6 no excuse workouts for entrepreneurs

Trigger warning = hard life advice incoming.

If your excuse for being out of shape is that you’re too busy, you’re lying to yourself.

Let me guess, you just thought in your head:

1. “Well I bet the guy writing this probably doesn’t have kids” (this is true but still not an excuse)

2. “I’m working 80-100 hour weeks, where do I find the time to workout” (I have done this too and still found time to workout)

3. “I don’t have access to a nearby gym or equipment” (good news, you don’t need to)

With those 3 big objections out of the way, here’s how you can get in shape with 6 workouts that take less than 20 minutes and can be done at home.

1) super legs [15 mins]

If you’re not swearing at me by the end of the first set, I’ve failed you.

This workout is SPICEY but works super well and requires no equipment. Here’s how it goes:

Structure: 5 rounds of the following:

1. 20 air squats (add dumbbells for added spice)

2. 20 alternating lunges

3. 20 alternating jumping lunges

4. 10 jumping squats

It’s shocking how sore your legs can get from a simple bodyweight workout like this - good luck.

Note: If you have knee or back issues, take this one super easy and/or substitute the jumping movements for more squats/lunges without jumping. Always consult your Doctor or Physiotherapist before implementing any workout from a random dude on the internet.

This workout is sourced from WodWell which I highly recommend if you’re looking for other short, no-equipment, at-home workouts that will kick your ass.

2) blackjack [20 mins]

This is another classic Crossfit style workout (kudos to WodWell for this) that gets the job done in a pinch. Here’s the structure:

For Time (complete as fast as possible)

• 20 Push-Ups, 1 Sit-Up

• 19 Push-Ups, 2 Sit-Ups

• 18 Push-Ups, 3 Sit-Ups

• ...continue this pattern until...

• 2 Push-Ups, 19 Sit-Ups

• 1 Push-Up, 20 Sit-Ups

Tip: the push-ups are the killer of this workout. The best way to go about it is breaking the push-ups into smaller sets (I go to as little as 3 push-ups at a time).

3) burpees for 15 minutes

This is exactly what it sounds like and it sucks (but works).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start a timer set for 15 minutes on your iphone

2. At the top of each minute (i.e. 15, 14, 13, etc.) complete a set number of burpees. For beginners I would recommend 2-3 burpees each minute. Advanced sufferers can target anywhere between 10-15 per minute OR just go full psycho and try and complete as many burpees as possible without any timer.

3. Complete until the time is complete

This is a warning from personal experience - don’t get cocky when the first few minutes feel really easy (the burpees always win lol).

This workout is particularly good for hotel rooms when the Super 8 you’re staying at doesn’t have a gym. Maybe throw a towel down on that stained carpet though (don’t need to be getting athlete’s foot on your face).

4) stair repeats [20 minutes]

For this workout, find a set of stairs with a minimum of 10 steps.

For the next 20 minutes rotate between the following:

• 1-minute of running or walking (taking 2 steps at a time) up and down the stairs

• 1-minute rest

• Repeat for 20-30 minutes

This is great way to build muscle in your legs, get in some cardio, and work on your coordination/foot work.

If your excuse is ‘I don’t have access to stairs’ then I’m sorry you can’t be helped.

5) stationary circuit training [20 minutes]

Circuit training typically involves you moving around the gym to each piece of equipment. For this workout you are going to stay stationary because you are the equipment.

For the next 20 minutes try and complete as many rounds of the following as possible:

• 5 burpees

• 10 push-ups

• 15 air squats

• 20 toe touches

• 25 mountain climbers

The nice thing with this format is that you can customize it at will. Simply swap out any of the movements for a preferred exercise - just make sure that you cover as many areas of the body for a full body workout.

6) the hundred workout [20 minutes]

This is one of my go-tos when I am feeling particularly un-creative or have limited time. The workout is dead simple - pick a bodyweight exercise and complete 100 repetitions of that thing. Here is a list of exercises that work well for this:

1. Burpees

2. Sit-ups

3. Push-ups

4. Squats

5. Lunges

6. Thrusters (if dumbbells accessible)

7. Pull-ups (if have access to bar)

To level up this workout (or if you have more time) you can combine multiple exercises together and rotate between the 3 or 4 of them. For example:

1. 25 squats

2. 25 push-ups

3. 25 sit-ups

Complete 4 rounds of the above so you reach 100 of each exercies. Important to note that you do NOT need to complete all 25 reps in one go. I will often break down push-ups into smaller sets of 5-10 (sometimes even just 1 or 2 reps) until I hit 25 reps and then move onto sit-ups.

Don’t get discouraged if the first time you do this workout takes you a long time. It’s remarkable how quickly the body adapts and gets better at bodyweight exercises. Your ‘improvement curve’ will not be linear and you’ll quick start knocking out these workouts in short-order 💪

moving forward

Reading that wasn’t so bad was it? Now you just need to do the workouts 😂

The hardest part of any of these workouts is getting started. Once you start moving, you’ll feel so much better.

Delayed gratification is your friend here —> think about how good you will feel after you’re done the workout.

Use this feeling in future workouts to work even harder - helping you finish even faster.

Final note - swearing/cursing during the workout is not only allowed but expected - but maybe have your kids leave the room first.