“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.” — Bill Phillips

One of my favorite things in life is to talk to people about their goals and dreams. I love seeing people’s faces light up when they consider their possible future selves.

And yet I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the types of people that go on and make those dreams happen and those who don’t.

The first type of person is willing to take a hard look at their biggest goals and figure out what they have to do to make them happen. They are undaunted by the months, years, or decades of hard work ahead of them because they know that the more difficult path will also be the most rewarding.

The second type of person talks about their dreams without doing anything about them. They’re usually full of reasons and excuses about why they haven’t made any progress, despite the passing of time.

The difference between these two types of people is not that one is blessed with greater motivation and drive than the other. In fact, I believe everyone can become the type of person who goes for their dreams.

It all comes down to a simple choice. Are you willing to fully commit? If so, you’ve taken the most important first step toward reaching your potential.

Decide to commit

Growing up, I was the all-talk type. I would always talk big, but then be full of excuses as to why I couldn’t take any forward action.

But one day, I made a choice. I had watched enough people around me give up on their dreams, and I didn’t want that to be me. I decided to stop talking about my dreams and letting them slip away.

That initial choice was the first step in what has been a long but rewarding journey into becoming the person I want to be.

You can make this choice, too. It doesn’t require special skills or an extra-motivated personality. All it takes is a willingness to fully commit to your goals.

Of course, committing can be scary. Anytime you go all-in on something, you set yourself up for the possibility of failure. But if you learn to treat failures as learning opportunities rather than letting them engulf your identity, even failures lose much of their sting.

Committing means accepting the process, no matter what obstacles arise along the way. It also means that when you inevitably stumble or go off track, you pick yourself back up and continue in the direction you want to go.

Take it one step at a time

Once you commit to a goal, the next step is to take action.

Often, we get so overwhelmed by our high, hard goals and how much we have ahead of us that we become paralyzed by what’s ahead. But the fastest way to halt all forward progress is to do nothing at all.

The key to making consistent, forward progress is to chunk down your goals.

Figure out the smallest next step you can do to take forward action toward your goal. Then find the next smallest step. Keep doing this, and in time, your small actions will add up.

For example, if you commit to your long-time goal of getting a black belt in jiu-jitsu but have no idea how to get started, begin by doing a quick Yelp search of dojos in your area. Reach out to one that stands out most to you, ask about their class schedule, and find out what gear you’ll need for class. Then actually sign up for a class. You’ll just have taken three solid steps forward to help you eventually reach your goal.

Progress rarely happens in big spurts. Instead, it’s our seemingly small, daily actions that, over time, lead to big results.

Believe your goal is possible

When you commit to a goal, you also need to believe your dream is possible. This means it also needs to be realistic. Deciding you want to be an Olympic gymnast at age thirty-five with no previous gymnastics experience is not realistic, but deciding you want to learn to do a freestanding handstand at that age (or much older) is.

Believing in the real possibility of your dream happening will ensure you continue to take action steps forward even when the path ahead of you seems overwhelming and difficult and when the voice in your head won’t stop yelling at you to quit.

As the late psychologist Albert Bandura once wrote:

“Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.”

Keep going.

“What are you training right now?”

This is probably the most common question I get asked by my fitness-loving friends.

My answer is almost always the same: “I’m training handstands. Yes, still.”

I first started dabbling in handstands back in 2013. I took a few adult gymnastics classes and was immediately hooked. How could something so seemingly simple — standing upside down on your hands — be so hard in practice?

As a late-blooming athlete, I didn’t do my first push-ups until my early twenties (and my first decent push-ups years after that). It took me even longer to be able to do other basic bodyweight skills like pull-ups and single leg squats. By the time I enrolled in that gymnastics class, however, I’d built up a reasonable amount of strength and stamina through years of HIIT and bodyweight workouts. Yet my dream of holding a handstand without a wall for longer than it takes to snap a photo for Instagram still seemed lightyears away.

I pressed my gymnastics instructor for advice. He didn’t have much, other than telling me that learning to balance in a handstand is incredibly difficult and most people will never learn [[(I only later realized he was a punk kid that barely knew more than I did about handstands) >> I like the humor here, but I’m not sure you need it. If you’re looking to shorten up, I’d cut this part!]]. Luckily, he sensed my enthusiasm and sent me to Dominik, a former circus performer, and my first real hand balancing coach. Thus my handstand journey officially began.

