If you’ve got a small space you can still get a killer workout. No tools needed. No enormous space required.

First, select 3-5 exercises from this list (search online for examples):

• hollow rocks
• burpies
• push-ups
• sit-ups
• back extensions
• jumping jacks (star jumps)
• squats
• lunges
• tuck jumps

Now, select a workout format from this list:

• 3-5 rounds of 60 seconds per exercise
• 10 rounds of 10 repetitions of each exercise
• 50 repetitions of each exercise
• 100 repetitions of each exercise
• Tabata intervals for 3-5 exercises

Now, get a stopwatch and complete your workout as quickly as you can.

You can get a great workout (in fact a great series of workouts) by following this method. It is not a complete fitness training program but will suffice when you are travelling or stuck indoors without equipement (due to the weather perhaps). You can even do the whole thing without moving from the place where you started.

Fitness training scares a lot of people, others do it for the wrong reasons, some people are fanatical. It’s very personal.

We all ebb and flow through many aspects of our lives and the taking care of ourselves part is no exception. Sometimes we’re all over it, sometimes we just couldn’t give a hoot. I’d like to think that most of us really do care about our health and fitness but that is pain delusional (just look out the window if you need proof).

I make the bold assumption that as a reader of this blog you are interested (hopefully exceedingly so) in your health and fitness. I have been involved in the industry for a few years now and have seen far too many fads, ideas, plans and programs to remember let alone critique. Suffice to say most of these do not work for the simple reason that they are either not applied properly or are unsuitable to the individual in question.

Once you’ve made the commitment to training (and it is a commitment) you should expect results. If you are not getting results then something is wrong. Very wrong. Either you are doing something wrong, or you have the wrong information, or there’s a disconnect somewhere (your diet maybe). I hope you get my point.

Now, we finally get to the subject of the post (re-read the headline if I veered too far off course). Here are three ways to get the most out of every workout that you participate in:

Forget about the outside world

When you are training your entire consciousness should be focused upon yourself and your efforts in training. No thoughts should be wasted on what’s going on at work, what you have to prepare for dinner, why you can’t find that black sock. Your mind and body must be connected and in complete alignment for you to achieve amazing results. (Case in point: how many people do you know that read magazines whilst walking on a treadmill who are dramatically fitter in three months?)

Make your workouts a meditation. Strip away all the craziness of the outside world. Clear your mind. Focus completely on yourself. Be a little selfish.

Get your diet in order

I am sure you’ve heard this before. It does warrant a reminder though. Diet is the key to your success even in singular workouts. What you eat before and after your workouts have a direct correlation to how you perform during your workouts. That’s not rocket science, it’s just plain simple truth. Don’t for a second think that a post-workout recovery drink will suffice. You have to be on the ball all (or at least most) of the time.

Your degree of diligence in following a sensible nutrition plan (either the Paleo or Zone diet or both) will directly correlate to your performance. If you adhere 80% of the time you will get 80% of the rewards and so on.

Get competitive

Competition is an amazing motivator. Even those people who say they are not competitive really are, it’s just they compete differently to the rest of us. And even those people will get competitive in a group, it’s just human nature. No one likes to come last.

You don’t necessarily have to compete against anyone else. You can compete against yourself. All you need to do is record your workout results and always aim to do better next time. Always aiming to improve is competition against yourself. What greater motivation do you need than to do better than before or to beat the guy or girl next to you?

Everyday in the gym, in the street, at work, at home, we see people doing what they are good at and not paying any attention to the skills that they lack. How can anyone improve their lot in life with this approach?

How many books do you read?
When did you last go to a seminar?
Do you have a list of things that you could be better at or want to learn?

This year I have a few goals (I may not achieve them but I’ll certainly being giving it my best). Here’s my (incomplete) list:

• learn to touch type
• learn to speak French (and Italian)
• read a book every two weeks (at least)
• attend 3-4 industry seminars
• learn more about what it is to be a good father
• improve my push-ups

What are you going to do this year?

No excuses!

I have a magnet on my fridge that says:

“Do one thing every day that scares you!”

I may not get a chance to do that every single day but I do try to scare myself as often as possible. Facing your fears makes you know that you are alive. Being safe is fine but don’t be so safe that you don’t enjoy your life. No matter what you believe you have to admit that there’s every chance that you only get one shot at life – so you may as well have fun while you’re here.

What have you done lately to scare yourself?

I talk a lot about planning. I think it works. I think it is necessary. I plan things all the time. This can be a trap though. Planning is not doing. All the planning in world means nothing without execution. Your plans can be amazing. You might have a plan that could see you take over the world, or be a millionaire in a year, or be fitter than ever. However, if you do not actually do something, you will never achieve anything. Making a plan doesn’t stop procrastination. In fact, I think sometimes it encourages it. You can get so caught up in creating a wonderful plan that you never really get anything worthwhile done.

Use plans. But use them wisely. And be sure to do something, anything rather than nothing.