A 15-Minute Cardio and Strength Circuit

There's an old saying that highlights quality as being more important than quantity, and it's a saying that finds great importance in the gym. You don't have to run on the treadmill for hours upon hours, or hit the weights every day to gain muscle and streamline body fat. You really, honestly don't—but many of you (my clients, too) really, honestly don't believe me. I get it because we're also told an old saying that indicates the more, the merrier. Let's stop and think about this for a second, though. If you go, go, go you get tired, tired and tired. Am I right? So think about your muscles in this way. To overload them is to fatigue them, and we need our muscles to be in tip-top condition each and everyday because they are the mechanics that propel us forward in our actions. So let me offer these two rules, and let me encourage you to never, ever break them:

1) Always and forever give your muscles at least 24 hours in between strength sessions. If you do a total body workout today, don't do another one until Wednesday. If you train arms today, don't train them again until Wednesday.

2) Never ever forget that the quality of your workout is much more important than how many times you work out. I know, I already said this. For example, I strength train twice a week. Mondays and Fridays, total body, one hour. And I work my butt off during those two hours. In between, I'm getting in my fair share of cardio sessions, which don't overload my muscles quite like a strength session. And, of course, I'm constantly demonstrating exercises, which get me little minuscule workouts here and there—but I have to be careful not to take these demonstrations too far, lest I overload my muscles.

Got it? Good.

Now let's talk about the following 15-Minute Cardio and Strength Circuit. It's a lot of work in a little amount of time, perfect for those days you don't have the time to hit the gym or get your full workout in. You can do the following, work up a sweat, and walk away refreshed and ready for the rest of your day. Best part? All you need is a stopwatch.

Monkey Pushups:



Enjoy!

Question: What is your current workout schedule? Do you give yourself enough rest in between sessions?