Nearly eight years later, I’m still at it. I surpassed my first goal of holding a five-second freestanding handstand ages ago. And while many people would have moved on to the next thing, I didn’t stop. Having prematurely quit most things in my life up until that point, I wanted to see how far I could go as someone with no natural ability or previous gymnastics experience.

I had caught the handstand bug. But even more than that, I had caught the mastery bug.

We Can All Aim for Mastery

When most of us think of masters, we think of athletes like Michael Jordan and Laird Hamilton, thinkers like Einstein and Bill Gates. We think of black belts, Grandmasters, and other superstars who have risen to the top of their craft.

But mostly, we think of these people as others — as in, people not like us. People blessed with talent and drive to become masters in their craft and fulfill their potential. (Yes!!)

This is the same response I had when I was first training at circus school. I was mesmerized by the talent of those around me. What I didn’t take into account was just how long they had been working to get to the level where they were at — and the likelihood that if I worked as hard as they did for as long as they did, I could get there, too.

Mastery depends less on initial talent than the willingness to pick a path and stay on it.

As George Leonard writes in The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei:

“What we call “mastery” can be defined as that mysterious process through which what is at first difficult or even impossible becomes easy and pleasurable through diligent, patient, long-term practice.”

Choosing a Path and Sticking to It

I’ve wanted to quit training handstands more times than I can count over the years. Usually, this is when I’ve been stuck on a plateau for a long while or when I realize just how far I have to go to reach my never-ending goals.

But I’ve kept at it, because despite the endless ups and downs, choosing a path and sticking to it has brought me a tremendous amount of purpose and joy. You can bet I’ll be that 80-year-old still rocking handstands

As my experience shows, anyone can get on the path to mastery. Your path might not be handstands. It could be related to art, or music, or something else entirely. It will inevitably take some experimenting and lots of trial and error before you find something that sticks.

Above all else, mastery requires a choice and commitment.

Once you decide on the path, these five keys can help:

Stop worrying you don’t have enough talent. Sure, some of us start out more talented than others. But focus, persistence, and belief that our efforts will make a difference (I.e., the hallmark qualities of a growth mindset) matter more in the long run than talent itself.

Stop worrying about “wasted effort.” Progress isn’t linear, as much as we would like it to be. Not every action will lead you straight to where you want to go. The key to sticking with something for the long run is to reframe all effort as practice, never wasted.

Treat failures as learning opportunities. People at the top of their craft didn’t get that way because they were afraid of failure. In fact, most successful people only became successful because they were willing to fail over and over. Learn from your failures, and move on.

Keep a beginner’s mind. Mastery in any craft requires humility. You can’t get better if you assume you already know everything. Always be open to learning from others with more experience and wisdom than you. Feeling like an awkward beginner might be uncomfortable, but it’s worth it if you want to improve.

Learn to love the path. Progress happens in small spurts of growth followed by long plateaus. If you’ve reached a plateau, it may be that your current plateau is exactly where you need to be right now so that you can further internalize your recent progress. Learn to trust the process and accept that the majority of your time will be spent on the plateau.

“Perhaps we’ll never know how far the path can go, how much a human being can truly achieve, until we realize that the ultimate reward is not a gold medal but the path itself.” — George Leonard

 

Mental fitness is a term that gets thrown a lot these days, especially now during the COVID pandemic. It seems like everyone is struggling with something, and having strong mental fitness feels more important than ever.

But what does it mean to be mentally fit?

In psychology, mental fitness is loosely defined as creating a state of positive well-being and learning to cultivate awareness of how we think, behave and feel.

Increasing mental fitness has tons of benefits, such as:

• Becoming more aware of your thoughts so they don’t control you
• Increasing your ability to focus and concentrate on tasks
• Building the resilience to deal with the ups and downs of life
• Being able to confidently respond to a situation in the moment (rather than hours later after you’ve had time to think through your response)
• Learning to focus less on negative emotions and the challenges of your life, and more on what’s going well

Just like we need to exercise our muscles in order to become physically fit, there’s a lot we can do to become more mentally fit, too.

One of the main ways to build mental fitness is to create a habit of being more mindful. 

In The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) expert Russ Harris describes mindfulness as a “mental state of awareness, openness, and focus.”

