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Do 15 Min Workouts Work? (6 Tips To Get Results!)

Do 15 Min Workouts Work? (6 Tips To Get Results!)

by | Jul 10, 2023 | Blog, Workouts

“I don’t have enough time.” 

This is one of the most common excuses I hear as to why people believe they can’t achieve results. 

They believe a lack of time is why they can’t stay consistent with their training. 

But there is always a way to design for the time we have to do SOMETHING and help ourselves move forward.

That’s why I wanted to share 6 tips to create more efficient workouts to lose fat and build lean muscle so that you don’t have to spend an hour in the gym! 

And bonus, at the end I’ll show you how to put these tips together in a 15 minute full-body session! 

Tip #1: Use Intervals And Timed Circuits

When we’re short on time, part of the struggle is even getting started.

We think “I only have 15 minutes” and because we either can’t complete the session we had planned or just feel stressed trying to make sure we are done, we skip our workout. 

We don’t do anything.

That’s why designing backup workouts for the time you have is so key. 

And more importantly designing workouts that are timed to FIT what you need helps you not rush through the session. 

For efficient, fast workouts, use interval workout designs or timed circuits even if you’re focusing on building strength. 

Instead of 8-12 reps for 3 sets, think 1 minute intervals of work for 3 rounds.  

Or a 5 minute circuit where you do as many rounds of squats, push ups and sit ups as you can.  

By using timed rounds of work, you can focus on what you feel working to be more intentional with your exercises and create that training density to see better results while spending less time working out.

Training density is the amount of work or reps you complete in a set amount of time.

When you have that interval or timed circuit, you can focus on doing more reps each week in the same timeframe over feeling like you have to work out longer to do more reps!

And because you know your workout is exactly the length you need, you won’t be tempted to rush through the reps and sets listed to just get it done.  

This can help you make sure you’re getting the best quality training session possible.

So instead of just listing out reps and sets to complete, make sure everything you include has a specific time frame to guarantee it will fit your busy schedule and allow you to focus on quality movements over being stressed and just rushing through the moves! 

Tip #2: Pick One.

Something is better than nothing. 

I know this can be hard to accept when we want to do the ideal, but one little change, one single action can add up when done repeatedly over the weeks and months.

While I of course would love to make sure everyone is doing extra prehab work every day, even just adding in 1 foam rolling, 1 stretching and 1 activation movement is better than nothing. 

Especially since so often we want to skip our warm up when we are short on time.

Instead of focusing on the ideal, think about the minimum you can do to still be consistent with things.

Then set a timer for even just 30 seconds per move or per side for a quick under 3 minute warm up to maximize your time training! 

Those 3 minutes may not seem like much, but over the week that adds up to 21 minutes and even 90 minutes per month! 

And that mobility work can keep us training hard during our quick sessions while making sure we are getting the most out of every movement!

Tip #3: Force Yourself To Fail.

While we always want to challenge ourselves with our training to achieve the best results as fast as possible, when you’re short on time, you want to see how you can create that challenge in less time. 

This means choosing moves that max you out faster.

Use variations of moves where you can only do 5 reps in a row. Pick weights or tempos or ranges of motion that make even just a couple of reps challenging. 

You can then build up volume through those time circuits, cycling through the areas you are working. 

By moving from exercise to exercise, even when you can only do a few reps, you will let that volume accumulate over the rounds.

What may only be 2 reps in a row of an airborne lunge can end up being 16 reps in total when the circuit is done.  

You’ll create that stimulus to build lean muscle by selecting a move that was challenging and pushed you to failure in the time you had! 

Tip #4: Don’t Work The Same Muscle Back To Back

We need rest to keep working at a true 100% intensity.

But when we are short on time, we don’t want to spend any of that time NOT doing work even when we know it is beneficial. 

That’s why circuits are great to use, especially if you design them to cycle through exercises that work different areas. 

This way one muscle is resting while another is working.  

So instead of working the same muscle group back to back, like including two quad intensive moves like squats and front lunges, cycle through moves that alternate areas worked like doing a single leg deadlift followed by a back row. 

You’ll get to keep moving while resting and end up creating a great volume of work while targeting more areas during your short time to train.

And if you do find you need a “recovery” move, including more focused core work can help you bring your heart rate down while still getting in some work for another area! 

By keeping your workouts more full body, you’ll also be able to increase your training frequency for areas over the week to help see better muscle growth even with short training sessions!

Tip #5: Use Moves That Target MULTIPLE Muscle Groups At Once

You want moves that target those big muscle groups and work more muscles at once so you can burn more calories and really challenge your entire body with short sessions. 

