12-Minute Total Body Workout
No equipment, just your mind.
You’ve got legitimate excuses for not working out: You can’t afford a gym membership, and you don’t have any equipment at home. We asked Joe Stankowski, a trainer in Grand Rapids, MI, to give you a functional workout that can be done in any home or building.
1. CLOSE-GRIP PUSH UP
Hit the floor and place your hands inside shoulder width. Perform three sets of 15 reps. If that’s too easy, elevate your feet on a chair or two-drawer filing cabinet.
Stankowski Says: “The close-hand position puts the emphasis more on your triceps.” In addition to pumping up your arms quick (you might want to use this right before date night), it hits your core, chest, and shoulders hard.
2. STEP-UP
Stand in front of a chair and place one foot on it. Now drive your heel into the seat and step up onto the chair, but leave your other leg dangling off. Step back down. Complete three sets of 20 on each leg.
Stankowski Says: “Sitting at a desk for hours puts your hip flexors in a shortened position. This results in a ‘dumb ass’—an inability for your glutes to fire properly.” The step-up works your glutes through a full range of motion.
3. BURPEE
Crouch down and then shoot your legs behind you so you end up in the top position of a push-up. Reverse the motion quickly so you come back up to standing. Then jump as high as you can. Perform one set of 20 reps.
Stankowski Says: “If you only have time for one move, make it this one. It gets your blood flowing, and works the whole body.”
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