Shit has hit the fan at work (or maybe literally if you’re home caring for a baby) and there’s no way you’re getting away to the gym for your planned hour-long workout.
So what do you do? Throw in the towel? Hope you have better luck tomorrow? Give up and start buying ponchos as your exclusive item of clothing to hide your body?
No, damnit!
You know that consistency is the most important part of training.
You have to get something in for consistency’s sake.
Break away for 10 minutes and bang this workout out.
If you just want to get to training, scroll down to the bottom of the article, or get the .pdf in my free resources vault here.
Whenever humans are involved ‘The Fog’ is included, whether that be war or the office.
(U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Teagan Fredericks)
Why you shouldn’t throw in the towel
The inclination to throw in the towel for the day is most likely strong. You’re probably still in the thick of whatever disaster has rolled into the office. Getting up and walking out seems like the most irresponsible thing you can do. I know two facts that point to the opposite, though.
It’s hard to see a solution from the thick of a fog:
If things have truly gone crazy, or if they are always going crazy for that matter, you’re missing something. A 10-minute workout is just the thing you need to get some perspective and finally solve your issue.
If no one’s going to die, it’s not that important:
This is a lesson I’m grateful I’ve learned second hand. I had a roommate during one of my many military schools who is a Silver Star recipient from the events that took place near a dam in Iraq in the mid-2000s. He watched a lot of friends die. Since that day, he decided that he would only stress out if someone could potentially die. I lived with him for six months and got stressed out by a lot of things, but he was always in my ear, reminding me that we were training, and no one was going to die.
There are very few things in life that cannot wait 10-15 minutes. If you are a professional at your job, you see everything coming a mile away.
If you even have one iota that the above two things don’t apply to your situation I implore you to ask yourself these two questions:
- Am I in the fog?
- Will someone die?
(If you answer “yes” and “no” to those questions respectively, it’s time to go get this workout in.)
Put 110% into that 10 minutes and it’ll pay off.
(U.S. Marine photo by Lance Cpl. Phuchung Nguyen)
How can you possibly get a quality workout in 10 minutes?
As with everything, it depends on your goal.
If you’re focused on burning fat, a strong argument can be made that you only need to train for 10 minutes a day… if you do it right.
If you’re focused on getting stronger or gaining muscle, more time would be helpful. But, if you’re 80% compliant with your training plan, a day off here or there won’t affect things much, if at all.
The main reason to get this short session in is to maintain consistency.
You know what happens when you miss one session? Eventually, you miss another. Then you’re only training once a week. Before you know it, it’s been six months since you’ve trained, you feel terrible, and your pants are tight (time to buy that poncho).
This 10-minute session guarantees that doesn’t happen to you.
How to work out in 10 minutes
The workout
Here it is (click here to get the .pdf in my resources vault):
- 6 minutes :20 on/ :10 off exercise of choice
- 4-minute burpee burnout
- Walk it off
Here are some exercise recommendations based on what your full session was supposed to be
- Chest and arms: Push-ups
- Shoulders: Weighted lateral circles
- Core: Russian twists
- Full body: RKC plank
- Back: Pull-ups or Horizontal pulls
- Squat session: Bodyweight squats
- Deadlift session: Elevated glute bridges
That’s it.
I’m going to be 100% transparent here. If you’re going from not working out at all to doing this workout 3-4 times a week, you will see some significant changes in your body and energy. A lot of times, people like to make fitness seem super complicated. In general, it isn’t. Especially if you’re just getting started out.
If your goals are more advanced or nuanced, this quick session will obviously not be enough to continue growth. It will be enough to ensure compliance and prevent any loses you’ve already achieved.
Email me, seriously do it.
Send me any questions, comments, or concerns you have about your specific training program at michael@composurefitness.com. If you just want a nicely packaged copy of the 10-minute workout, grab it here!
Don’t forget to drop a comment in the comments section of this article’s Facebook post to let others know what to expect. There’s usually 68 dumb comments by people who didn’t actually read the article. Pipe up and let others know there’s high-quality info in here!
I’m also making a push to keep the conversation going over at the Mighty Fit Facebook Group. If you haven’t yet joined the group, do so. It’s where I spend the most time answering questions and helping people get the most out of their training.
