Tips To Maximize Your Exercise Time

I’m all about not wasting time so I like to pack in as many compound movements I can to get the most out of the time I spend working out. Here’s a few moves and tricks to enhance any fitness routine. Add a few of them each week and I guarantee you’ll see faster results!

10-minute cardio/sculpt session: Put on a weighted vest or ankle straps when you go for run (or jog, or walk). You can also take dumbbells along and do a 1 min set each of shoulder presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, side laterals, front laterals and standing triceps kickbacks one after another as you walk. It's an amazing upper-body challenge that also gets your heart pumping. Do this series 2 or 3 times each week. As you improve, work up to doing 4 min sets.

Adding wall sits to the end of every run will strengthen your quads, hamstrings and glutes, improving your speed and endurance: Lean against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, then squat until your knees are bent at 45 degrees. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds; work up to doing 10 sets. If you want, add a challenge by including heel raises: Lift your left heel, then the right, then lift both together twice and you can always add weight for more of a challenge.

Chart your progress by using a fitness report card. Jot down these subjects: Cardio, Muscle Conditioning, Flexibility and Attitude. Set goals (i.e. doing 10 pull-ups) and grade yourself A - F. Do this at least 4 times a year. When you see how much you improve, you'll want to keep improving.

All-in-one toner: A side-step squat with wood chop works your arms, torso, abs, back, legs, inner thighs and butt. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (add a medicine ball, kettlebell or dumbbell, weighted reasonably for your strength level in your hands for more of a challenge). Bend your arms up so that the ball is at eye level over your right shoulder. As you bring the ball toward your left knee, step out with your left leg and bend it no further than 90 degrees, keeping your right leg straight. Return to the starting position. Do 10 to 15 reps and repeat on the other leg.

Have a desk job? Here’s a trick to get more exercise in. Sit on a stability ball instead of chair, to strengthen your core and keep dumbbells or resistance bands at your desk. Squeeze in 12 to 15 reps of exercises like dumbbell curls, overhead presses and ab crunches; aim for 2 to 3 sets of each throughout your day.

One of the best cardio workouts is the jump-rope double-turn maneuver. It's intense but you'll burn about 26 calories per minute! Do basic jumps for 5 min then jump twice as high and turn the rope twice as fast so it passes under your feet twice before you land. This takes timing, patience and power. But you'll get in great shape just by working at it.

Don’t be carb-scared. Your body needs carbs to fuel a workout, so reach for fruit or high-fiber crackers (I prefer Triscuits) an hour beforehand. If you're doing intensive cardio, include some protein so that the carbs break down more slowly, giving you longer-lasting energy (i.e. low-fat cheese and crackers, trail mix or half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich).

Don't relax your abs as you lower your chest away from your knees during a crunch – you get only HALF the ab-toning benefit! To get the firmest abs possible, you need to sustain the contraction on the way down, too.

Squat-thrust push-ups get you in great shape because they work your upper body, core and lower body and improve agility, strength and endurance all at once. From a standing position, bend down, put your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, and jump your feet back into plank position. If you're strong enough, cross your ankles; otherwise, jump your feet wide apart. Do a push-up, then jump your feet together or uncross your ankles. Jump your feet back to your hands and stand up. Do 8 reps total, rest for 30 secs then repeat.

One of my personal favorite fun activities that really firms the tummy is kayaking. It's ideal because much of your rowing power comes from your core. Don’t have a kayak? You can mimic the motion and resistance of the water at home by looping a resistance band around the bottom of a table leg or other fixed object. Sit on the floor with legs extended, knees slightly bent; grasp one end of the band in each hand. Rotate your torso to one side as you bring the elbow back slightly then switch sides. Do 3 sets of 1 to 3 mins each.

Another one of my favorite activities is running. Here’s a tip to get the most of this as well: Unless you're training for a marathon, skip the long, slow, distance running – sprinting builds more muscle. Add a few 10 to 60 sec sprints to your run, slowing down just long enough to catch your breath between them.

Firm up those glutes by targeting the muscles and connective tissues buried deep in your body. To hit them, do high-intensity squats, such as jump squats and golf squats. Bleacher running and stair climbing works really well, too!


I add weights to almost every exercise I do and it’s a great way to increase the challenge if you find anything “too easy” for your strength level.