While isolation moves can make muscles feel fatigued, they aren’t going to be as efficient when we are short on time. 

So instead of a tricep extension, focus on close grip push ups which will be tricep intensive but also work your chest and shoulders.

Even use some hybrid movements like the climber push up that may be more core and arm intensive while still working your chest, shoulders and triceps with the push up.

But don’t waste time using moves that isolate one muscle group at a time unless you’re using them as active rest.

Get as many muscles worked in these short sessions as possible pairing compound moves for different areas back to back whether you use intervals or timed circuits.

Tip #6: Focus On Full-Body Workouts

Because your workouts are short and you’re not getting in a ton of volume for muscle groups each workout, you want to increase your training frequency for areas over the week by making each workout more full body. 

This allows you to create better muscle growth by still getting in the work you need over the week even if it is more spread over multiple days.

When you design your workouts, focus on cycling through compound moves that target each area – consider a leg and glute exercise like backward lunges, a chest, shoulders and triceps move like bench press and a back exercise like rows to hit major muscle groups efficiently. 

Then cycle the variations of moves you use for those areas over the week instead of repeating the same exercises over and over again.

Use a squat or deadlift instead of lunges on other days. Try an overhead press or even a standing cable chest press instead of the basic bench. Do pull ups or a barbell row over dumbbells. 

But vary the way you target muscles over the week as the same but different can help you create overload and progression!

Putting it all together… 

Here’s a quick full body bodyweight series using intervals. It’s just 15-minutes and because you know exactly how long it is, you don’t need to feel rushed! 

Even if you’d usually go to the gym for an hour, it is never bad to have back up short workouts on hand for those busy days to help yourself stay consistent and in the habit.

We have to remember that the more we do, the more we do so doing SOMETHING keeps the momentum going in the right direction! 

15 Minute Full-Body Bodyweight Blast

Warm Up:
30 seconds per side TFL Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side World’s Greatest Stretch
30 seconds Thoracic Bridge with Sit Thru

Workout:

Complete 2 rounds through the circuit below without resting.

CIRCUIT:

1 minute per side Side To Curtsy Lunge
1 minute Doorway Row
1 minute Toe Touch Push Up
1 minute Bridge to Sit Up

Cool Down:
30 seconds per side Star Stretch with Quad Stretch
30 seconds per side Upper Back Foam Rolling

Want more amazing workouts at your fingertips whenever you need?

Check out my Dynamic Strength Program!

How To Build Muscle At Any Age (5 PROVEN Tips!)

How To Build Muscle At Any Age (5 PROVEN Tips!)

by | May 3, 2023 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Workouts

If it challenges you it will change you. This is ultimately what building muscle at any and every age comes down to.

Whether you have heavy weights and tons of equipment or simply your own bodyweight you can create that challenge.

But there are 5 key training techniques and tips I want to share that can help you challenge your muscles in a way that forces them to grow as efficiently and effectively as possible.

And ladies, if you want to stay lean and strong as you get older, don’t fear those heavy loads! 

While diet is key to build muscle you need to make sure your workouts are designed to aid in muscle growth.

Here are 5 training techniques to improve your workout designs and help you strategically use moves to see results more efficiently.

Tip #1: Start your workouts with heavy compound lifts.

Start your workouts more global before you slowly hone in and isolate those more stubborn areas.

Include big compound movements like the deadlift or bent over barbell row to start your workout.

The heavier and more complex the lift, the more it benefits from us being fresher. 

The more fatigued we are, the more we can tend to compensate.

It’s not only our muscles but also our mind-body connection that can fatigue over the workout.

After the heavier lifts you can focus more on stubborn areas with lighter loads for slightly higher reps.

Tip #2: Use Rest-Pause Technique

This technique helps you build muscle by basically allowing you to work to failure multiple times in a set. 

This leads to great muscle activation and can help you break through a plateau.

You can actually even use lighter loads with this increase in volume and hit near failure because of how you’re adjusting your rest periods. 

While there are many ways to do this technique, the key is starting with a set to almost failure, then short rest periods of no more than 20-30 seconds max before completing another few sets. 

One of my favorite designs to include with a big compound movement is the 10-7-3-1 set.

Pick a weight that you can do for about 12 reps.

Do 10 reps with that weight. Rest for a 10 count.

Then do 7 reps with the same load.

Rest 7 seconds then do 3 reps.

Rest 3 seconds and then do a single rep of the movement.

This lets you do 21 reps with a weight you could technically do no more than 12 reps with. 

Tip #3: Include fast-paced power movements.

