Only 20 minutes!
Today's workout was written by YOU!
Less is More!
Many of you write to me boasting you do my workouts for longer than the amount of time I prescribe. This concerns me. Keep reading...
If you extend your workouts, then you will compromise your intensity. INTENSITY is the key to reaping the benefits of metabolic training. Here's why:
- You won't be able to maintain the intensity for that long. SHORT BURSTS of INTENSITY will get you the results you want. Bonus rounds of pseudo-intensity will not.
These "bonus rounds" are setting you up for failure. Here is why.
- Few people have time to devote to longer duration daily training 365 days a year.
- You are teaching your body to adapt to longer duration training, which means you will now have to exercise this long on a daily basis just to maintain your weight. The moment you decide to scale back on training, BAM, you gain weight. This is what happened to me in 2012. I was training 2-3 hours a day and sustained metabolic slowdown (Yes, this is an extreme example, but you get the idea).
- This is the goal: YOU WANT TO BE TRAINING FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME POSSIBLE and EATING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF CALORIES POSSIBLE WHILE STILL LOSING FAT OR MAINTAINING YOUR GOAL WEIGHT. Why make this harder than necessary? I am still losing fat doing anywhere from 4 to 30 minutes of training a day. I NEVER train more than 30 minutes/day. Why sabotage a good thing? My life is busy. So is yours. Who has time for "bonus rounds" 365 days a year? Take my advice: don't let exercise interfere with your schedule. So be smart and keep it endurable if you want to have success with training and dieting 365 days a year. Don't make it a chore and stop trying to rush fat loss. If you rush it, you won't get results that you can maintain with an endurable regime. I look lean as hell 365 days a year because my regime is EASY & QUICK. I don't have to restrict my calories and I don't have to train more than 30 minutes a day. That, my friends, is the secret. So be patient and be intelligent with your approach. It's important to never dread a training session. So keep them short & intense!
- So, when I say do a 4-minute Tabata, make it the worst 4 minutes of your life. If you have energy to do another 4 minutes, then you didn't do the true definition of Tabata. Be INTENSE!
Equipment Required:
- A Gymboss Timer
- Shock-absorbing surface, such as interlocking floor mats.
- A Kettlebell (I used a 25 pound KB)
- A Dr. Sara Solomon Cross Speed Jump Rope by Buddy Lee Jump Ropes. It’s portable and inexpensive. I always travel with mine!
Always a Must!
- Read my workout rules before you begin!
Drink your BCAAs!
Stay hydrated with water.
Video Workout:
This circuit consists of 10 different exercises. Perform the circuit 1 time if you are a beginner. This will take about 10 minutes. If you are not a beginner, then do it 2 times for ~ 20 minutes. You have to hustle between exercises. Keep it mega-INTENSE!
- Daniela: 10 Burpees with Twisting Pistons
- Dina: 10 Mountain Climbers
- Adeline: 60 sec Starfish Plank
- Brandon: 21's with sumo squats (I used a 25 lb kettlebell)
- Krystal: 20 KB swings (alternating arms). I used a 25 lb kettlebell)
- Lauren: Jump Squats
- Cindy: 60 sec Wall Sit
- Elsie: 60 sec Jump Rope (bounce step)
- Roxanne: Single Leg Deadlifts - 10 R leg, 10 L leg (I used a 25 lb kettle bell)
- Jared: 10 Push-ups
Do the workout with me. Just click on the video.
Liss
Hi! Sara, thanks for sharing such a great info love it , you are awesome I have a question tho if you workout as soon as you wake up just like I do & Love it, what do you eat right after your workout? or you do not eat at all till 2:00 or 4:00pm that you start eating like you mention in your article .
Thanks so much appreciated if you could answer.
Best Regards,
Liss:)
Dr. Sara Solomon
I wrote exactly what I do. Why do you think I eat during my fast all of a sudden? lol 😉
Sofia
Hi Sara!
I am so excited about finding your website. I am a dentist too and I need to lose 10 pounds (at least), so I understand the whole hectic schedule issue and why we should keep workouts simple to maximize our time. I have done HIIT before but I have a few questions about your program:
1. I really can’t workout first thing in the morning since my apartment complex has this rule about not making any noise from 10:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m. (I need to at work by 9:00 and I have a long commute). If I workout during the afternoon as soon as I get home (around 5 or 6), do you recommend that I start eating right away in order to get my 4 hours of eating in check or should I wait a set amount of time?
2. Do you recommended working out everyday?
3. How do you schedule your workouts based on the muscles you want to focus on? i.e. all muscles every day or alternating muscles, etc.
4. If you are doing burpees or mountain climbers don’t those count as cardio and not weight training? How do you gauge that? I am a little confused.
Thank you for your time and for this amazing blog!!
Lori
You inspire me EVERYDAY! I just happened to come across you on the internet, liked your page and now am getting into your routines. I aspire to compete at 34! I have someone very special looking up to me. She is my world! Thank you for helping reach my goals.
Peace and Love
Lori
Sienna
Hi Sara, I love your nutrition and fitness philosophy. I just have one question: do you do HIIT workouts everyday or what does a typical week of workouts look like for you? I would love to see an example if you wouldn’t mind sharing.
Keep up the kick ass work and thank you for providing such great guidance!
Meghan Golda
Hay Hay Sara!! Loved this! First round kicked me butt! Such a great idea to have us fans pick a workout LOL
<3Meg
April Effin' Wilcox
Smart to bring in the fans. You’re right there with em’. Awesome. You so clever.
Paula
Hi there, it’s 2015, can you give us an update on which IF program you are using? Thanks so much. Also can we use this if we are vegan/vegetarian?
Miriam
PLEASE more like this!!!