How many pillows do you have on your bed?

No, this isn’t a joke. It’s part of an assessment created by world-renowned fitness coach Dan John.

Research tells us you only need 100 minutes of exercise a week—that’s five 20-minute walks.

“If the answer is more than one, you’re a mobility client,” says John. In other words, unless you improve how you move, then you’re doomed to have limited results or multiple injuries, as well as unnecessary aches and pains.

“You might think those extra pillows are just for looks, but if you wake up sore or your hips and back hurt when you don’t sleep with a pillow between your thighs, mobility is another big need.”

Welcome to the world of personalization, where a workout plan isn’t just a series of good exercises – it’s a prescription for your body based on your needs. Before anyone should hands you a workout plan (or you select one online), you need to understand what your body needs.

Think of it this way: Imagine that you are starving and feel like you would eat anything. Because you know you’re hungry, any food will do, so you head to the kitchen.

Then, imagine you can pull out anything and in any quantity – but you can’t see what it is. You figure that you’re hungry and it doesn’t matter because food is what you need. If you eat, your problem will be solved.

You take your food, open the contents, only to realize it’s a meat-filled dish and you’re a vegetarian. You’re hungry – craving food – but this isn’t a good fit. Maybe you’ll eat it and maybe you won’t, but what seemed like an “anything will work right now” was far from the case.

While workouts are a different beast, selecting blindly can leave you in the same situation. Your body might be starving for exercise, but you need to give your body what it needs.

Do the plan that’s designed for someone else, and you might work hard and never see the results that you expect. And nowhere is that truer than when starting a workout plan after a long layoff, or try to chance your program after you’ve been stuck in the plateau for far too long.

Rest assured, getting started in the right direction doesn’t require a degree in exercise science or nutrition, but it does mean a little more pillow talk and answering a few more questions to point you in the right direction.

Step 1: A Great Workout Plan Can Be Fools Gold

One of the easiest things to do when you’re feeling ready to get back into training is to get carried away. “This time it’s going to be different!” You tell yourself. “This time I’ll make myself eat the vegetables! And I’ll spend two hours a day at the gym! It doesn’t matter if I don’t actually have that time. I’ll make time!”

Look, that sort of enthusiasm is admirable. But it’s not necessarily realistic or sustainable. And when it comes to fitness, sustainability is what matters the most. I’ve seen great workouts that require 5 days per week in the gym given to people who only have time for 3 workouts. Far too many fitness professionals will tell you, “Three days of training isn’t enough to get fit.” That’s ridiculous. Just ask Kristen or David.

Now, the three-a-day week plan will be very different than 5 days per week, but both can work. Nearly any type of workout will help you get fit—especially if you’re coming off a baseline of inactivity. The key is finding something you’ll do consistently. To help yourself do that, you should…

Be honest about how much free time you really have.

Before plunging back into the gym, buying a training program you found online, or hiring a competition-style coach to spearhead your return to the hard body club, look at your calendar app.

How much time are you going to be able to set aside for fitness, given your family, work, and other pre-existing obligations?

Does the plan you want to follow fit within the confines of your actual life?

Two to three one-hour workouts per week are all some people can realistically wedge into their schedules. And the best news is, that’s all you need.

“Research tells us you only need 100 minutes of exercise a week—that’s five 20-minute walks,” says John, a strength and conditioning coach with more than 36 years of experience working with clients at nearly every level. “If you add in a couple of squats and presses, or deadlifts and presses, you’d be good.”

Other people don’t even have a block of time that big—which is fine because 30-minute workouts can be extremely effective — if they’re designed correctly.

Pick an activity that you actually enjoy.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of liking what you do. Studies have repeatedly shown that when people enjoy an activity, they’re far more likely to actually do it.

So, while this might seem like a no-brainer, if you cringe at the thought of dancing, you should steer clear of Zumba. If you love bike rides, consider spin. And of course, if picking up heavy objects is your thing, then ease back into lifting. In fact, John has a program below that’ll help you do just that.

Step #2: Set Your Goals With Super-Simple Self-Assessments

Most people know what they want—to lose baby weight, have six-pack abs, lift more weight, or look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1980s. But people have a more difficult time figuring out what they really need, much less how to achieve it. If you’re being honest, this is the real struggle: knowing what to focus on, why it’s a problem, and how to fix it.