Part of why we can lift more is that neuromuscular-efficiency or the ability to recruit muscles to the correct extents efficiently to lift a weight or perform an exercise. 

That is why you may want to include a little explosive power work in your routines even if your focus is on building muscle. 

This is especially key as we get older as our reaction times tend to slow, putting us at an increased risk for falls and fractures.

You can add explosive work to start your workout or as interval work during a cardio day between lifting sessions. 

You aren’t just trying to get out of breath. 

Think lighter loads, lower rep ranges and training for speed. 

med ball slams, sprints and battle ropes are all great options.

Think all out explosive then stopping before your pace slows and resting till you are fully recovered. 

Intervals should be no more than 20 seconds with 3-5 times the rest!

Tip #4: Focus on total loads lifted.

Lifting heavier isn’t just about the weight you use for a single rep or even set.

So while yes, you want to use heavier weights for that set of lunges, it isn’t just that single set where you lifted heavy that pays off.

It’s about moving more weight in total during each training session and over the course of weeks and months.

More quality weight lifted overall is what really creates that muscle growth. 

Your Training density, or the amount of work performed in a certain amount of time is key. 

With Density Training, you’ll want to set a timeframe for your set – 10-15 minutes is usually good. 

Pick 2-3 heavy compound lifts to include per set and do 2-3 sets per workout. It’s best to do these for different areas so one area gets rest as the other works. 

For example you might pair Squats and Overhead Press together. Pick a weight you can do no more than 10 reps with at max.

Start with 5-8 reps of each movement so you feel like you have no more than 2 left in the tank when you put the weight down and change exercises. As you fatigue, instead of going down in loads reduce your reps. By the end you might only be doing 1-2 reps alternating back and forth.

You’ll do MORE reps with heavier loads over the 10-15 minute training time. 

That volume of weight moved over weeks and months adds up.

Tip #5: Focus on what you feel working.

What you feel working during an exercise is what is benefiting from the movement.

If you only feel your quads instead of your glutes during lunges you may find your quads are growing but not your butt isn’t despite all of the “glute work” you’re doing.

This is why you need to focus on consciously trying to contract the muscle and load it during a movement. 

By shifting your focus to trying to recruit and contract the muscle harder, you can actually even aid in better muscle growth for even the most stubborn of areas.

Focus on contracting a lagging muscle even before increasing loads as if you were trying to make it almost cramp.

You may even find that, if you struggle during compound moves, like lunges, to activate your glutes, that a little activation work prior to help establish that mind-body connection through a slight pump pays off. 

And don’t be afraid to vary postures or positioning during movements, for example using a slight bit more of a hip hinge when you lunge backward to help yourself better engage the muscles you want to target. Little movement variations and tweaks can pay off! 

Using these 5 training techniques you can take your programming to the next level and see more efficient muscle gains no matter your training experience!

Remember it isn’t just about lifting more or doing a right move, it is about making sure everything in our training is included with a purpose and helping us be intentional to make each and every session of the highest quality. 

For more tips to help you build muscle check out these 5 habit changes you will also want to make…

–> How To Build Muscle ( 5 HABIT CHANGES)

From EXCUSES to RESULTS – 4 Ways to Overcome Workout Roadblocks

From EXCUSES to RESULTS – 4 Ways to Overcome Workout Roadblocks

by | Mar 12, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Functional Fitness, Workouts

Do I really need to workout today? I have been pretty busy. And it is a little cold outside. And I think I did enough last week. And there will probably be traffic on the way to gym and it will probably be busy…

We’ve all done it…made those excuses not to workout. And one day becomes two, becomes 3 becomes 10….

But in this video I’ll share how you can STOP making these 4 excuses not to exercise and instead create a sustainable routine you not only enjoy but that helps you get results while fitting your lifestyle!

I’ll even share a 10 minute full body workout at the end you can do anywhere with no equipment.

Hey guys, it’s Cori from Redefining Strength where we help you move, feel and look your best at any and every age.

So let’s talk about excuses because we’ve all made them at one point or another.

The thing about excuses is….they’re VALID…at least to some extent. 

They stem from what we value and therefore prioritize in our lives. 

But if we want a new and better result, not only do our priorities potentially need to shift, BUT we also have to OWN the priorities we aren’t willing to adjust so we can work around them.

Because many of our priorities, like our job or family life, are probably never going to change and we don’t necessarily want them to. 

So we’re not just going to magically have more time or energy tomorrow. 

Which means we have to own those priorities and plan around them.

And that’s why in this video, I wanted to share 4 common exercise excuses and how you can overcome them to see the amazing results you want with a plan realistic for your lifestyle! 

