Ultimate Body Overhaul

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Get a bigger, stronger body fast (we're talking weeks!) with this head-to-toe muscle makeover from Men's Health magazine. Starting from the top, we'll take you step-by-step through the most effective workouts for all your major muscle groups.

Shoulders

This 4-week plan is designed to work the entire shoulder girdle—all the muscles that hold your upper-arm bone in its socket and allow the shoulder blade to move. This includes your deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids and scapular stabilizers. Get the moves....

Back

Want to improve your lat pulldown and build a bigger back? You'll need to work the stabilizing muscles in your shoulders and upper arms to produce solid lat muscles that can handle heavier loads. This 4-week exercise plan effectively increases strength and mass. Get the moves....

Chest

This routine attacks the primary cause of puniness. "The mistake most men make when looking for more chest size and strength is always sticking to the traditional eight-to-12-repetition principle," says Jason Ferruggia, owner of Renegade Strength and Conditioning, in Warren, New Jersey. Ferruggia's first rule: Diversify your repetition schemes and emphasize heavier-weight, lower-repetition sets. This allows you to target your body's fast-twitch muscle fibers, the ones with the greatest potential for growth. This 8-week plan trains your body to use more muscle in every exercise. Get the moves....

Abs

Looking to shave even more time off your workout while shaving fat from your waistline?

These five moves work several areas of your midsection simultaneously. Use any one of the following substitutions to cover two or three areas with one exercise and you can reduce your workout plan to just a few exercises instead of five. Get the moves....

Butt & Legs

The classic barbell back squat develops all the muscles of your lower body, making it a must-have move in any workout plan. It develops strength and power in the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, all in one basic movement.

Here, you'll find two upgrades that strengthen the same muscles while also engaging your core. An added bonus: You'll build an athletic body by improving the flexibility and stability of your lats, lower back, hips and abs. Get the moves....

Feet

When was the last time you worked your feet? Top trainers know that two secrets to big athletic gainsare at the ends of your legs. By focusing part of your workout on your feet, you'll gain greater speed, agility, power, and balance. "And, certainly, strong and flexible feet and ankles put you at less risk of sprains, strains, and other injuries," says Richard Cotton, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist at myexerciseplan.com. Get the moves....

Photograph by Piotr Sikora

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Provided by Men's Health