Do 5-Minute Workouts Work?

Everyone wants to know how to lose weight fast, but the key to successful and healthy weight loss is gradual progression (cue the frustrated groans). Those groans are actually just a reaction to common misconceptions about gradual weight loss. Pacing yourself when it comes to fitness doesn’t mean months of denying yourself all forms of sugar and carbohydrates, or spending hours on the elliptical with minimal results.

Most people who’ve had those experiences have experienced them because they were going about weight loss the wrong way. Pacing yourself means taking the time to get to know what your body needs so you can become healthier and more confident in your ability to stay healthy, every day. 

We've put together a list of five-minute workout routines to help you get started on your fitness journey. Really, just five minutes! We promise.

Why Five Minute Workout Routines?

A common frustration for many people who are just starting out on their weight loss journey is feeling insecure at the gym. They see the woman deadlifting 60 pounds or the guy running 12 miles in one workout session, feel insecure, and give up. But what these fitness seekers don’t see is that the same woman started out lifting five pounds, and that same man used to struggle to finish a mile.

Everyone started in the same spot you’re in now. Incorporating five-minute workouts into your daily routine, can help get your body in shape and your mindset in a confident place so when you walk into the gym for the first time, all you see is the progress that lies ahead.

Are Short Workout Routines Effective?

If you're doubting that a five-minute workout routine can actually be effective, we get it. We did, too! But they're not just a fitness myth. There is a type of training developed by Izumi Tabata, former researcher at the National Institute for Health and Nutrition and current professor and researcher at Ritsumeikan University’s Faculty of Sport and Health Science that's designed to be super short and super effective. Tabata training is focused on the belief that a workout should not be based on the amount of time devoted to exercising. Instead, a workout should be based on what the exercise does for your body after the workout is over. 

It’s not how long you spend exercising, it’s the type of exercise you perform and how many calories your body continues to burn once the exercise is over.

Studies on Tabata show that short duration, high intensity interval training (HIIT), results in a prolonged calorie burn because this type of training causes your body to take longer to return to its rest state. A five-minute Tabata, or HIIT workout can result in the same benefits as running 30 minutes on the treadmill. Incorporating these five-minute workouts during commercial breaks of your favorite television show, while waiting for your dinner to bake in the oven, or in the break room during lunch can place you on the fast track to your fitness goals.

The Workout Routines

Choose one to three of these workout routines to perform, one to five times per week (depending on your experience level).

Five-Minute Burpee Workout

Set a timer on your phone for four minutes and keep watch. Perform burpees for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this pattern until your five minutes are up.

Jumping Jacks

Set a timer for five minutes. Perform jumping jacks for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, repeat this for four minutes. You can also try switching up the type of jumping jacks you perform. Instead of performing traditional jumping jacks for every set, try switching from traditional jumping jacks to seal jumping jacks to plank jacks.

Squats, Push-ups, Plank

Set a timer for five minutes. Squat for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Do push-ups for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Plank for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this progression for five minutes.

Kettlebell Workout

Swing a kettlebell for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Repeat these movements for four minutes. Here's how to do a kettlebell swing.

Sprinting

Sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. This one works on a dreadmill (oops, we mean treadmill) or outside. You can even try these intervals with any cardio: up your speed for 20 seconds and slow back to normal for 10.

Jump rope

Jump for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

5 Fitness Myths You Need To Ignore

Fitness is not a series of singular truths that work for everyone. In fact, the same holds true for weight loss overall. It's not about avoiding deadly diet mistakes and signing up for the latest trendy class that everyone in Instagram's #fitfam can't seem to get enough of. It is about getting to know your body, knowing your goals, and knowing it make take a little bit longer than you expect to find out what works to get you there. This list, adapted from a Refinery 29 article, includes five commonly circulated fitness myths that we felt we needed to clear up.

Source: refinery29.com

Myth #1: Muscle weighs more than fat. A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pounds of bricks: One pound. The question is the amount of space that each requires to reach a pound. Fat has about a third of the densisty of a muscle, which is why resistance-based training is key to create the body composition you want, not just lose weight without getting healthier.

