Try This 5-Minute Full-Body Exercise with Fitness Expert Berto Calkins

|Updated May 11, 2022
@whatsgoodberto

Exercising every muscle group may seem like a week's worth of work, but all of this can be accomplished in just five minutes a day, with this total-body workout video thanks to fitness expert Berto Calkins, known as @whatsgoodberto on Instagram.

Strength and resistance workouts are extremely important now, to feel your strongest, most mobile, and stay injury-free. When one muscle group is stronger than another, you're likely to have an imbalance that leads to pain or possibly more serious injury, especially in the stronger areas that try to compensate for the weaker ones. For instance, your back may be stronger than your abs, so your back muscles will over-perform the stabilizing, pulling, bending or lifting job that your abs should be helping with, and to protect your spine you'll pull a muscle or even herniate a disc.

To avoid back and hip pain, work your abs and strengthen the opposing muscles

Pain in your back, neck, hips, or psoas muscles (which help stabilize the spine and open the hips) means that if you strengthen your abs and core, it can help avoid injuries in those areas that are over-compensating. To avoid these problems, strengthen all your muscles so they can perform all the right jobs, and put less pressure on the painful or over-used areas.

In this easy, 5-minute, total body workout, you will start by strengthening your hamstrings and glutes then work your way to ab exercises which will strengthen both your lower and upper abs, then work your chest and biceps with one quick round of push-ups. At the end you'll finish the workout with a movement to help strengthen up your back and shoulders.

For more quick workouts with Berto Calkins, try these 5-minute exercises:

Here Are Your 5 Most Effective Moves For Stronger Arms, Abs, and Legs

First Move: Wall Sit with Half Floss

In a squat position against the wall, put your arms out straight from your chest and hold a lightly weighted bar (Berto uses a golf club). Hold the squat position for one minute while raising the bar, keeping straight arms, until it is above your head, then lower it back down to parallel with your chest. The bar should never go below chest level.

Second Move: 1-Minute Bear Plank

In a tabletop position with hands and knees on the floor and feet straight out behind you, lift your knees from the mat and hold this position for one minute. This is called a bear plank and it focuses on strengthening your lower abdominals.

Third Move: Pike Push-Up

Starting in a push-up position, raise your hips up towards the sky and hold this position (butt in the air) while you bend at the elbow, lowering your chest to the floor, then push back up so the chest is in the push-up position. Your butt will remain in the air the entire time and your body will be in a mountain-like position, which looks wrong but is correct.

Fourth Move: Narrow Stance Squat + Towel Pull-apart

In a squat position, move your feet closer together so your stance is narrow (the insides of your toes are a foot apart or less). Grab a small towel or dishrag to hold in front of your chest (similar to the first wall sit with golf club). Squat down in perfect form, with your heels staying firmly planted on the floor, chest staying high and open. Squat until you are lower than 90 degrees at the knees, then return up to standing and repeat this movement for one minute.

Fifth Move: Back Widow 

Lie on your mat or the floor, placing your arms out to the sides and keeping your upper arms, above your elbows, on the mat, lift your forearms so your bicep muscles (back of arms) are the only part of your arms touching the mat. Then, lift your chest, upper back and shoulders off the mat, raising up as far as you can but pushing u from your elbows. Then slowly lower upper body back down to mat, and repeat this movement for one minute.