1 Big Weight Training Mistake That You Might be Making

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

This is one of the biggest weight training mistakes I've seen over and over again with so many people over the years... it may seem obvious to some advanced trainees, but for most beginner or intermediate people, I've noticed that they make this mistake in the gym MOST of the time...
And that has to do with sets and reps, and the intensity that they are performed.

Let me explain...
What I've noticed is one of the main reasons for lack of progress in the gym is that most people are not performing their reps and sets to challenge their body enough. I'm not referring to rest period between sets either (although that is definitely part of the equation).
For example, many people see a routine in my program or one of my colleagues programs (or even a magazine)... let's say the routine calls for 4 sets of 6 reps of a given exercise... and they just choose a random weight (or a weight that they "think" they are comfortable with) and do 4 sets of 6 reps.

But THAT'S where the major mistake comes in, because they didn't even train remotely close to muscular failure.  In reality, they could have completed 4 sets of 12 reps or more with the weight they chose to do for 4 sets of 6 reps... and then they wonder why they're not seeing results!

The answer is simple... they're not seeing results because they didn't challenge the body enough and therefore, the body has no reason to need to improve.
The right way to do it is this...  If the routine calls for 4 sets of 6 reps, then you should barely be able to complete the sixth rep. Form should still stay good, but it should be a challenge to complete that 6th rep, and a 7th rep would be pretty much out of the question to complete in good form.

Now THAT'S how you train to challenge your body and force it to adapt to the stressor. And that means you get results and your body CHANGES for the better over time.
Now it's a little more complicated than that, because there are dozens of other factors that come into play that determine whether you will effectively make progressions in the gym, based on sets, reps, intensity level, rest and recovery, nutrition, etc.
And once you get into advanced training, you will literally be exhausted... with your chest heaving for breaths if you hit the rep range on some exercises with the right weight and intensity from just 1 SET.

For example, if I'm using a heavy enough weight, even as little as 4 reps of heavy deadlifts can leave my entire body exhausted and I'll be gasping for air for 30-40 seconds after that set (and I'm in pretty damn good shape too)... and that was just from 4 REPS!
But that is a great example of how hard I challenged my body to do those 4 reps and stay in good form... because I chose a weight that was extremely hard for me to complete 4 reps.
Sounds crazy, because most people only think of "cardio" as something that can make you gasp for air and have your heart beating out of your chest... but training with weights at a high enough intensity and challenging weight using the right exercises is actually creating MORE of a reason for your body to respond and change.

Give me a marathoner and have them do a super high intensity set of clean & presses, or heavy 1-arm snatches (or even 20-rep barbell squats) and that marathoner will be on the floor gasping for air if they worked hard enough on the weight training sets.
If you think this is one of the mistakes you've been making in the gym, jack up that intensity and use heavier weights that actually CHALLENGE YOUR BODY, and you just may start to see some more dramatic results with your body!

Check out these weird tips to lose your stomach fat

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Barbell, Kettlebell, and Dumbbell "Complexes" to Take Your Body to a New Level of Hardness and Conditioning

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer Author of best-selling program - The Truth about Six Pack Abs


If you've been looking for a different training technique to break out of a rut, eliminate the boredom, and bring on new results, workout "complexes" may be just what you've been looking for.
What are workout "complexes"?
If you've never heard of "complexes" before, the basic concept is that instead of repeating the same exercise for multiple reps to complete a "set", you sequence one rep of several different exercises right after one another and repeat the sequence several times to complete a "set". It's basically like performing a routine, instead of just mindlessly performing a typical "set".
This type of training is excellent to work a huge amount of your body's musculature in a short amount of time, and definitely takes your workouts to a whole new level of intensity. The conditioning aspect of this type of training is amazing, as you'll find yourself huffing and puffing after repeating a sequence a mere two or three times.
If I had to venture a guess, I'd have to say that this type of training probably elicits a good growth hormone response as well, due to the large amount of full body work completed in a given time period. 
I like to incorporate about 5 exercises into my complexes. Any more than that and you might start to forget what's next in the sequence.  I'm going to show you example routines to use for "complexes" below for barbells, dumbbells, and even kettlebells too.  I'm willing to bet this is a totally different style than you've ever trained before.
Here's an example of a killer barbell complex that really gets me fired up:
Example Barbell "Complex" Sequence

