Hello! I’m so happy to have more time to blog this week because I’ve been doing some good workouts that are totally share-worthy. Although it can be hard to fit everything in during busy/stressful times (hello, moving!), doing my best to stay consistent with my workouts is something that’s really important to me. They may not be the longest or most intense, but even 15-20 minutes of just bodyweight exercises is better than nothing, and sometimes exactly what I need. I have to be careful of not over-doing it with workouts during stressful times because working out is a stress on the body, but less-intense, bodyweight workouts are generally doing me more good than harm. My fellow Boston blogger friend, Stephanie, wrote a really great blog post talking about this exact thing: The Stress-Fitness Balance. All too often workouts are the first thing that gets pushed aside in stressful, busy times, but her post is a good reminder on how to gauge your stress levels and figure out if maybe a quickie workout might be exactly what you need to relieve some stress and get a clear head.

Which is a perfect segway into this workout! For those of you who are feeling short on time these days, this workout has the option of being as short as 8 minutes or as long as 24-32 minutes. Each circuit is an 8 minute AMRAP (As many rounds as possible- while keeping good form, of course!) consisting of a lower body move, cardio, upper body move and core move. Choose a challenging weight so that you’re not whipping through the reps- I promise you’ll feel it 😉 I think I ended up getting through 3-3.5 rounds in the 8 minutes.

AMRAP 1

• Alt. lunges- 12 on each leg
• Jumping lunges- 8 on each leg
• Curl & press- for this do a bicep curl and then press the weights overhead while keeping your palms facing your  face instead of away from you. 10 reps (sorry I forgot to put the rep count in the visual!)
• Russian twists- 12 to each direction

AMRAP 2

• Banded side step & squat- 12 in each direction
• Banded squat jumps- keep the band around your legs and as you jump, make sure you’re pressing against the band to keep it tight. Extra workout for your outer thighs!
• HRPU= Hand release push-up. Make sure you’re lowering and lifting in one motion like a board. If you need to drop to your knees to keep good form, please do so.
• Boat to canoe- 12 boats & 12 canoes

AMRAP 3

• Curtsy lunges- 12 on each leg
• Burpees- with or without a push-up or chest to ground
• Banded pull-aparts- stand tall and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the band apart.
• Leg lowers & extension- in the supine position, lower your legs and then separate them and bring them back together before lifting back up. Make sure you keep your lower back glued to the floor!

AMRAP 4

• Deadlift & row- 12 combos of the 2 moves
• 4 high knees & 2 jumping jacks
• Upright row- bring the weights up to your chest, elbows pulling high
• Side plank & knee crunch- 12 on each side. Drop your lower leg to the ground if you want more support

I think that should do it! This workout is great as a finisher if you choose 1 or 2 circuits to do, or, you can do all 4 if you want a full body, 32 minute workout.

Questions for you: When you’re stressed and busy do your workouts take a back seat or do you try to stay consistent with them? Do you prefer to do short workouts or skip them all together if you’re short on time?