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A Perfect Fit: A minimal workout for those with minimal time
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Anonymous user Mon Aug 21, 2006 15:05:01 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Let’s face it, no one has time to go to the gym.
I am always amused at those who complain about not having the time to go, as if they were the only people on the planet who were busy with kids, spouses, school, housework, babysitting, remodeling, four part-time jobs, 90-hour work weeks — whatever, you get the picture. “They” seem to think that those of us who do commit to an exercise program have a mystical extra number of hours given to us by the time fairy.
The fact is, if you want to stay in shape, you must prioritize that part of your life just like anything else. All of us fill our lives with important “stuff,” so trying to stay healthy is one more thing to deal with. That being said, this week’s article is for those of you who are busy (like the rest of us), but would like to keep things in the fitness part of life to the bare bones minimum.
The workout consists of an upper and lower body day with a total of five exercises each day. It may be performed in any order of your choosing and any day of the week: two in a row, one day on and one day off, or one day on and two days off — whatever fits your so, so, so busy schedule. The important thing is to pick a time and day and stick with those times. We are all creatures of habit and you will be more likely to stay with the program if you make it a regularly scheduled activity.
If you are unfamiliar with the terminology or exercises, I would suggest employing a trainer at least for a few workouts to learn the movements correctly. You may then proceed on your own and simply mix up the routine once in a while to 1) maintain better progress and 2) break up the monotony of the same old routine.
For those of you who think this small amount of work will not give maximum results, you would be correct. This is designed for the person who literally wants something rather than nothing at all. It is an excellent program for those who are burned out with their current routine, or maybe you actually like to workout while on vacation, like I do, but don’t want to spend much time in the gym. So for those of you who just don’t have time to workout, I give you the minimum workout for success.
Upper body:
1) Dumbbell benchpress on fitness ball: three sets to failure, medium weight, fast tempo. Rest 60 seconds between sets. Rest two minutes after last set before going to next exercise.
2) Seated rows or pull-downs: three sets of eight and one set of 15, medium weight. Rest for 45 seconds between sets.
3) Seated shoulder dumbbell press: three sets of eight. Rest 45 seconds between sets. Rest two minutes after last set.
4) Ab exercise of your choice: three sets to failure, medium tempo, 45 seconds. Rest between sets.
5) Seven minutes of cardio of choice. If you workout at home and don’t own a piece of cardio equipment, a walk outside at a brisk pace is good. Or stand in place and do “knee highs” (kind of like marching in place) for 45-second bursts followed by 15-second rest breaks. Don’t lift too high or you will not be able to maintain a steady pace for very long. The idea is to move at a steady pace for seven continuous minutes.
The entire workout shouldn’t take you longer than 40 minutes.
Let me interject here, if you are a total novice or way out of shape, start with one set of everything and end with one or two minutes of cardio. It is better to establish a routine than to worry about the amount of work you are doing at this point.
Lower body:
1) Dumbbell deadlifts (these are great): five sets of five to eight reps, light to medium weight, controlled tempo; 90-second rest between sets.  Rest two minutes after last set.
2) Dumbbell lunges (I hate these, I hate all lunges): two sets of 10, medium weight. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Rest two minutes after last set.
3) Single leg calf raises holding on to a dumbbell: three sets of 10 to 15 reps, as heavy as possible,  alternate each leg. No rest between sets. (This is fun.) Rest two minutes after completion.
4) Ab exercise of choice: two sets to failure.
5) Cardio of choice for seven minutes, steady pace.
There you have it.  A basic, to-the-point, hit-al-body-parts, minimum workout. Neither workout takes very long and will produce fair to good results, depending on your level of fitness when you begin. I wish you well with it and remember, only those who quit will fail.
E-mail Ken at:
ken@wheelersfitness.com

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