Man Makers- One Heart Pounding Exercise [ 4 Workouts Included]
If the burpee exercise had a father, it would be the Man Maker.
The Man Maker is a full body exercise that will improve strength and endurance. This exercise is not suitable for someone that is relatively new to strength training.
Why do man Makers?
It's a pretty complete movement but it does require a bit of skill to do correctly. This movement has a row, a push up, a squat and an overhead press.
How to do Man Makers
First, you want to a grab a pair of dumbbells. Make sure to use ones that have straight edges like hex dumbbells. You can also use dumbbells with rounded edges or even kettlebells but this is more of an advanced progression.
Please be aware that opting for kettlebells presents more of an unstable set up, it would require a lot more core and shoulder stability.
Step 1: Start at the top of a plank position for a pair of dumbbells. Lower yourself into the bottom of a push-up position. Your torso should come very close to the ground.
Step 2: Once you push yourself back up, perform a single arm row for each side.
Step 3: This is the most difficult part in this sequence. This movement is called the clean. Hop your feet towards your dumbbells. Then stand up quickly, or perform a quick hip extension. Let the dumbbells travel very close your body on the way up. You want to drop quickly underneath the dumbbells before they arrive at the top.
Step 4: As soon as you catch them at the top, continue into an overhead press.
Step 5: Then bring back the dumbbells towards your shoulder and then to the ground. You can walk or hop your feet back to the top of the plank position.
Man makers vs Burpees
There is not doubt that man makers are tougher than burpees. Man Makers are tougher because you need to use external resistance; kettlebells or dumbbells. And also because you target more muscles. Man Makers also have an overhead press, the burpee does not. They require more skill and coordination to execute properly.
Burpees would be a better option for someone that wasn't as conditioned or if you simply wanted to move faster. They both will give you a heart pumping workout but you can do different variations of burpees.
Man Makers Workout Routines
Workout A
Workout A is a lower body dominant routine, meaning I focused on challenging the lower body. We know that Man Makers are a total body exercise.
This routine is for someone that is looking to include Man Makers into a lower body routine.So the exercise pattern looks like this; total body exercise, rest, lower body exercise, rest, total body exercise, rest and then the last lower body exercise. The rest periods are short, 20 seconds. Your heart rate will be pretty elevated throughout the workout.
The workout calls for you to rest 60 seconds between sets and you have 3 sets to complete. The entire duration of the workout will take you 11 minutes and 45 seconds to complete. If you need to tweak the rest periods so that you have enough time to recover by all means to do so. Just know that you will elongate the workout as well.
Workout b
Workout B will consists of only doing Man Makers. You will do one repetition of each Man Maker. Each time you do a new repetition you will select a slightly heavier weight. So it will look something like this: Start with 15 lbs on each arm and complete a repetition.
Then put those 15 lbs down and pick up 20 lbs for the next repetition, and so on until you complete the fifth repetition. At this point you will want to rest 90 seconds and then complete the set again.If you practice this routine over time your body will become adapted to the stress. To make it more challenging simply reduce the rest periods between sets, or add one more repetition.
Man Makers with kettlebells
As I've previously mentioned, doing Man Makers with kettlebells is extremely tough. In the video above, I'm doing one set of with ascending loads. Meaning, each time I do the movement, I will pick a heavier kettlebell.
Workout C
So far I've given you tough workouts right? Well, here's another tough one. But look at the bright side, these workouts will demand a lot from you but they are short. As a rule thumb, if intensity goes up, duration should come down. If you're just breezing through the gym mindlessly then maybe you need to workout for an hour or more.
Workout C is a total body routine like the others but with a focus on upper body. In the first circuit you will target your pulling muscles (your back). You will complete this circuit twice and then move on to the second circuit which focuses on your pressing muscles (chest and shoulders). You will complete this circuit twice as well.
Workout D
As if Man Makers alone wasn't enough, in this workout we have a EMOM with burpees. The workout is only 10 minutes long, but it's intense. You have 1 minute to complete 6 man makers. It might take you 40 seconds or I might take you the whole minute. As soon as that minute is up, you're going to 5 burpees under 1 minute.
Man makers are tough but it's a total body movement that can give you a big bang for your buck.
- Juan