“When we are mindful,” he writes, “we are able to engage fully in what we are doing, let go of unhelpful thoughts, and act effectively without being pushed around by our emotions.”

You might think of this as meditation, or even as “turning off the mind.” But mindfulness and meditation are different; in meditation, you typically sit with your eyes closed and focus on your breath, how your body feels, or even the sounds around you. Mindfulness, on the other hand, can be practiced anywhere, in any situation.

Practicing mindfulness involves learning to be present and aware. You can be mindful of anything—for example, the colors in the sky and the trees around you, the warmth on your skin as you sit outside in the sun, or the words of someone you’re having a conversation with.

By becoming more mindful, you’ll notice that you’re less reactive, more able to bounce back from surprises and setbacks, and more confident in your general ability to deal with life.

Want to “exercise” your mind and improve your mental fitness? Here are a few suggestions:

Build in periods of mindfulness throughout your day. The easiest way to start doing this is to add mindfulness to habits you already have. For example, take a few minutes to do a body scan and connect to your breath before getting out of bed each morning. Or take a moment to savor the taste of your morning coffee as you take your sip.

The more you practice being mindful, the easier it becomes. If you notice yourself getting caught up in your thoughts, you can gently turn your attention to the present. This way, you start to build it in naturally throughout your day.

Meditate regularly. I know people who meditate for half an hour or more every single day. I am not one of them. Even sitting down to five to ten minutes of meditation is challenging for me.

But meditating has a whole host of benefits, including building the skill to become aware of your thoughts (rather than be controlled by them), improving focus and concentration, reducing anxiety, enhancing self-awareness, and so on. Meditating regularly for even just a short amount of time each day can supercharge your mental fitness.

There are a lot of different styles of meditation. The best thing to do is to experiment and find out which you connect with the most. I’m a big fan of Sam Harris’s Waking Up app, which has guided meditations that are around ten minutes long. If you can’t do ten minutes, even a few minutes a day can make a difference over time.

Keep a gratitude journal. Paying attention to what you’re grateful for trains your brain to look for the positive rather than always focus on the negative. Aim to write down at least ten things you’re grateful for every single day.

They don’t have to be big things — even small things such as fresh blueberries, laughing at a funny joke, or connecting with a friend for coffee count. Try and look for new things each day, and don’t just repeat the same things every single day.

Keep track of your small wins. Just like keeping a gratitude journal, the practice of keeping track of your wins trains your brain to look for what you did well instead of focus on all you’ve done wrong. Try journaling your wins and anything you did well (no matter how small) at the end of each day.

Train your body. You can’t be mentally fit without being physically fit and healthy, too. Physical and mental fitness are intertwined. Exercise, sleep, and good nutrition will go a long way to increase both your physical and mental fitness.

What’s more, when you train your body, you’re training your mind, too.

Teaching yourself that you can do difficult things in the gym helps build confidence, increases mental toughness, and builds resilience. Becoming more comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable sets you up to take on more of life’s challenges.

As a result, the mental skills you build in the gym will carry over to the rest of your life, as well.

 

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor Frankl

 

I once almost got a tattoo that said “hustle.”

At the time, I was still newly out of college and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I was living in San Francisco, surrounded by techies and startup founders — the type of people who glorify long hours and live off of copious amounts of caffeine and very little sleep.

Growing up, I never had to work very hard to get straight A’s. School came fairly easily to me, so I skated by, often doing the bare minimum to keep my grades up. But the real world doesn’t work that way. In the real world, you can’t get by without putting in effort.

So I learned to hustle.

I worked harder. I put in long hours. I figured I could rest later — when I had finally reached my goals.

I put this same more-is-better thinking into my workouts.

In my mind, if one strenuous workout a day was good, two must be better. If running sprints twice a week resulted in gains, sprinting three or four times a week must result in even more.

Working hard became a staple of my identity.

But as every successful athlete, entrepreneur, or businessperson eventually must learn, hard work alone isn’t enough to help you reach your goals. High achievers like to feel like they’re doing something – anything – to continue making progress. Action feels much better than inaction. But action, or more hard work, isn’t always the answer.

Without balance, hard work done for too long eventually results in burnout, sickness, injury, depression, and worst of all, dream abandonment.

This is what happens to me every time I fall into the hard-work-is-better trap. The hustling works for a little while, but eventually, it catches up to me. I end up getting injured, depressed, or burnt out to the point where I want to give up altogether. Rather than making faster progress toward my goals as I’d hoped to, I end up stalling or even going backward.

