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There are mountains of research showing the benefits of strength training, like improving muscle mass, preventing bone loss, and boosting self-confidence. But if your love lies with another sport and you don’t have that much time for reps each week, a short, bodyweight strength training workout may be just the thing you need for a more well-rounded exercise routine.
On this week’s episode of Good Moves, Kat Atienza, co-owner of Sessions, leads you through a lightning-fast strength training class you can tack onto a run, bike ride, yoga flow, or climbing session to reap those aforementioned benefits. (It’s also great if your schedule is jam-packed and you just want a little workout snack.)
After a short and sweet warm-up, you’ll get right into a few rounds of muscle-strengthening movements. “We have two sets of work with three exercises in each one. Our work time is going to be 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds to rest, and you’re just going over everything two times,” says Atienza at the top of this workout.
In order to put your whole body through its paces, you can expect moves that work your legs (like lunges and good mornings), core (like push-ups), and arms (like side planks). And don’t worry about building in extra time for a cooldown: Atienza has you covered with a little stretch session as soon as your last rep is done and dusted.
So if you’re ready to get moving, go ahead and slip on your sneakers and grab a mat. Follow along to the full video here, and—as Atienza notes at the end—you can take your favorite movements and slot them into your other workouts to continue strengthening your muscles and bones with every sweat session.