A Better 7-Minute Workout

In the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, a 7 minute workout was published. It also appeared in The NY Times Magazine and spread all over the internet.

The good? No exercise equipment was needed, just a chair and a wall and the creators of the workout stress working at a high intensity. (Regardless of TV infomercial hawkers and other snake oil salesman, if you think you can do 7 minutes of fluff and call it a workout, you’re kidding yourself.)

Each exercise should be done back to back and performed for 30 seconds at a difficulty level of 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. You take 10 seconds between exercises to transition and rest. In describing the intensity, the author says the 7 minutes should be ”unpleasant”.  But, hey, after 7 minutes, you’re done, right? Well, kinda sorta.

The not-so-good? The exercise selection. While I would not categorize it as horrible,  there is definitely room for improvement. My 2 biggest criticisms:

1. If you only have 7 minutes to exercise, you should not be wasting ANY of it doing Ab Crunches. There are lots of better exercises for your abdominals that actually work your entire core. 

2. For many people, Tricep Bench Dips are an invitation to shoulder problems. I stopped having my clients do them years ago.

Below is a better alternative. Remember, work hard but use good form. Rest. Repeat 2-3 times, if desired.

If you are not a regular exerciser, pace yourself. As you get more fit, go faster (but always with good form).

1.    Total Body Extension

2.    Side Plank Reach Through OR Side Plank - L side

3.    Side Plank Reach Through OR Side Plank - R side

4.    Lying Hip Bridge

5.    Pushup

6.    Speed Skater   

7.    Bodyweight Renegade Row

8.    Stationary Prisoner Lunge - L side

9.    Stationary Prisoner Lunge - R side

10.  Spiderman Climb

11.  Prisoner Squats

Exercising just 7 minutes is not something you want to do on a regular basis but, if you push yourself, you can get a challenging workout with just 1 round of the above workout.  

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Bodyweight Home / Travel Workout

Below are two versions of a circuit that can be done with no equipment. You can make the workout as long or short as you like, depending upon how many times you complete the circuit.

Do 10-15 reps per exercise (per side on single arm/leg movements). Complete whichever circuit you choose with little or no rest between exercises. After completing all 5 exercises, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat for a total of 2-5 rounds.


HARDER:

• Plank to Pushup
• Single Leg Hip Lift
• Pushups
• Prisoner Front Lunge
• Spiderman Climbs

EASIER:

• Stationary Lunge *
• Plank Lifts
• Bodyweight Squats
• Knee or Incline Pushups
• Lying Hip Bridge

(* Also known as Split Squats)

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2 No Equipment Workout Circuits For You

Here's two quick videos boot camper Amy and I filmed on Friday. They are both no-equipment circuits you can do on days you can't get to the gym.

Need an easier workout? Check out this one...

Try them out then leave a comment and tell me what you think.

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2 Bodyweight Circuits For You

Below are 2 no-equipment circuits you can use at home or while you're traveling.

There are 6 exercises in each circuit. Perform 10-15 reps of all 6 exercises with as little rest in between them as possible. (If you haven't been exercising, you may want to start out with 8 reps per exercise.)

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat. You can work up to 6 rounds if you have the time and fitness level.

If you're looking for more of a challenge, go with Workout B.









Let me know what you think!

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Take Your Workout Outside

It's cold in Lancaster today but here's a bodyweight workout you can do outside when it's nice. Remember to take water with you and you might want a towel for the last two exercises.

Warm up first and then try this:

10-15 reps of each exercise (or per side if it’s a single leg exercise)

· Prisoner Squats
· Pushups (If you can't do standard pushups, use a park bench, picnic table, etc. and do Incline Pushups.) The lower, the more difficult.
· Prisoner Static Lunge (Also known as Split Squat or Stationary Lunge)
· Mountain Climbers
· Lying Single Leg Hip Lift
· Plank - Hold as long as possible, up to 60 seconds.

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed and repeat up to 5 times.

If you're a beginner, feel free to start out with 8 reps or less per exercise. Don't go crazy but make sure you challenge yourself.

Let me know what you think.

No-Equipment Workout Circuit

Want a quick, no-equipment workout you can do anywhere?

Work up to 15 reps of each exercise in the following circuit. (You can start out with 8-10 reps if you're not a regular exerciser.) Complete the circuit with little or no rest between exercises. After completing the circuit, rest 30-60 seconds and repeat for a total of 3-6 rounds.

* Bodyweight Squat
* Pushups (whatever kind you can do- regular, incline, knee)
* Stationary Lunge - R (also referred to as Split Squat or Static Lunge)
* Stationary Lunge - L
* Bodyweight Renegade Row
* Single Leg Hip Lift - R
* Single Leg Hip Lift - L
* Plank Lift

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Quickie Holiday Mini Bodyweight Circuit

No time? No equipment? No excuse.

This mini bodyweight circuit will only take about 3 minutes to complete. Perform 10-15 reps of each exercise (per side). Do as many rounds as you have time for, resting 30-60 seconds after each circuit as necessary.

* Stationary Lunge (also known as a Split Squat or Static Lunge)
* Bodyweight Renegade Row
* Single Leg Hip Extension
* Slow Mountain Climbers

Concentrate on good form. Make your muscles work; don't race through it.

Let me know what you think below.

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.

Quick Home or Travel Workout

Looking for a fast workout on days you can’t get to the gym? Even without any equipment you can stay active during the busy holiday season. Try this:

Bodyweight Circuit: 10-15 reps of each exercise (or per side if it’s a single leg exercise)

· Prisoner Squats
· Incline Pushups (Use a countertop, dresser, table, etc. The lower, the more difficult. You can do standard pushups if you're able.)
· Good Mornings
· Mountain Climbers
· Standing Alternating Elbow to Opposite Knee
· Prisoner Static Lunge (Also known as Split Squat or Stationary Lunge)

Rest 30-60 seconds as needed and repeat up to 5 times. Each round will take approximately 4-5 minutes.
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