If you want to make continuous progress toward your goals, don’t just blindly put in more work.

Figure out the most efficient way to get where you want to go and learn to work more effectively. This requires building an understanding that rest and recovery are part of the process of long-term growth.

This is a hard lesson for high achievers to learn. As Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness write in Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success:

“In a society that glorifies grinding, short-term gains and pushing to extremes, it takes guts to rest.” 

Of course, there will undoubtedly be times in your life where working harder is necessary. Sprinting, for example, results in the most gains when you run as fast as you possibly can. Similarly, there might be times in your career where you need to hustle hard and work long hours to make your dreams happen.

The key to taking advantage of these periods of hard work is to learn to rest and recover along the way. Follow your sprint day with an easy active recovery day. Take a couple of days or even just an evening off to spend time with friends and family, do some self-care, and recuperate after a high-stress time at work.

Understanding when to step back and rest rather than pointlessly push through will help you steadily make progress toward your long-term goals. Learn to listen to your body and mind and recognize when you’re on the brink of burnout.

While others around you go too hard too quickly and end up quitting, you’ll still be chipping away at your dreams.

Play the long game. Part of the hustle is learning that hard work and rest go hand in hand.

The other day, I went to do a few sets of pull-ups and was disappointed to realize I could no longer do as many as I once could.

There was a time a few years ago when I was working pull-ups diligently a few times a week and got up to doing ten in a row. For someone who could barely hang from a pull-up bar as a teenager, I was pretty proud of that number.

But on this day I could only knock out four, maybe five at a time, before my form completely fell apart.

At first, I started to get pretty down on myself. How could I have let this happen? 

Then I took a step back and considered the reality of the situation. I injured my elbow a few years before during a bad tumbling fall and — despite having done countless hours of physical therapy — still have what’s known as golfer’s elbow. As a result, I haven’t been able to train pull-ups as often because the more pull-ups I do, the more aggravated my elbow becomes.

The reason I can’t do as many pull-ups as I used to is simple: because I haven’t been working much on them.

Contrast that to other areas of my training such as handstands, flexibility, and martial arts_ where I’ve been spending much of my time and energy, and as a result, have made significant gains.

That I’ve even kept a baseline level of strength despite my injury and putting significantly less time and energy toward my pull-ups should be a win in itself.

The reality is that we can’t expect to be getting better at everything all of the time. 

No matter how dedicated we are toward our training goals, we can only put our energy and focus on so many things at once. As a result, our ability level in the things we aren’t making a current priority may naturally go backward a little, or at best, maintain.

This is why smart high-level athletes focus on periodizing, or dividing their training into cycles throughout the year — to grow their athletic arsenal over time. They have cycles where they’re working to build up strength and others where they’re looking to increase speed, muscle mass, conditioning levels, or technique. The most dedicated athletes plan these cycles over years, always thinking long-term.

Even if you consider yourself more of a weekend warrior, there’s a lot you can learn from high-level athletes.

For example, suppose you decide your immediate goal is to improve your conditioning so that you’re less winded during your other activities. In that case, you might plan a one to three month cycle where you’re consistently doing sprints, intervals, and other workouts targeting your conditioning levels.

During this time, you might not be as focused on making strength gains, aiming instead to maintain the strength you’ve already built. You’d reduce your strength workouts to a maintenance level each week (which, as recent scientific evidence shows, means just five or six sets a week, which can be broken up nicely into two workouts).

You’ll focus mainly on your conditioning during this time, then when the cycle ends, ideally take a short break before switching to your next focus. Over time, you’ll slowly build up your athletic arsenal. Your gains will build upon each other so that you become a much more well-rounded athlete in the process.

Of course, the concept of periodization or cycling works well in other areas of life, too. You might choose to devote a few months to improving your writing skills, or learning to cook, or taking a class on photography. During that time, you’d plan to put most of your time and energy into getting better at that skill. Once the cycle is over, you might choose a different focus to put most of your energy into, making sure to return to the previous skill regularly to ensure you stay at least at a maintenance level and don’t lose all your gains.

This approach favors long-term gains over short-term ones. Over time, periodization of your training, work, and life will help you become a much more well-rounded athlete and human being, all while helping you avoid injury and burnout.

