Express Workout: Fitness For Busy People

Right, you’re in desperate need of a quick workout idea and that’s exactly what you’re going to get. In this lightning-fast article we’re going to lay out two easy routines you can do anytime you want. One will be for the outdoors and the other for a quick stop at the gym. The beauty of it is that when you’re done you’ll feel like you’ve been at the gym for an hour!

Can You Sweat?

Meaning, make sure that when you do this you’re wearing something you can sweat in. If you’re a heavy-sweater this isn’t the best workout to do in your work clothes or before a date!

Why do these Workouts Work So Well?

Because if you manipulate rest periods, you can perform metabolic miracles. You can basically smoosh an hour workout into 20 minutes if you take out most of the time you would be sitting, resting, chatting, getting water, etc. Intervals are unavoidable. We do them when we work out by default. When you’re in a hurry, just dramatically up the intensity!

There’s no time requirement to reach the afterburn effect, not really. Intensity is the biggest determining factor. So, imagine getting physical for a mere 10 minutes and then burning up to 300 calories after you’re done.

Workout #1: 10 Minutes of Sprints & Burpees Routine

All that’s required is the space to do short sprints. You only need to hit top speed for a second. Between each sprint you’ll do 10 burpees. Now, there’s only 10 minutes to spare here so there won’t be any rest periods. And, yes, those sprints get real hard real quick. So the key here is to conserve energy during the burpees. It looks like this:

• Step 1: Fast, intense take off to top speed, then slow down.

• Step 2: Come to a stop and do 10 burpees.

• Step 3: Rinse and repeat for 10 minutes without any rest whatsoever.

Workout #2: 15 Minute Effective Dumbbell Routine

Let’s say you have 15 minutes so you stop by the gym and need a really effective upper body workout. Great! Go grab a single dumbbell of moderate-to-heavy weight. So for a decently fit guy we’re talking between 15-20 kgs. For women, roughly 30% lower.

• Exercise 1: You’re going to do a set of 8-10 single-arm dumbbell chest presses. As you’ll see, because you’re only using one arm, you’re using a ton of other muscles simultaneously. 

• Exercise 2: Shift over to the side of whatever bench you’re using and do 8-10 skull crushers. Don’t lie flat on the bench so your whole body is supported. Instead, create that bridge-look with your body so you use all those other muscle groups.

• Exercise 3: Now, lie flat on the bench and hold the dumbbell with both hands. You’re going to do 20 knee-ins and chest presses simultaneously. As you push the dumbbell up, bring your knees up into your chest. As your legs go out the dumbbell comes down. No rest.

• Exercise 4: Hop on up and use the bench to do a set of 8-10 dumbbell rows per arm.

Shoot for 3 sets in 15 minutes with as little rest in between sets and exercises as you can possibly stand! Your heart will be pumping, your sweat glands will be activated and calories will continue to burn brightly for the rest of the day! Be creative, you can conjure up almost endless workouts to do once you realize that without rest you can exhaust yourself incredibly fast. Enjoy the rush!