WHEN YOU ONLY have a few minutes to get a workout, you develop a sense of urgency. Your goals might shift to all-out movement over almost anything else—but it helps to have a plan if you want to make the most out of your precious time. You want to be quick, yes. If your routine isn’t focused, however, you’ll wind up sabotaging your performance and putting yourself in a compromised position that could lead to wasted effort and an increased likelihood that something could go wrong.
These instances are when a hyper-fast, focused routine like this session from coach Ben Feiden, CFSC of Performance HQ will be particularly useful. The 5-Minute Beatdown workout is “quick and nasty,” according to Feiden—but it’s not unfocused.
You’ll perform a quick warmup, then descend into a challenging three-exercise circuit, which will challenge you to squat, jump, and press up off the floor. After that, you’ll need to survive the “7th Circle of Hell” finisher, a non-stop two-minute sprint to the end with more jumping and a nasty core move.
All of those plyometric jumps take the routine to the next level—and make you focus more than if your feet were glued to the floor. “We’ve gotta get difficult, but we’ve gotta be smart,” says Feiden. “These little plyometrics—it’s a good way to get the brain kickstarted.”
The 5-Minute Bodyweight Beatdown Workout
Warmup
Perform each movement for 10 seconds
Butt Kicks
High Knees
Mountain Climbers
Plank Up-Downs
Hell Circuit 1+2
Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for 2 rounds.
Air Squats
Alternating Jump Lunge
2-Pushup Burpee
7th Circle of Hell Finisher
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest. Repeat for 2 rounds.
Jump Squat
Lateral Frogger
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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