01 Sep Fitness on the go: Great 15-minute workout (muscle building)

I’ve written on my At Home Fitness blog several times that even short workouts can be better than not doing any exercise at all. If you have a program designed where you normally do 45- or 60-minute workouts, but have hit a busy stretch where you only have limited time, then do shorter workouts.
For instance, go on a quick, 15-minute weight or treadmill workout, or take the dogs for a brisk 10-minute walk around the neighborhood and then do several sets of pushups after. You’ll still burn off some calories, tone your muscles up some and feel a little better.
Now, if you really want to maximize your exercise results in a short time, here’s a great 15-minute workout for muscle building. The only equipment needed is a pair of dumbbells, kettle bells or power blocks. You pick.
Muscle building:
1. Lunges – Hold dumbbells at your side while standing and step forward until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Return to starting position and repeat with the other leg. Do 10-12 reps with each leg.
2. Pushup position row (aka Renegade rows with kettlebells) – Get into a pushup position and then rest your hands onto the dumbbells. Pull one of the dumbbells up to your body until your elbow is above your back. Return to starting position and then do the other arm. This may take a little work to get the balance down, but it’s a fun exercise if you work at it. Do 10-12 reps with each arm.
3. Shoulder press – Stand with one leg slightly in front of the other and do shoulder presses by lifting one dumbbell over your head, return to starting position with weight at shoulder level and then lift other arm. Do 10-12 reps.
4. Dumbbell squat – Pick up dumbbells and lift up to shoulder level, turning palms so they’re facing out. Do 10-12 squats, going down so knees and butt are parallel to ground. Do 10-12 reps.
If you have more time you can do two or three sets for each of these lifts.
There you go, fitness on the go for building muscle.
Who says there isn’t enough time in the day to do everything you want to. In just 15 minutes this will give you a pretty good workout.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com