Hurry up and get strong, burn fat,
and boost your endurance
with workouts you can do in just 25, 15,
or even five minutes.
What’s better than packing on lean muscle, melting stubborn fat, and building the endurance of a boxer? How about doing it in less than the time it takes to watch an episode of South Park? Sometimes, like during the holidays, it can be hard to schedule a typical 60-minute gym routine. Fort unately, you don’t have to—that is, not if you’re willing to go all out. Put these three workouts on your to-do list this month and prove to yourself just how little time you actually need to look like an athlete and perform at your very best.
05:00 ENDURANCE KICKER
Norwegian researchers found that high-intensity interval training boosted VO2 max (the amount of oxygen the bloodstream can carry to the muscles) more than traditional
steady-state cardio— even if the steady-state work was done at a whopping 85% of maximum heart rate. “If you can maintain high force output and resist slacking off, you’ll blast
through these intervals and be out the door before most people pick a TV show on their cardio machine,” says Jonathan Pope, co-owner of Rogue Performance in Denver
, CO, which specializes in training adventure athletes and Special Ops candidates.
DIRECTIONS: Perform five rounds of each exercise.
1A) FRONT SQUAT
TO PUSH PRESS
Work for 15 sec.,
rest for 15 sec.
1B) KETTLEBELL
SWING
Work for 15 sec.,
rest for 15 sec.
15:00 FAT-LOSS FRENZY
now, you need to start. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that interval exercise melted more fat than steadystate cardio. This workout progresses in accordance with your fatigue, so the more tired you get, the
simpler the exercises become, so you can keep going.
DIRECTIONS: Perform
1A–1C in sequence, repeating for three rounds. Alternate sets
of 2A and 2B for three rounds. Alternate sets of 3A and 3B, then 4A and 4B, for two rounds each. Then do one round of 5A and 5B.
1A) BEAR CRAWL 10 sec. forward/back
1B) TURKISH GETUP 2 reps each side
1C) DUMBBELL SQUAT TO STAND 5 reps
2A) GOBLET SQUAT 15 reps
2B) SPRINT Work for 90 sec. on your choice of a track/
treadmill, rower, exercise bike, etc.
3A) KETTLEBELL SWING 30 sec.
3B) DEEP SQUAT HOLD Hold a dumbbell in front of you. Get into a squat. Hold for 30 sec.
4A) PUSHUP PLANK Hold for 30 sec.
4B) FARMER’S WALK Walk for 30 sec.
5A) DUMBBELL BENTOVER ROW Perform reps for 30 sec.
5B) DUMBBELL CURL Perform reps for 30 sec.
25:00 MUSCLE BLITZ
TIME: 25 MINUTES
“A time limit forces people to push hard and get the work done faster,” says Pope. This 25-minute routine combines timed sets and heavy exercises to build muscle. “Most
people don’t even do this much work in an hour,” says Pope.
DIRECTIONS: Perform 1A–1C in sequence. Repeat for three total rounds as a warmup. For 3A–3C, perform the exercises in sequence for as many total rounds as possible in six minutes. Afterward, hold a light dumbbell at arm’s length in front of you and squat deeply— hold the position for 60 seconds (this is your rest). Repeat 3A–3C for another six
minutes. For 4A and 4B, alternate sets of each for three total rounds with no rest.
1A) BEAR CRAWL Go for 30 sec.
1B) TURKISH GETUP 3 reps each side
1C) DUMBBELL SQUAT TO STAND 5 reps
2) ALTERNATING SPLIT SQUAT JUMPS 3 sets of 3 reps, rest 30 sec.
3A) DEADLIFT 2–3 reps
3B) DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS 2–3 reps
3C) NEUTRAL-GRIP PULLUP 2–3 reps, rest 60 sec. in squat position
4A) DUMBBELL FARMER’S WALK Walk for 30 seconds.
4B) WAITER’S WALK Walk for 15 seconds per side.
