Serious Fitness Lab - 15-minute summer workouts: stay fit on vacation!

15-minute summer workouts: stay fit on vacation!

Yes, yes! Summer is here. That means the gym gets quieter, and people go on vacation. My personal opinion is to really enjoy this time. But if you, like me, still want to squeeze in a few short workouts each week, then you'll love these workouts!

To maintain your fitness and muscle mass, you only need about 1/6 of your regular volume. If you normally train 3 times a week, you can keep a lot of your gains with just three 15-minute workouts. That’s exactly why we created the summer workouts. A short, intense 15-minute session so you can enjoy the rest of your vacation day with full energy and minimal losses in the gym.

16 Workouts of 15 Minutes

In our Serious Fitness Lab app, you'll find 16 workouts in total—8 for beginners and 8 for advanced—each lasting 15 minutes. These are perfect for vacations or for those moments at home when you're short on time. Here are two advanced workouts. All you need is your body and, for extra comfort, a mat. If you're a beginner, just reduce the number of repetitions and you can also do the following workouts.

Workout 1: 15 MIN AMRAP

The first workout is called AMRAP, which stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. In this case, you try to complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of the following three exercises:

Bodyweight squats (20 reps)
Leg raises (15 reps)
Push-ups (10 reps)

So one round consists of 20 squats, 15 leg raises, and 10 push-ups. Try to complete as many rounds as you can in 15 minutes, resting only when absolutely necessary.

Featured Exercise: Bodyweight Squat

One of the best exercises to train your body. The squat probably needs little extra explanation.

1Keep your back straight throughout the exercise and squat as deep as you can.
2Stand approximately with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. If you don't like this, you can experiment with a wider or narrower foot position.
3Your feet are always completely on the floor (from heel to toe).

Workout 2: 5 Rounds for Time

While workout 1 is done in exactly 15 minutes, workout 2 varies. You might finish a bit earlier or a bit later. You do 5 rounds of the following exercises, and you're done once you finish:

Running (100 meters, for example, 5 shuttle runs of 10 meters between two trees)
Reverse lunges (10 reps per leg)
High to low planks (10 reps)

Featured Exercise: High to Low Plank

One of the most intense plank variations using your body weight is the high to low plank. Place your hands under your shoulders to challenge yourself even more.

1Tilt your pelvis posteriorly for a straight lower back.
2In the starting position, keep your buttocks and shoulders roughly parallel to the floor.
3Perform the exercise in a controlled manner.

Find All Workouts in the App

Want instructional videos for all exercises without having to search YouTube, or want direct access to all 16 workouts (just search for 'summer')? Download our Serious Fitness Lab app and test it for free for 7 days. When you hit the gym again, we’ll truly be your pocket personal trainer. You'll find over 400 training programs in the app, tailored to every goal and fitness level. Train smarter and more effectively than ever!