When you're a dad, carpool duty, playdates, and dance recitals fill your free time. So it's no surprise that as your schedule fills up, your waistline may fill out.
"Carving out a designated workout time can seem next to impossible as a parent," said Bruce Mack, co-founder of Men's Health Thrive and father of three. "But you only need 20 minutes to fit in a quick, metabolism-revving workout when you're busy."
The key: packing more work into less time. If you target as many muscles as possible, as hard as possible, you'll boost your metabolism for hours after you've stopped sweating, said Mack, who created the quick total-body routine below. And the benefits go beyond ditching your belly, too. Mack's workout will make you stronger, faster, and more mobile, so you can keep up with your kids while they do the things they love.
PERFORMANCE-BOOSTING WARMUP: 5 minutes
Do this: Perform all four exercises in a row without rest. Repeat.
1. Bear Crawl, 20 yards forward and backward
2. Body-Weight Jump Squat, 10 reps
3. Farmer's Carry, 20 yards
4. Body-Weight Squat, 10 reps
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MUSCLE-BUILDING CIRCUIT: 10 minutes
Do this: Perform all 5 exercises in a row. That's 1 round. Rest 30 seconds, and then begin again. Do as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
1. Goblet Squat, 12 reps
2. Pushup, 30 reps
3. Overhead Press, 12 reps
4. Plank, 30 seconds
5. Rest, 30 seconds
FAT-FRYING FINISHER: 5 minutes
Do this: Sprint 20 yards, and then perform a side plank for 15 seconds on each side as an active rest. Repeat. Continue this for 5 minutes straight.
1. Sprint, 20 yards
2. Side plank, 15 seconds on each side
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