We don't need a monumental turn of the calendar to
start anew. We can do it at any moment we choose. But something
about the clock striking midnight to signify the beginning of the New Year sure
does get our hearts pumping with new found motivation.
That's not a bad thing. Take motivation
wherever you can get it. The challenge soon becomes: How do you keep it
alive? More specifically, when it comes to fitness goals, why do people
quit almost before they even begin?
The most easily explained answer is that people
don't believe their efforts will pay off, or they think it will be too
difficult to maintain a rigorous workout schedule and expensive health food
diet.
Most don't realize that spending hours in the gym
is not the key to success. If done properly, you can lose weight, build
muscle, tighten, tone and improve overall health in as little as 20 minutes per
day. In order to make the most of your workout in the least amount of
time possible, follow these 3 simple rules.
1) Do
multi-joint exercises: If you're truly pressed for time
and overall conditioning is your goal, stick to exercises that incorporate
multiple muscle groups at once.
2) Get
explosive: Don't be afraid to jump, bounce, hop and prance. Including
short bursts of intense activity will increase heart rate, thus burning more
calories in less time. Additionally, you’ll be engaging your fast twitch
muscle fibers, which are lost more quickly than slow twitch muscle fibers as we
age, so you're protecting your vitality too!
If you’re really pushing yourself, these intense bursts followed by a
short recovery period will stimulate your body to produce more HGH (human
growth hormone), thus allowing you to increase lean tissue and burn fat more
efficiently even while the body is at rest.
3) Don't
get distracted: No textercising, socializing or reading a
magazine while you get your workout in. You'll slow down, take longer
breaks between sets or even just find a reason to walk away without finishing.
Leave the phone out of site and focus on the task at hand. It's 20
short minutes to achieve success.
If you employ these 3 simple rules, you'll find it
much easier to keep your workout on your schedule without making excuses.
Finding 20 minutes can be as simple as waking up earlier, taking a
shorter lunch break or cutting down on your TV time (sounds horrific, but I bet
you five bucks, you won't even miss it!).
Now that it's on your schedule and you're committed to it, you'll be
seeing and feeling the results/benefits in just a few weeks. That will
also keep you motivated.
Feeling lost as to what this workout should look like. Check out
this Sample Workout:
Set a timer for 20 minutes and try to get through as many rounds of
these exercises as you can (while keeping good form). Allow a 30-45 second rest between exercises.
Balancing on one leg (don’t lock knee), holding a dumbbell in the
opposite hand, reach the dumbbell toward the foot of the supporting leg. As you lift up, raise the arm with the
dumbbell out lateral and continue to balance on the supporting leg. Repeat 15 reps on one side then repeat on the
other side.
Start in a standing position.
Step back into a reverse lunge. Explode up in the center bringing the
legs together then landing with the legs in the opposite lunge position. Repeat 15 on each side.
Starting in a high plank, lower down into a close grip tricep pushup,
keeping the elbows in close to your ribs.
As you press back into your high plank, open up the chest and reach one
arm up high, stacking shoulder over shoulder.
Repeat, opening up to the other side until you’ve completed 15 reps on
each side.
Bring the feet close together and squeeze the inner thighs as you sink
into a narrow squat with dumbbells curled up at the shoulders. As you straighten the legs, squeeze the
glutes and abs while rotating the palms forward and pressing the dumbbells
straight up over the head. Return to
start position and repeat for 15 reps.
With dumbbells in both hands, start in a high plank position. Hop the feet between the hands and row the
dumbbells up, keeping the elbows in by the ribcage as you row. Extend the arms back down to the ground and
hop back into a high plank position.
Repeat for 15 reps.
If you’re just getting started, you may need some modifications. Have a trainer take you through these
exercises and check you for proper technique and form.
Keep in mind, much like any skill: motivation is like a vitamin that
needs to be taken regularly. Re-read
this article or other motivating pieces to remind yourself that your health is
a priority and fitness is achievable.
