A Simple AND Effective Workout To Help BUSY DADS Improve Their Fitness
Go to most fitness websites and you’re going to find tons of articles outlining long and complex workout routines with lots of fancy exercises. Although some (but not all) of the workouts you can find online might work for some people, many are simply too complex or too strenuous for most BUSY DADS with limited available time. 1COACH, specializes in helping BUSY DADS who want short AND effective workouts that require little to no equipment.
“1COACH, specializes in helping BUSY DADS who want short AND effective workouts that require little to no equipment.”
For BUSY DADS looking for a workout, we’re excited to share a 25-minute full-body workout that uses many of the same principles we incorporated into the workouts in our BUSY FIT DAD TRAINING SYSTEM.
Here’s a bit of information to help you get started:
You’ll do the exercises at different tempos:
SLOW: aim for 4-5 seconds for both the “up” and “down” phases of the exercise
STANDARD: aim for ~2 seconds for both the “up” and “down” phases of the exercise
FAST: This is a quick tempo for something like Jumping Jacks or fast (but controlled) squats
For each “Movement”, choose the exercise and/or select a weight (if using weights) that allows you to complete ~10-12 repetitions at a standard tempo (~2 seconds up and ~2 seconds down). You’ll use the same exercise and/or weight with the SLOW tempo repetitions as the STANDARD tempo repetitions.
The exercises listed for the “Movements” are shown ranked from the least to most difficult (left to right). Select the version of the exercise that allows you to complete 10-12 repetitions in a set. This will take some trial and error so be patient.
Example: For the HORIZONTAL PUSH movement, if you cannot complete 10-12 repetitions of the Standard Push Up, you can use the Push Up with Hands Elevated exercise. If you can complete more than 12 repetitions of the Standard Push Up, you can use the Push Up with Feet Elevated exercise.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for videos of many of the exercises.
For the BUSY FIT DAD (BFD) MOVES: choose an exercise that allows you to complete 10-20 repetitions.
AMRAP: Complete As Many Reps As Possible.
Rest Between Exercises: Based on your current fitness, rest 0-60 seconds after completing one exercise before going on to the next. In general, we recommend you move from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible.
Workout 2-3 times per week alternating between Workout A one time and Workout B the next (take at least one day off in between). In other words, you may do Workout A on Monday, Workout B on Wednesday, Workout A on Saturday, then keep the cycle going with Workout B the following Monday.
MOVEMENTS & EXERCISES
CORE 1: plank - plank with weight drag
CORE 2: side plank side plank on elbow - side plank on hand - side plank with weight
LOWER BODY PUSH (these can be done with bodyweight or a weight like dumbbells/kettlebells/weighted backpack): 2-leg squat - reverse lunge - jump squat - alternating lunge jump
LOWER BODY PULL: Romanian deadlift - single-leg Romanian deadlift - 2-leg deadlift - single leg deadlift
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PUSH: hands elevated push up - standard push up - feet elevated push up
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PUSH: shoulder press with band - shoulder press with dumbbell/kettlebell
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PULL: bodyweight row with straps (adjust the handles up and down to make it easier or more challenging)
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PULL: chin up with strap assist - pull up with strap assist - chin up - pull up (*if these are too hard, use the “upper body horizontal pull” exercises for both Workouts A & B
BUSY FIT DAD (BFD) MOVE: jumping jacks - bodyweight squat - alternating reverse lunge - squat jump
WORKOUT A
Warm Up (see our 5-Minute Warm Up for BUSY DADS)
CORE 1: hold for 20-40 seconds
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PUSH (SLOW): 4-5 reps
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PULL (SLOW): 4-5 reps
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PUSH (SLOW): 4-5 reps
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PUSH (STANDARD): 10-12 reps
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PULL (STANDARD): 10-12 reps
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PUSH (STANDARD): 10-12 reps
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PUSH (STANDARD): AMRAP
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PULL (STANDARD): AMRAP
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PUSH (STANDARD): AMRAP
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
Use the Warm Up exercises to Cool Down
WORKOUT B
Warm Up (see our 5-Minute Warm Up for BUSY DADS)
CORE 2: hold for 20-40 secondsCORE 1: hold for 20-40 seconds
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PULL (SLOW): 4-5 reps
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PUSH (SLOW): 4-5 reps
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PULL (SLOW): 4-5 reps *do upper body horizontal pull if this is too hard
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PULL (STANDARD): 10-12 reps
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PUSH (STANDARD): 10-12 reps
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PULL (STANDARD): 10-12 reps *do upper body horizontal pull if this is too hard
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
LOWER BODY PULL (STANDARD): AMRAP
UPPER BODY HORIZONTAL PUSH (STANDARD): AMRAP
UPPER BODY VERTICAL PULL (STANDARD): AMRAP *do upper body horizontal pull if this is too hard
BFD MOVE (FAST): 10-20 reps
Use the Warm Up exercises to Cool Down
This article is intended for informational purposes only and intended for adults who are healthy enough for exercise. We recommend all readers complete the PAR-Q+ to assess your readiness for exercise. If you have any injuries or other physical limitations we recommend you talk with your physician or other clinician before attempting the exercises.
Dave Peckinpaugh, MS is the Head Coach at 1COACH and developer of the BUSY FIT DAD TRAINING SYSTEM. He has a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach with the NSCA, is a Certified Exercise Physiologist with the ACSM, and has been both a full-time and adjunct faculty member teaching college coursework in Kinesiology.
Send us an email at info@my1coach.com with any questions or simply to let us know how the workout is going for you.
EXERCISE VIDEOS: See below for videos of many of the exercises listed above.