The "One Exercise Workout" For Those Times You Just Don't Feel Like Working Out

It happens to the best of us. Your body is ready, willing and able to workout but you just can't get your head in to it. Maybe work has been hell lately or you've got something going on in your family life that you just can't shake. Sometimes life is just complicated. In those moments, a little simplicity goes a long way. The following four workouts take little time and have only one move. They are crazy effective and will help you get going when everything in your head says 'not today.'

Lethal Lunges

Created by BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., Men’s Health Fitness Director. Perform 10 straight minutes of walking lunges. Pause if you need to but try to keep your rest times to a minimum. Keep going back and forth between legs for a full 10 minutes.  “Not only does this improve your basic level of aerobic conditioning,” says Gaddour, “But the repetitive motion also prepares you for running.” Speed it up if you want to get your heart pumping, slow it down if building muscle is your goal. 

The Iron 300

Created by Dan John, world-renowned strength coach and master kettlebell instructor for StrongFirst. Grab a kettlebell that is challenging but not too heavy. Do 300 kettlebell swings. Start at 300 and count down to one. You can pause when you are tired or when your grip starts to break. “The swing is one of the best ways to combine high-intensity cardio with a brutal lower-body workout,” says John.

Brutal Bear Crawl Ladder

Created by BJ Gaddour, Men’s Health Fitness Director and the creator of Bodyweight Cardio Burners. Get into a bear crawl position. Perform 30 seconds of crawls before resting for 30 seconds. Next, do 31 seconds of work and 29 seconds of rest. Repeat, adding one second of work and subtracting one second of rest with each round for 10 total rounds. “Increasing the amount of work as your muscles fatigue causes your body to turn on the afterburners—using fat for fuel,” explains Gaddour.

Stress Relieving Slam

Created by Gideon Akande, winner of the 2015 Men’s Health Next Top Trainer Grab a medicine ball—if you don’t have access to one, a couch cushion works just as well. Perform 20 seconds of the overhead slam with as much power as you can muster. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for eight total rounds for a heart-hammering 4-minute cycle. Perform multiple cycles for an 8-, 12-, or 16-minute workout. “The explosive movement will jack up your heart rate immediately,” explains Akande. “10 seconds of rest will give you just enough time to attack the next set without slowing down your calorie burn.” Which one will you try first? Source: Men's Health