Ever get so busy that exercise gets pushed way, way down the list – so far that it disappears? I was recently asked what I would do if I only had 5 minutes to fit in some exercise. Here is my opinion… do the most muscle building you can in that 5 minutes since that will give you the most “afterburn” (calorie burning that continues even after you are done exercising).
Choose two exercises from the list below and alternate them continuously for the entire 5 minutes.
The key is to completely fatigue yourself doing one exercise before you switch to the other exercise. Keep doing that, switching back and forth, working to complete muscle fatigue on one then the other exercise. Rest for as many seconds as you need, whenever you need to, until you can continue. This way of exercising creates a hormone environment of increased growth hormone, cortisol, and testosterone, which helps you to build muscle, thereby increasing your basal metabolic rate. It will get you through in a pinch when time is too short for longer resistance exercise sessions. (You will get sweaty during these 5 minutes, so plan accordingly.)
- Squat with Weights
Exercise Pairings: Do one exercise to complete fatigue, then switch to the other exercise until complete fatigue. Keep alternating this way for the full 5 minutes; rest as you need to.
- Pushups and Back Extensions (i.e. Supermans)
- Squats and Lunges (holding 5-10 pound weights in each hand)
- Tricep Dips and Lunges with Bicep Curls (5-10 pound weights in each hand)