Whether it has been on vacation, a business trip, or that you're just pinched for time; I think we have all tried (at one time or another) to use the excuse that we don't have enough time to or are too busy to fit a workout into our daily schedule. Whether this is a daily obstacle or just a here-and-there speed bump, there is a solution for you.
I am not typically a fan of fitness magazines in general due to financial endorsements and bias, but now and then I come across something I feel is worth passing on. Men's Fitness recently ran a few articles that, for what it's worth, have my "seal of approval." You will find my comments in italic font.
In a Hurry is NOT an excuse:
The particular workouts as prescribed in the article are as follows.
10 Minute Workout:
1) Woodchop with resistance band - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
2) Push Ups - 2 sets of 10 reps
3) Jump Push Up (hand and feet both leave the ground at top of rep) - 2 sets of2 10 reps
4) Walking Push Up (from push up position: walk on your hands, dragging your feet. One "step" = one rep) - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
5) Ice Skater (Stand on one leg, keep back in natural position, bend forward at the hip, raise one leg off the ground and touch same-side hand to the ground as far in front of you as possible) - 2 sets of 8-10 reps (each side)
6) Plyo Lunge (Jump from lunge position rather than stand) - 2 sets of 12 reps (each side)
7) Stationary Lunge - 2 sets of 12 reps (each side)
20 Minute Workout:
1) Banded woodchop - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
2) 10 x 20 yrd sprint (walking from finish back to start)
3) Push Up + Row (hands grip kettlebell or dumbbell, at top of push up pull one weight up to your chest then repeat with other side; that's one rep) - 2 sets of 8-10 reps
4) Cobra to Superman ("Bend forward at the hips, squatting slightly, and reach your arms out in front of you with palms down. Hold for 10 seconds then reach your arms behind you and turn your palms up and hold for 10 seconds") - 2 reps of 5-10 seconds
5) Reverse Grip Row (Bent over row with dumbbells or kettlebells, palms facing out) - 2 sets of 15 reps
6) Reverse Flye ("Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand on one leg. Bend forward at the hips so your arms hang straight down. Raise the weights to your sides") - 2 sets of 20 reps
7) Band Lateral Raise (Stand on a resistance band, holding one handle in each hand and raise it to your sides, both at the same time) - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
8) Dumbbell Curl - 2 sets of 20 reps (each side)
9) Dumbbell Band Kickback ("Hold a dumbbell in one hand and the end of an anchored band. Keeping your elbow close to your side, extend your arm behind you") - 2 sets of 20 reps (each side)
10) Band Lateral Rotation ("Hold the end of a band in each hand and bend your elbows 90 degrees. Pull the band apart") - 3 sets of 20 reps
How did it get my "seal"? A lot of these movements are done standing. This means that a lot of your body is involved with each and every movement. Also, the small stabilizing muscles in your body are also getting a workout as you have to maintain body tension throughout (though the bands to provide some stability as a cable would compared to free weights)
Variations: Obviously these can all be done with a variety of set/rep/load and work/rest ratios. Feel free to mix it up These should be ONLY taken as an outline for you to take and mold to your own needs.
Other Ideas: I remember reading a long time ago on the rossboxing.com forum about a simple 5 minute (or so) workout. The process was simply to pick four exercises (or more if you have time). The reps/sets were prescribed as max reps in a given time interval. For example, you would do exercise one, two, three, and four all back-to-back for (instance) 60 seconds each. WITHOUT REST go back to the first exercise and repeat, doing each for 45 seconds. Continue this progression until you reach your maximum total time or 5 second sets. To begin, decide how much time you have to workout. Then do the math to see what the max time per exercise is that you can start with, figuring in the other sets, and still meet your deadline.
The Hotel Workout:
Prescription: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, resting as little as possible (or not at all) between exercises and sets.
The initial plan prescribes doing all upper body exercises first, followed by the lower body series. However, at a high enough intensity, fatigue and lactic acid build up will start to take effect. It may be a good idea to alternate between upper and lower body exercises.
1) Push Up (or any variation you'd like)
2) Seagull - "Get into push-up position and then bend your elbows 90 degrees so your forearms lie flat. Keeping your body in a straight line, reach one arm straight out to the side as you balance on the other. Then reach forward. Continue for 15 seconds and then repeat on the other arm"
3) High Five - "Lie on your back on the bed and plant your feet flat. Bridge your hips up so your butt is raised. Reach up with one arm alternately as if you're giving a high five. Keep your hips elevated"
4) Plank Up - Start in a plank position on your elbows, then raise yourself up to a push up position by moving one arm and then the other. Reverse the process to complete the rep.
5) Alternating Knee Dive - "Get into push-up position and raise one knee at a time to your chest and back
6) Single Leg Squat - "Stand on one leg, brace your abs, and lower yourself into a squat, going as deeply as you can." Be extra cautious here if you have bad knees!
7) Windmills - Stand with your legs as wide apart as possible. Raise your arms out to the sides. Keeping your arms straight, like the propeller of a windmill, and knees locked, touch one hand to the opposite toe, rise back to the start, and repeat with other side to complete the rep
8) Lunge + Twist - "Get into a lunge position with your right leg forward and hold a pillow in your outstretched arms. Rotate your torso as far as you can to the right; return to the center. Repeat for 30 seconds and then switch legs and rotate to the left."
Again, I like the idea here of having a lot of core involvement in each exercise. Doing the "High Five"s on the bed rather than the floor is like doing a push up or press with your hands or back on a swiss/bossu ball. The unstable/squishy surface will require more balance and involve much more of the core and fine muscle fibers.
So there you have it! Using the principles outlined here you should be primed to draw up a workout wherever your busy schedule takes you. Thanks for reading!
Note: The Men's Fitness issues consulted here were October and November of 2011. I do not have the Ross Boxing cite to give, but if you feel the need, please jump over to his website.
