Time Under Tension! 3 Effective Exercise Routines That Take Less Than 15 Minutes
When we’re all looking for ways to keep fit and healthy, we think that we have got to invest a lot of time and energy into it.
The reality is that this is not the case! You can get a high-quality workout done within the space of 10 to 15 minutes! Because we have to remember that if we’re looking to get fit and healthy through exercise, it’s about the stimulus. The more intense we do it, the greater the stimulus and therefore, the better the results, as long as we combine it with adequate nutrition! So here are a few things that you have got to try.
HIIT Workout
These workouts can tackle the entire body without burpees or mountain climbers. You can do the full 20 minutes if you want, or if you don’t have the time, you could split it into a morning and evening HIIT workout. It’s important to remember that when you are doing these sites of workouts, form is crucial, but so is nutrition.
If you’re looking to add something extra to your overall nutrition, you may want to try supplements. There are many supplements by professional bodybuilders out there, but they are not always essential. Focus on nutrition and hydration as well as this type of workout, and you should see the benefits.
5BX
The 5BX, short for “five basic exercises,” was designed by Dr Bill Orban for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 1950s. The plan covers six charts arranged in a progression, with each chart comprised of five exercises that you perform within the same order. The idea behind these is that you perform these exercises for 11 minutes a day to achieve a high level of fitness. There are targets and chart levels to aim for, based on your age, and when you have reached your personal target, you will only need to perform these exercises at least three times a week to maintain. The charts are easy to follow and are incredibly time-effective, but also give you a comprehensive level of fitness.
In recent years, it’s also been known as the “Helen Mirren workout” because she swears by this to maintain her health and fitness levels, but Prince Philip had been doing this every day for decades too, which might be why he maintained an amazing level of strength into his 90s! When it comes to this type of exercise, as with any workout, don’t stretch beyond your reach. Take a look at this link, and you can see all 6 charts and get into the swing of things. It’s also important to note that because the workout was devised in the 1950s, there are a couple of exercises that could cause issues with your spine. But you could easily substitute an exercise like a sit up for something that works those same muscles, such as ab rollouts or Spider-Man press-ups.
Isometrics
This is something that was incredibly popular 100 years ago, especially with old-time strongmen, and had a resurgence in the 1960s as a way to keep busy people fit and healthy in minimal time, but now there is a corner of the internet that is supremely dedicated to it. Isometrics is the concept of tensing a muscle in a specific position for at least 6 to 12 seconds. Because the approach to getting strong and stimulating those muscles doesn’t have to involve doing squats or deadlifts, but actually focusing on tensing that muscle group, this is where you can physiologically change your body with minimal effort.
There are different types of isometrics out there, such as yielding isometrics, where you hold a weight in place, and overcoming isometrics, where you are applying force against something that you physically cannot move, for example, trying to push a wall over. In order to do this type of exercise properly, you’ve got to put your all into it but it is over in at least 6 seconds! You can find some great isometric resources online, including this book that delves deep into the science as to why it’s a very effective and slightly superior workout to picking up and putting down weights.
Although it should be noted that it will help you get extremely fit and strong, if you want to improve your aesthetics and tone your body, isometrics can work but you’ve got to put more time into it. As far as keeping your health and fitness intact is concerned, isometrics can be an invaluable tool, as long as you combine it with a more effective aesthetic approach, for example, lifting weights once a week. However, if you are just looking for strength without getting muscular, this is the best approach for busy people!
Time is not the enemy, as long as you focus on tension! Hopefully, these three ideas will get you started on your fitness journey!
