Image by Stuck in Customs via Flickr
How to do a 4 Minute Morning
Week #1
Do this at a low to moderate effort. It is first thing in the morning after all. After a week or so, you will notice improvements and with that your level of intensity will increase, naturally.
Follow this progression. Besides building on your physical strength, we are also building on your mental strength. You will start with a little each day and add a little more the following day. Don’t skip ahead. We are doing these exercises in bare feet, but, of course wear running shoes if you have a pre-existing condition which requires you to do so during exercise.
Below is what Week #1 looks like. Keep a log of what you’ve done.
Day 1 (approx. 1 Minute)
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- Rest 10 seconds
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- Rest 10 seconds
Note: you should be able to do 50 Marches in 20 seconds. Each knee up counts as one repetition.
Day 2 (approx. 2 Minutes)
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- Rest 10 seconds
Note: 50 Marching on the Spot + 10 second Rest = one circuit.
3. Repeat this Circuit 4 times, to equal 4 rounds.
Day 3 (~1 Minute)
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- 10 Bend Down & Reach Ups
Begin standing with legs and feet together. Bend down at the knees and hips (feet stay flat on the ground –like squatting on a very low stool, chest lifted. Touch the ground with your fingertips (or just as close to the floor as possible), then straighten up to standing. Reach arms up to ceiling. Repeat.
Day 4 (~2 Minutes)
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- 10 Bend Down & Reach Ups
- Repeat circuit twice, to equal two rounds.
Day 5 (~4 Minutes)
- 50 Marching On the Spot (knees up high).
- 10 Bend Down & Reach Ups
- Repeat circuit four times, to equal 4 rounds.
Days 6 & 7 (~4 Minutes each) = Same as Day 5
Depending on your speed/pace, this circuit (repeated 4 times) should take about 4 minutes.
You can set a stopwatch to see how long it takes.
IMPORTANT!
Go easy on yourself. This is not a race. By doing these exercises you are being kind to yourself. Many people have the belief that a workout has to be a punishment or must hurt. It doesn’t. There is a difference between working hard in a good way and working hard in a bad way causing injury. I have a safe progression for you to follow which will establish a solid foundation. Just do not skip ahead. You have to put in the time in order to prepare your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Within three to six months you won’t believe what you will have accomplished. A big part of this is the self-discipline needed to actually do these 4 minutes of exercises every day.
Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? In fact, you probably think it looks too simple to be effective at all. Try it for one week, every morning. Let me know how it goes.
Demonstration video, coming soon.
For Week #2 click http://youasamachine.com/about-4-minute-mornings/week-2/