I don’t stick to a set daily or weekly fitness schedule. I’ve often mentioned that I find that excruciatingly boring and demotivating.
Instead, I like to go with the flow and throw in an exercise or two whenever I feel like it. I follow my basic general methods because I know they are simple yet highly effective.
Besides walking as much as I can every day, no single day’s training approach stays the same.
Change the game
Some days I’ll do my 45-minute walking workout session, where I stop every 10 minutes and bang out a set of basic bodyweight moves.
The next day, I may walk for 1-hour, and then swim sprint 6 to 8 times.
I always end my sessions with a 5-minute relaxing mobility stretch and a 10-minute meditation session.
My mobility stretching is closely aligned with yoga poses. It requires focus and concentration, which simultaneously has a powerful mind-calming effect.
Once you complete this stretching session, you’ll see how easy it is to flow straight into a lovely little meditation and mind-re-setting session.
I see the stretching and meditation routines as an integral part of a well-rounded body and mind-training approach.
You should think about fitness, not just for your body, but just as much for your brain, and your overall game.
Your movement pattern creates energy, which you can turn into focused and efficient activities (personal or work-related).
They say reading, writing, solving challenging quizzes, and brain games train your brain. That’s certainly true, and one way to look at it.
The problem with that though is your mind is constantly overloaded with thousands of thoughts, tasks, and worries. Sometimes, all it wants, and needs, is peace.
With a little practice, you can train your mind to switch off, re-set, clean up the internal clutter, and re-boot.
If you practice this brain-training method often enough, you too will see the amazing benefits and experience the sensation of a much clearer, more focused mind.
Micro-Workouts
During the last few years, I developed dozens of micro-workout routines, ranging from 5 to 15-minutes a session. I have to admit, micro- or mini-workouts are now my favorite thing — they are my thing!
These short bursts of strength training movements are super challenging, but fun, and over and done with before you know it.
The beauty is, that there are endless variations to micro-workouts. If I were to give you 40 bodyweight poses, you can take your pick, using 3 to 6 exercises per routine, and endlessly rotate and play with your approach.
Let’s look at a few examples
Routine 1
3 exercises x 2, 3, 4, or only 1 set. Even if you do just one set in 3 minutes, that’s still great, as it’s far better than doing nothing.
You can take those 3 movements, and do them 3 times in your day. Once in the morning, another before lunch, and one more time in the evening.
That way you’re breaking things up and splitting your daily training with multiple mini-workouts.
Believe me, that’s a wonderful exercise alternative — each time you workout, you experience a nice boost of energy, boosting your mind’s focus.
Routine 2
Pick 8 exercises out of the 40. Perform each one to your absolute maximum, until failure. Rest only for 15-seconds between movements, completing just 1 set.
That way you’ve completed a high-intensity power-burst strength training session, in a mere 10-minutes.
Routine 3
Pick only 1 exercise today, and focus on improving your skills, duration, or reps on that single move.
For this method, I like to use challenging poses, such as the headstand, handstand against a wall, the negative push-down, classic plank, wall-sit, push-ups, or pull-ups.
This is how I practice the 1-exercise a day magical workout way
You can pick just one of the above, or if you are feeling ambitious pick 2.
1. The Headstand
Once you’ve learned how to get up and stand on your head you will not want to miss it. It’s an awesomely liberating and calming sensation.
If it’s headstand only day, I’ll aim to do the headstand 3 times a day, for 5 minutes each.
2. The Handstand
Some say I’m crazy and even irresponsible to encourage folks to learn and practice the handstand. No, I’m not, and this is why.
Again, it’s an ecstatic feeling once you manage to swing yourself up backward against a wall, and can handstand alone, without support.
During the first handstand, I aim to beat my record of 1-minute and 30-seconds. It’s hard to get past that marker, even for me. That’s because I don’t practice it enough.
On the second and third attempts, your arms, back, shoulder, and core are getting very tired making it hard to get past 45- and 30-seconds, respectively.
3. The Negative Push-Down
This pose is another tough cookie to hold for long. Most people I know can’t make it past 30-seconds. My record is at 1-minute and 30-seconds.
Give it a go and you’ll soon see what I mean. Staying in the push-down position, while fully engaging your whole body is grueling.
It’s hard, but it’s also fun, once it’s done!
The same applies to the next 4 simple, yet severely challenging moves:
- Classic plank — hold for as long as you can, rest, and repeat 2 more times.
- Wall-sit — lean against a wall and sit down. Stay in position as long as you can.
- Push-ups — repeat as many reps as you can until absolute failure, times 3 sets.
- Pull-ups — hard to do, but practice makes perfect. Pull up and down as often as you can until failure, repeat 3 to 5 sets.
As you can see, this is a small collection of examples of how to spice up your workout, and overall movement plan. If you only use these suggested exercises and routines you can mix them up and create even more simple, yet effective variations.
The options are endless, fun, keeping you fit, lean, and focused and your mind focused and sharp. The best part, none of my suggested body moves require much time!
Final Thought
Keeping your training methods simple, effective, and short is the secret to success — meaning you will never want to give up.
Learn to use your body and surrounding indoor and outdoor obstacles as your gym.
That will keep you fit for life and put a smile on your face — you’re now aware of a secret, but much more effective movement solution.
Rob
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The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Bible
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