Happy August!
I hope your summer has been fantastic! It’s been “hot as Hades” (as my mom says) here in Texas, so working out in our non-air-conditioned gym has been challenging, to say the least! But sweating is good for you, so they say – as long you don’t drop dead from dehydration! Ah, I can’t wait for pumpkin-flavored-everything season, a.k.a. autumn. What I wouldn’t do for a sub-80-degree day!
Speaking of working out, I just released my fifth fitness book (how’s that for a subtle segue ;-)), the third in the Perfect Fit series. This one, titled No Excuses: 15-Minute Workouts for Life’s Busiest Days, was written, as the title suggests, for those days when everything seems to be conspiring to prevent you from working out.
Whether it’s a late night at the office, an extraordinarily jam-packed schedule, or simply a case of Excuse-itis, this book is the answer to the question, “Do I even have time to workout?” (The answer, by the way, is Yes!”)
This book features 24 workouts that are 15 minutes total – and that includes a thorough warmup! And every routine can be performed with little or no equipment, so you don’t have to leave your living room or invest in a Bowflex.
I’ve included a sample workout, one of eight in the book that requires zero equipment. Give it a go on your next exceptionally busy day, and let me know what you think!
The book is discounted at 99 cents for a limited time!
Verse of the Day: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”—Psalm 31:24, NIV
Warm-up
• 30 butt kicks
• 30 high knees
• 15 slow air squats: hold at the bottom for 5 seconds, driving the knees out with the elbows to open up the hips
• 10 mountain-climbers
• 20 arm circles each direction
Workout
• 1 minute of as many push-ups as possible (traditional or modified)
Rest 1 minute
• 1 minute of as many tuck-jumps as possible
Rest 1 minute
• 1 minute of as many broad jumps as possible
Rest 1 minute
• 1 minute of as many reptiles as possible
Rest 1 minute
• 2 minutes of as many sit-ups as possible
If you’d like more quick, efficient, fat-burning workouts like this one, be sure to check out the book here!
Exercise Instructions (in alphabetical order):
Air squat
1. Stand with your feet spread apart at a distance slightly wider than your shoulders. Position your feet so that your toes angle out. This will vary from person to person, but it should be about a 30-degree angle. Keep your weight on your heels to prevent yourself from rolling up onto the balls of your feet.
2. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, head up. This helps promote a nice, safe, intact lumbar curve.
3. Place your arms straight out in front of your chest. They should be in a comfortable position as they act as a counterbalance to the motion of the exercise.
4. Bend your knees as you lower yourself. Pretend there’s a chair behind you that you’re sitting down on. Your knees should track over your feet and not jut out over them. In other words, your knees should be pointing in the same direction as your toes. If you find your knees starting to cave in, focus on pushing them out. A good way to achieve this is by imagining you are tearing the floor apart with your feet.
5. The push up again should be generated from your hamstrings and glutes. Your chest and head should remain pointing straight ahead. As you rise, your arms will probably lower to your sides naturally. Make sure your knees keep tracking with your toes and don’t begin to buckle inwards. Also, be sure to keep your lumbar curve intact (curved). Generally speaking, if you keep your chest and head up, your lumbar curve will be in the correct position.
Arm circle
1. Stand in a neutral position with your feet hip width apart. Your arms should be straight out to the sides so your body forms a T-shape.
2. Begin making slow circles in a forward motion with your arms, gradually making larger ones and completing the given number of repetitions.
3. Repeat in the opposite direction.
Broad jump
1. Perform an air squat (see description of “Air Squat”).
2. At the bottom position of the squat, swing your arms back and extend your knees and hips to jump powerfully forward.
3. Land softly and quietly on the mid foot, rolling into the heels. You should be in a squat position. Repeat for the given number of reps.
Butt kick
1. Begin by jogging normally, either in place or traveling for a short distance.
2. Begin raising your heels toward your bottom as you jog, using rapid, forceful movements. Again, you can do these in place or when traveling.
High knee
1. Begin jogging, either in place or over a short distance.
2. Drive one knee up toward your chest and quickly return it to the ground. Follow immediately with the opposite knee.
3. Continue alternating for the given number of repetitions.
Mountain-climber
1. Place your hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder width. Step out with your feet to assume a plank position.
2. While holding your upper body in place, alternate bringing the right and left knees toward your chest.
3. Keep your hips down and increase the intensity by performing the movement faster as you feel comfortable.
Push-up (traditional)
1. Get into a plank position on the ground, with your hands and feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Keeping your core (abdominals and back) tight, lower yourself slowly in a straight line. Make sure your neck stays neutral, naturally aligned with your spine. Don’t let your hips poke up in the air or your lower back sag.
3. Continue to lower yourself until your chest touches the mat or floor or, for beginners, your arms form a 90-degree angle.
Push-up (modified)
1. Get into a hands-and-knees position on a mat or the floor. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with our fingers facing forward.
2. Keeping your core (abdominals and back) tight, lower yourself slowly in a straight line. Make sure your neck stays neutral, naturally aligned with your spine. Don’t let your hips poke up in the air or your lower back sag.
3. Continue to lower yourself until your chest touches the mat or floor or, for beginners, your arms form a 90-degree angle.
4. Keeping your spine rigid and your tummy pulled in, and press your hands into the floor to return to the start position.
Reptile
1. Assume a push-up position.
2. Keep your core tight and bring your right knee in toward your right triceps.
3. Return your foot to the floor and repeat on the opposite side.
Sit-up (grab your rolled-up towel or AbMat and place it above your waistband, against your tailbone)
- Lie on your back with arms overhead and feet in a butterfly position (soles of feet touching).
- Take a breath in and forcefully “throw” your arms over your body as you sit up.
- Touch your shoes as you exhale and return to a lying position, keeping the arms straight. Make sure your shoulder blades touch the floor at the bottom to achieve the full range of motion.
Demo Photos (in the order listed):
Butt Kicks
High Knees 
Air Squats 
Mountain-Climbers
Arm Circles
Push-Ups
Tuck Jumps
Broad Jumps
Reptiles
Sit-Ups
I hope you enjoyed the workout! Please don’t hesitate to email me at contact@dianaandersontyler.com or tweet me if you have any questions or concerns! I’d love to hear from you!
