The Ultimate Fast And Frugal Full Body Home Workout

Getting in good physical shape is the ultimate frugal move because it can literally save you hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in medical care as you get older.  Last month, I wrote about a few frugal ways to lose weight.  They are certainly effective tips and if you’re discplined, will yield decent results over long periods of time, but what if you don’t want to wait that long?  You don’t have to, if you’re willing to work for it and the best part is, it requires absolutely no equipment and is completely free to perform at home.  Contrary to conventional wisdom, you don’t need to spend an hour on the treadmill every day to see results.  In fact, you can see dramatic results with as little as 10 minutes three or four days per week (when coupled with a healthy diet, obviously).  The secret is to substitute those long, slow, boring cardio workouts with short bouts of intense workouts using the principle of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).  Simply put, high-intensity interval training is

“…a warm-up period followed by several short, maximum-intensity efforts separated by moderately-intense recovery periods and a cool-down period…typically lasting a total of 15 minutes.”

Several studies*** have shown HIIT to be up to four times as effective at burning fat than traditional steady-state cardio.  Now that we’ve gotten the science out of the way, on to the workout. 

Burpee Intervals

There are many ways to do interval training (running is probably the most common), but for this workout we’re going to combine HIIT principles with a full-body strength workout using burpees.  A properly-performed burpee utilizes pretty much every major muscle in your entire body and most of the minor ones as well.  This inspiration for this workout comes from Ross Enamait and is only for those who already possess a minimum standard of physical fitness.  If you haven’t been off the couch in two years, you should start slow and work your way up to this routine over several months.

How To Perform A Burpee

• Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you
• Kick your legs back behind you while simultanously lowering to the ground with your arms like in a pushup
• Simultaneously complete the push-up with your arms while returning your legs to the start position
• Jump upwards from the squat position as high as possible
• Repeat

 It’s not as complicated as it sounds.  Here’s a video to show you exactly what to do:

 
The Workout

The workout is simple:

Alternate 30 seconds of burpees with 30 seconds of shadow-boxing, skipping rope, jogging, or other form of active recovery (not the keyword active…you can’t just rest) for a total of three minutes (or three rounds of each activity) with no rest between activities.  After your three minute set, rest for one full minute and repeat as many sets as you can with one minute rest between sets.  That’s it.  It’s a lot harder than it sounds and beginners will be lucky to be able to finish even one complete set at first.  But keep at it three or four times per week and you will see dramatic results within just a few months.  By then you should be able to do five or six sets per day and will notice a significant change in your body and level of physical fitness.  Of course, you will see even better results if you combine burpee intervals with other forms of strength and cardiovascular workouts.

• 30 seconds of burpees
• 30 minutes of active recovery (jogging, skipping rope, shadow-boxing, etc)
• Continue alternating these two activities for three minutes without any rest inbetween
• Do as many three-minute sets as you can, resting one minute between sets

If you’re serious about getting in shape without spending a fortune, I highly recommend Squawkfox’s sexy, delicious, and fun new ebook Frugal Food & Fitness.  I read it a few weeks ago and it’s thorough, simple to follow, and very effective.  It focuses on frugal and healthy food ideas (with tasty recipes) and simple, low-impact ways to fit exercise into your everyday routine.  It’s also free, so you have no excuses. 

Disclaimer:  I’m not a doctor nor do I pretend to be.  This article is for informational purposes only.  Always, always, always consult your doctor before starting any physical training program.  If you try to do too much too soon, you stand a good chance of injuring yourself.  Furthermore, this type of high-intensity workout could possibly aggravate any heart or circulatory problems you may have.  Only those in good physical condition and with the permission of their doctor should attempt this workout regimen.

*** Sources ***
Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al (1996). “Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max”. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28 (10): 1327–30. PMID 8897392.

Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C (1994). “Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism”. Metab. Clin. Exp. 43 (7): 814–8. PMID 8028502.