Authors: Selene Yeager,Editors of Women's Health
Tags: #Exercise & Fitness, #Weight Training, #Men's Health, #Quick Workouts, #Mind & Body, #Health
The Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts: A Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You--In 15 Minutes a Day!
Acknowledgments
It takes a small army to create a big book. And this Big Book was no exception. I can't possibly give sufficient thanks to all those who helped move this project from a simple idea to a big, thick book filled to the brim with really cool, superfast workouts. But I'll try, first by sharing my appreciation for
Women's Health
magazine Editor Michelle Promaulayko and Editorial Director David Zinczenko and the entire
Women's Health
staff for creating such a successful brand that inspires women to live healthier lives. It's my hope that this book helps to forward that mission.
My heartfelt thanks go to editor Jeff Csatari for the opportunity to execute this idea and his calm, unflappable guidance from start to finish.
Stephen Perrine and the entire
Women's Health
Books team, including Ruth Konigsberg for her insightful editing, Debbie McHugh, Ursula Cary, and Erin Williams for catching my mistakes.
Book group Design Director George Karabotsos, and the talented designer on this book, Elizabeth Neal.
Photographer Beth Bischoff for the beautiful chapter openers and workout pictures, assistants Geoffrey Goodbridge and Estaban Aladro, and models Elaine Kwon, Johanna Sambucini, Rebecca Kennedy, Valerie Wong, and Sara Otey for holding those poses so long.
Executive Vice President and Publisher Karen Rinaldi, Chris Krogermeier, Sara Cox, and everyone else at Rodale Books who were so enthusiastic and helpful.
For sharing their invaluable expertise in health, fitness, and nutrition, I thank Sean Armstead; Craig Ballantyne, CSCS; Joan Salge Blake, RD; Traver Boehm; Kurt Brett; Mike Brungardt; Jay Cardiello; Michael A. Clark, DPT; Hannah Davis; Amy Dixon; Gregory Florez; Martin Gibala, PhD; Tony Gentilcore; Bill Hartman, PT, CSCS; Carter Hays; Tom Holland; Katrina Hodgson; William Kraemer, PhD; Christopher Knight, PhD; Jim Liston, CSCS; Ashley Ntansah; Scott Mazzetti, PhD; Mike Mejia, MS, CSCS; Scott H. Mendelson; C.J. Murphy; Stuart Phillips, PhD; Wayne Phillips, PhD; Lauren Piskin; Carrie Rezabek; Craig Rasmussen, CSCS; David Raye; Robert dos Remedios, CSCS; Juan Carlos Santana, CSCS; Jonas Sahratian; Jyotsna Sahni, MD; Michelle M. Seibel, MD; Tina Schmidt-McNulty; Tara Stiles; Patrick Striet, CSCS; Jason Talanian, PhD; Mark Verstegen; Diane Vives; Wayne Westcott, PhD, CSCS; Jordan Yuam, NCEP; Valerie Waters; and Victoria Zdrok, PhD.
And of course, my family. Dave, none of this happens without your undying support; daughter Juniper for hugs and smiles, and Mom and Dad for always lending a helping hand. Thank you.
—
Selene Yeager
What's Inside
INTRODUCTION:
CHAPTER 1:
The Genius of the 15-Minute Training Plan
CHAPTER 2:
All of Your 15-Minute-Workout Questions Answered
CHAPTER 3:
The Superfast Weight-Loss System
CHAPTER 4:
CHAPTER 5:
15-Minute Workouts for Hips, Legs, and Butt
CHAPTER 6:
15-Minute Strapless, Sleeveless, Backless Workouts
CHAPTER 7:
CHAPTER 8:
15-Minute Fat-Burning HIIT Workouts
CHAPTER 9:
15-Minute Workouts for Every Body Type
CHAPTER 10:
15-Minute Workouts for Special Gear
CHAPTER 11:
15-Minute (Or Less!) Anywhere Workouts
CHAPTER 12:
15-Minute Workouts for Athletic Sex
CHAPTER 13:
CHAPTER 14:
15-Minute Sports Training Workouts
CHAPTER 15:
15-Minute Stretch and Strengthen Workouts
CHAPTER 16:
Your 15-Minute Plan to Fight Fat with Food
Introduction:
The 15-Minute Secret
WHY A QUARTER OF AN HOUR IS ALL YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, TONE EVERY INCH, AND FINALLY GET THE BODY YOU WANT.