“Perhaps we’ll never know how far the path can go, how much a human being can truly achieve, until we realize that the ultimate reward is not a gold medal but the path itself.” ― George Leonard

 

We know the importance of walking and getting in your steps, but cardio isn’t the only type of exercise you should be doing. Strength training matters too. Not only can strength training help increase bone density (and help ward off the brittle bones of osteoporosis), but it can also boost your metabolism and help you lose weight, too.

The good news? You don’t need a 20-pound dumbbell to get in a good strength training workout — in fact, all you need is a 1-ounce resistance band. Really.

Why Resistance Bands?
Resistance bands are the perfect tool for sculpting or toning your muscles on-the-go — whether you’re traveling across the country or just down the road to your local park, says Cris Dobrosielski, a spokesperson for the American Council of Exercise and the owner of Monumental Fitness Results, in San Diego, California. “Doing more reps, say 3 sets of 15 reps,  provides a muscular endurance benefit, we well as some amount of hypertrophy, or muscle building,” he says.  

If you’re a beginner or intermediate exerciser, start with a lighter resistance band (like 5 to 15 pounds of resistance). If you’re an advanced exerciser, you can opt for a moderate or heavy band. Don’t think bands pack enough power for your strength training routine? Think again. Some bands can pack more than 300 pounds of resistance!

7 Resistance Band Exercises to Add to Your Walk

Double up on your walk by getting both cardio and strength-training benefits. Incorporate these seven moves into your usual walking routine.

Band Pull Aparts

The benefits:Pulling exercises are particularly good at recruiting multiple muscle groups — which also burns more calories, says Dobrosielski.
Targets: Shoulders
Directions:
1. Hold a resistance band with both hands at shoulder width and shoulder height, with your palms facing the floor.
2. Keeping your arms straight but not locked, pull the band in a lateral motion, out past your sides. The band should come toward your chest as you pull.
3. Pause, then return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Banded Rows

The benefits: Some people overlook the muscles that they can’t see in the mirror. By targeting your back muscles, you’ll build better posture and ward off future injuries.
Targets: Back
Directions:
1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you, and loop the resistance band around your feet. Then, hold the band in each hand with a hammer curl or neutral grip, (thumbs pointed at the ceiling). That’s the starting position.
2. Keeping your back straight, slowly pull the band toward your core, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pause, then slowly extend your arms toward your feet, returning to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Lateral Band Walks

The benefits: About 80 percent of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Health. But exercising your glute muscles can go a long way toward building a stronger, healthier lower back, says Dobrosielski.
Targets: Glutes
Directions:
1. Loop a band around your ankles. Start with your knees slightly bent and your feet positioned shoulder-width apart.
2. Next, keeping your shins vertical and right over your ankles, take a lateral step with your right foot, followed by a smaller step to the right with your left foot. That’s one rep.

Banded Biceps Curls

The benefits: Bicep curls are a classic exercise for a reason — but you don’t need dumbbells (or a barbell) to build stronger arms.
Targets:  Biceps
Directions:
1. Hold the resistance band in both hands, keeping your arms at your sides and your palms facing forward. Then, step on the center of the resistance band with one foot (or two feet, for more resistance). That’s the starting position.
2. Bend at the elbows and curl the band up toward your shoulders. Pause, then lower your arms to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Banded Push-Ups

The benefits: The plank is often touted as the ultimate ab exercise — so consider the push-up a core and chest workout.
Targets: Chest
Directions:
1. Loop a resistance band around your back and position the ends around your thumbs.
2. Lower yourself to the ground and place your palms and toes on the floor. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body toward the floor until your chest nearly touches the ground. Hold for one second, then return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Banded Hip Thrusts

The benefits: Hip thrusts target your hips, glutes, and hamstrings, while also strengthening the hip bones — which are increasingly prone to fractures as we age[2].
Targets: Glutes and hamstrings
Directions:
1. Loop a resistance band around your thighs and place it at your hip crease, then lie face-up on the floor, keeping your knees bent and your arms extended out to the sides.
2. Using your arms to anchor the band to the floor, press through your heels and lift your hip toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your chest. Remember to squeeze your glute muscles as you raise your hips. Pause, then lower to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Banded Squats

The benefits: Compound movements like squats work more muscle and burn more calories than isolation exercises.
Targets: Quads
Directions:
1. Loop a band around your thighs, just above your knees. Keep your feet positioned shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your hands straight out in front of you.
2. Shift your weight back onto your heels and sink down until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
3. Pause, then return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Looking for a more challenging variation? Try this version of banded squats:

Directions:
1. Stand on one end of a large looped band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grabbing the band with both hands, squat down and loop the other end of the around your neck and return to standing while continuing to hold onto the band with both hands.
2. Keeping your spine neutral and core tight, shift your hips back while keeping your weight in your heels as you lower down into a squat. Try and lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
3. Pause at the bottom, then forcefully press down through your heels to return to standing. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement as you press your hips forward. That’s one rep.