So instead of trusting that anything is a solution for you (even if it’s worked for others), take the time to ask the questions that will make the answer more obvious. It’s something Born Fitness does with all coaching clients; no one gets a workout plan until questions are answered.

To help you determine whether your priority should be body composition, mobility, or strength, John recommends taking three simple tests (the first was the pillow test). The others are:

1. Measuring your height and your waistline
2. Seeing how long you can hold a plank

The height/waistline test helps you take a look at your body composition. The math here is simple. “If you waistline measures in at more than half of your height,” John says, “you’re a body composition client.”

The plank hold is to gauge your strength. “See if you can hold a 2-minute plank,” John says. “If you can’t, then you’re a strength client.”

It’s worth noting that you can be more than one type of client. In fact, John says most clients have several needs. If that’s the case, then you want a workout plan that will improve all of your needs.

There’s one more assessment you should take before you dive headlong into training, but it’s not exactly something you can do on yourself. Go see a doctor. And not simply the one who administers a physical.

While there is some value to that exam—it’s always good to know your cholesterol levels and check that your blood pressure falls within the normal range—John says you might learn even more from having your eyes and teeth checked.

Sound strange? It is…but it’s also smart because it considers not just what is wrong but what could be causing your problems.

“There’s value to seeing a doctor, but honestly there isn’t one who’s going to say that exercise is bad for a person,” John says. “I usually send people to an optometrist or a dentist because if I’m going to tell you to eat more vegetables, and you have crowns and cavities that make it painful to eat them, you’re going to revert to the brown-and-gray family of foods—hash browns and potato chips. Fat loss happens in the kitchen, but if a person can’t chew, then they’ve got bigger problems to address.”

Step #3: Get Fit and Never Look Back

Ready to get started? Good—but before you do, don’t make yourself vulnerable to your mistakes of the past. For one, don’t judge a workout plan until you perform it over and over (and over) again. John says you can see big results with fewer exercises that take advantage of lifts that offer a lot of bang for your buck, like squats and presses. These lifts challenge a whole lot of musculature at once. There isn’t a tissue in your body that isn’t firing during a properly executed front squat. These full-body movements should form the bread and butter of your workout plan.

In fact, John says that a good workout plan only really needs five types of movements: squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, and loaded carries.

Squats are exercises in which most of the movement takes place at your knee. But you don’t have to throw a bar on your back in order to perform them. There’s the aforementioned front squat, of course. But beginners or those returning to training after time off might be even better served with the Goblet squat, in which you hold a dumbbell vertically, wrapping both hands around the underside of the top weight stack. Keep both stacks in contact with your chest throughout the movement as you squat down until your elbows make contact with the insides of your knees. Then push back up.

Hinges include any exercise in which the majority of the motion takes place at the hips. Deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and hip thrusts are all good options. But if you’re not ready for a weighted version, a simple glute bridge will do the trick.

Pushes describe any movement in which the implement in your hands starts out close to your body and winds up farther away from it. Bench presses, standing overhead presses, and even push-ups all fall into this category.

Pulls are the opposite of pushes. In these exercises, the object in your hands starts out far and ends the rep near. Pull-ups and any type of rowing fit the bill here.

Loaded carries are exactly what they sound like: You pick up a load and carry it around. Farmer’s Walks, in which you hold a dumbbell in each hand and walk, are probably the most well-known. But another simple way to get this effect is to try what John calls the Horn Walk. In the Horn walk, you hold the handle of a kettlebell with both hands against your chest and walk. Want to take that up a notch? Try pushing the ‘bell away from your chest, then pulling it back toward it, as you walk.

Your Get Fit Workout Plan

Here are two examples of what a program using this format might look like. The first workout plan, labeled “Planks as a Program,” would be ideal for people who didn’t pass the plank hold test described above. They need to work on their strength before they start performing a bunch of exercises under load.

Don’t be fooled by this seemingly simple workout plan—it’s tougher than you think. “I use it when I’m training Special Forces guys,” John says. “I was on a beach in Pearl Harbor and realized that these guys could do everything, but they couldn’t do anything.”

Basically, even elite tactical operators—guys who could run all day and rifle out pushups by the dozen—needed to work on the stability, strength, and ability to create tension that this program teaches.

