Quickie for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness

Back when I was working 2 jobs and 'finding time' was very difficult this is one quick workout I would do.

When? On my lunch break.

How long did it take? 15-30 minutes.

What equipment is needed? None.

Who is this for? Anyone who works in an office type job where you get an hour, or even half hour lunch break. And you have access to some stairs. So technically no equipment but having stairs will help. 

Yes, you can find a way if you don't have stairs, so don't ask.

First I would climb the stairs. Our building had 5 floors. I went from the bottom to the top. Then down to the bottom. That was 1.

I did anywhere from 5-10 of these. When I first started this I did maybe 3-4. Just walking stairs can be challenging when you aren't accustomed to it.

After that I was good and warmed up and I did some bodyweight work.

Usually I did pushups, squats and some form of plank or bird dog. Anywhere from 3-10 rounds performed. 

Change up the reps, the speed, pause and contract. Mix it up.

The no time excuse is just that, an excuse. You have a break at work. You have 15-30 minutes to do something physical.

Just get it done.

If you want more ideas feel free to email me and I'll help you out.

One more thing before I go.

This little workout may not seem like much. It may seem insignificant. Like what's the point?

If you can't get into a fancy gym, how effective can the workout be?

It's effective, trust me.

And even more than that, it's the little things you do consistently that will add up over time.

Every 15 minutes you do a workout is going to add up over the week and the month. Every one counts.

Don't overlook the simple, minimalist workouts. They can be very important, especially when you're a busy dude and you can't get to a gym or find hours to work out.

The Best Program You're Not Doing

The grass is always greener on the other side...

What's that guy over there doing? He looks like he's doing better than me...

Maybe I need to try that new program I just read about.

Or join that bootcamp to get rid of my beer belly..

There are always going to be get-rich-quick schemes. And fitness programs that promise super fast results.

And while some quick results are good, and can be encouraging and motivating, it's more about long-term progress.

Whenever you try something new it's fun. It works. For a little while.

As strength coach Dan John says "everything works for 6 weeks".. or was it 4 weeks? Either way.. Your body is not used to the stimulus. It must adapt. You get results. Often very quickly.

But this wears off. Now what?

Jump on another program every time the old one loses its novelty effect?

I find it exciting to program my own workouts. Tracking them on paper, changing things as I see fit. Finding new weakness and attacking them. Adjusting as I go along but sticking to a general plan. But I realize not everyone cares to do this or is as interested in fitness this way as I am.

So what should you do?

You can get a coach/trainer. Join a group fitness class. Find a training partner who can teach you something and you can bounce ideas off each other. Or get on legitimate program that you can tweak and use as a guide to follow.

Yes, the best program is the one you are not doing. But depending on what your goals are, and what kind of results you're after, maybe you shouldn't jump from one program to the next every few weeks.

When a program stops 'working'. Maybe you just need to make one or two small tweaks. Then go from there. Just don't change too many variables at once because then you won't know what worked and what didn't. 

Work hard and stay consistent. And find something you will enjoy!