Do It: While standing, hold one 5-10 pound dumbbell in one hand with an overhand grip and your arm bent at 90 degrees. This is the starting position. Slowly bring your wrist toward the ceiling, and then return it back down to a neutral position. That’s one rep. You can also kneel in front a bench, place your forearm on the bench, let your wrist hang over the edge, and extend the wrist with the arm supported.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Reps: 20, 15, 12, and 10
Trainer Tip: Increase your weight by 10 pounds after each set, decreasing reps every set.
Dead Hangs
Duration (3 Sets): 15-30 seconds (beginner), 30-60 seconds (intermediate), 1-2 minutes (advanced)
Related: Why Doing a Daily Dead Hang Can Save Your Life
Workout Finisher 3: Arm Pumper
Equipment Needed: 2 Dumbbells, 1 Barbell, and 1 Resistance Tube With Handles
Superset 1
Dumbbell Concentration Curls
Sets: 3
Reps: 12, 10, 8
Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks
Sets: 3
Reps: 12, 10, 8
Superset 2
Barbell Curls
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Barbell Lying Triceps Extensions (“Skullcrushers”)
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Superset 3
Resistance Band Curls
Sets: 3
Reps: 10, 15, 20
Push-Ups
Sets: 3
Reps: 20, 15, 10
Workout Finisher 4: HIIT Calorie Burner
2 Rounds: 40 seconds work, 40 seconds rest — Equipment Needed: 1 Kettlebell and 2 Dumbbells
Kettlebell Swings
Burpee Broad Jumps
How to Do It: Do a burpee, then jump with both of your feet forward. Repeat. You will probably need to turn around and go back the way you came, depending on how much space you have.
Related: These Three 30-Second Kettlebell Flows Will Test Your Fitness
Crab Walk Squares
How to Do It: Crab walk forward for 4 steps, then laterally for 4 steps, then backward for 4 steps, and then laterally again toward where you started to close out the square.
Box Jumps
Dumbbell Squat and Press
Workout Finisher 5: Full-Body, 10-Minute AMRAP
In 10 minutes, complete as many rounds as possible of:
20 Bodyweight Squats
20 Dumbbell Rows (using 2 dumbbells at a time)
15 Push-Ups
10 Sit-Ups
10 V-Ups