Stick with something long enough and your goal really does become your warm-up.

When I first started training handstands back in 2014, my dream was to hold a five-second handstand in the middle of the room. I didn’t even *know* about other handstand goals at the time. I just knew I wouldn’t let myself give up until I met that five-second goal.

At the time, I had enough strength to hold a handstand against the wall for about a minute but had no idea how to progress past wall holds. I was scared out of my mind, but took a risk and signed up for an adult gymnastics class. There, I flailed my way through basic tumbling and handstands but still didn’t make as much progress toward that initial goal as I wanted.

So I found a hand-balancing coach to get me on the right track. I worked diligently day after day on the drills and exercises he gave me. I trained nearly every day for months before I started to see any progress. I tried to speed up the process, looking for hacks and shortcuts, but none of that made much of a difference.

It was only when I learned to trust the process, to stop rushing, to quiet my ego, and let the learning take place in its own time that I was finally able to make any progress.

I’m not a fast learner, but when I learn things, I learn them deeply. It took me over six months of diligent training to get that initial five-second goal. Of course, once I met that, I wasn’t willing to stop there. I had caught the bug — of handstands, but also of mastery.

Handstands were really my first lesson in grit, in sticking with something I initially showed no promise for long enough to see any progress.

But in the end, despite the tears and constant frustrations, despite it feeling pointless at times, I stuck with it and didn’t give up. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, proud of how hard I’ve worked. I’m proud of the grit I’ve developed along the way.

And now, years later, it really is my warm-up.

What can you do today that you used to think was impossible? Share with me in the comments.

 

Think you need to sweat for an hour for it to count? That’s the old way of thinking. These days, more and more people are doing tougher, quicker workouts—and seeing similar benefits. Studies have shown that 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can result in the same amount of weight loss as 60 minutes of moderate exercise. And it just so happens they’re also a lot easier to fit into your busy life.

“The number one reason why people don’t exercise is a lack of time,” says Jason Karp, PhD, running coach and author of 14-Minute Metabolic Workouts: The Fastest, Most Effective Way to Lose Weight and Get Fit (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017). “Is 14 minutes all you need? It is, if you do it right. But it does mean you’re going to have to push yourself.”

Below are three workouts designed by Dr. Karp to improve your cardiovascular and muscular strength. In addition to the 14 minutes it takes to complete the workout, Dr. Karp recommends a 10-minute warm-up to get your muscles ready (a slow jog will do), plus five minutes to cool down. That’s less than half an hour to get fit, fast. Ready, set, go!

Workout #1: Aerobic Tempo 3×4

Choose your favorite type of cardio exercise (running, cycling, rowing, swimming) and alternate hard efforts with easy ones. The hard efforts should feel like a 7 or 8 on a rate of perceived exertion scale (RPE) of 1 to 10, and you should reach about 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during the interval.

Duration	RPE	Intensity
Rep #1	4:00	7-8	80–85% max HR
Recovery	1:00	2-3
Rep #2	4:00	7-8	80–85% max HR
Recovery	1:00	2-3
Rep #3	4:00	7-8	80–85% max HR
Total time	14:00

Workout #2: Treadmill Hill Pyramid

For this treadmill workout, you’ll need two speeds: one for each rep and one for each recovery period. The only variable that will change is the incline (grade). It will go from a low of 2% to a high of 8% during the reps, and back down to 0% during the recovery stages. During the recovery intervals, you should still be moving at a slow jog.

