Let’s be real, “I don’t have time” is the most overused excuse in fitness. You don’t need two hours a day and a laundry list of exercises to look and perform like an athlete. You just need the right moves, done hard, done often.
Here’s the good news. Four exercises, that’s it, can build a body that’s strong, fast, and ready for anything. No fluff. No endless isolation work. Just big, compound lifts that hit multiple muscle groups at once and train your body to move as one solid unit.
Forget the magazine workouts with 20 different lifts. Unless you’re a pro bodybuilder with all day to train and a pharmacy in your gym bag, you don’t need them. You need efficiency, intensity, and the kind of training that actually transfers to the real world.
We won’t be doing calf raises or bicep curls or lateral raises in here since they only use one muscle group each.
If you are going to work your whole body in just 4 exercises you are going to need to work several muscle groups with each exercise. Not only that, if you want to look like an athlete, you need to train like one, and athlete training focuses on compound exercises like these. Now that we have all that out of the way, let’s get to the exercises.
What is an Athletic Body?
An athletic body is a physique built for performance. It is strong, fast, balanced, and capable of handling both power and endurance work.
While the exact look can vary depending on the sport, most athletic bodies share some common traits. Well-defined muscles, lower body fat, and a balanced, proportional frame are typical. The goal is not just to look fit but to be able to perform well in a wide range of physical activities.
How Long Does it Take To Get an Athletic Body?
The timeline for building an athletic body isn’t the same for everyone. It depends on where you’re starting, what your goals are, and how much effort you’re willing to put in both inside and outside the gym. If you’re already moderately fit, you could see noticeable improvements in as little as 8 to 12 weeks. If you’re starting from scratch or aiming for a high level of performance and definition, you’re looking at closer to a year, or more, of consistent, focused work.
If your main goal is to simply look more athletic, you can make visible progress quickly by combining strength training, conditioning work, and proper nutrition. But if you want to actually perform like an athlete, being faster, stronger, and more explosive, then you’ll need to follow a structured program and commit to the long haul. That kind of transformation takes time, discipline, and a plan that balances training with recovery.
Here are some of the biggest factors that determine how fast you’ll see results:
Training Program – Following a progressive strength program that focuses on compound lifts will build muscle, strength, and athletic movement faster than random workouts. Exercises like squats, pull-ups, and cleans train multiple muscle groups at once and give the most return for your time. Adding sprint work, sled pushes, or HIIT sessions can boost conditioning and speed up fat loss.
Nutrition – What you eat is just as important as how you train. Getting enough protein to support muscle growth, keeping calories in the right range for your goals, and focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods will accelerate progress.
Recovery – You don’t grow in the gym, you grow when you recover. Quality sleep, proper rest days, and recovery habits like stretching or mobility work all help your body repair and get stronger.
Genetics – Everyone responds differently to training. Some people build muscle faster, others lose fat more easily. You can’t change your genetics, but you can maximize your own potential through consistent effort.
If you want to speed things up, track your workouts, monitor your nutrition, and adjust based on your progress. Many people work with coaches or nutritionists to keep themselves on track and remove the guesswork.
The truth is, developing an athletic body is more about consistency than anything else. The first couple of months will bring exciting changes, but the real transformation happens when training and healthy eating become part of your lifestyle.
And here’s the good news, building an athletic body doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym every day. In fact, you can get incredible results with as little as four key exercises if you choose the right ones. These moves train multiple muscle groups at once, build both strength and power, and improve the way your body moves. Let’s break down exactly what they are and how to use them.
Squats
The king of lower body lifts. Squats build power from the ground up, working your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core. If you want strong, athletic legs or a tight, round glute look, this is where it starts.
Go deep. Parallel at minimum. Use back squats for overall strength and front squats for extra quad and core engagement. Skip the half reps and train through a full range of motion for maximum results.
Upper-body power begins here. The bench press hits your chest, shoulders, and triceps, with your core stabilizing the weight.
Mix variations to stay balanced. Incline bench targets the upper chest, close grip focuses on triceps, and dumbbells challenge stabilizers while protecting the joints. Ladies, this will not make you bulky. It will make you strong, and strong always looks good.
Pull Ups
Nothing says “athletic” like the ability to haul your own bodyweight up to a bar. Pull-ups widen your back, build your arms, and develop the grip strength to control anyone you’re up against.
If you can’t do one yet, use a band or assist machine until you can. Change grips. Wide for lats, narrow for biceps, underhand for chin-ups. Earn the skill, then own it.
Photo Credit: Nicholson Studios
Cleans
If squats are the king, cleans are the hammer. This is a full-body power move that builds explosiveness, coordination, and balance. You’ll hit your legs, back, traps, shoulders, arms, and core in one athletic movement.
Athletes in every sport use cleans to get faster and more powerful. If you want a body that’s as functional as it is good-looking, this one is non-negotiable.
How to Put It Together
Train each exercise twice a week. Four to five sets per lift. Vary your reps, go heavy for strength some days (4–6), moderate for muscle (8–12), and high for endurance (15–20).
Add two short HIIT sessions per week. That could mean sprints, sled pushes, assault bike, or kettlebell circuits. Keep your nutrition dialed in, make recovery a priority, and stay consistent.
With these four exercises, you can build strength, speed, and muscle in as little as two to three hours per week. No more excuses. Get in, get to work, and get results.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic with over 25 years in the industry. He’s run half marathons, tackled mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, and coached everything from wrestling to girls’ soccer.
Along the way, he’s tested hundreds of supplements and built a deep well of supplement knowledge. His work has appeared in Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review, and more. Today, he’s the editor-in-chief of this site, still training hard and helping others reach their goals. Connect with him on LinkedIn below.
