There is a misconception that you need a lot of time to exercise to be effective, and a common excuse for not exercising is having no time. With the holiday season is in full swing and the New Year is just around the corner, thoughts drift to parties, food, and family on top of a packed schedule. For some, that would be an excuse to skip gym workouts altogether, but not you, right? That’s why we’ve come up with 3 new year workouts to keep you in shape throughout 2024 even when your schedule is packed because you are better than that!
Still, there is an issue that ruins any new year resolution goal and that’s time. If you don’t have 30 minutes to get your sweat on, why bother even starting? Some will devise every excuse in the book NOT to get a little sweaty. Don’t be one of them! Here’s your chance to get the body you want in 2024.
But when you genuinely have little or no time for anything and want to squeeze a workout for health, vanity, or any other reason, these 3 New Year Workouts are for you. You can use the methods here to get your sweat on when time is of the essence.
Here, we’ll lay the ground rules for training when you have limited time and three trainings to get in there and it done, so you can enjoy the holiday season without worrying about your waistline.
How To Perform The 3 New Year Workouts Efficiently
To maximize the little time you’ve got to train, here’s what you’ll do for the workouts below.
Group exercises in tri-sets (3 exercises) and circuits (4-5 exercises) to help you get more done in less time.
Only compound exercises (training two or more muscle groups) will keep the intensity high. The goal is to work as much muscle as possible quickly.
Limit the equipment to one or two pieces to be more efficient.
Either exercise for time (30-60 seconds) or for reps.
Use moderate resistance because absolute strength is not the goal here; it is maintenance and keeping your hard-earned gains.
Little rest between exercises and circuits. Thirty seconds between exercises and one minute to 90 seconds will do. Rest more if needed.
There is an inverse relationship between time and intensity. When time is short, your intensity goes up. Be prepared to breathe hard and sweat.
3 New Year Workouts To Keep You Fit Through 2024
Although these trainings aim to keep your gains throughout the holiday season, these can be substituted into your regular workout when time is an issue. Are you ready? Then let’s go.
Deadlift, Push, Pull & Carry
You’ll choose a pair of dumbbells and do the entire workout with them. Pick your not-so-strongest move out of the four (most likely the push) and perform all four exercises with that weight. You’ll rest a little between exercises and circuits (only the time it takes to transition), but if you need more rest, take it.
1A. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
1B. Dumbbell Bench Press
1C. Dumbbell Bent Over Row
1D. Farmers Carry 40 yards.
Tips: Choose your reps and weight for the first three exercises and keep it between six and ten. You can do this in two ways. Perform every minute on the minute (EMOM). Do six to 10 reps, rest, and transition for the rest on the minute before moving to the next exercise. Or choose a total time of no less than 10 minutes and no more than 20 minutes, and do as many rounds as possible with your desired reps. When grip and form become an issue, don’t be afraid to go down in weight.
Bodyweight Tri-Sets
When you haven’t the time to travel to and from the gym, bodyweight tri-sets like the ones below are perfect to keep you on the gain train.
1A. Squat to Reverse Lunge – 8 reverse lunges on each side
1B. Bent over T Raises -15 reps.
1C. Push-Up Variation -10 reps
Do three rounds or as many rounds as you can do in 10 minutes.
1A. Push-Up Variation -10 reps
1B. Side Planks 15-30 seconds per side
1C. Bodyweight Squats- 20 reps
Do three rounds or as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.
Tips: With all the exercises except the side plank, control the lowering or eccentric muscle contraction to maximize tension.
Unilateral Dumbbell Complex
Do three to eight reps of the following unilateral exercise and do all the reps on one side entirely and then the other.
1A. Snatch
1B. Overhead Carry
1C. Front Squats
1D. Push Press
1E. Cross-body row
With a complex, the dumbbell doesn’t leave your hands until all the reps are done, making it different from the first training above.
Tips: The weakest exercise determines your weight for the other four exercises, usually the snatch or push press. Go lighter than you think here because the unilateral nature of this complex smokes your core.