Duration	Grade	RPE	Intensity
Rep #1	1:00	2%	8	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #2	1:00	4%	8	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #3	1:00	6%	8.5	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #4	1:00	8%	9	>90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #5	1:00	6%	8.5	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #6	1:00	4%	8	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Rep #7	1:00	2%	8	85-90% max HR
Recovery	1:00	0%	2-3
Total time	14:00

Workout #3: Sprint/Body Weight Circuit

Alternate 30 seconds of sprinting (which can be done outdoors as a run or indoors as fast cycling on a stationary bicycle) with strength training moves. Move quickly from one exercise to the next. Try to complete two circuits, with a two-minute rest between them. (The exercises that are not self-explanatory are described below the workout.)

Exercise	Duration/reps
Sprint	:30
Squat jumps	10-15
Push-ups	10-15
Pike crunches*	10-15
Sprint	:30
Squat side steps	10-15 each side
Superman**	10-15
V-sit***	10-15
Sprint	:30
Mountain climbers	10-15 each leg
Triceps dips	10-15
Russian twists****	10-15

* Pike Crunches: Lie on your back on the ground with your arms outstretched above your head and legs straight. In one smooth motion, crunch up and lift your torso off the ground while lifting both legs. Your arms and legs will meet in the middle in a pike position. Slowly lower your torso and legs back down to the starting position and repeat for the prescribed number of reps.

** Superman: Lie facedown on the ground, legs together and straight, and arms straight and extended above your head. Simultaneously raise your arms, chest, and legs off the floor and hold for two seconds. Slowly lower your arms, chest, and legs back down to the starting position and repeat for the prescribed number of reps.

***V-Sit: Sit on the ground with your legs raised up, knees bent. Lean back while simultaneously straightening and lowering legs to create a V shape (your hips should be the point of the V as you balance on your buttocks). Repeat for the prescribed number of reps.

****Russian Twists: Sit on the ground with your legs bent and feet anchored under an immovable object. Lean your torso back so that it creates a V shape with your thighs. Hold your arms extended in front of you with your hands clasped. Twist your torso as far as you can to your right side. Hold this position for a brief moment and then twist your torso to your left side. Continue to twist back and forth for the prescribed number of reps.

Well, 2020 was certainly not the year I expected. What a year…

I want to end the year with ten of my favorite articles we posted on the site this year. If you missed any of these the first time, take the time now to check them out. Or, if you read them the first time, but it’s been a while, take this as a chance to revisit.

I hope these help you learn something new, get you geared up for 2021 and inspire and motivate along the way.

Favorite Articles from 2020

1. Plateaus are Part of the Process
2. 5 Ways Fitness is a Training Ground for Life
3. Is There a Secret to Getting Fit?
4. How Small Wins Can Help You Achieve Big Goals
5. Changing Your Identity Around Fitness
6. How to Increase the Challenge of Your Home Workouts
7. Learn to Hack Motivation By Reframing Your Idea of What Exercise Is
8. How to Develop a Growth Mindset Around Fitness and Exercise
9. I Wrote a Book: Here’s How
10. Get Grittier: Why Improving Grit is Essential for Lifelong Fitness

In case you missed it, I’m also very proud to have released my first book this year: The 12-Minute Athlete: Get Fitter, Stronger, and Faster Using HIIT and Your Bodyweight

Favorite Workouts from 2020

We post a lot of workouts on the site each year, so it’s hard to pick favorites… but here are five I particularly loved!

1. Equipment-Free Full Body HIIT Workout
2. Hotel Room AMRAP Workout
3. Bodyweight Track HIIT Workout
4. Sprinter Bodyweight Challenge Workout
5. Full Body Kettlebell Challenge Workout

Remember, you can get all of these workouts right in the 12MA app when you subscribe to the iOS or Android version of the app. At $9.99 a month, it’s much cheaper than a gym membership or hiring a personal trainer, and you’ll be supporting future app features in the process.

(If you’re already a subscriber — thank you! Your support helps keep this community going.)

You can also view all previously posted workouts on the workouts page of the site.

Happy Holidays, and thanks for being part of this community. Wishing you a safe and hope-filled New Year.

– Krista Stryker

When it comes to lower-body training, targeting your hamstrings is key. The hamstring is a two-muscle joint, starting at the bottom of the hip bone, crossing the knee, and attaching at the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. From helping you explode on the starting line to aiding you in declaration when you need to come to a quick stop, the muscles in the back of your legs are essential to optimal performance. They’re key to daily activity, too. “Hamstrings are important for any activity that involves sitting, standing, walking, and running (both for knee flexion and hip extension),” says Adrian Richardson, Fitbit Coach and certified personal trainer. Weak hamstrings also put you at risk for injury and can even increase pain or tightness in the lower back and throw off posture and pelvic alignment.