Excuse #1: I’m too old.

The stinky but simple truth of the matter is…Being alive means getting older by the second.

You can’t stop it.

Therefore you’ve got to accept it and do what you can to keep moving forward. 

Our age doesn’t really dictate what we can or cannot do. 

And the more we stop doing things, the quicker we actually feel and move and look older. 

While you may be thinking, “But I have all of these aches and pains! I don’t recover as fast as when I was younger…” 

The simple fact is so many of these things aren’t actually due to age.

Yes, they’ve accumulated over time and the older we are, often the more we’ve allowed them to build up.

But they are often tied to improper diet and exercise practices or accidents we’ve had earlier on. 

Things that could add up at any age if we don’t address.

So while age may feel like an excuse, it is actually an excuse to focus even more on how you’re training.

There is no time like the present to start training to move and feel your best.

Don’t skip the prehab work. Learn to control those movement patterns so you don’t get injured. 

Regress to progress and build up starting with the moves you can do without any aches and pains.

But realize that using age as an excuse will only cause you to age faster over doing what you can to build muscle, look lean and improve your movement patterns to avoid injury!

Excuse #2: I don’t have enough time because of (insert anything here).

Family, work, school, life… 

You probably will NEVER have enough time to do everything you want to do. 

That’s life.

This isn’t a bad thing.

But we need to take ownership of our priorities and plan around them.

If with family life and work and travel and everything else going on….you have 10 minutes to train? Use that 10 minutes. 

Design a workout that matches the time you realistically have.

As much as you may be thinking, “What can 10 minutes do?”

That’s 10 more minutes you took than you would have otherwise.

Something is better than nothing not only because of that 10 minutes but because of the momentum it can build.

Plus, 10 minutes adds up over the weeks and months.

And often, it leads to us WANTING to do more over finding an excuse not to train. It gets us in the habit and mindset. So 10 minutes becomes 15 or even 20. And 1 or 2 days becomes 3 or 4. 

Stop sabotaging yourself by trying to force some ideal schedule you saw a fitness competitor doing and instead design for the time YOU have. That’s what will lead to consistency and results.

And if you need that quick 10 minute burner, you’ll love the one I’ll share that even addresses excuse #4! 

Excuse #3: I’ve got aches and pains and injuries!

Injuries are the worst.

And often we do need to adapt our training around them. 

But they aren’t an excuse to not move or exercise at all. 

Often there are so many ways to modify around aches and pains.

And your exact injury may dictate which modifications you need.

For some a shoulder injury may mean no push ups or pressing at all.

For others, it may mean just modifying off an incline for push ups or using lighter bands to do a chest press. 

Even if you have an ankle injury and can’t stand to train, you can do so many seated upper body exercises and even mini band moves to target parts or your lower body. 

It may not be your ideal, but it will keep you in the habit and routine and can even help you recover quicker because of the anabolic hormonal environment you are creating by continuing to train.

You can even do some unilateral exercises on the unaffected side to help you retain lean muscle even while your training intensity may be lower. 

Plus, resting an injury, while it may be necessary, doesn’t correct the movement compensations and overload that resulted in the issue.

Using this time you have to take the step back to address those mobility restrictions and areas of weakness can help you come back stronger. 

While you don’t want to push through the pain and ultimately make things worse through even compensating, having an injury shouldn’t hold you back from staying active in some way, shape or form!

Even walking may be meeting yourself where you are at to stay in the routine!

The more you do, the more you do and we don’t want to lose that momentum forward. 

Excuse #4: I can’t go to the gym.

But I have to train at home. 

I don’t have time to make it to the gym. 

I travel and only have a hotel room with very little space.

I don’t have any equipment… 

Not having access to a gym is not a reason not to train.

Honestly, especially if you’re just starting out or starting back, you may be better off training at home using just your own bodyweight! 

This can help you dial in and master those fundamentals and even save you the time of a drive to a gym so you can spend it on training instead.

Do not underestimate how amazing bodyweight workouts can be no matter our fitness level. 

Even if you’re more advanced, you can create progression by changing the range of motion on moves, adjusting tempos, creating more instability through unilateral exercises and even through how you design your workouts and the volume you include. 

Use what you’ve got because something is better than nothing and can help you build that solid foundation!

And if you’ve said “I can’t go to the gym” because you’re embarrassed or nervous about going to the gym?

Don’t be!

I know that is easier said than done, BUT hiring a coach can help you have that security to learn with direction. They can be your guide to a new place. 

(SHAMELESS PLUG for my coaching…Schedule A Consult!)

