Over the course of my 11-plus year career in the fitness industry, I have heard my share of excuses from people about why they can’t work out on a regular basis. However, the most common reason that I hear from people as to why they can’t exercise is that they lack time between their family obligations, work demands, social circle and just simply living life.
I’ll be the first to admit that I wholeheartedly agree that it can be difficult to balance all of those things on a daily basis but with the right system and the correct program in place, anything is possible… even getting into top shape.
So I want you to read the following scenario below and then close your eyes and try to imagine it:
- You work a typical 9am to 5pm schedule, from Monday through Friday.
- Each weekday, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. is complete chaos for you. You are waking up at 5:00 a.m. to spend a little time with your spouse before you both go to work. Then you do some combination of the following where you need to shower, make breakfast for the kids, watch the news, read the newspaper, take the garbage, straighten up the house, help your kids put the final touches on their science project, feed the dogs, vacuum the floors, etc. Not to mention, this is all before you rush to drop the kids off to school on your way to work so that you can be there by 9am.
- Next, you’re working from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and then have to go pick up your child from after-school care, who will of course need help from you that night on their homework.
- Once the homework is complete, then you start to make dinner for the family which should be complete by around 6:30 p.m. After dinner, you and your spouse clean up the mess and get a short window to hang out with one another before you have to go to sleep and wake up to do it all over again.
WHEW!
That’s a long day…. did any of that sound familiar to you and your daily schedule at all?
Well, if any of the above resonates with you, once again, I do agree that it would be extremely difficult to find the time to exercise regularly. However, like the old proverb states, “where there’s a will, there’s a way” and we’re going to zero in on that using your lunch break to get a quick full body workout routine on your Total Gym FIT that will help you get stronger, lose weight, transform your life, challenge yourself physically and mentally, firm up your abs, tone up your legs, relieve lower back pain and achieve a higher quality of life.
The Lunch-Break Workout
Warm up for five minutes, then perform the following Total Gym FIT full body workout routine two days per week for the next six weeks:
Upright Back Rows:
2 Sets of 15 Reps
Sit up straight with good posture facing the Total Gym FIT. Grab onto the handles and begin to pull them towards your body with the goal of getting your hands lined up with your chest, then come back out to complete the rep. Now, repeat that motion to complete the first set. Remember to pull in towards your body fast but to go out slowly to control the movements and maximize the muscle contractions. Repeat this sequence to complete the first rep and then repeat the exercise to complete the set.
Curls:
2 Sets of 5 Reps
Sit up straight with good posture facing the Total Gym FIT. Grab onto the handles with a closed fist and begin to curl your hands up with the goal of getting your hands lifted up all the way to your chest. Curl up fast, then come back down to the starting position slowly to complete the rep. Repeat this sequence to complete the first rep and then repeat the exercise to complete the set.
Seated 2 Point Leg Swings:
2 Sets of 10 Reps with Each Leg
With your core engaged and sitting up nice and straight on your Total Gym FIT, place your left foot on the platform. Perform a one legged squat on your left leg and as you come back up from your squat, kick your right leg up as high as you can. Perform another squat on your left leg and this time on your way back up from the squat, kick your right leg out to the right side as wide as you can. Performing both kicks on one leg is considered a rep for this exercise. Repeat this sequence as fluidly as possible by alternating the two directions on your leg for the desired number of total reps. Be sure to perform all reps on one side before switching and repeating with the opposite leg.
Leg Raises:
2 Sets of 15 Reps
Lay flat down on your back on top of the slider with your arms fully extended above your head to grab onto the hand grips of the Total Gym FIT with your hands facing one another. With your arms fully extended and your body stretched out, begin to lift your legs up simultaneously as high as you can to form the letter “L” with your body, then slowly lower them back down. Repeat this sequence to complete the first rep, then repeat the movement.
The workout above should not exceed 20 minutes which means that carving out that little bit of time for yourself is less than 2% of your day. Literally, less than 2%!
You deserve to give yourself at least 2% and any schedule, including yours, can accommodate 20 minutes alone time especially if it is on a lunch break.
So do yourself a favor and get after it today!