When it comes to experiencing those potential negative repercussions of weak hamstrings, women are the ones largely at risk. “Women are two to ten times more likely to have a knee ligament injury than men,” Richardson says. “Women generally have an increased risk of weak hamstrings from a lack of training and wearing heeled shoes that put them on their toes, forcing their quads to do most of the work.” The solution, Richardson says, is to train hamstrings and build posterior strength to overcome muscle imbalances. Fear that focusing on hamstrings will leave you bulky? Don’t be.

“Women tend to have a higher concentration of ‘slow twitch’ or type 1 msuscles fibers,” Richardson says. “These slow twitch fibers make women more resistant to muscle fatigue, meaning it takes longer to reach failure. Combine this with estrogen’s anabolic, regenerative, and antioxidant properties, and a woman’s ability to build lean muscle mass and recover from weight training is generally superior to men.” Ladies, this means you won’t get bulky, so train hard and often.

Hamstring-Targeted Exercises

1. Stiff-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift

Directions:
1. Stand with feet hip-to-shoulder width apart, holding dumbbells at the front of the thighs, palms facing you.

2. With your legs mostly straight (maintaining a microbend in your knees), hinge forward at the waist.

3. While keeping your back straight, lower the weights towards your feet until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Make sure to keep your arms straight and the weights close to your body (over your toes when lowering). Lower until you feel a mild stretch in your hamstrings.

3. Slowly bring the weights up by extending the hips until you’re standing upright.

2.  Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift

Directions:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding one or two dumbbells (your choice) in front of the thighs, palms facing you.

2. With your legs mostly straight (maintaining a microbend in your knees), hinge forward at the waist while lifting one foot off the ground.

3. Keep the lifted leg straight as you lower the weight down towards your standing foot. Lower until you feel a stretch in the standing leg.
4. Reverse the motion, and repeat for reps. Be sure not to bounce or swing the weights.  

3. Air Squat

Directions:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level. If you need a modifications, keep your arms out in front of you to help maintain an upright torso.

2. Lower your body towards the ground by shifting your hips backwards and bending your knees. Make sure to keep your head up and back straight. Go down as far as your strength and mobility allow, aiming to break parallel. Keep your weight balanced between your midfoot and heel.

3. Return to standing by pushing the earth away with your feet, straightening your knees, and extending your hips until you’re standing upright. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.

4. Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing

Directions:

Note: Before moving to single arm swings, you must be proficient at double arm swings.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider). Make sure your heels, toes, and the balls of your feet are planted and that your knees track over your toes. Your shoulder should feel stable or “packed.”

2. With the kettlebell in front of you (handle horizontal and perpendicular to the body), assume a squat position (hips back, knees bent, spine long, core engaged) while reaching forward for the kettlebell.

3. Begin the swing by pulling the kettlebell back towards you while simultaneously extending your hips to lift the bell. Your body should form a straight line at the top of the wing. Your hips and knees should be fully extended, your back (and spine) should be neutral, and your glutes should contract. The kettlebell should momentarily “float.”

4. At the top of the swing, the kettlebell should act as an extension of your arms. A slight elbow bend is acceptable.

5. Your free arm can either tap the handle, mimic the swinging arm, guard your face, be placed behind your back, or just hang at your side. It should not swing excessively, or rest on your thigh.

6. During the backswing, the kettlebell handle should pass above the knees Your knees shouldn’t move forward on the upswing and there should be no twisting in your shoulders. Keep your breathing rhythmic to help power the swing.

5. Hamstring Curl with Resistance Band

Directions:

1. Anchor a thin band around a sturdy post or another stationary object.

2. Lying face down, loop the band around your ankles.

3. Curl your legs up towards your butt, and squeeze your glutes at the top of the curl. Slowly release, and repeat.

6. Partner Hamstring Curls

Directions:
1. Place a mat or foam pad beneath your knees, and have your partner hold your ankles to keep you stable. Place your hands across your chest or hold them up near your shoulders.

2. Slowly lower yourself towards the mat while contracting your hamstrings. Stay as tall as you can and keep your back straight.

3. When you start to lose the ability to resist gravity further, extend your arms so you don’t hit your face. Return to the starting position.