How to Do a Killer Workout in Just 10 Minutes

Are you jonesing to get your sweat on — but you’re short on time? You don’t have to carve out an hour to hit the weight room to get an efficient workout. If you have time for a 10 minute workout, you can blast a body part or two. You can also squeeze in stretching or an intense cardio jam.

Today’s hectic lifestyles leave too little time for self-care. However, you don’t have to abandon your fitness goals when life gets crazy with the following five mini-workouts.

1. 10-Minute Arms

Do you live by the motto, “Sun’s out, guns out?” Get your biceps pumped before date night with this speedy arm blast. You’ll need a set of medium dumbbells or resistance bands to perform the following four moves:

• Biceps curl to overhead press: Begin with your arms at your sides, palms facing forward, with your dumbbells or band in hand. Perform a biceps curl, rotate your hands at the top, and then extend upward to an overhead press.
• Lateral raises: Despite what the name implies, you should lift 20 to 30 degrees in front of you, not directly to the side. That way, you still get the lateral zone without straining your neck.
• Triceps dips: You won’t need any weights for this one. You can bend your knees and place your palms on the floor behind you, or you can use a chair for additional intensity. Bend your elbows to lower your body down and push it back up.
• Skull crushers: This move blasts your triceps, but it incorporates the shoulders, too. Extend your arms overhead, keeping your elbows by your ears. Bend and extend at the elbow, taking care not to accidentally bump your noggin with the dumbbell (hence the name).

2. 10-Minute Back and Chest

If you have a mat and a set of dumbbells, you have everything you need to blast your chest and back with two simple-to-master movements:

• Pushups: You can do these on your toes or your knees. Do you want extra intensity? Try lifting one leg while you perform the move — this incorporates core stability, too.
• Renegade rows: Grab your dumbbells and get into a pushup position. Better yet, keep them nearby so you can transition seamlessly between moves. Pull one arm up at a time like you were performing a seated row. This exercise also qualifies as a compound movement because it requires you to keep your core stable.

Repeat these two moves as often as possible until your egg timer sounds.

3. 10-Minute Legs

Guys tend to focus on their upper bodies, but this can result in chicken legs. If you want to wow folks at the beach, try these movements. You can squeeze in several rounds in a short time:

• Squats: To perform this movement correctly, sit back as if you have a chair behind you. If you glance down, you should see the tips of your sneakers peeking over your knees. Keep your back straight and your eyes looking directly ahead. You can use dumbbells or a band to add resistance. While some trainers recommend squatting below parallel, this action is not necessary to get an effective workout — and it could strain your knees.
• Lunges: To use proper technique, step one leg forward or backward until both knees bend at a 45-degree angle. Your front knee should remain aligned with your front ankle — don’t let it shoot out over your toes.

4. 10-Minute Core

Your core is your body’s powerhouse, and it does much more than serve as a display for your six-pack. Keep it tight with these two moves:

• Planks: Planks work your transverse abdominis muscles, which form a corset around your waist and lumbar spine. These not only draw your tummy in, but they also help keep you stable during other exercises. To perform a plank, get into a pushup position and hold for as long as you are able. Draw your stomach up toward your spine as you hold the pose.
• Side planks: To segue to this variation, lean to one side and stack your feet while supporting yourself with one arm. You can extend your other arm or let it do as it pleases. Hold, then switch sides.

5. 10-Minute Flexibility

Guys, in particular, tend to skimp on stretching. But working on flexibility reduces your chances of injury substantially. Best of all, you can find brief and free yoga videos on YouTube to help you cool down or merely unwind from your day.

Try starting your morning with five minutes of flexibility, and perform a few poses in bed at night before you close your eyes.

Get a Fabulous Workout in Only 10 Minutes

You don’t need a lot of time to get your sweat going! With these mini-workouts, you can squeeze fitness into even the most hectic day.