For the rep-based exercises, John suggests doing 2-5 sets of 2-5 reps. “Planks are a little different, obviously, because they’re for time,” John says. See if you can build up to the two-minute hold. And don’t get frustrated if a workout that seemed easy on Thursday suddenly feels difficult the following Saturday. “You’re working your nervous system here,” John says. “So you might find huge swings in your efforts, just based on how you’re feeling that day.”

How many days per week should you train? John recommends aiming for between two and five workouts per week, with shorter and more frequent being preferable to longer sessions you can’t do as often. “Five days of very short training sessions would trump a bunch of punch-yourself-in-the-face workouts,” John says.

The second workout plan, labeled Strength, would be for people looking to develop exactly that: full-body strength. In this phase, you work lifts for a limited number of reps—no more than 10 total per exercise. That could mean doing 5 sets of 2 reps, 3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 5, or doing three sets with different numbers of reps: 5, 3, 2.

Start with a weight that feels light in your first workout. You can bump up the resistance on successive sets if you want, but you don’t have to. The goal isn’t to keep ramping up the weight until you struggle. You want to feel strong on every rep, and build strength through consistent performances. John calls it “easy strength.”

“If what you did on the first day feels light, go heavier in your next workout,” John says. “You’ll just keep coming in and doing that until you come in one day and you’ll notice the weight feels different. It’s heavier but feels easy. That’s easy strength.”

This workout plan might look like a lot less than what you’re used to seeing on an exercise sheet. Again, don’t be misled. The workouts are tough and get results. They also are time-efficient. You could finish them in 15 to 30 minutes depending on how much rest you take between sets.

And how much rest should you take? One minute between sets is a good place to start. Try to keep that time consistent throughout the workout. You can increase or decrease time from session to session depending on your goal.

A good general rule; rest more between sets when you use heavier weights. That said, keeping your rest periods consistent from workout to workout allows you to more honestly gauge your progress.

Dan John is the author of eight books and many fitness articles. His next book “Now What?” comes out later this year.

READ MORE: 

The Tension Weightlifting Technique: How to Make Every Exercise More Effective

The Fastest Way to Do More Pushups

The Truth About the 7-Minute Workout

The post Get Fit Workout Plan: Avoiding Mistakes and Past Frustrations appeared first on Born Fitness.

It makes sense, but also can be a little deceiving. Year after year people ask me, “What are the hardest workouts you’ve seen?”

That’s the purpose of, “The World’s Hardest Workouts.” They are slice of life from the greatest athletes, performers, and trainers, in the world. Remember, these are just a snapshot and piece of an entire training program, but they are unedited and authentic. Try at your own risk, and make sure you have doctor approval for extreme exercise because these workout routines are the real deal.

The World’s Hardest Workouts: David Beckham’s Cardio Gauntlet

If you're looking for an abs workout, sprints are the secret weapon of all athletes.

While he’s still a global icon, it wasn’t that long ago that David Beckham was widely considered one as one of the best soccer players in the world. I alway respected Beckham, but it wasn’t until I interviewed him in 2008 and tried his cardio workout that I realized what it takes to be a professional soccer player.

This cardio workout (most of which are sprints) left me needing about 24 hours of sleep and 72 hours of recovery. And if you’re looking for an abs workout, sprints are the secret weapon of all athletes. Don’t be deceived by the lack of crunches. This will burn fat as well as any high intensity interval training workout.

Before you begin, determine your maximum heart rate using the equation: 220-your age. The percentages below refer to maximum heart rate (max HR).

Each sequence is it’s own workout. Either try at the end of your weight training session or as a standalone workout. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the degree of difficulty.

My personal favorite: Challenge #3. Good luck with that.

Beckham’s training challenge 1: 5-minute run at 80% of your max HR. Rest 4 minutes. Repeat for 5 sets.

Beckham’s training challenge 2: 2-minute intervals running at 95% of your max heart rate.  Rest 1-minute between sets. Repeat for 8 sets

Beckham’s training challenge 3: Run a 20-second sprint as fast as you can. (Think running for your life.) Rest 1-minute. Repeat 30 times. (Yes, 30 times.)

Beckham’s training challenge 4: Run 60 yards and return back 60 (120 yards total). Complete each set within 20 seconds. Rest 100 seconds and complete for 10 sets.

