The Zero Workout Exercise Plan

Tired of failing at your exercise plan because you have no way to commit to a daily workout time? You’re not alone! This exercise plan doesn’t technically require a set workout time and doesn’t require any equipment.

We’ve all experienced it before: the failed exercise plan. No matter how hard you try to stick to a consistent workout regimen, life has a way of saying, “Nice try.” You get busy, urgent situations happen, and the whole system gets derailed before you get some good results, or worse yet, you got results and now they’re all going to slip away.

This exercise plan is probably a lot different from the workout regimens you’ve tried before. Essentially, you won’t be doing a single, “workout;” what you will be doing is 2 minute stretches of exercise every hour on the hour for 10 hours a day (20 minutes total). This may sound like a big commitment, but it’s actually very easy and it could literally SAVE YOUR LIFE.

This Exercise Plan Could Save Your Life

Sounds dramatic, but a variety of studies are coming out that show how a sedentary lifestyle could drastically reduce your lifespan whether you workout everyday or not. The Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed 47 different studies that participants who sat more than 8 hours a day were 25% more likely to die during the studies from related health issues than those who were more active. Performing a daily workout helps, but simply standing each hour could improve your longevity even further.

This exercise plan goes beyond standing each hour; it’s a systematic approach to hourly exercise that will improve your functional fitness level, physical performance, and overall strength and endurance. This is perfect for the busy individual who can’t scrape together 20-30 minutes for a daily exercise plan, no matter how hard they try. Even if you can get in a solid workout in each week, it will still be extremely useful for people who miss their workout as it states on their standard exercise plan.

A Step Beyond the 20-Minute Workout

I’m a big advocate of quick 20-minute workouts, but I’ll admit that they take more than 20 minutes overall. You need to set your workout equipment up, perform the workout regimen, then clean yourself up to move on to your next activity for the day. At the very least it’s going to take you 30 minutes for the entire process.

This exercise plan won’t require any set up, it can be done by simply standing or laying in a small space, and it doesn’t require enough movement to really mess up your clothes with sweat (if it does, you probably need a more serious commitment to fitness before you attempt anything on your own; in other words, hire a trainer).

How the Zero Workout Exercise Plan Works

The concept behind this exercise plan is a modified version of the classic “Grease the Groove” workout, originally conceived by Pavel Tsatsouline. The intention of Grease the Groove is to reinforce neurological pathways in relation to lifting weight. Basically, you attempt to “groove” your neurological pathways by lifting a heavy weight at multiple points throughout the day.

The Zero Workout Exercise Plan doesn’t require lifting weight, but it does provide the same response through bodyweight movements, thereby reinforcing the neurological pathways related to moving your body through space. You’ll be performing 20 minutes of work spread throughout a 10 hour period. This will reinforce the neurological pathways related to movement,  force you to get off your butt each hour, and enable you to get your workout in even if you don’t have time for 20+ minute exercise routine.

The exercise plan uses the basic methodology taught at the Onnit Academy Level 1 Certification. It breaks down the days into the four basic movement types: push, pull, squat, and hinge. Each day you’ll be doing one of the basic movements using a bodyweight exercise. You’ll perform 2 minutes of the exercise every hour for 10 hours. This exercise plan is created for beginners, but other movements could be substituted for the basics very easily.

Exercise Plan Schedule

BONUS: Apps for Tracking Your Hourly Workouts

The whole point of this article is to provide you with an exercise plan that is quick and simple to execute, but if you can’t track your time effectively, it won’t be very useful. So, I found a few apps that could help you keep track of your time. You could also simply add a bunch of alarms to your computer or smart phone, but these apps will make the process easier.