1. 1 rep:  barbell clean and press from floor (explosive lift of barbell from floor to "catch" on front shoulders in one motion, then push-press overhead);
2. 1 rep:  barbell back to thighs, then hang clean (explosively pull bar from knees and "catch" the bar at shoulders);
3. 1 rep:  keep barbell at shoulders, then front squat;
4. 1 rep:  barbell back to thighs, bend over, then bent over row;
5. 1 rep:  barbell back to thighs, then finish with Romanian deadlift
6. repeat each rep of the sequence 2-3 times

Use a weight that you can still handle for your weakest lift of the bunch, but keep it heavy enough to challenge you. Try to repeat the sequence 2-3 times without resting... That's 1 set. You could progress over time on this routine by increasing the amount of times you repeat the sequence in each set, or by adding sets on subsequent workouts before eventually increasing the weight.
For example, say you completed the above complex with 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 3 sets in today's workout. Next time you perform the workout, try to do 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 4 sets. Once you successfully complete 5 sets with 155, increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs next time, and drop back to 3 sets. This is a great way to make improvements over time, while cycling your training volume.
Now I'm going to show you a great kettlebell complex that really kicks my butt.  If you don't have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell, but I'd highly recommend picking yourself up a kettlebell... they're very convenient to have around the house when you want to bang out a quick intense workout at home without going to the gym.
I've been training with kettlebells for about 5 years now, and can definitely say that they've dramatically improved my strength and overall physical capabilities. If you're not familiar with kettlebells, they are an old eastern European training secret that has just started to take the US by storm over the last few years. Many elite athletes are using kettlebells as their preferred training tool for serious results. 
I'd recommend just starting off with one kettlebell and learn all of the single kettlebell drills first, before delving into the double-bell drills. Just one kettlebell coupled with some bodyweight exercises can literally be enough to comprise your own home gym, without any other equipment necessary. Or a kettlebell can just be a great alternative workout to incorporate into your routines once or twice a week. Either way, it opens up a whole new world of training for you.
Example Kettlebell Complex

1. one arm swing
2. one arm snatch, keep the bell over head;
3. one arm overhead squat;
4. bell back down to bottom, then one arm high pull;
5. bell back down to bottom, then one arm clean & press
6. repeat sequence with opposite arm

As with the barbell complex, repeat the sequence (without rest) 2-3 times with each arm. That's one set...and one hell of a killer set at that!  Try increasing from 3 to 4 to 5 sets on subsequent workouts with a given weight before increasing your sequence reps. If you're not drenched in sweat with your heart beating out of your chest after that complex, you either went too light, or you are a mutant freak!
Since dumbbells are more accessible to most people than kettlebells, now I'll show you how to put together a good dumbbell complex.  This dumbbell complex is a better option for beginners or intermediate exercisers.  The barbell and kettlebell complexes I showed above are for advanced trainees.
Example Dumbbell Complex

1. dumbbell squat and push-press
2. front lunge with one leg, then the other
3. back lunge with one leg, then the other
4. curl to overhead press
5. keep dumbbells at shoulders and squat
6. repeat sequence 2-3 times

Again, the same type of sequencing and progressions explained with the barbell complexes work great with the dumbbell complexes. I think an amazing workout strategy is to alternate barbell complexes on one day with kettlebell or dumbbell complexes on alternative training days.

For example, you could do barbell complexes Monday, kettlebell or dumbbell complexes Wednesday, and back to barbell complexes on Friday. Maybe hit some sprints and bodyweight drills on Saturday; then Monday would be K-bell or D-bell complexes again, Wednesday would be barbells again, and so on. Give this program a try for a month (if you dare), and you will be one hardened individual!  Make sure to shift to a different training style after 4-5 weeks as your body starts to plateau on this specific training routine.

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Body Part Isolation vs. Complex Movements in Strength Training