Also just recognize that change and a new environment can be intimidating so find ways to help yourself ease in even if you start by training at home to gain more confidence in your movements and get in a routine first! 

If you’ve found yourself making these excuses, here’s a great workout you can try this week.

No equipment is required and I’ll share one modification although there are so many little variations you can make to tweak it to fit your needs and goals

The Bodyweight Burner

Set a timer for 10 minutes and complete as many rounds through the circuit as you can. Rest only as needed and try to beat the number of reps or the variations of moves you used next time through!

Circuit:
5-10 reps per side Airborne Lunge
5-10 reps per side Single Arm Doorway Row
5-10 reps per side Side Lunge With Pulse
5-10 reps per side Side Lunge With Pulse

If you have weights or bands, you can always swap in moves using those! 

Workouts don’t have to be long or complicated to produce results and create those healthy sustainable routines.

Especially starting out, to overcome those excuses, recognize that less is more! You can always add as you feel comfortable!

And if you’re looking to prove that age is just a number and that fitness is about ability, check out my How To Build Muscle At Any Age (7 Tips) video next!

–> How To Build Muscle At Any Age (7 Tips)

And another helpful video on building muscle with bodyweight training:

–> How To Build Muscle Faster WITHOUT Weights

I Quit

I Quit

by | Jan 15, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Workouts

I freaking quit.

Do you know the #1 reason why we don’t see the fat loss or muscle gains we want.

We simply, STOP doing the habits we need to.

Honestly we’ve all been guilty of giving up right before results truly have time to snowball.

Because it’s hard to trust the process when we feel like we’re working super hard, giving our plan our all, and results aren’t building as quick as we’d like.

But here’s the cold hard truth you’ve got to accept if you want to succeed…

Results NEVER happen as fast as you’d like.

There will always be ups and downs. There will always be setbacks.

Struggles are a part of success.

But that’s why I wanted to share some tips to help you get BETTER results FASTER. 

While we can’t out exercise or out diet time, and there is no magic pill, that doesn’t mean we can’t do things to help ourselves see those wins to avoid wanting to give up. 

And one of the first secrets to success is actually to slow down.

So let me share the tale of the two woodcutters to highlight the importance of slowing down….

redefining strength coaching

Two woodcutters were in a competition to see who could cut down more trees by the end of the day. The first was an experienced woodcutter older in years and the second was a younger, stronger man eager to prove his ability.

Both men set out to chopping. After about an hour or so the more experienced man paused, sat down to take a break and invited the other to join him.

The younger, stronger woodcutter replied, “No way! I’m going to keep chopping and I’m going to beat you.”

“Suit yourself,” said the experienced man.

This pattern repeated itself several times throughout the day.

Every so often the experienced man would pause his chopping to rest,

while the younger stronger woodcutter kept chopping away.

At the end of the day when the two woodcutters compared to see who had chopped more wood, the younger & stronger woodcutter was astonished to find that the older woodcutter who kept taking breaks had chopped a significantly greater amount of wood.

He said, “How is that even possible?

You spent far less time chopping than I did. I’m stronger and never once stopped cutting down trees. What is your secret?”

The experienced man said, “every time I sat down, I was sharpening my axe.” 

Hard work is key to results.

But hard work without direction, without focus, without intention, is often energy wasted.

Too often we just seek to do more in the gym. 

Restrict foods while searching for magic fat burning option… 

When really it’s about learning and dialing in those basics.

It’s even about doing the MINIMUM at times.

It’s not about effort it’s about efficiency.

Trust me if it was about EFFORT, I’d have lots of people in far better shape than me…people that train twice a day for hours a day and eat only “clean foods.”

While I sometimes do progressions that are 3 days a week and 30-40 minutes while enjoying my cocktails and desserts. 

But sometimes we need to scale back on how frequently we train, the length of our sessions or even how much we do in terms of adjusting our nutrition simply so we can stay consistent. 

Because that consistency often adds up more quickly than trying to do more in less time while burning ourselves out.

So don’t be afraid to PAUSE, assess and learn. Don’t be afraid to take time to plan.

Often by even THINKING about what we can do to consider the outcomes can save us a ton of time going in the wrong direction.

And then this even comes down to EMBRACING THE HARD.

I see it when it comes to our desire to avoid tracking.

And trust me…I get it…

I legit tried so much to avoid tracking because it seemed hard and overwhelming and tedious and boring. I even tried the potato diet.

I didn’t understand it so it felt complicated and like it wasn’t worth the effort.

But ultimately in my attempt to avoid the hard, I wasted a ton of time and effort.