Source: refinery29.com

Myth #2: All you need is cardio. Cardio is fantastic, but so are strength and flexibility training. And to constantly challenge your body and continue improving your fitness level, you'll need to cross train.

Source: refinery29.com

Myth #3: Don't work out at night. You benefit from exercise no matter what time of day you're able to squeeze it in. Check out this 2013 National Sleep Foundation study that literally busted the myth that exercise, even at vigorous level, has a negative effect on sleep quality. If working out at night is your only option, it's much better than no workout at all.

Source: refinery29.com

Myth #4: High intensity exercise is best. True for a few. But it's not best for every body and every goal. There's a lot of research out there that supports high-intensity exercise for becoming leaner and stronger; but if that's not your goal, this isn't necessarily your workout. Variety is always best, in our opinion, the best exercise programs mix it up with a combination of high- and low- intensity training sessions.

Source: refinery29.com

Myth #5: It's not a real workout unless you're sweating and sore afterwards. No. A real workout is the one that works for your interest and your goals and makes you feel good. Whether or not wake up and can't walk down the stair. Find a workout you enjoy and get moving in a way that works for you.

Did any of these surprise you? What would you add to the list? Let us know in a comment! 

Top 5 Wedding Workout Tips

We know that getting in shape is at the top of many brides' Dream Wedding To Do lists, whether that means toning up your arms or losing 50 pounds. But if you're not really sure just where to start, you've come to the right place for wedding weight loss tips! If you want to look and feel your healthiest for your wedding, we advise these five basic tactics to find a fitness routine that makes sense for your lifestyle without placing a huge burden on all of your other planning tasks.

1. Set A Plan.

This is the first step to really getting success out of your workouts. Thirty minutes on the elliptical one day, doing 100 crunches before bed the next, and parking at the far end of the parking lot the next week are wonderful choices to make on their own, but weight loss comes from visualizing (and sticking to) a set plan. The Knot has a fantastic long-term one, the Shape Up: 6-Month Wedding Fitness Plan, and Pinterest is brimming with options for ideal bridal body workout schedules. Find something that suits your schedule and commit.

2. Find A Workout Partner.

Maybe your future hubby or your MOH are also not-so-enthusiastic about all of those not-so-natural photography angles. (This is where we shy away from what Pinterest has to offer.) Team up and motivate each other to get active, even if it's just so you can both exert maximum energy on the dance floor.

3. Fit In Four Days Of Cardio.

For weight loss, we advise 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week. That can be a walk on your lunch break, two Zumba classes, and a Saturday morning bike ride. Easy.

4. Consider Workouts Appointments.

You wouldn't skip a scheduled fitting or a cake tasting, would you? Write your sweat sessions down in your planner just like everything else you want to do to make sure the big day is as stress-free as possible.

5. Walk To Your Wedding Errands.

Speaking of all of those other pre-big-day tasks, you can use those to sneak in some more calorie burn! Haven't found your flowers yet? Scope out all of the local florists within walking distance and set aside some time to check them out. Need to mail out Save The Dates? Walk over to the post office in town. Meeting with the bridesmaids to plan your final hurrah as a single lady? Suggest a walking meeting at the closest park. Multitasking at its finest!

How are you getting in shape for your wedding? Share your wedding workout tips with us in a comment!

Q & A: Protein-Packed Snack Facts

Until the past few years, protein bars were often only unwrapped by bodybuilders, athletes and hikers on the trail. But now, their balanced serving of convenience and nutrition is seen as a go-to on-the-go snack for anybody, especially those on a weight loss program. While protein is essential for building and repairing muscle after a workout, the macronutrient packs many more benefits for your body which are ideal for weight loss. We sat down with Jessica Mawhinney, our Operations Manager, to get some of the dietary details.

How does protein facilitate in the weight loss process?

JM: High-protein foods force the body to work harder to digest, metabolize, and use the food. They also take longer to leave your stomach, so you feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time. The cumulative effect has obvious benefits for anyone who is watching their weight.

How should you determine how much protein to intake daily?

