Short Workouts for Consistency.

The importance of short workouts to maintain consistency.

Short at home workouts can have a huge benefit in keeping gym goers on track. Sometimes things do not go as planned. If you missed the gym today, rather than scrapping the idea of training altogether, knock out a short at home workout to stay on track.

Good, Better, Best…

Good is establishing a consistent routine by getting yourself active. This is a simple concept and often the first major step towards reaching your goals. But changing your habits can be daunting. It’s estimated that 67% of people do not even use their gym memberships. To avoid being part of that statistic, focus on consistency first. Good looks like having a gym membership and actually using it each week. Or going for a walk each day. This falls under the adage that doing something is better than nothing, because it is true.

Better is having consistency plus a structured plan. This is what differentiates “training” from “exercising”. Better looks like choosing a plan that fits your targets and following it as closely as possible. Once you hit your target, set another and repeat. This is how long term results flourish. It often involves hiring a PT, buying a training plan or joining a group exercise program. Structure helps with consistency by simplifying the process.

Best is realizing that long term consistency means being the person who consistently does the thing, regardless of how any particular season is going for you. Establish a non-negotiable agreement with yourself that regardless of how you feel in the moment, the long term habit is what’s most important. That way should you miss a class or need to reschedule a session you don’t let that negative momentum take the steering wheel. Best looks like having a plan but also knowing that adjustments are part of the game. This is where short one off workouts can be of huge benefit.

Having a goto option…

Have one or two short (5 to 15 min) at home workouts for those times when something is better than nothing…

A couple notes about training programs:

1. The vast majority of all training programs involve similar movement patterns.

Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Push, Pull.

2. The majority of people don’t need a high level of specificity to their programs and occasionally substituting an at home workout for a gym session is much better than skipping. Most people need consistency over anything else.

I like to deliver things in 3’s. When pressed for time I find that 3 exercises, completed for 1 -3 sets/rounds is an approachable method that gets the job done. Rep ranges really depend on if you have access to equipment, but generally I stick to the 6-10 rep range for most exercises.

Example Workouts: Equipment Needed: 2 Dumbbells OR None.

Workout 1:

Patterns: Squat / Horizontal Pull / Horizontal Push

3 Rounds of Each performed in a circuit…

Minimal Equipment option:

1A Dumbbell Goblet Squat x 10

1B Bent DB Row x 10

1C Push Up x 10

OR…

Bodyweight only option:

1A Air Squat x 20

1B Walk Outs x 5 (bodyweight horizontal pulls can be done with the right set up)