Beckham’s training challenge 5: Sprint 60 yards. Rest 10 seconds. Repeat for 8 sets.

Find The Right Workout For You

Not sure about the best training plans for your goals? Click here to learn more about Born Fitness personalized coaching. It’s risk-free and catered to your needs and lifestyle.

READ MORE: 

Faster Fat Loss: How to Add Workout Finishers

Want to Burn More Calories? Add This to Your Fat Loss Plan

The Truth About the 7-Minute Workout

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The David Beckham Cardio Workout That Will Make You Drop appeared first on Born Fitness.

I don’t know why I always timestamp my articles when I write, but this one seems especially meaningful now that I just glanced at the clock again and it’s 4:54 am and all I’ve written is: lkandfopinpoianqvaoperwnvopin

That’s 17 minutes of masterful prose from a New York Times best selling author. The thing is, I’m not suffering from “writer’s block.” I know exactly what I’m going to say, but I’m having trouble just letting go. So rather than think and try and structure this like a classy magazine article, I’m going to do what comes most natural and just write.

Find what works for you. Keep your eyes on the goal. And make sure that fitness is a part of your life, but not all of it.

I am you. Human. Busy. Tired. And occasionally wondering,

“When the hell am I going to find time for the gym.”

“Is it bad if I admit I’m too busy to work out?”

“Do I really have time to exercise and workout?” 

“If I skip a few days is it really that bad for my fitness and happiness?” 

I run a business and consult with very successful companies, help clients, and write books. I have a family. I’m married and I have responsibilities. None of these are complaints. They are realities.

I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life in the fitness industry. I wake up each day at 4:30 am ready to take on the day. And ready is probably an understatement. The early rising is both a choice and a necessity.

I do some of my best work in the morning when there are no distractions. I’ve also built a business that requires me to grind on both ends of the coast. I enjoy my job, love training hard, eating healthy, and doing everything that goes with being in the fitness industry. Which, in many ways, makes my job so much fun.

But that’s the thing: these days my job isn’t spent in the gym. I no longer work the gym floors and spend my hours between squat racks. Sure—I still train people and love it as much as anything I do, but I don’t live in the gym, despite what it might appear.

So when I tell people, I’ve been unable to make it to the gym they look at me as if something is wrong.

Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. People go through times when they can’t train. It happens. It’s normal. And honestly, it’s healthy. You should never feel bad if you miss a gym day. But what happens when a day becomes 2 days, a week, a month, or even a year?

It happens all the time and one day we wake up and ask, “What happened? And who has been shrinking all of my pants?”

That’s where I’m at right now. (Ok, so my pants still fit just fine.) It’s 4:54 a.m. and I’m looking at my computer screen and asking, “What happened?”

The answer: Nothing bad, even if you’ve been told to feel that way.

The Myth of the Fool-Proof Fitness Strategy

This isn’t, “7 Ways to Make Sure You Never Miss a Workout.”

This is honesty and how to cope with situations when life gets real and you’re not sure how to react. Oftentimes we blame things like lack of support, drive, or laziness. And while these definitely can contribute to fitness failures, sometimes there’s nothing to blame.

The reality is I’ve rarely had a time when I’m more supported in my goals. About 6 weeks ago I started my Getting Shredded project. If you missed it, my wife issued me a fun challenge and I was eager to accept. I wrote about it, and then the outpouring was massive. Hundreds wanted to join my journey, so I built a community where I could answer questions each day and have people follow my program and receive diet help.

The Getting Shredded community has been one of my best “accidents.” The people in there are amazing, and their gratitude is incredibly fulfilling. Each day I read things like,

I also wanted to throw in a thanks for doing what you do. One thing I’ve learned along the way is that there is a lot of bad information out there. It’s good to know someone is trying to weed through all of the crap to really help people figure out what’s accurate and what’s not. -Carrie

The information and motivation on the site is unreal, really well done. Seems like these are these kind of people should be talking to each other. Really good forum man! –Garrett

I gotta say I love this program! Am getting leaner, down 4-5lbs already. Nutrition is great. The workouts are out of this world. I continue improving and am able to push myself a little bit further every time I train. I am super happy that I get the chance of asking such things and receiving the information directly from you. This is by far the most enjoyable form of programming I ever did. -Tim.

