SHORTCUT TO
STAYING LEAN FOR
THE LONG RUN
Enhance your fitness, mobility, and metabolism with these
three quick workouts, each designed to fit around
your day-to-day and make lifelong athleticism an easier,
more hassle-free endeavor.
BY ANDREW TRACEY
SHORTCUT TO STAYING LEAN FOR THE LONG RUN
TO KEEP YOUR BODY STRONG AND HEALTHY,
it’s important to find a time-savvy, sustainable workout
regimen that doesn’t just fit into the rest of your life, but
provides you with the tools to actively optimize it.
CREDITS: PHILIP HAYNES
And that’s exactly where this plan comes in. Whether you’re
a work-from-home warrior sneaking in a mood-boosting
lunchtime session, or a commuter in need of a post-office
pump, this trio of full-body, strength-building workouts
have been arranged in stamina-boosting protocols to lay the
smackdown on calories, all while enhancing fitness. The
movements selected promote balance and mitigate injury,
building the athleticism necessary to breeze through dayto-day life.
Perform the 30-minute sessions on rotation throughout the
week, resting at least one day in between. Each workout pits
you against a different challenge, demanding you level up
every time you lace up. There’s no doubt that the approach
listed on these pages can lead to six-pack abs and enviable
biceps, but what you stand to gain in terms of quality of life
is infinitely more satisfying. Ready? Let’s get to it.
(continued
)
SHORTCUT TO STAYING LEAN FOR THE LONG RUN
WORKOUT 1:
FULL BODY
Whether you’re looking for a quick-fire lunchtime throwdown, or a
weekend blowout, this full-body blast packs a punch, combining
dumbbell grinders with bodyweight staples to deliver the fitness. Use
the EMOM (every minute on the minute) format with a twist: at the start
of each even minute (0.00, 2.00, 4.00 etc) you’ll perform A1 followed by
A2, resting for the remainder of the minute. In the odd minutes do B1
and B2. Alternate in this fashion for 20 minutes or 10 total rounds of
each pairing. It will be more than enough.
A2a
B1a
B1b
B2a
A2b
A1b
B2b
A1
See-Saw
Floor Press
6 reps
Lie flat on your back,
knees bent, and press a
set of dumbbells into the
air (a). Bend your left
arm, slowly lowering the
weight down until your
upper arm is parallel to
the floor (b). Press the
weight back up and
repeat with your right
arm. This is 2 reps.
A1a
EVERY TIME
EVERY TIME
YOU DROP THE
YOU DROP THE
A2
WEIGHTS
Alternating
Bodyweight Lunge
10 reps
Drop the dumbbells and
stand tall (a) for a
bodyweight quadburner. Take a long step
forward with your left
leg, dropping your right
knee all the way to the
ground (b). Push your
weight through your left
foot to stand back up
explosively. This is 1 rep.
Switch legs and repeat.
B1
Dumbbell
Reverse Lunge
10 reps
Time to load your legs.
Hold a set of dumbbells
at your sides (a) and take
a long step back with
your right leg. Bend your
left leg until your right
knee touches the
ground (b). Maintain an
upright torso and drive
through your front foot
to stand up. This is 1 rep.
Repeat on the other side
and alternate each rep.
B2
WEIGHTS
Pushup
10 reps
Finish by doubling up on
your pecs. Start in a high
plank position, your
hands stacked directly
beneath your shoulders
(a). Keep your elbows
tight to your ribs and
lower your body down
until your chest hits the
floor (b). Now push
yourself off the floor
explosively, fully
extending your arms.
(continued
)
SHORTCUT TO STAYING LEAN FOR THE LONG RUN
WORKOUT 2:
BACK TO BEST
BUILDING
BLOCKS
ROW UP
Your first session was a combination of lower body and “pressing” movements,
so now we’re going to switch from front to back and focus on those
oft-neglected but always respected back muscles. You’re going to use the same
vicious but time-saving EMOM format as before, executing your A movements
in the even minutes, before switching to B in the odd minutes. Oscillating
between upper and lower movements forces your heart to work even harder
and ramps up the all-important calorie burn.
The plank or “renegade”
row builds a strong
back, torches your core,
and improves posture.
Break it down with these
moves to nail it properly.
01 Bench
Supported Row
A2a
Position yourself
longways on a
bench. With a
flat back, reach
down and pick
up your
dumbbell
with your
right hand. Row
the weight in a long arc
from below your
shoulder up to your hip.
Pause and return under
control. Switch sides
after 10 reps.
