These quick workouts for busy dads will help you stay lean and strong while maintaining a healthy balance between work and family life.
9 Quick Workouts for Busy Dads | Get Rid of the Dad Bod
1. M100 (3 Minutes)
The M100 is a military-type workout that targets your entire body. On an average, it takes around three minutes to go through the entire circuit three times. But note that the goal of this routine is to do each exercise as quickly and accurately as possible. Perform each exercise based on the number of reps, and once you’re done with all three, do another two sets. When the three sets are done, top off the workout with 10 reps of burpees. This leads to a total of 100 combined reps — hence the name M100.
- Burpees (10 reps)
- Mountain Climbers (10 reps)
- Jump Squats (10 reps)
2. Quick 5-Minute Desk Workout
Swap out your smoke break for a quick office workout instead. The quick desk workout consists of 14 bodyweight exercises you can do in the office. All you’ll need is your body, extra space, and a chair. It’s one of the best quick workouts for busy dads who can’t find time to go to the gym.
- Desk / Wall Push-ups (20 reps)
- Tricep Dips (12 reps)
- Glute Clenches (30 reps)
- Seated Crunches (15 reps)
- Scissor (15 reps)
- Seated Leg Lifts (15 reps)
- Desk Squats (20 reps)
- Wall Sit (30 seconds)
- Calf Raises (15 reps)
- Jog in place (20 seconds)
- Chest Opener (30 seconds)
- Fingers Up and Down Stretch (15 seconds each side)
- Waist Rotations (15 seconds each side)
- Knee Press (15 seconds each side)
3. 6-Minute Start-Up Benchmark
The 6-minute start-up benchmark routine is a way for you to gauge your athletic prowess. Your goal is to complete three rounds of all four exercises in six minutes or less. Also, don’t worry if you can’t do all three sets in six minutes. What’s important is to do these regularly while keeping track of your progress.
- Jumping Jacks (20 reps)
- Bodyweight Squats (15 reps)
- Modified Push-Ups (10 reps)
- Alternating Lateral Lunges (10 reps)
4. 6-Minute Run-Ready Yoga Warm-Up Stretch
Our run-ready yoga warm-up stretch can be a standalone exercise or quick pre-run routine. It promotes core stability and mobility. Plus, it’s also one of the best quick workouts for busy dads who suffer from back pain. Sitting for eight hours at the office can really damage your back and posture. Luckily, these exercises are great for stretching out and relieving tight muscles.
- Downward Dog Calf Stretch (1 minute)
- Upward Facing Dog (1 minute)
- Triangle Forward Bend (1 minute)
- Hip Bridge With Leg Reach (1 minute)
- Cow Face Pose (1 minute)
- Child’s Pose (1 minute)
5. 10-Minute 4-Move Bodyweight Workout
If you can spend hours watching your favorite sporting events on TV, then you can at least allot 10 minutes to exercise daily. This 10-minute 4-move bodyweight workout puts various muscles to work. Doing this regularly will help speed up your metabolism and keep the blood pumping.
- Plank (4 sets of 30-second holds, 10 seconds rest)
- Glute Bridge (20 reps, 5-second holds)
- Walkouts (10 reps)
- Bodyweight Squats (2 sets of reps, 10 seconds rest)
6. 12-Minute Lean Muscle Calisthenics Workout
You don’t need the gym to maintain your lean muscle mass. In fact, all you’ll need is your body. Perform these exercises as often as you want throughout the day. Only rest for 30 seconds in between sets.
- Diamond Push-Ups (3 sets of 15 reps)
- Tricep Dips (3 sets of 15 reps)
- Pull-Ups (3 sets of 7 reps)
- Bodyweight Split Side Squat (3 sets of 10 reps each leg)
- Pistol Squat (3 sets of 10 reps each leg)
7. 15-Minute Lower Body Joint Mission Workout
Say goodbye to bad posture, weak knees, and lower back pain with the lower body joint mission workout. It’s the perfect quick workout for busy dads who struggle with joint flexibility. It stretches out tight muscles and promotes both lower body and core strength. Plus, it’ll take only 15 minutes to go through these exercises three times.
- Hip Cradles (40 seconds)
- Knee Hugs (30 seconds)
- Lateral Hip Openers (30 seconds)
- World’s Greatest Stretch (1 minute)
- YTW (30 seconds)
- Hurdle Steps (30 seconds)
- Reverse Lunge Reaches (30 seconds)
8. Quick 15-Minute Complete Bodyweight Workout
This quick 15-minute bodyweight workout will surely blast away any stored fat in your body throughout the day. The healthy combination of HIIT exercises and pain-relieving muscle stretches is what you need to trim down your beer belly. Go through the circuit five times without stopping.
- 90/90 Stretch (10 reps each side)
- Cat-Cow Stretch Pose (10 reps)
- Glute Bridge (10 reps)
- Up and Down Plank (10 reps)
- Lateral Bound (10 reps)
- Burpees (10 reps)
9. 20-Minute Ultimate Muscle-Building Workout
If you’re up to the challenge, then take on this ultimate muscle-building workout. With a whopping total of 350 combined reps and 5 minutes of planking, your muscles will have no choice but to grow.
Take note that you don’t necessarily need to perform all these exercises consecutively. You can opt to rest any time in between. However, we suggest finishing the workout in 20 minutes or less. Overall, the long-term goal is to complete these exercises as fast as you can by gradually strengthening your muscles.
- Tricep Dips (100 reps)
- Pull-Ups (50 reps)
- Plank (5 sets of 60-second holds)
- Push-Ups (100 reps)
- Bodyweight Squats (100 reps)
Tip: If this intense muscle-building regimen isn’t enough for you, then try ramping it up with resistance bands. You can use them to make push-ups more difficult.
If you don’t feel like doing crunches to work on your ab muscles, try this 9-minute no-crunches routine from Evertrain’s Sean Runyan:
These are just some of the best workouts for busy dads who don’t have time to go to the gym. Feel free to create your own anti-dad bod workout routine that suits your specific needs. When it comes to fitness for busy men, the most important thing is to find a healthy balance between work and family life. It goes without saying that you must never neglect yourself. Remember, your family needs a healthy dad!
What’s your favorite among these quick workouts for busy dads? Share them in the comments section below!