No Equipment Workout

One of my brothers asked me to design a 30 minute bodyweight workout that he and his son could do together before work/school. (Unfortunately, not the same brother and nephew I mentioned around Christmas.) We went through the routine yesterday.

Warmup- 3 rounds of 10 reps of each of the following 3 exercises:
Prisoner Squats
Wall Pushups
Windmills

For the actual workout, I've paired non-competing exercises in supersets. Perform the first exercise and then go directly to the second. Then rest 30-60 seconds as needed and repeat.

Work up to 15 reps of each exercise, using good form and a full range of motion (or 15 reps per side when doing individual legs or alternating sides.)

It looks like this:

Stationary Lunges
Pushups (whatever type you can do with good form)

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed.

Stationary Lunges
Pushups

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed.

Feet on Floor Hip Bridge
Plank Lift

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed.

Feet on Floor Hip Bridge
Plank Lift

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed.

Slow Mountain Climbers
Bicycles

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed.

Slow Mountain Climbers
Bicycles

As you get more fit, you can decrease the amount of rest between supersets. If you have time, you can add a third superset of each of the above exercises.

The guys decided on more frequent but shorter sessions so they will be alternating between strength days and cardio days. My brother does have a treadmill but no other cardio equipment so a little creativity was involved.

I had one of them do 3 minutes on the treadmill while the other did three minutes of easy bodyweight activity such as 50 ankle bounces, 30 uppercuts, 30 jumping jacks, etc. Every 3 minutes they'll switch. If you think that the non-treadmill stuff wouldn't get your heart rate up enough, I'm sure my "trainees" would disagree. :-)

You don't need a roomful of equipment to get in better shape. Start with this basic workout and change up every 4-6 weeks.

If you're interested in fat loss, ditch the soda, sugary "fruit" drinks and processed foods and eat more fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Go easy on the starchy carbs and when you do eat them, choose 100% whole grain over white bread and pasta.

All exercise will help improve your health but if your main priority is fat loss, you must include proper nutrition. Remember, you can't out-train a bad diet.