No-bling Workout: 10min No Excuses Home Workout for the Comman Man

Miles, our baby son, doesn’t seem to support anything that doesn’t involve attending to him.  Add work, chores, and relationships, and we have a busy schedule that leaves little room for staying fit.  But, “no time” is simply just a lame excuse.  Here’s a simple, quick, all-body routine that keeps me in the habit of exercise all within sight of the T.V and requires just the body and a pull-up bar. 

 

Method

Failure is the method.  Do all exercises to failure in good form.  Pause a couple seconds, then do 5 more.  Good form. 30 sec rest.  Next set.   3 sets total.  Warm-up with some fun movement: shadow-box, dance, wrestle with the dog, chase the kids.  Add abs to the end, then cool-down and stretch.  “Embrace the pain” trainer Joe Bell use to say.  Let’s add, “Embrace the failure.”          

The Routine

Simplified Version (3 sets to failure.  Sit-ups at the end)

Mon: Push-ups

Tue:Pull-ups

Wed: Hand Stand Push-ups

Thu: Squat Jumps

Fri: All Sat: Sport

Sun: Rest and flex in the mirror

Detailed Version

Monday: Chest:  3 Supersets–Rocky (clapping) push-ups, to regular push-ups, to knee push-ups.  Add inverted push-ups (legs on a chair, body angled down towards floor).  Sit-ups. 

Rocky Push-ups

Inverted Push-ups

Tuesday: Back: 3 sets of pull-ups or modified pull-ups.  Leg Raises.

Wednesday: Legs:  3 Supersets: Squat Jumps to no-rope jump rope.  Or plyometric squat jumps, short sprints, or stairs.  For Plyometric squat jumps, don’t jump to failure.  Do 3 sets of 8, jumping as high as you can.  Try to touch the ceiling with a part of your body.  Pretend to jump rope quick, short bounces, use just calf muscles without the rope.  Crunches.

Squat Jumps

Plyometric Squat Jumps

If your jumps are too dangerous, try Bodyweight Squats.

Thursday: Shoulders: 3 sets of hand stand push-ups (on the wall), or modified hand stand push ups.  Hanging leg-raises.

Modified Hand-Stand Push-ups

Friday:  Your choice or 1 set of each muscle group. Or do a 30 min workout, all exercises.

Saturday: Do a sport or something that makes you sweat.

Sunday: Rest. Loosen up diet.  Flex in the mirror.

For an all-body workout, just do 1 set of each muscle group M/W/F for a total of 4 sets.  You can also do the speed demon: as many exercises possible in 10 minutes.   

Other Modifications

This workout isn’t necessarily sexy or glitzy, nor is it expensive and time-consuming.  You should be able to do this work-out in 10 minutes—with a 2 minute warm-up and a 2 minute cool-down/stretch for a total of 15 minutes.  You could even just do 4 sets scattered throughout the day, whenever you get a chance.  The simplicity should help keep you on a routine and will expose your true commitment to exercise.  If you won’t even 10 minutes a day, you don’t really want to stay fit.  10 minutes.  All you need is a pull-up bar.  I recommend the P90x bar; it allows 6 or more different grips.  Awesome. 

Objective 

This exercise mainly develops strength and explosive power.  Intensity and form are important in staying fit, but I argue that routine and habit are more important, diet even more. 

Nutrition

All fat-burning, weight-loss diets really boil down to plain, chicken breast and broccoli, and no grains after 6 p.m. I use Endurox Restore for pre-workout/recovery drink.  Not sexy, but it is what it is.  The closer you stick to this diet, the leaner you will be, the faster your metabolism will be.  I usually give myself 1 cheat meal/treat a day, preferable before 6 pm.  Remember that muscle burns calories just sitting around, so the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism and fat-burning.  Again, this low-bling work-out is not glitzy, but will get the job done and help you keep a habit of staying fit.

I’d be glad to help you modify the workout for your own needs and ability, just ask. 

What do you do to stay fit?

Here’s what Rocky does:

Disclaimer: I coach volleyball and have 20 years of experience in martial arts and sports and am strikingly handsome, but I am not a certified personal trainer.  Consider your own specific needs and health issues before trying this workout.

Exercise videos Taken from Bodybuilding.com, a great source for all-things health and fitness.

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