By the way, I appreciate all the work you’re putting into this program. I’m really enjoying it and learning a lot about. Not only about fitness, but about myself. Thanks for everything Adam. You’re doing a great job. –Gilbert

I could go on and on. I love the community and everyone in there and it allows me to fulfill a primary mission: Show people that with effective training (just 4 days per week) you can experience some great changes. The diet isn’t crazy, we eat dessert, and it’s just fun.

Best of all, every time I want to take a day off or don’t feel like training, I never want to let the community down. It’s all the accountability and support I need.

And for the first 4 weeks things couldn’t have gone better. I lost 2% body fat, didn’t lose any muscle, and was feeling incredible. I’ve been energized, sleeping well and showing no signs of burnout.

Then life happened.

A big work project started taking over my life. Then another company I consult with needed help. Then an article was due. And another. At first I was able to keep up with the rising demands and still meet my training goals, until it dawned on me that I hadn’t spent any time with my wife.

Something had to give and it was my fitness. I skipped a day. And then two. All the while I didn’t say anything to the community. I kept checking in, answering their questions, providing support, but not really saying anything about me.

In retrospect, it was the biggest mistake I could have made.

Busy Isn’t an Excuse. It’s Life.

It wasn’t that long ago that I used to say, “Being busy isn’t an excuse.” While my feelings have not changed, the meaning of that statement has. For those who know me, I don’t even use the “B” word. I hate it because it’s a crutch. It’s a ridiculous joke because we are all busy. Yep, each and everyone one of us.

Busy isn’t an excuse. It’s a reality. We get busy and sometimes something has to give.

When that happens we must choose our priorities and then make tough decisions. We are all the CEO of our lives, and sometimes we make decisions that aren’t perfect simply because no option fulfills all of our needs.

In my case I had a choice: Gym or the Queen of Born Fitness.

I will always choose my wife over the gym.

In this scenario, my work could not be pushed aside. Everything I put my name on is a representation of me, so I can’t do anything other than push harder and give more than anyone expects. That’s my formula for success.

That meant my fitness had to suffer. In my mind I didn’t think I was letting down the people working hard because I thought I was selflessly putting their needs first by still checking in each day, providing the workouts, and offering my help.

But as more days passed when I wasn’t in the gym, the more I realized my apparent selfless acts were selfish and potentially harmful.

I was hiding my own inactivity as if there was something to be ashamed of when in reality I should have been sharing my mindset and embracing it for all to see. And for that I feel bad and upset I didn’t act sooner.

Ten years ago I used to beat myself up when fitness wasn’t priority #1. I had to make it to the gym. Had to obsess over foods. And had to control everything. And when I lost control I felt bad.

Now? It’s different. These last 2 weeks have not bothered me other than the fact that I didn’t share this sooner. And that’s really why I’m writing this now.

When life happens, you must make the decisions that allow you to move forward happily and comfortably. It requires you to be aware of your state in life.

If your health is in dire situations or you are very much overweight, then your fitness and nutrition isn’t something that should ever be pushed aside.

But there will always be situations where something as important as fitness might have to take a back seat—as long as the ride is short.

The Too Busy Solution

I’m back now. I’m refocused. My plate is less full. And my life can return to its normal balance. I can already feel the anticipation of my next gym session.

I’m not upset for missing time. I’m just frustrated that I felt embarrassed to open up and let people know it’s ok to take a detour to your goals.

And maybe that’s the biggest, most important lesson of all: As long as you ensure that health and fitness is a priority (a real one with a commitment), then timing doesn’t matter.

That’s the foundation of #BeTheChange: Find what works for you. Keep your eyes on the goal. And make sure that fitness is a part of your life, but not all of it.

Life isn’t a book of 4- or 6-week promises and “get back in shape goals.” It’s a never-ending novel that we can keep rewriting in so many awesome ways.

I was busy. It happened. And I won’t let it bother me or make me feel bad. I’m going to go hit the gym now and act as if I never missed a day. Because you know what? In the grand scheme of things, it’s almost as if I never did.

Want Help Finding Your Fitness Freedom?

It’s not about me. It’s about your goals and making sure coaching is right for you. If you’re looking for diet and fitness help, online coaching might be what you need.

Learn more about Born Fitness online coaching.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Are You Too Busy to Work Out? Me Too. appeared first on Born Fitness.