People want to know the quickest way to get in shape. They want shortcuts… the easy way out. Those people…
Just kidding… are you serious? Who wouldn’t want results in as little time as humanly possible? Isn’t that the point of working out anyway?
Your body is full of shortcuts. I’ve spent the last several years studying all kinds of shortcuts in the body from joint healing techniques, to tissue relaxation methods, or nervous system targeting in exercise… or even the exercise methods targeted to help you lose fat safely and quickly, down to the single exercises.
I’ve paid attention to what produces the most results, and it comes down to 3 Fat Loss Exercises, when used alone in a giant set. I recommend you do each one for 1 minute three times, alternating. Your first set will be at 30% intensity for all exercises. Your second set will be at 60% intensity. Your third set will be at 90% intensity. This will total 9 minutes per day: *Results may vary. Please read our full disclaimer here
1) Burpees With Push Up Superset
- Stand feet hip width apart, tall posture.
- Crouch down into squat, hands on floor in front of you.
- Donkey kick legs back through glutes, keeping core tight and land feet together, knees straight behind you.
- Spread legs apart in jump step and then bring them back together.
- Perform first of 3 push ups: Tricep – hands together, elbows in.
- Repeat following push ups until you have completed all three: Shoulder-Width, and Wide Grip
- Thrust legs back towards hands until you are in a full squat position with your hands on the ground.
- Jump from this position as you look forward. Land knees bent.
Repeat for desired time frame.
2. Diagonal Lunges – There are 2 forms of Diagonal Lunges:
- Lunge With A Chop/Reverse Chop Pattern
- Stand feet hip width apart or slightly wider. Clasp your hands and place them by your left hip, elbows straight.
- Lunge back with your left leg as you transfer your weight to your right leg and keep your right knees behind your toes.
- While you are lunging down, move arms up and to the right, diagonally, while keeping hands clasped together and elbows straight.
- Push off of your right heel and through your right glute, as you return to your starting position by standing and returning your hands to your left hip.
Repeat for the desired time frame, alternating legs.
- Spider Lunge
- Reverse lunge back with your left leg as per above.
- Twist your torso and reach your left arm past your right knee, such that your left elbow is able to touch the outside of your right knee. Keep your torso upright and core tight.
- Push through right heel and right glute to return to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired time frame, alternating legs.
3. Squat Bursts
- Stand feet 1.5x hip width apart, toeing out just slightly.
- Cross arms in front of your body, chest big, athletic stance, as you squat down, keeping you knees behind your toes.
- Accelerate as much as you can as you fire your glutes and stand up hard! Allow your arms to go with the momentum, as they both go up and diagonally, forming a ‘Y’ above your head.
Return to starting position and repeat for desired time frame.
This is an incredibly efficient way to build an exercise program centered around fat loss… however, it’s a great way to build a fat loss spiker that you can use at home in just 9 minutes a day for incredible results. In just 9 minutes per day, you can almost double your fat loss. I haven’t seen any other 3 exercises come close in results as these do in combination. They rock! *Results may vary. Please read our full disclaimer here
Now, let’s talk about how you can progress from a bodyweight version of each of these exercises to a dumbbell version.
Beginning with the Burpee, you can begin by adding/subtracting from the exercise as follows :
- Add dumbbells to hands – light to start – 10 pounds or less.
- Remove ‘leg spread’ component from burpee.
- Remove ‘Push Up Superset’ component from burpee.
- Add ‘Renegade Dumbbell Row’ to the bottom of the burpee, in place of the push up.
- Set 2: same as set 1, but with leg spread.
- Set 3: same as set 2, but with one push up of superset.
- Day 2: same as set 3, but with 2 push ups of superset.
- Day 9: same as Day 2, but with all push ups in superset.
I know this might seem basic and easy, but it’s important that you understand how to properly build a progression in your exercise program. Without having this understanding, you’re missing a fundamental piece of your potential progress.
Remember, this is your body – It’s worth taking it seriously.
Let’s take a look at ‘Diagonal Lunges’ and see what we could do:
- Remove diagonal pattern related to a lunge.
- Add horizontal dumbbell and hold near chest with both hands.
- Pick one direction of a lunge to begin. Reverse lunge is easiest.
- Set 2: Repeat with forward lunge.
- Set 3: Repeat with pivot/rotational lunge.
- Day 2: Repeat with one dumbbell in each hand.
- Day 3: Same as Day 2, but now just one dumbbell in one hand, other hand free.
- Day 9: Same as Day 3, but now with C/RC pattern and dumbbell in both hands.
- Day 16: Same as Day 9, but now with Spider Pattern and dumbbell in one hand.
Ok, now it’s your turn to try with the next exercise: Squat Bursts.
How would you add/subtract components of a squat burst to ease the difficulty of transition. Also, how would you build me into the exercise? How long would it take to work up to a full rep of heavy dumbbells?
Do this exercise at home and then leave any questions/comment you have. It should only take a minute or two.