JM: There are two steps to figuring out your protein needs. This is a general formula that can give you a good baseline of how much protein you need each day.

Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kilograms

Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein grams

When using this formula, you should use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary such as 0.8. Use a higher number, between 1 and 1.8, if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent weight or endurance training.

For example: 154 lb male who exercises every day
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg; 
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

When are the best times to eat a protein bar?

JM: Personally, I like to eat a protein bar between lunch and dinner, and I believe this is the best time for most people to utilize a protein bar. That time between lunch and dinner is usually 4-7 hours for most people. Sometimes, for me, it can be even longer. That is way too much time to not eat a snack. Eating a protein bar between these meals will help keep you full until your meal and will keep your metabolism burning throughout. Protein bars are so convenient and help keep me going through my day.

Who can benefit from always having a protein bar on hand?

JM: I think everyone can! Everyone is busy and could benefit from having a high protein, good-for-you, tasty snack to keep them full throughout the day. My mom is a preschool teacher and eats a protein bar every day while the kids have their sugary snacks for snack-time. My aunt is a nurse and loves that she can throw a bar into her purse and not worry about the 2 o’clock hunger pains she used to get while on the floor. Even my sister-in-law, who is a stay-at-home mom, benefits from the ability to not have to prepare snacks for herself as she is constantly on the go to get the kids to their sports and activities. They are convenient for everyone!

Is too much protein a bad thing?

JM: Yes, you can have too much protein. Too much of anything, even a good thing, can always have the opposite effect. Taking in too much of it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. For weight loss, get only the recommended amount for you from nutritious, low-fat, low-cholesterol food sources. I do not believe that there are steadfast numbers that say that X grams of protein are enough, where Y grams of protein is too much, because the amounts are different for everyone. Generally, protein should be no more than 30% of your daily calories and you will never need to worry about it being a bad thing.

What is your favorite flavor that we offer?

JM: My favorite bar used to be the Caramel Crunch. It tastes like a 100 Grand chocolate bar. I love the taste and you would never know that there are 15 grams of high quality protein in them! Now, my favorite bar is one of our newer bars, Crispy Chocolate Mint. It tastes like a Thin Mint cookie from the Girl Scouts. It makes me feel like I am still able to enjoy the taste I love without all the guilt!

Anything to add?

JM: Yes, a joke: “I see you are eating a protein bar today… Whey to go!”




If you have more questions for Jessica or would like to be once again slain by her health-inspired humor, let us know in the comments!

Belly Fat Blasting Workout

As we mentioned in our latest blog, What Is Stress Doing To Your Body?, belly fat and stress hormones are directly related. The more you have of one, the more you'll have of the other. Not only will the workout help to blast your belly fat, but the actual act of working out is an excellent stress reliever, too! The benefits are manifold.

In the long run, the only way to get rid of belly fat is combining regular cardio, total body strength conditioning, and a healthy diet. This fast paced, 38-minute workout routine from Fitness Blender can be done at home and moves quickly between bodyweight cardio intervals and an assortment of ab and oblique exercises. It brings you the two fitness components of belly fat loss: calorie-blasting cardio and core toning. If you do this workout three times a week, and follow our tips for eating healthier, you should be able to see a difference in your weight and body definition in as little as two weeks.

Depending on your body, they estimated that this workout burns 6-11 calories per minute for a total between 257 and 407. Keep in mind, a cool down is not included, so we recommend a quick stretch once you are finished. Let's get started! 

What'd you think? Let us know in a comment! 

There actually are other ways to target stubborn belly fat, too. Learn more by clicking the link.

How To Work Out When You Don't Want To

You planned it into your schedule. You’re lacing up your tennis shoes. But you can’t ignore the temptation to skip “just this once.” And that’s fine, if it really is “just this once.” It’s extremely important to pay attention to your body, and sometimes you’re just not feeling 100%.

But soon, sometimes becomes once a week, and then you can’t even remember where you put your gym bag. Before you get to that point, you need to remind yourself that there are ways to work up a sweat without schlepping along on a treadmill. Fitness should be fun. Here are our motivational tips.