Being disciplined with your workouts becomes ten times harder when you’ve got to squeeze them in between work, family life and everything else.
But having a long list of responsibilities to manage doesn’t mean you can’t build real strength – it just means you have to be smart about your approach to training.
That’s something Todd VanKerkhoff, a full-time doctor and dad of three children under seven, wishes more people would understand.
His Instagram account is dedicated to making fitness more accessible for busy dads, and he recently shared an example of the 25-minute superset workout he swears by for building muscle and strength while juggling parenthood, work and day-to-day life.
‘No bait and switch – these are my real workouts, and this is the method I’ve used to build muscle and strength in the midst of life, work and parenthood,’ he wrote. ‘Some strength workouts are longer but rarely over 40 minutes.’
The core workout consists of just three simple moves, followed by a finisher. It requires just two kettlebells and a pull-up bar to get started.
What to read next
The 25-Minute Superset Routine
Complete 5 rounds, with a 1-minute break between each round
A. Clean and Press (using two kettlebells) x 5 reps
B. Bulgarian Split Squat x 6 reps on each side
C. Pull-Up x 7 reps
D. Deficit Push-Up (on kettlebells) – 2 sets x to failure
How to Do the Moves
Kettlebell Clean and Press
- Stand holding two kettlebells by your thighs, with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Drive through your legs and extend your hips explosively, bringing the kettlebells to shoulder height before pressing them overhead.
- Lower the kettlebells down to the starting position. Repeat.
Bulgarian Split Squat
- Stand 2-4 feet in front of a bench (depending on your height), facing away. Hold your weights by your sides.
- Rest one foot on the bench behind you, laces down, with your feet in line with your hips.
- Sink your body down until the knee of your back leg almost touches the floor. The front knee should be at a right angle.
- Push up through your front foot to return to the start position.
Pull-Up
- Hang from the bar in a dead hang.
- Next, tighten your abs and get into the hollow position.
- Un-shrug your shoulders.
- Pull your elbows down until your chest touches the bar.
- Lower back down under control, maintaining the hollow position.
- Relax before returning to the hollow position and repeating the process.
Deficit Push-Up
- Set up two weight plates, yoga blocks, or anything else that provides an elevated surface for your hands. Position them so your hands are shoulder-width apart.
- Place your hands on the elevated surface and brace your core and glutes to create full-body tension.
- Lower your chest towards the ground with your elbows below your shoulders, creating an arrow shape with your body. Continue below hand level until you feel a deep stretch through your chest.
- Push back up explosively, pressing the floor away until your arms are fully extended.
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