For Every Busy Bee, Get a Powerful Workout in Under an Hour

Between work, family, and a growing “to do” list, we all have moments when we find ourselves strapped for time. In those moments, finding the motivation to workout can be tough, especially if all you have is barely an hour. You might wonder if it’s worth it all to squeeze in a workout when you are crunched for time. I’m here to tell you it is, because there is a way to get a full body workout in under an hour, no gym required.

Published: October 23, 2014 1:45 AM IST

By Saffluence

For Every Busy Bee, Get a Powerful Workout in Under an Hour

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Saffluence
By Anu Ashok 

Between work, family, and a growing “to do” list, we all have moments when we find ourselves strapped for time. In those moments, finding the motivation to workout can be tough, especially if all you have is barely an hour. You might wonder if it’s worth it all to squeeze in a workout when you are crunched for time. I’m here to tell you it is, because there is a way to get a full body workout in under an hour, no gym required.

Blast Fat with Cardio

The key to a comprehensive full body workout is making sure you are packing in sufficient cardio time as well as working your key muscle groups. The minimum cardio time is technically no less than 20 minutes, but in my experience you really need 30. Pick your cardio of choice, whether it is running or biking and push yourself – hard. Remember, you are only doing this cardio for a short amount of time so it is important to challenge yourself and get your heart rate up. This will maximize your calorie burn and help blast away fat. Think of it as a race against yourself and push, push, push!

Crank Out Calisthenics

Once your cardio is out of the way, you want to pick three calisthenic exercises to work three different muscle groups (say, shoulders, abs, quads). Calisthenics, or body weight exercises, are movements that don’t require the use of equipment or workout apparatus. Calisthenics utilize your own body weight to build muscle strength, stamina, and flexibility. The best part about calisthenics is they can be done anywhere. Once again, no gym required! Below is a list of some good calisthenic exercises by muscle group, so pick your poison (one from each group):

Arms/Shoulders:

– Pushups (three sets of 15-20)

– Pullups (only if there’s a sturdy bar around! as many as you can crank out, these are tough)

– Tricep dips (three sets of 15-20)

Abs:

– Bicycle crunches (three sets of 15-20)

– Plank (hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat three times)

– Boat pose (hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat three times)

 Legs:

– Squats or box jumps (three sets of 15-20)

– Calf raises (three sets of 15-20)

– Lunges (three sets of 15-20)

If this sounds like a lot, it’s not! Calisthenics take 15-20 minutes max, with time for rest in between sets. But don’t rest too much, because the more your push yourself while your heart rate is already up the more calories you burn. More calories burned equals more opportunities to treat yourself. Combine that with the time you save with this quick, efficient workout in under an hour and you have a winner. Post workout happy hour anyone?

This post was originally published to Saffluence. 

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