I held myself back for so long avoiding the challenge of learning…and even struggling through it.

But there truly is no way around the hard.

All we can do is start by breaking things down.

What’s one small change you can make today?

Can you simply list out what you ate?

Can you start to measure out portions to see how much you’re actually consuming? 

The more we can break things down, the more we are able to make changes that don’t feel as hard, but that let us build up to fully embracing the new habits.

But just realize there is no way around that learning process if we actually want to create new habits.

And then remember, you didn’t create your current habits, lifestyles, physical conditioning overnight and you won’t get changes overnight either.

Our body and brain doesn’t like change.

It wants to maintain what it feels is normal – what it’s been TRAINED to see as instinctual and natural.

And yes I do mean TRAINED.

We get good at what we consistently do!

Our body wants to maintain your current weight and will fight the weight loss process. 

Your brain likes your current habits because they are easy. 

So as much as 3 or 4 months is a long time if you have been working to see results, consider how long you’ve actually not been at your goal.

How long you’ve been implementing other habits…

Because often when we take this step back, we realize we’re expecting basically overnight changes in comparison to how long it took us to get away from our goal.

So as tempting as it is to say “I QUIT” when results aren’t adding up as fast as we’d like, recognizing how long you’ve actually been making changes for in comparison.

And realize that this cycle, quitting right at this point is what you’ve ALWAYS done.

Results take time to snowball

Maybe you’ve only lost 1 lbs. But 1 pound will become 2, will become 4, will become, 15 will become 50…

And the more you lose and the longer you keep it off the leaner you look. 

But every time you quit, you doom yourself to keep losing and gaining the same few pounds.

Sure you’ll fluctuate as life ebbs and flows over the year and years, BUT I see my results when I focus in get better and better, not only because I’ve LEARNED as I’ve gone and focused on efficiency not effort…I’ve embraced the HARD, but also because I’ve simply stayed consistent and let time do it’s thing. 

That’s why you haven’t seen the results you want.

If you’re about to say I QUIT, double down and keep going.
make changes.

Don’t do more, just keep at those habits, learning and tweaking.

But don’t give up!

And to help you avoid making 8 of the most common weight loss mistakes I see clients making, I’m sharing those tips HERE!

5 Things Nobody Tells You About Cardio

5 Things Nobody Tells You About Cardio

by | Jan 1, 2023 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

How does cardio actually impact your fat loss or muscle gains?

In this video I’ll go over 5 things no one tells you about cardio and the impact it has on your results.

Because cardio can sabotage your results based on how you include it! 

And, at the end of the video, I’ll not only share the most underutilized but essential form of cardio to include to achieve body recomp results but show you how to adjust your workouts to see better results faster!

Hey guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength where we help you feel, look and move your best at any and every age.

If you’re working to lose fat, or even gain muscle, there are 5 key things you need to know about cardio so you don’t end up working super hard to not achieve the results you deserve.

And while yes, diet is of course essential, especially if you want to lose fat, at the end of the video.

I’ll go over how to adjust your workouts to see better results FASTER as well as share the most underrated and underutilized form of cardio to see amazing body recomp results!

But also I do want to note, this isn’t telling you to avoid steady-state cardio especially if you love your endurance sport. 

However, it is key we do understand the ups and downs of including specific workouts in our routines especially when we have other goals we want to achieve!

Often, when we want to lose weight, we turn to cardio to burn more calories. And while often those cardio sessions do burn more calories in the single session than strength workouts do, what you don’t know is that….

#1: Cardio can actually cause you to burn FEWER calories over the course of the day.

We have to remember that our workouts are only a small portion of the calories we actually burn over the course of the day.

And while, if you’re just starting out with training after not training at all, working out can help create a calorie deficit through extra movement without even changing your diet, your body adjusts over time.

It’s why you get stronger or faster and can run further without feeling tired.

But it also means you’re burning fewer calories with each session.

It’s why dietary adjustments are key, but I’ll go over more on this later.

If you keep pushing the intensity of your cardio training, and are in a calorie deficit, you may find you become so fatigued you move less during the rest of the day.

This lack of non-exercise energy expenditure can actually really DECREASE the overall calories you burn each and every day even while continuing to try to push your training sessions.

Basically our body can try to “compensate” for the extra calories burned by conserving energy as much as possible at other points in the day.

Not to mention, steady-state cardio can be catabolic to muscle mass.

More muscle means more calories burned at rest.

By performing steady-state cardio while in a calorie deficit to lose weight, we can end up losing more muscle which means, again, fewer calories burned at rest.

So just note, that while you may think you need more cardio to burn more calories, this attitude toward training may actually slow your weight loss results.