B2a
B1a
A1a
B2b
A2b
B1b
A1
Dumbbell Split
Squat
A1b
10 reps each leg
Going single-leg will
double your gains. With a
pair of dumbbells at your
sides, elevate your right
leg onto a bench behind
you (a). Bend at the left
knee, lowering the
dumbbells towards the
floor, and pause at the
bottom (b). Drive through
your left foot to stand up.
Perform 10 reps before
switching.
A2
B1
B2
10 reps
Posture problems? Here’s
your band aid. Sit on the
floor holding a resistance
band with your arms
straight overhead (a).
Draw your elbows down
and back, stretching the
band open across your
chest and squeezing your
shoulder blades together
(b). Return and repeat.
5 reps each arm
Kick off with a coresmashing back-builder.
Assume a high plank
position with your hands
stacked on both
dumbbells (a). Row the
right dumbbell up to your
hip while actively pushing
down on the left (b).
Return to the floor and
repeat. Complete 5 reps
before switching sides.
10 reps
Rows duly dispatched,
get ready to work your
lower half. Stand with
your torso upright and
your hands clasped on
the back of your head (a).
Drop your hips back to
sink into a deep squat (b).
Hold for a second before
pressing through your
heels to stand up. Now
repeat.
Band Pulldown
Renegade Row
Prisoner Squat
02 Bent
Over Row
Hold a pair of
dumbbells at
your sides. Hinge
at the hips until
your torso is
parallel to the
ground, and your
arms are fully
outstretched. Keep your
back flat and your core
tight core as you row
both dumbbells up to
your hips. Pause, lower
and repeat for 10 reps.
03 Renegade
Row
Even when you attempt
the full movement,
start with single,
alternating reps. This
will help to further
solidify the core
strength you’ll need to
bust out multiple reps
without shifting your
weight excessively. A
little shift is fine,
though. Once you’ve
found your rhythm,
stick to it.
(continued
)
SHORTCUT TO STAYING LEAN FOR THE LONG RUN
MASTERY MATRIX
PROGRESS
TO IMPRESS
WORKOUT 3:
CORE CRAZY
After some structured pushing and pulling, it’s finally time to go freestyle
on your core, forcing you to question just how hard you want to push.
Pick your poison: volume or intensity. As normal, you’re going to start with
the A movements, with the aim of performing 100 reps of A1 in the fewest
number of sets possible. The catch? Every time you have to drop the
weights, you have to perform a set of A2, before picking straight back up where
you left off. Once you hit 100, repeat the process with your B movements.
A1a
The key to progressive
improvement is to go at your own
pace—do what works for you.
Use this matrix to
identify your optimal movements.
B1b
BEGINNER
A2b
B1a
A1b
B2a
B2b
EVERY TIME
Push Press
100 reps
Lift your dumbbells on to your
shoulders, palms facing in.
Take a breath and brace your
core (a). Dip at the knees, then
use your legs to help press
the dumbbells overhead (b).
Slowly lower the weights
to your shoulders and repeat.
A2
EVERY TIME
YOU DROP THE
YOU DROP THE
WEIGHTS
WEIGHTS
Dumbbell
Leg Raise
10 reps
Crunch time, sort of. Lie flat on
your back, legs straight, with your
heels a few inches off the ground
(a). Slowly lift your legs towards
the raised dumbbells, keeping
your legs straight and steady (b).
Slowly lower your feet to the start
position, keeping your core tight.
B1
B2
100 reps
With your dumbbells on the floor
just outside your feet, hinge
down and grip them with a flat
back and neutral spine (a).
Engage your lats and stand
upright. “Push” the ground with
your feet, squeezing your glutes
at the top (b). You’re going
to feel this one today, tomorrow,
and the next day.
15 reps
Hit your torso from all angles for
a three-dimensional core.
Assume a push-up position
adjacent to a single dumbbell.
Reach from the opposite side
and grasp the weight (a). Pull it
through to the opposite side,
keeping your midline strong (b).
Alternate for 15 reps.
Dumbbell Deadlift
B1
Plank Pullthrough
B2
MASTER
Perform
hands
elevated
pushups
Perform
pushups
As
prescribed
in the
workout
Perform
seated
dumbbell
presses
Perform
crunches
Perform
lying leg
raises
As
prescribed in
the workout
Perform
‘windscreen
wipers’,
lifting your
legs to either
side of the
bells
Perform
single
dumbbell/
double-hand
deadlifts
As
prescribed in
the workout
Perform with
a band
looped
around the
bells,
anchored to
an object in
front of you
Perform
standing on
plates to
increase
range of
motion
Perform
30-second
bent-arm
plank
Perform
plank
shoulder
taps
As
prescribed in
the workout
Use a weight
you must
drag, not lift
A2
A2a
A1
A1
INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED