I’ll be the first to admit that at the end of a long day, the temptation of the couch is so tempting that I lose focus on my home workout. But there are days when I can’t make it to the gym completely, so if I want to do some exercise, I have to do it in my living room.
On those days, I scour YouTube for high-intensity cardio routines and strength-training circuits that you can do with adjustable dumbbells. In a recent search, I found a no-repetition, no-equipment workout by fitness trainer His Growingannanas.
I usually subscribe to the idea that if something is worth doing once, it’s worth doing three sets, but lately I’ve been looking for ways to spice up my regimen. I thought now was the perfect time to give this popular no-rep workout trend a try.
As I found out while doing this session, it’s perfect for people with intermediate or advanced fitness levels. If you’re just starting to exercise regularly, you might be better off with this beginner’s bodyweight workout instead.
What is Growingannana’s 30 Minute No Repeat Workout?
As the workout name suggests, you exercise for 30 minutes with a short cooldown at the end. There’s no warm-up, so before you get your muscles moving and your blood pumping, it’s worth trying out this five-move warm-up.
It’s structured as a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routine, which involves short bursts of intense exercise with minimal rest. The workouts are divided into three rounds, and the exercise time is reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds, by the third round he is 20 seconds, and between movements he has 10 seconds of rest. Masu.
Do a lot of classic bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks, and add some variations to keep things interesting. No equipment is required, but a good yoga mat will make your session a little more comfortable.
I tried this 30 minute no-rep workout – here’s my verdict
Knowing that I only needed to do one set of burpees was enough to pique my interest, so I decided to set aside 30 minutes and give it a try. Here’s what I thought after trying the Growingannanas routine.
1. This is not a training for beginners.
I sometimes come across training that is completely different from the so-called “beginner” training. That’s why I was so happy to see her Growingannanas transparency about the difficulty of this routine.
She clearly states in both the video title and description that it’s for intermediate or advanced levels, and adds a disclaimer to take additional breaks between exercises if needed. This is helpful because it is very easy to accidentally overtrain while training. timer.
Moreover, her assessment is accurate. I have been exercising consistently for the better part of my 20 years, and I felt this workout structure and exercise program was well suited to my abilities. Nothing was impossible or too introductory.
No changes, which isn’t surprising considering the difficulty level. Still, if you have knee or lower back pain, you may want to consider some low-impact alternatives to burpees and star jumps to take some of the stress off your joints.
2. Many variations of plank
If you’re tired of repeating the same movements over and over again, a non-repetitive routine is ideal. However, keep in mind that there are only so many exercises you can actually perform in 30 minutes without equipment.
For non-rep workouts, you’ll almost certainly reuse a basic exercise like a lunge in several different forms. This was true for this training, especially the plank training.
I love planks as much as the next personal trainer for working out the whole body and building core strength, but this session focuses quite a bit on plank variations, and you’ll instantly feel better both mentally and physically. I’m also tired.
Unless your form is solid and your endurance level is high, repeating an exercise too many times will completely fatigue the right muscles and the wrong muscles will start to compensate, ultimately leading to injury. There is a possibility. So if you feel like your form is off, you need to take a break.
3. I was really excited.
According to Apple Watch, a 30-minute cardio session typically burns about 250 calories. While counting calories isn’t the best way to lose weight, the number on your watch is at least a useful indicator of relative workout intensity.
By the end of this routine, I had burned 321 calories. This is quite a large number from what I’m used to seeing, and while the training was difficult, it didn’t feel much more difficult than what I normally do.
Of course, your exercise routine shouldn’t just focus on calories. Improving your fitness, building muscle, and feeling better are all worthy goals, too. But if you’re short on time and need a punchy routine, now you know where to go.