The best workout for when you have zero time and zero space

There are many ways to combine cardio and lifting into the same workout, and each has its own advantages. If you’re pressed for time and limited with space and equipment, complexes are the best of these options.

“A complex is a group of exercises done using one piece of fitness equipment,” says NYC-based trainer Joe Dowdell - say, a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or a suspension trainer. The movements are performed back to back, and you don’t rest until you’ve finished all your reps for every lift.

“Complexes are very time-efficient, and are great for fat loss,” says Dowdell, “because you perform a high volume of work in a short period of time - 15 to 30 minutes.”

Use this advice:

• Choose lifts that feed into one another. For example, performing a hang clean brings the barbell to your shoulders, which then allows you to do a front squat seamlessly. From the top of the front squat you can easily perform an overhead press.
• Connect four to eight exercises, and do five to seven reps for each. Do all the reps for one move and then go on to the next. Recover for 45 to 90 seconds after one round - or until your heart rate returns to 60 to 65 percent of its max. Repeat for four to six rounds.
• Use the same weight for every exercise in the series. The lift that you’re weakest in will ultimately determine the load that you use. For example, you can certainly front squat more weight than you can overhead press, but you’ll have to use your pressing weight for the whole series. That’s okay, as complexes are for conditioning, not maximum muscle gains-the weight is just a means of getting your heart rate up. “It’s best to start with a light weight,” says Dowdell, “sometimes just the bar itself, and slowly build up.”

• Hang Clean

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  Start by holding the bar in front of your thighs with your hands at shoulder width. Your feet should be hip-width apart. Bend your hips and knees so that the bar lowers to just above your knees. Your head, spine, and pelvis should be aligned and your core tight (think: ribs down).

  Then, explosively extend your hips and knees as if jumping, while at the same time shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar straight up in front of your torso. As the bar reaches chest level, bend your elbows and flip your wrists to catch the bar at shoulder level, palms facing the ceiling. Bend your hips and knees as you catch the bar to absorb the impact.

• Front Squat

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  From the top position of your last hang clean, set your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out slightly. Take a deep breath and squat as low as you can, while keeping your head, spine, and pelvis aligned. Keep your elbows pointing forward to balance the bar.

  Push Press

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  From the top of your last front squat, dip your knees quickly and then come up explosively so that your legs help you press the bar overhead. Lower the bar to shoulder level again and repeat.

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