I don’t have the time. Does that sentence sound familiar? We bet it does. Hands down, it’s the number one reason, in survey after survey, that women give for why they can’t exercise. And it’s true: we are hard-pressed for time. Between work and family commitments and trying to have a social life, there never really seem to be enough hours in the day. But you don’t need an hour to start a fitness plan that works. You don’t need even half an hour. We’re going to let you in on a little secret: All you need to create a slimmer, sexier, healthier body is 15 minutes.
That’s right, if you use your time wisely, you can get a great, body-transforming workout in just 15 minutes four to six times a week. According to an October 2010 study published in the
European Journal of Applied Physiology,
15 minutes of resistance training was just as effective as 35 minutes in elevating resting energy expenditure for up to 72 hours after exercising. That means you can burn calories, build muscle, and get the body you want in half the time you thought possible. And you’ll actually have a much better chance of slimming down with quick workouts than with lengthy gym sessions. A study in the
International Journal of Sports Medicine
found that women who were trying to lose weight had a much better chance of sticking to an exercise plan if their workouts were chopped down to 15 minutes.
It makes sense. You can always find 15 minutes, right? If you took every single second during which you said or thought “I don’t have the time” and added them up, it would equal more than 15 minutes. That’s why we’ve created our revolutionary superfast fitness program composed entirely of 15-minute workouts. These aren’t the kind of 15-minute workouts that are half as good as a 30-minute session. They’re scientifically designed to be as effective as they are efficient, so you’ll achieve the best results in the least amount of time. Every second of exercise will count a little more than it ever has before. Instead of working out longer, you’ll be working out smarter and faster.
You’ll find workouts to flatten your belly so quickly it’s almost instantaneous; workouts that melt fat off your body so fast you’ll barely have time to buy a smaller pair of pants before you drop another size; workouts that will turn your jiggly arms and thighs into firm, sleek accessories you’ll want to show off every second you can. Each of the workouts in this book has been road tested by our editors and validated by the latest research. Just follow our superfast fitness program and you’ll be seeing the fastest results of your life!
To make this book even more useful, the world’s top trainers have also provided dozens of cutting-edge 15-minute workouts for just about every form of exercise and just about every situation, such as the
yoga metabolism booster
in
Chapter 15
or workouts for busy travelers designed by
Juan Carlos Santana
of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida, that will sculpt lean muscles in no time flat. Some of the advice and exercises in these pages comes from some of the biggest names in performance training, including longtime friend of
Men’s Health
Mark Verstegen
, the author of the breakthrough book
Core Performance
and owner of Athlete’s Performance in Phoenix; exercise physiologist
Amy Dixon
of Equinox in Santa Monica; and Hollywood fitness trainer
Valerie Waters
in Los Angeles.
That’s barely scratching the surface of the sheer volume and variety of workouts we’ve included. Can’t shake nagging headaches? Pain-proof your noggin with the moves provided by
Jyotsna Sahni, MD
, a sleep specialist in Tucson. We’ve even created workouts based on your
body type
, so if you’ve spent your life trying to whittle down your pear-shaped behind, we’ve got you covered. And since your body should feel as good as it looks, we’ve also tapped some experts to bring you a little sexercise (hello,
COREgasm
!) with a whole chapter on
better-sex workouts.
By following our
Superfast Fitness Plan
, you’ll learn how to put all of these workouts together for maximum results. Combine that with our Superfast
Weight-Loss System
and you’ll shed even more pounds, trim even more inches, and get back into your skinny jeans even faster. We’d go on and on about all the tools and resources that are packed into this book, but we don’t want to waste your time. Ready to get started? Good. Because who knows when your 15 minutes of fame might arrive.