Trainer Harley Pasternak: Get Fit in 5 Minutes a Day
Work smarter. (Photo: Tom Schierlitz/Trunk Archive)
It’s our Spring Reboot Week 4 and we’re exploring how to make the most of our workout.
It’s time to rethink everything you know about exercise. Trainer-to-the-stars Harley Pasternak believes that you only need to workout for five minutes a day to be fit. “We’ve made workouts too big of an event,” explains Pasternak. He believes that the cost of a gym membership, the time it takes to travel there, and the amount of equipment needed, all makes exercising seem too complicated, too expensive, and too time consuming. As a result people give up. Pasternak’s approach, on the other hand, aims to make exercising simple, quick, and free. “Make your workout like brushing your teeth,” he explains. “A quick, daily habit.”
The question, of course, is whether five minutes is really enough to make a difference. Pasternak insists it is, but it has to be part of five daily habits he outlines in his new book 5 Pounds: The Breakthrough 5-Day Plan to Jump-Star Rapid Weight Loss (and Never Gain it Back). The daily steps are designed to be simple: eat protein and fiber together (three meals, two snacks), unplug for an hour, sleep for seven hours, walk at least 10,000 steps, and do five minutes of resistance exercises. Pasternak says the key is to switch from our sedentary way of living (hours at a desk or in a car) to one where we move more often. By walking throughout the day to get to 10,000 steps (you can monitor your steps with a fitness tracker) Pasternak believes you are getting enough cardio. “If you’re eating better, burning more calories throughout the day, and getting more sleep, you aren’t creating new body fat,” Pasternak explains. “The workout part is then designed to sculpt, tighten, and tone.”
Pasternak acknowledges that it depends on your fitness level and goals how much you should work out, “If I’m training someone to be a superhero in a film, I’m going to make those workouts more robust,” he says. However, he says that by targeting one specific body part every day, you are giving yourself a full body workout each week. “You do a different resistance exercise that corresponds to a different body part each day,” Pasternak explains. “Monday you do reverse lunges. Tuesday you do dips for the back of your arms…. At the end of the seven day period we have trained our whole body.” Pasternak says over time you will need to adapt the workout, to add new moves. You can also up the amount of reps you do as you progress, working up to three reps of each move.
Here are four of Harley’s quick resistance workouts (the full week of moves, plus advanced techniques are in his 5 Pounds book):
The Superman. (Photo: Beth Bischoff)
SUPERMAN
Targets: Lower back, butt and hamstrings
Additional tips: Don’t hold the pose, keeping going up and down without resting on floor.
Reps: Beginners: Do 3 sets of 10. Intermediate: 3 sets of 20 reps. Advanced: 3 sets of 30. Rest one minute in between sets.
The Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension. (Photo: Beth Bischoff)
LYING DUMBBELL TRICEPS EXTENSION
Targets: Triceps
Additional Tips: Make sure your arms are fully extended and palms are facing each other. When you bring the weights back, don’t let them touch the floor.
Reps: Beginners: 3 sets of 10 reps. Intermediate: 3 sets of 20 reps. Advanced: 3 sets of 30 reps. Rest one minute in between sets.
The Reverse Lunge. (Photo: Beth Bischoff)
REVERSE LUNGE
Targets: Quads, hamstrings, and butt
Additional Tips: Feet should be shoulder width apart before taking a large step backwards with your right leg before lowering your hips. Keep your back straight. Your knee should never touch the floor. Repeat with the opposite leg. One rep is doing the reverse lunge on both legs.
Reps: Beginners: 3 sets of 10 reps. Intermediate: 3 sets of 20 reps. Advanced: 3 sets of 30 reps. Rest one minute in between sets.
The Standing Dumbbell Sidebend. (Photo: Beth Bischoff)
STANDING DUMBBELL SIDEBEND
Targets: Internal and external obliques
Additional Tips: If you want to get rid of your love handles, this is the exercise that will tone up your sides.
Reps: Beginners: 3 sets of 10 on both sides. Intermediate: 3 sets of 20 on both sides. Advanced: 3 sets of 30 on both sides. Rest one minute in between sets.
Related:
Harley Pasternak’s 5 Ways to Lose 5 Pounds
