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Introduction

Have you put on some pounds over the Winter and need to get that off and fast? If so, check out my 7 best proven exercises to get in shape fast. The most precious resource any of us are given is time. If you agree with my premise, then the quest becomes how to make the best use of that time. That’s what this list will focus on.

What I’ve tried to focus on here are exercises that you can preform at home, with minimal to no equipment necessary. I am honing in on the one thing of all of us were given at birth, which is the perfect piece of equipment…that’s your body!

There are two on my list, that in the strictest sense, would require additional equipment. Look, I know we are in the midst of a recession, I get it. If your funds are limited or you don’t want to pick up the additional items, that’s not a problem.

But don’t worry; I’ll provide substitutions that you can use if you still want to perform a substitute version of the exercise that will still get you some amazing benefits. Of course skipping those exercises altogether is another option as well, but I think the benefits of plugging in the substitute far outweigh not performing the exercise.

Top 7 Exercises For Getting Into Shape Fast

With that out of the way, let’s get on the the list of my top 7 exercises to get you back into shape as fast as humanly possible!

Push Ups

Is there any doubt this would be number one on my list? LOL! I mean of the 7 best exercises you could do to get in shape fast, you would be hard pressed to find a single exercise that packs so much body altering potential as this old reliable. The push up has been around forever and with good reason. It has the potential to build so much and get you jaw-dropping results. From a strong back and chest, to shoulders and deltoids and when performed correct, even your core.

If it’s been a while and you don’t have the strength to do a full push up, you can use a wall to lean into to start if you are a beginner and anyone with a basic level of fitness could start on your knees, so no excuses for this one!

Squats

Since Push Ups are my best for the upper body, then squats are it for your lower half. Building powerful legs and calves, squats can use up nearly as much oxygen as a sprint! So this can be very useful for sports as published by the National Library of Medicine ¹. For example, If you play basketball, this will definitely help with your vertical as well.

And just like with the push up, if you haven’t been regularly participating in leg days there are alternate forms that more suited for a beginner as you work your way back. If you don’t have too much girth around the midsection, Shoulder Stand Squats can be a good place to start, but really, just using a good sturdy chair to squat into and get back out of will work to build your endurance. If you can do that comfortably for 25 reps, move on to using the back of a sturdy chair to support your weight. Once you can do 25 reps there, you should be ready to move onto half squats and then full squats!

Kettlebell Swings

Here’s the first exercise on my list that requires additional equipment. Kettlebells are very versatile – there is a whole range of exercises that can be preformed with bells. Besides being taxing on your cardiovascular system, this gem targets your hamstrings, glutes and too a milder degree, your quads and upper body when swinging it to chest level.

Even your local Walmart should have some in stock, so they are readily available to most now. There was a run on them when the pandemic hit, but that demand has subsided now with gyms opening back up.

But if you don’t have one or the inclination to purchase, there are a couple options if you still want to get benefits from this great exercise. One would be a dumbbell. Now if you don’t have a dumbbell either, the other would be to use an old gallon milk jug or something similar that will allow you to fill it with enough water weight to be challenging.

Burpee – Baker’s Dozen Style

This is an excellent burner that will really kick your butt. It’s almost like doing a push up and jump when performing the advanced version. This will have you winded at the end.

Because this one is so taxing, I would suggest maybe doing it 2-3x per week at most. This will test your dedication and will power because you will be sucking air.

The Baker’s Dozen variation is featured in a great book by Josh Bryant and Adam benShea titled Jailhouse Strong. With this variation, you want to do a total of 13 iterations. Perform 13 burpees, walk a couple feet ahead and then turn around and walk back, then perform 12 and so on. You repeat this sequence until you get down just 1 burpee and then your done.

Use a stopwatch to time yourself. Since all cell phones now have this option under the clock app, it’s a great way to record and keep track of the time it takes to complete. This gives you the added motivation to strive to beat your personal best. And believe me, it feels great a few weeks into this to see the time it takes to complete a Baker’s Dozen become shorter and shorter.

If you have never performed a burpee before, Wikipedia has a good description of the exercise and how to perform it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burpee_(exercise).

Sprints

You may have noticed that this is on the list, but not jogging or running a marathon. You might even be asking “Why?” For me it was always very clear. If you compare the physique of a long distance runner versus a sprinter, there are some pretty stark contrasts. Most marathon runners look emaciated and many have joint issues from the constant abuse. Sprinters by contrast are toned and muscular. Take Carl Lewis, Gail Devers and Usain Bolt for example. Their physiques are to be marveled.

Which has a better physique, in your opinion? I don’t know your thoughts, but I definitely find a sprinters physique to be more appealing. 🙂

If you have any type of knee or joint damage, obviously you are going to want to pass on this one as it is demanding. You also want to ease into this if you have more than 10 – 15 pounds you need to get rid of, as you could develop shin splints and that could derail your efforts. However, if you’re in relatively good shape, this is excellent cardiovascular and endurance. This one will melt the pounds off!

These can performed many different ways, but my favorite is to sprint at full intensity for 75 – 100 yards, which should take you roughly 20-30 seconds. Then take 1 – 2 minutes of recovery time while walking back. Repeat this for a total of 8 rounds. This is a progressive exercise, so you will up your intensity with each round before giving it your all on the final sprint.

Jump Rope

Boxers have long used the rope to develop footwork and make weight. This is the other exercise where you would need an additional piece of equipment. They range in price, from a few bucks at your Five and Below shops to a couple hundred dollars if you go the weighted options sold by Crossrope.

But even if you don’t have or want to buy a rope, fret not. You can still make movements with your arms to simulate the range of motion used for jumping rope. Obviously you will miss out on the checks and balances of your footwork without that feedback of using rope. But honestly, if its been a while since you jumped rope or if you don’t have the best agility, this is a great starting point to get your footwork down first. Jumping Jacks will also work fine here as well as a substitute.

Walking

Don’t discredit the power of a good walk. Not only is it a good mental release, especially if walking with a friend or loved one, but it’s a fine starting point if you’ve been out of the game for a while. You can make it more challenging by going at a brisker pace too.

300 minutes of moderate-intensity is the generally agreed upon amount of exercise you need a week to stay healthy. So if walking is going to be your one and only exercise, that would require roughly 45 minutes a day or 60 minutes per day if you want to take two days off a week.

And remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. You could break it up however you would like, depending on your schedule. But this one can and should be done by people of all fitness levels since pace can be adjusted to fit your current level of fitness.

Conclusion

There you have it…my 7 best proven exercises to get into shape fast, in the shortest amount of time as possible. These exercises are amongst my favorite because most don’t involve any other equipment other than your body and the one’s that do require additional equipment, can be substituted with and effective alternate.

While these exercises will tax your cardiovascular system and shed fat, remember it isn’t a silver bullet. The old saying “You can’t outwork a bad diet” is true. If you eat more calories than you burn in a day and pile up empty calories from sugars like soda, cakes and pastries, then you will not reap the full benefits from the exercise. But if you are willing to put a little more emphasis on what you eat regularly then the above exercises, when paired with good nutrition will get you in shape fast!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15155427