Not to mention negatively impact your attempts to gain muscle and build strength!

While it is possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, you do want a primary focus.

And if your main focus is to achieve body recomposition by gaining muscle while staying lean, trying to include more cardio may be negatively impacting your results.

Simply put – #2: Cardio can impact your strength gains.

What we prioritize in our workout routine, gets the best of our focus and our intensity.

If you put cardio first in your training, you are going to go into your strength work more depleted. You won’t be able to push as hard as you’ll be tired. And you won’t recover as well between sets.

Our ability to push hard with those lifting sessions to create progressive overload is key if we want the best muscle hypertrophy results.

Put strength work first, when you are freshest, and you’ll see the best muscle building results.

And then as I mentioned earlier, dietary adjustments are key.

Studies have actually shown that #3: Cardio doesn’t actually improve weight loss over dietary changes alone.

While training in general can help with long-term maintenance, you don’t need to train at all to lose weight.

We need to stop trying to out exercise our diet – We need to stop seeing our workouts as a chance to burn calories.

Instead we need to be strategic in how we fuel, while being conscious of our daily energy expenditure.

If we actually want to burn more calories each and every day, we should shift our focus to building muscle.

This means we’re burning more calories during training, and building the lean muscle mass.

More muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate and more calories burned at rest

So if you want better, lasting weight loss results, you want to focus even more on strength work.

And then don’t ignore this often overlooked form of cardio….WALKING!

I’ve mentioned you need to include more strength work and that cardio can fight against your muscle and strength gains.

However not all forms of cardio are created equal and by including more WALKING, you can avoid detracting from your other training sessions while increasing your daily energy expenditure to aid in better fat loss results!

Because walking doesn’t make us feel destroyed or worn out, we often overlook the value of this extra NONSTRESSFUL activity in our day.

But it can actually help us recover faster from hard training sessions and give our body, and mind, a chance to rest and rebuild as we are staying even more active during the day.

So consider even just a 15 minute extra walk in your day.

And if you are super close to your desired leanness level, even consider including the walk right after the strength session that targeted those stubborn areas you’re struggling to lose from!

We also have to remember that, not only are there different forms of cardio, but our #5: workouts don’t have to be just cardio or strength!

Ever get out of breath doing heavy lunges or higher rep squats?

Workouts don’t have to be just cardio OR strength.

There truly is a spectrum we can build our training sessions off of with steady state long distance endurance cardio workout on one side and 1 rep max lifting on the other.

All of these workout designs along this spectrum are working our cardiovascular system in different ways!

And, in that middle, there are so many different workouts designs we can use that are both cardio and strength.

Workouts that improve our conditioning while also helping us build lean muscle.

Try including a single heavy lift first to start your workout with longer rest periods to focus on those strength gains followed by a circuit with accessory lifts and shorter rest periods to elevate your heart rate more!

Doing things like this can improve your conditioning and even your recovery.

You will also find that workouts that are more metabolic strength focused may really benefit you if you are an endurance athlete!

Cori Hack:

There are so many ways to design those strength workouts to match your specific needs and goals. And you can design for the time you REALISTICALLY have over just trying to find some ideal training schedule.

3 days a week? You can make that work!

Just focus more on full-body workouts over body part splits!

And because there are really 5 key things you can do to adjust your strength workouts for better fat loss results, I want you to check out my Weight Training For Fat Loss video next. I’ve linked to the video below:

–> Weight Training For Fat Loss

Just remember, everything you include in your workout routine should be used strategically based on your needs and goals, not just to try to burn more calories or make you more fatigued.

Whether your goal is weight loss or building muscle, make sure you’re dialing in your workouts and your diet to work together!

STUDIES:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221011209
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34453886/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816627/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34334719/

Beneficial videos to watch next…

Weight Training For Fat Loss (5 Tips) 
Benefits Of Walking
Meal Plan To Lose Fat Faster

The Best Workout (You Aren’t Doing)

The Best Workout (You Aren’t Doing)

by | Dec 11, 2022 | Blog, Diet, fat loss-featured, Workouts

It can be simply overwhelming trying to figure out how to design the best workout to tone up and see those muscle gains as you lose fat.

We want to LOOK like we workout, right?!

But there are so many options out there…

How do you know which is best?

I get asked all of the time when I share a move even…

“How many reps and sets?”

And while I know this is an annoying answer, the one I always have to give is…

“Well it depends. What are your needs, goals, current training routine, other moves you’re planning to include, equipment, schedule, previous training history….”

There are lots of variables you need to consider to get the best results possible.

