It’s that time of year again—when the back-to-school chaos transitions into the holiday hustle. If you’re a full-time working mom like me, it’s enough to take you off your workout track… For that reason, I’m bringing Fast Fitness! back!
Being short on time will never again be an issue or an excuse to skip a workout, as I’ll be throwing a monthly quickie routine your way. All of these workouts can be done in 15 minutes or less and will help you get your sweat on no matter how crunched for time you might be.
A quick workout can be wildly effective, as long as you pay special attention to form and technique (never employ sloppy, sub-par movement!) and follow a few rules:
- Move faster
- Ramp up the intensity
- Take fewer breaks
- Combine exercises
For this month’s Fast Fitness! workout you’ll be focusing on strength. Building muscle helps to supercharge your metabolism and puts you on the fast track to fat loss.
THE WORKOUT
You’ll be doing a timed superset. Set your timer and perform as many rounds of as possible. (This will ensure that you don’t waste time on more rest than is needed!)
Pick a load for each exercise that is challenging at 5 reps, but that won’t require you to compromise form. Typically you want to feel as though you have 1 or 2 more reps in the tank when you complete the set. For this workout you’ll be doing just 2 very effective and efficient lifts:
Barbell Deadlift: build strength and muscle in the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back) as well as engage the quads and core. You can choose any deadlift variation you prefer, and if you aren’t comfortable with the barbell deadlift you can perform a heavy kettlebell deadlift or a one-leg deadlift.
Double Kettlebell Overhead Press: build strength in the shoulders, arms, and lats as well as engage the entire body and challenge the core. For this move, you can also use a pair of dumbbells. As you get tired you can switch to a push press for a more dynamic, less upper body focused option.
Set your timer for 15 minutes (or 20 to 25 if you happen to have more time!) and do as many quality rounds as possible, performing 5 reps of each lift.
The clock is ticking, so hit play and start sweating!