What you need to know about Weight Training for a strong lean body that both looks good and is injury resistant
by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Working as a personal trainer & fitness professional, there is one type of question I get all the time that shows that many people are missing the big picture regarding the benefits of strength training. This popular question usually goes something like this:
“What exercise can I do to isolate my _______ (insert your muscle of choice – abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc)?”
It doesn’t matter which muscle someone is asking about, they always seem to be asking how to ‘isolate’ it. My first response to this question is always – “Why in the world would you want to isolate it?”
The first thing I try to teach my clients is that the body does not work well in muscle isolation. Rather, it works better in movements along a kinetic chain; that is, large portions of the body assist other portions of the body in completing a complex movement. In fact, there really is no such thing as true muscle isolation. There is almost always a nearby muscle group that will assist in some way with whatever movement you are doing. However, this article compares attempting to ‘isolate’ body parts via single-joint exercises to the much more effective strategy of performing multi-joint complex movements.
When you attempt to ‘isolate’ muscles by performing single-joint exercises, you are actually creating a body that is non-functional and will be more prone to injury. Essentially, you are creating a body that is a compilation of body parts, instead of a powerful, functional unit that works together.
Now if you really want to end up hobbling around in a body bandaged up with joint problems, tendonitis, and excess body fat, then by all means, continue trying to ‘isolate’ body parts. On the other hand, if you would rather have a lean, muscular, injury-free, functional body that works as a complete powerful unit to perform complex movements (in athletics or even everyday tasks), then you need to shift your focus away from muscle isolation.
Believe me, focusing on how well your body functions will give you the side effect of a body that looks even better than it would have if you focused on muscle isolation. For example, take a look at the physiques of any NFL running backs, wide receivers, or even world class sprinters. Trust me when I say that these guys pretty much NEVER train for muscle isolation (their strength coaches wouldn’t be crazy enough to let them), yet they are absolutely ripped to shreds! Just look at guys like Maurice Green or Terrell Owens and tell me who wouldn’t want a physique like those guys.
Another benefit to moving away from the ‘muscle isolation’ mindset in weight training to a more ‘complex movement’ mindset is that you will find it much easier to lose body fat. The reason is that by focusing more on multi-joint complex movements as opposed to single-joint muscle isolation lifts, you not only burn a lot more calories during each workout, but you also increase your metabolic rate, and stimulate production of more fat burning and muscle building hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone.
Let’s look at an example. The machine leg extension is a single joint exercise that works mainly the quadriceps, can potentially cause knee joint instability in the long run, and doesn’t even burn that many calories. On the other hand, exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, and deadlifts are all multi-joint complex movements that work hundreds of muscles in the body (including the quadriceps) as a functional unit, create more stable and strong joints in the long run (when done properly), and also burn massive quantities of calories compared to the single-joint exercises. 
Now although I do feel that multi-joint exercises should comprise the majority of your weight training workouts, I also think that there can be some benefits with just minor inclusions of single-joint exercises for variety, etc.  I choose to build my training programs with about 90-95% multi-joint exercises and about 5-10% single-joint exercises at most.

If you’re interested in discovering more ways to create a body that looks as good as it functions, pick up a copy of my innovative book The Truth About Six Pack Abs

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Do Men and Women Really Need to Work Out Differently? Should Men Do Different Exercises than Women?

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author:  The Truth about Six-Pack Abs

This is one of my biggest pet peeves in the fitness industry... So many men and women "think" they need to work out drastically different from one another.
For example, many women think they need to do 20 or 30 reps per set of every exercise with little pink 3 or 5 lb barbie weights, because if they actually lift heavier weights, they falsely believe they will "bulk up".
Also, many men think they need to do 1-rep maxes to build muscle... this is simply not true... overall training volume and a caloric surplus builds more muscle than does 1-rep maxes... although I'm not saying there isn't a time and place for 1-rep maxes.
One of my biggest frustrations over the years when I was training lots of females and I would show them the workout I wanted to take them through... they would say something like...
"I don't want to do those exercises. That looks like a man's workout!"
And they would go back to their little pink 5 lb dumbbells and endless cardio routines and keep getting NO RESULTS at all for months or years.
However, the females I trained that were open-minded enough to trust me that if they used heavier weights they would not "bulk up" (as long as their caloric intake was in the correct range), always got tremendous results.
As a matter of fact, some of the leanest females I've trained over the years were the ones that actually trained with the heaviest weights. I had a few female athletes that could deadlift 175 lbs and they were VERY lean, and NOT overly-muscular. In fact, they had very feminine, but lean bodies.
They lifted HEAVY weights in relation to their size and they NEVER bulked up.
Another example is that almost every female I ever trained thought they couldn't use more than 5 or 8 lb dumbbells for an overhead dumbbell press or a dumbbell chest press.  However, when they were open-minded enough to actually try to train their body under more resistance (and thereby create a REAL stimulis for change), most women were almost always able to press 20 or 30 lb dumbbells instead of the 5's or 8's they were previously using.
So my rant in this article is for us all to please stop with the insanity of thinking that we all need to train so radically different whether we're a man or a woman, but rather realize that we are all HUMAN BEINGS.
I don't care if you're a man or a woman... the laws of exercise physiology will always show that the best exercises are the best exercises despite gender.... variations of squats, lunges, deadlifts, step-ups, presses, and rows are always some of the best exercises for humans, regardless of gender.
And this applies whether your goal is fat loss or muscle building! 
Yes, even if your goal is just fat loss and not muscle building, you still need to train your body under progressively heavier resistance (relative to your current strength) to stimulate your body to actually need to change over time.
*Note - when I say "heavy training", I mean heavy resistance in relation to your individual strength levell For example, a heavy resistance in a particular exercise such as a deadlift or squat may be 300 lbs for one person, and only 70 lbs for another person.  All that matters is if the weight that you use is challenging for you to trigger your body to change and adapt to that stimulus. 
Now I will concede that I use slightly different styles of training whether the goal is fat loss or muscle building (notice I said different "styles", not necessarily different exercises), but the bigger factor is actually your caloric balance...
...Creating a caloric deficit for fat loss or creating a caloric surplus for muscle gain, while still training intensely for either goal.
So I say let's all stop training like men or training like women, and let's all start training like human beings in order to get RESULTS!
If you haven't already done so, you can gain access to my extremely effective training program for HUMANS at this page:
The Truth about Six Pack Abs Trial
And you will see why over 263,000 HUMANS, both men and women, have gotten tremendous results by following this program.