And while overwhelming at times, they are also all opportunity!

But because I know it can be especially frustrating to train super hard, dial in your diet and still not see those stubborn areas change, I wanted to share one of my favorite training techniques to help…

Compound Burner Sets!

I want to take you through what these amazing sets are and how to use them as well as a few examples of them so you can get started implementing them today.

And while I know it’s tempting to just jump to what to do, because many of us just want to get started, it’s key we learn the WHY behind the techniques.

This can help us always make sure we’re tweaking things to match our specific needs and goals.

So, What Are Compound Burner Sets?

They are:

  • Two moves done back to back for the same area without resting
  • NOT a superset
  • One is a compound move the other a more isolation based exercise to hone in on stubborn areas
  • One move is done more in that hypertrophy rep range with heavy loads (6-12 reps) while the other is done for higher reps in that strength endurance range with loads that still challenge you (15-25 reps)
  • Rest is about 90 seconds to 2 minutes in length between rounds
  • 2-4 rounds through each series

The theory behind them is using the post exhaust training technique.

What does this mean?

  • You are using that second move to fully exhaust a muscle group worked in that initial compound movement, which can lead to better muscle growth
  • You’re getting the benefits of using multiple rep ranges and both compound and isolation moves

This will help you build muscle and ultimately lose fat from helping increase your metabolic rate. More muscle means more calories burned at rest.

BUT to see the full benefit…You can’t ignore the importance of your diet and I’ll share something to help later on!

Tips to help you get the most out of this workout design….

This is a more advanced training technique even though it seems simple. It truly is HARDER than it looks if YOU push yourself.

You are basically trying to take a muscle close to failure and then PUSH THROUGH failure with the isolation move.

This requires you to truly try to max out with reps and not just stop at a set number because that is what was listed.

If you can easily do the top number or reps listed, add weight. If you hit the bottom of the rep range, maintain that weight until you get toward the top. 

Even use rest-pause technique for the isolation move to push through and really take that muscle even “past” fatigue!

But make sure a weight never feels light!

Record what you do to try to beat next time.

Bonus Benefits….

Not only is this an amazing training design for body recomp, but you will also see strength increases because of the compound movement and lifting heavier loads.

You’ll also see your muscular conditioning, or strength endurance, improve because of pushing past failure with the isolation move!

Warning…

To really get the full benefit of this design, be conscious you are truly pushing to failure!

And do NOT cut out rest periods!

If you haven’t earned the rest and feel like you need it, you need to advance the exercise, add heavier loads, slow down the tempo and focus more on the eccentric or add a few more reps, but don’t go above 15 for that first move!

And then realize this is an advanced technique and can lead to a point of diminishing returns if done for too long when you’re really pushing for progression.

So track those numbers to be able to switch designs after 3-6 weeks or add in a de-load or recovery week!

Now how to use this design….

These sets are often best implemented in a 4-6 days a week split, using a hemisphere or upper/lower breakdown.

HOWEVER, if you make each workout full body, you can make 3 days a week work.

For each workout, create 2-4 compound sets.

If you’re doing upper and lower splits, 3 is more than enough.

For the full body set up, you may want 4 with one being even for core specific work.

For an example, if you were to design a leg workout it may look like…

#1:
6-12 reps Barbell Back Squat To Box
15-25 reps Lean Backs

#2:
6-12 reps SLDL
15-25 reps Hamstring Seated Curls

#4:
6-12 reps Band Hip Thruster
15-25 reps Band Y Reverse Hyper

Think about your heaviest biggest lift first for that first compound move of the first set. You want the lifts you can go heaviest on first before you fatigue.

Then over the sets try to vary what is worked enough that you don’t hit a point of diminishing returns.

But you want to consider the OTHER workouts as well for that week to make sure areas are getting rest and also being worked in other days.

But especially with 4 days a week, that 2 times hitting an area is a great training frequency!

You may then include a recovery day or interval cardio session on two other days if you are training 6 days a week.

(Want more amazing workouts like this one? Check out my DYNAMIC STRENGTH program!)

SUMMARY:

If you’ve been struggling to see the body recomp results you want, give this training technique a try.

Make sure to track your results and focus on small progression each week, listening to your body and not just pushing through pain.

You want to be intentional with moves.

And as I mentioned earlier, fueling correctly is key.

But it can be hard to make certain habit changes to build muscle, especially when we fear gaining weight.

That’s why I want to share the next video you should check out if you’re looking to take your results to the next level…

Check out the link for 5 habit changes to improve your results!

–> 5 Habit Changes To Build Muscle WITHOUT Gaining Fat