How to Always Have Time to Work Out (not your usual advice)

This article is written by Callie Durbrow. Callie is the owner of Durbrow Performance Training in Somerville where they help local men and women lose fat, gain muscle, boost their energy and become the best versions of themselves.

Working out is good for you, we all know that. I have never met a client or prospective client that doesn’t understand why they need to add training into their weekly routine. The two biggest barriers to successfully getting those workouts into said routine are ultimately, “I’m not sure exactly what to do” and “I just don’t have the time.”

I could go on about how you need to “make time” and everyone has the same 24 hours in the day. That’s all true, but those strict dogma attitudes don’t actually give you anything tangible that you can use to change the reasons why you can’t fit the workouts in.

One of the simplest starting points to fit a workout into your routine is to realize that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Workouts that include a complete 15 minute warm up with foam rolling, joint mobilization and dynamic stretching, followed by a strength circuit that hits every muscle and fires up the metabolism, then cap that off with a 15 minute incline walk on the treadmill to mobilize fat and then spend 10 minutes cooling down and static stretching your muscles, that’s a dream scenario.

That very same dream scenario is what’s stopping you. The first thing I want you to do is eliminate the perfect workout which includes all the right aspects and takes you upwards of 90 minutes.

Not happening.

Maybe on a glorious Sunday morning when you have tons of extra time and aren’t running around with work stuff, kids’ events and trying to get errands done, you can train like this. If so, have at it and enjoy the heck out if it.

Most days the best plan of attack is to carve out about 30 minutes and make that time efficient and effective. Later in this article you’ll see how you can get things done in even less than 30 minutes (and it can be done anywhere).

Here’s how I would structure a 30-minute session that you can do at the gym:

5-7 Minute Warm Up:

• foam roll your tightest areas
• dynamic stretch to get the blood flowing and mobilize your muscles and joints
  • Inchworm x10 reps
  • Walking Lunges x10 reps
  • Wall Slides x10 reps

18 Minute Circuit:

:30 work followed by :30 rest

Rest 60 seconds between each completed circuit, perform 3 circuits

• Push Ups
• KB or DB Swing
• Inverted Body Row or TRX Row
• DB Goblet Squat
• Physio Ball Ab Roll-Out or Plank

5 Minute Cool Down/Static Stretch:

• Lying Hamstrings
• Quads
• Kneeling Lunge (hip flexor)
• Doorway Stretch for pecs and shoulders

If you don’t have access or time for the gym, you can simply swap out the Swings for Squat Jumps, TRX Rows for Wide Grip Push Ups, Goblet Squats for Body Weight Squats (make sure to get deep) and perform a Plank (lift one leg up to make it more difficult).

Here’s an even faster workout you can do either at home or at the gym. This is called a Tabata training style. Tabata means :20 work followed by :10 rest with 8 rounds for a total of four minutes. The negative rest makes this a very intense form of training. Make sure you are physically ready for the high volume. If you need to drop it down a notch, you can perform :20 work and :20 rest.

Each station will take you 4 minutes. Rest as needed before moving to the next station.

Station #1- Tabata Push Ups

Station #2- Tabata Body Weight Squats (to advance this, during your :10 you will hold the bottom of the squat)

Station #3- Tabata Jump Squats

If you have access to the gym and some kettlebells, you can swap out the jump squats for KB Swings.

Give these workouts a try when you’re in a pinch for time and also remember to give yourself a break when you’re feeling like you can’t fit it all in. Some form of training is better than none at all. When you have a bit less time make sure you’re focused on quality and not quantity. Programming exercises that you can move through quickly and forcing a timed rest period will allow you to get more work done in less time.

Callie Durbrow is the owner of Durbrow Performance Training in Somerville where they help local men and women lose fat, gain muscle, boost their energy and become the best versions of themselves. Connect with Callie:
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Online: http://www.durbrowperformance.com