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3 Unusual Tips to Build Bigger Arms

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best seller:  The Truth About Six Pack Abs

1.  Do more heavy squats and deadlifts!
Yes, I know this sounds crazy since squats and deadlifts don't directly work your arms (except for the grip and forearm strength needed to deadlift heavy weights)... but it's true that regularly performing heavy squats and deadlifts can indirectly help to make your arms bigger and stronger.
The reason is that heavy squatting and/or deadlifting forces the body to release muscle building hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone depending on the resistance level, rep range, rest period, etc.
Generally, heavy weights, lower reps, and longer rest periods stimulate testosterone release, whereas moderate weights, higher rep ranges, and shorter rest periods help to stimulate Growth Hormone release.  Therefore, combining both styles of training into your routines on either different days of the week or different cycles, can help to maximize both of these important muscle building hormones.
2.  Try my arm-blasting, hormone-maximizing combo sets!
In theory, I think this style of combo I'm going to show you can work well to stimulate some new growth in your arms if you've been stuck at a plateau.  In practice, I've actually SEEN it produce results!
My technique involves combining a heavy squat or deadlift (in a very heavy weight and low rep range) with a single-joint exercise for the biceps or triceps (in a higher-rep "pump" style fashion).
So here are 2 ways this could work in separate workouts for example:
Alternating sets (exercise 1a, rest 30-60 seconds, exercise 1b, rest 30-60 seconds, repeat for all sets)
1a. Barbell back squats -- heavy challenging weight - 5 sets of 3-4 reps/set
1b. Barbell or dumbbell curls (or any bicep single-joint exercise) -- 5 sets of 12-15 reps/set; going for "pump"
So you can see how this unusual style of supersetting (or rather, alternating sets), actually combines a testosterone stimulating full body exercise done at a heavy weight with a single joint (isolation) exercise that has the intention of creating more of a bodybuilding "pump".
The other reason this style of alternating sets works is that the single-joint exercise is almost like an "active rest" while your entire body and CNS recovers from the demands of doing heavy, heavy squats.
The same style can work with deadlifts combined with a triceps exercise...  for example:
1a. Barbell deadlifts -- heavy challenging weight - 5 sets of 3-4 reps/set
1b. Triceps single-joint exercise (lying dumbbell extensions, cable pressdowns, etc) -- 5 sets of 12-15 reps/set; going for "pump"
Again, this seems like an unusual combo for alternating sets, but actually works out quite well, because after deadlifting very heavy weights, performing a high rep "pump" exercise for the triceps is a welcome relief for your body and your mind to help recover and get ready for the next set of heavy deads.
3.  Food, food, food!
Remember that the title of this article meant that your goal was to add more muscle SIZE to your arms, and in order to add muscle to your body, you need to be in a slight caloric surplus.
Ok... so the first 2 tips might have been a little unusual, but this one should be obvious.
Although it is possible for some people (especially beginners) to add muscle mass while reducing calories below their maintenance levels, it is extremely hard for any type of hardgainer to build any muscle at all if your calories aren't high enough.  Remember, we weren't talking about a fat loss routine here... we were talking about gaining muscle and getting bigger arms... so that is going to require some extra calories above your maintenance.
Don't go crazy and think this means eating tons of junk food... you should still stick to clean healthy foods.
I wouldn't obsess over exact ratios of carbs, protein, or fats either... your body needs all 3 for different reasons... protein as the building blocks of muscle; carbs for muscle glycogen, energy during the workouts, and insulin response post-workout; and healthy fats to help maximize your muscle building hormones.
This is more than just about arms and pecs though... if you're dedicated to building a ripped, strong, powerful body from head to toe, I HIGHLY recommend my good friend and colleague Kyle's new website here:

Hope you enjoyed the article and have fun with the training!
Feel free to email (or facebook it, tweet it, etc) this link to any of your friends that might want to build bigger arms or more muscle overall.

Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about Six Pack Abs

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The Ultimate Hard-Body Exercise

Get a rock-hard body from head to toe, and ripped abs with this exercise!by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
author of best-selling program - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

A Look at the "Front Squat" (a surprising exercise not only for legs, but also rock hard abs!)
As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with other greats like deadlifts and clean and presses) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss). 
This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man.  Squats and deadlifts use hundreds of muscles throughout your entire body to move the load and also to stabilize your body while doing the drill.
Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (increasing fat-burning & muscle building growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises. 
Another weird fact:  University research studies have even proven that inclusion of weighted squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining lean muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are a couple of the ultimate exercises to accomplish this. 
If you don’t believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment and getting zero results!
Squats can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights – NEVER with a Smith machine!  (This article shows why smith machine squats are a horrendous exercise for your body)
Side note:  My program, The Truth About Six Pack Abs contains the full story on why machines are so inferior and even potentially DANGEROUS compared to free weights.
The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back.  Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury. 
I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance.  Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. I'll cover overhead squats in a future newsletter issue.
If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage.
To perform front squats:
The front squat recruits the abdominals to a MUCH higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. If you're doing front squats right, you'll feel a hard contraction in your abs during these.
It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders.
In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an “X” position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support.  This technique is a bit tricky and you want to make sure to have the weight resting on muscle and not bone!
Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you.
Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury resistant knee joints.
Keep in mind – squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees. Practice first with an un-weighted bar or a relatively light weight to learn the movement.  Most people are surprised how hard this exercise works your abs once you learn the correct form.
You also need to use a good bit lighter weight on front squats compared to back squats.  For example, personally, I use about 250 lbs for 8 reps on the back squat, but on the front squat, I need to be around 175 lbs for 8 reps, so a good bit lighter.


START/FINISH

MIDPOINT
So there you have it... one the best exercises for both rock hard abs, and a rock hard body from head to toe!  I could list a LOT more, but wanted to focus on front squats today as they are one of the most under-utilized.

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Unique Lean-Body Workouts for Time-Crunched People: Super-Fast "Multi-Workouts" to do at Home or the Offi

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth About Six Pack Abs

Warning: this style of workout is WAY different than anything you've ever tried before
and may result in a dramatically leaner, stronger body so that your friends no longer
recognize you in a matter of weeks!

Alright, I exaggerated about your friends recognizing you, but this workout is still great
for busy people that always use the excuse that they don't have time to go to the gym, or
even for the normal gym rat to try out for a few weeks to break out of a plateau.

Please keep an open-mind and don't worry so much about what other people think,
because this is quite different and you may get some funny looks, but you'll get the last
laugh with your new rock hard body! To be honest, most people are too self conscious
to try something like this. If that's the case for you, then that's your loss.

Here's how it works (these workouts can be done at home or even in your office):

Instead of doing your traditional workouts of going to the gym 3-4 times a week and
doing your normal weight trainingand cardio routines for 45-60 minutes at a shot...
with this program, you will be working out for just a couple minutes at a time, several
times throughout each day, 5 days/week.

The program will consist of only bodyweight exercises done for about 2-3 minutes,
6-8 times per day, throughout each day. Now obviously if you work a normal office job,
you are going to have to not be shy about doing a few exercises in your office and having
your cube-mates watch you. Actually, I've found that some people that have tried this have
actually gotten their co-workers to join them!

