The 15min. Holiday Workout Plan
Big News
Sunday, November 18th is the 8th annual DC Basket Brigade, and we would love for you to be involved. If you would like to make Thanksgiving a reality for a family in need this year then please bring a basket to:
1475 17th Street, NW DC (corner of 17th & P, NW)
Between 11am and 4pm
Please include in the basket:
- *the basket – laundry baskets work great
- *frozen turkey or ham
- *gravy
- *stuffing
- *potatoes
- *sweet potatoes
- *rolls
- *cranberry sauce
- *veggies
- *dessert
- *etc… the point is to include everything that you think a family would need for a great T-day meal (If you are a vegetarian, good for you. But, this is probably not the time to make your point by substituting a Tofurkey for a turkey.)
If you don’t have the time to shop we can do it for you. Email us at dcbasketbrigade@yahoo.com for more details.
Quote #14
“If you add ten pounds of muscle and lose ten pounds of fat — you’re going to look like you lost 20lbs. But the scale won’t move.” – Alwyn Cosgrove
Quick Tip #14
Not only are your what you eat, but also what you eat ate. Grass-fed beef has heart healthy omega-3 fatty-acid content similar to salmon, in addition to being lower in saturated fat, and total fat vs. its grain-fed counterpart. (FYI, a cow’s natural diet is grass, and a grain-based diet is just as toxic to them as it is to humans.)
Recipe #14 – Salmon or Steak?
No, it’s NOT to good to be true, but it is too good to be my recipe. You can thank my mommy for this one. Battered and deep fried looks bad on everyone. If you just lifted weights, go ahead and serve this with a small side of whole wheat pasta, otherwise eat it alone. Click here to get eatin’.
The 15min. Holiday Workout Plan
By Josef Brandenburg
The last 6 weeks of the year are TOUGH. Cookies and pie are everywhere, and the demands on your time seem to be limitless. For many this end of year time crunch becomes an excuse to abandon their exercise habits. Don’t let this happen to you. Yes, the reality IS that you are short on time, BUT the solution is not to abandon your body and let things go to pot (which they absolutely CAN in 6 weeks), the solution is to workout SMARTER in the time that you actually have available.
So here is a workout plan that any healthy person can do in just 15min, at home with nothing more than:
- 1. A set of adjustable dumbbells ($40 brand new)
- 2. An inflated exercise ball ($15 for a decent brand)
- 3. A timer (a $5 kitchen timer off of Amazon kitchen will work just fine… all you need is something that will count down seconds for you and beep when the time is up)
This will save you A LOT of time because a) your workout is short (but it will be HARD), and b) you don’t have to commute to the gym – for many, the commute to the gym is just as long or longer than the workout itself.
Just so we are clear, the goal here is maintenance, not fat-loss or aggressive fat-loss; and NO exercise plan in the world can make up for eating poorly. With that said, if you eat very well, you may actually drop a few pounds over the next 4-6wks on this plan. However, for many, the smartest holiday goal is maintenance. The average American gains some 5lbs over the holidays. And only drop 2 or 3 of them over the rest of the year. 2-3lbs/yr (not lost) x 20yrs = 40-60lbs (or fat-ass syndrome). Escaping the holidays with no fat gain will put you in a great position come New Year’s resolution time.
The Plan
There are three components: workout A, workout B, and the core & cardio workout. You should incorporate them into your week like this:
Monday – workout #1
Tuesday – workout #2
Wednesday – core & cardio
Thursday – workout #1
Friday – workout #2
Saturday – core & cardio
Sunday – active rest (go do anything fun and active, like dancing or playing basketball with your friends, etc.)
Before you grunt and groan and say, “Oh, I can’t workout 6 days per week!” Remember, this is a 15min. workout that you do AT HOME – that is one half of one crappy sitcom. So, there is no commute, no waiting for anyone – just an actual 15min. It really could not possibly get any easier than that. By the way, there is no easy way to life-long leanness. It takes consistent effort in the form of regular exercise AND (not “or”) good nutrition. You can make it fit your schedule, but you cannot remove the work.
Workout #1
Exercise (photos below) sets x reps rest
A1. Dumbbell pull over 3×10-12reps 0sec
A2. SHELC 3×10-12reps 0sec
A3. Alternating overhead press 3×10-12reps 0sec
A4. Alternating lunge 3×10-12reps 60sec
Workout #2
Exercise (photos below) sets x reps rest
A1. Dumbbell bent-over row 3×10-12reps 0sec
A2. Dumbbell overhead squat 3×10-12reps 0sec
A3. Alternating dumbbell bench press 3×10-12reps 0sec
A4. Romanian dead lift 3×10-12reps 60sec
How To Read Workout A & B:
Start with exercise A1, perform the recommended number of reps (on each side if it’s a single limb exercise like an alternating lunge). Then with no rest (0 sec), go to exercise A2, then A3, then A4 – that’s your first circuit. After completing A4, rest for 60sec (no more!) and repeat until you’ve done all three circuits.
Core and Cardio
Exercise (photos below) sets x reps rest
A. Warm-up (do something to get warm) tot time – 4min n/a
B. Dumbbell swings 10 rounds x 15sec work/15sec rest
C. Lower body Russian twist 2×10-12reps 60sec
How To Read “Core and Cardio”
Do A first – anything to get you warm and moving. Then do your swings for 10 rounds of 15sec of rhythmic work, and 15sec of rest (it sounds easy now, but when your heart jumps out of your chest in 3min…). Its just like it sounds – swing continuously for 15sec, then rest for 15sec. You NEED a timer for this because you can’t keep track of the time and swing at the same time. Then do C.
The Exercises
Click here for photos, instructions and even a video.
This May Be Your Last Issue Of The Body You Want
Be on the lookout for an email with the subject line “TBYW Subscription.” I’m switching over to an automated newsletter deliver system, and it requires that you click on a link (will be in the email) to re-opt in to my mailing list, in order for you to continue to receive The Body You Want. Otherwise this may be your last issue:-(.
Josef Brandenburg is an award-winning Washington, DC based personal trainer. He focuses on helping regular, busy people create rapid and sustainable fat-loss in the time that they actually have. He is also the author of the book The Body You Want. Click here to find out more.