Woke up around 9AM this morning, and did a couple of short workouts. Actually, it was ONE workout - but it got broken up in two since I did the first part at home, and the next one outdoors. And truth be told, either one of them would have been enough for most people to get a solid workout in.
Most people don't believe you can get in a decent workout without spending hours in the gym (most of which is spent wasting time) and without using the latest fancy machine or fitness tool advertised on TV. Can't really blame them either - we've been sold a "bill of goods" when it comes to getting fit, which mandates spending at least an hour in the gym daily, using the pec deck, "isolating" each and every muscle and working hundrerds of reps for each exercise. And of course, the usual gym chit-chat which is politely explained away by saying "it helps me enjoy the routine more".
NOTHING could be further from the truth.
My routine was simple, and not too tough by my standards - but I still managed to work up a pretty good sweat, and got a great workout in. And I did nothing but jump rope and do pushups the first time around - and did pull-ups and dips the second time around. Finished off with some gut and grip work, and that was that for the day.And I couldn't do anything else at this point if I wanted to - I'm too bushed.
And the point of my telling you this is that a) you CAN get a good workout in without spending too much time on it and b) you don't need a gym to get fit. Actually, chances are that all you need to do at this point is to start moving. Do something - ANYTHING - but start MOVING. It all begins there.
And don't stress out about how long you workout - instead look at the quality of the workout. Most beginners would find it hard to do a 10 minute workout the way I do, and that's perfectly fine. The key is to get moving - to get off your rump and actually START to move - and do what you can, and progress from there. This is something I repeatedly emphasize in Fast and Furious Fitness as well. Simple enough concept, but you'd be amazed at how it needs to be emphasized repeatedly.
And don't tell me you don't have time - everyone has at least 15 minutes to spare during the day. And if you truly don't have even that much time, then make some time for yourself. Remember, your health comes first - everything else is a distant second.
On a side note, some school kids saw me working my pull-ups hard, and tried doing them. These were skinny kids, probably weighing no more than 40 kgs (AT MOST) - and what was sad was that NONE of them could do a single pull-up. They were doing the "cheat" pull-ups that we see the musceheads do so often on TV. You know the kind, where the guy just sort of "jerks" himself up and down without a full range of motion in the exercise - or anywhere near it. The "bicep pumping" sort of thing that we've all seen on TV. And it's sad that kids are being brought up on that sort of thing these days.
Anyway, all for now. Get moving - do something daily - and you'll be amazed at how quickly you start to progress!
Best regards,
Rahul
PS: If you're sick of the muscle media nonsense, Fast and Furious Fitness is just what the doctor ordered.