If you have a private office, then you don't have to worry about anybody watching you.
If you work from home, or are a stay at home mom, there's no reason you can't fit these in
throughout the day while at home. If you end up having a busy day with meetings and so
forth, and can only fit a couple of these 2-minute workouts in, then so be it, but try to get
as many done each day as you can.

If you're on a normal 9-5 office schedule, I recommend doing your 2-minute workouts every
hour, on the hour, with the exception of lunch. For example, you could try 9 am, 10 am,
11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm.

Some of the bodyweight exercises that are the best to focus on are:

bodyweight squats (and variations)
pushups (and variations)
forward, reverse, or walking lunges
up & down a staircase if one is available
floor planks (holding the plank position from forearms and feet)
floor abs exercises such as lying leg thrusts, ab bicycles, etc.
one-legged bodyweight Romanian deadlifts
This list is not fully comprehensive, but I wanted to keep it relatively simple. If you know
other good bodyweight exercises, you can add those to your routine also. If you want to
keep it real simple and don't want to get down on the floor for anything, you can stick to
squats, lunges, and pushups and still get great results.

The good thing about these workouts is that you do enough in 2-3 minutes to get your
blood pumping, heart rate up a bit, a large portion of your body's muscles worked, and
body temperature raised. However, it's usually not enough to break a sweat in only 2 or
3 minutes, so you don't have to worry about sweating in the office or where ever you may be.
At most, you might just get a little moist on the skin.

Here's an example workout routine at home or the office
(adjust the reps up or down based on your capabilities):

Mon/Wed/Fri
9 am - 10 pushups/15 bodyweight squats, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - plank holds (hold the planks as long as you can taking short rest breaks for a total
of 3 minutes)
11 am - 5 pushups/10 bodyweight squats, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
2 pm - 8 pushups/12 bodyweight squats, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - plank holds (hold as long as possible in 3 minutes)
4 pm - max pushups/max bodyweight squats in one set (no repeat)

Tues/Thurs
9 am - 6 fwd lunges each leg/6 rev lunges, repeat 1X for 2 sets
10 am - one legged bw Romanian deadlifts (RDL) 6 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat 1X
for 2 sets
11 am - 3 fwd lunges each leg/3 rev lunges, repeat for 4 sets
1 pm - one legged bw RDL 3 each leg/floor abs for 20 sec, repeat for 4 sets
2 pm - 5 fwd lunges each leg/5 rev lunges, repeat for 3 sets
3 pm - one legged bw RDL 10 each leg/floor abs for 30 sec (no repeat)
4 pm - max fwd lunges each leg/max rev lunges in one set (no repeat)

In order to progress on these workouts, you could either add 1 or 2 reps to each set per
week, or you could progress to more difficult versions of each exercise each week
(for example, close grip pushups, one leg raised pushups, squats with arms raised straight
over head, etc.).

The above routines are just a couple examples of how you can use this very unique style
of training. Use your creativity and come up with your own. Think about what you've
accomplished with these "mini" workouts completed throughout each day...
You've increased your heart rate and pumped up your muscles 6-8 different times
throughout each day, burning a lot of extra calories and stimulating your metabolism.

Even though each "mini" workout was a very short duration, you've accumulated lots of
repetitions for almost every muscle throughout your entire body, and you didn't even have
to break a sweat during any of the "mini" workouts. And there's hardly any excuse for
not being able to take an2-minute break once per hour and do a couple of exercises.

Another benefit of this style of training is that now you don't have to devote any time
before or after work to going to the gym because you already got your workouts little
by little throughout the day. You've now got some extra free time on your hands!

Try this type of time-efficient workout routine out for 3-4 weeks and then go back to
your normal gym routines. I think you'll find that it was a great way to break out of a
plateau and stimulate new results in your body. You can try mixing in a cycle of these
"mini" workouts every couple of months to keep things fresh.

Keep in mind that this is only one method of training and doesn't mean that you should
only stick to this method for eternity. You will hit a plateau on any given training method,
so I'd recommend just rotating it into your arsenal of various training methods.
And by all means, don't worry so much about what other people think...have the courage
 to try something a little different. In the end, you'll be the one laughing back at all of the
"blubber-bellies" at your office that are giving you funny looks while they eat their donuts!

Feel free to email this link on to any friends or coworkers that you think would like to
try these types of unique quick daily workouts.  Heck, try to get your co-workers to do
these with you if you can!

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