Personal trainer Josh Adamson says the secret to a five-minute workout is to never stop moving. The moves described below should have you constantly moving. Go through each move for one full minute and then move immediately to the next. If you have extra time, go through each circuit for ten or fifteen minutes.
Remember to always warm up before any exercise. Warming up reduces the risk of injury and gets muscles ready. You can actually lift/push/pull, etc., more if you go through a proper warm up routine, as compared to diving straight into the exercises.
Squat and shoot the ball:
The set up for this exercise is exactly the same as a squat. Make sure you feet are shoulder width apart and your feet are facing out at a 5-degree angle. Push your bum back as if you are sitting down in a chair, keep the weight in your heels and make sure that your spine is straight. You want to go as low as you can to engage your glutes and hamstrings. Once you have reached the bottom, EXPLODE up and to the side, driving through the heels. With your arms, pretend you are shooting a basketball. When you land, go right into the next rep with out pausing.
Dumbbell Swing:
Place the dumbbell between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the dumbbell between your legs forcefully as if you are passing a football to someone behind you. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips explosively taking the dumbbell straight out. Let the dumbbell swing back between your legs and repeat. Remember that the swing is primarily a glute and hamstring exercise and that is where all of the power is generated.
Jump Lunges:
Start by standing with one foot forward, and the other foot back. Bend both knees in a modified squat position. The thigh of your front leg and the shin of your rear leg should be parallel to the floor. The knee of your rear leg should be almost touching the floor. If your right leg is in front, then raise your left hand in a 90-degree "L" shape in front of you, as though you had just delivered an uppercut to someone's jaw. Put your right arm behind you, also bent at a 90-degree angle, with the upper arm parallel to the floor. When ready, jump up with an explosive motion, making sure to get both feet off the ground. Switch in mid-air so that your front leg goes to the rear, and the rear leg comes to the front. Switch your arms accordingly.
Mountain Climbers:
This variation specifically works your core. Get into the push-up position (arms straight), balls of your feet on the floor. Brace your core and keep your body still. Slowly lift your right knee up towards your right arm, then back down to the starting position. Your feet should only touch the floor in the starting position. Repeat with your left knee up to your left arm, and alternate legs with each rep.
Bum Raises:
Lie flat on your back with your legs perpendicular with the ground. Keeping your hands palm down on the ground lift your bum off the ground while keeping your legs and torso perpendicular with the ground. Lower your bum back to starting position and repeat.
BONUS MOVE
Aussie Get-up:
Starting position - The starting position has you lying on your back with your left knee propped up and your right leg flat on the ground. Raise your left hand to the ceiling. If you want to begin the get-up with some resistance, hold some weight, such as a dumbbell, in your raised hand.
Prop up to your elbow - The first movement in the exercise is propping up to your right elbow (or to whichever elbow is not extended upward). Do so by keeping your raised hand completely straight. Roll from the shoulder up and slightly to the side to prop up. Make sure to keep yourself looking at your raised hand (or the weight you're holding) at all times.
Form a base - Once you are propped up on your elbow, you need to form a base. Do so by pushing your hips up, moving from balancing on your elbow to your hand and fully extending your leg on the same side. Make sure as you do this that your raised hand stays raised and that you continue to look at your hand or weight.
Move to a kneeling position - From your base position, move the front foot (the one on the opposite side of the raised hand) back and underneath you until you can put your knee on the ground. By this point you should still have your left arm raised to the ceiling, your left foot flat on the ground and your right knee posted on the ground.
Stand up - From the kneeling position simply stand up. Do so by extending your left knee as you raise your right leg to a straight position. Again, keep your raised arm straight as you do this. Once you have finished the exercise, reverse the steps back to a lying position. Then change sides and repeat.
