The Power Hour Workout: A foolproof cure for your workout ADD

      There is nothing worse than being bored of exercising especially when trying to achieve your weight loss or other fitness goals. Some days you just feel “over it”; the treadmill seems daunting, your free weight routines feel monotonous, and even your favorite workout songs are failing to pump you up. This awful feeling is something I like to refer to as “workout ADD.” Although this issue seems impossible to overcome at times, there are ways to do it. There is no better tool to combat workout ADD than The Power Hour Workout.

     Most of us are all too familiar with the classic power hour requiring us to take a shot of beer once every minute when the song changes for a full hour. The power hour works wonders when we are pre-gaming a party or out trying to get really hammered with friends, so it only makes sense that the concept works well in other situations. Unfortunately, The Power Hour Workout does not include alcohol, but you can def treat yourself to a vodka soda (which is one of the most low cal drinks around) later.

     To get started, you’ll need to find a power hour playlist (where the song switches every minute for sixty minutes). You can find a variety of power hours online at websites such as Eight Tracks, Youtube, and Frat Music Radio, and there also many iPhone apps made for power hours. One of the best is Tune Time Music Hour; this app uses the songs on your phone’s iTunes to create a full power hour. Once you’ve got that down, you can begin your workout. Essentially, you will be switching exercises each time the song changes. It is helpful to have an idea of what exercises you want to focus on and what exercises you plan to do before continuing. There are no limitations with this workout; you can really switch it up using weights, a jump rope, a Pilates ball, or even just a yoga mat. You can incorporate cardio, muscle toning, weight lifting, abs and core, and yoga into your workout. It is important to spend the first few 60-second intervals with different forms of cardio such as jogging in place, jumping jacks, high-knees, e.t.c. to warm your body up before getting into other exercises. You should also plan to take a few one minute-long breaks at different points during the workout for water and to catch your breath. Do not be discouraged if you cannot make it through the entire hour. A full sixty minutes is a long time, and you may have to work up to completing the entire hour.
   The Power Hour Workout helps eliminates your workout ADD because it is anything but monotonous. You are constantly hearing different songs to keep you motivated and you get to switch up what you are doing every sixty seconds. This fast-paced workout will keep you going strong and inspire you to push yourself harder than you thought possible. So turn up the music and switch up the exercise for a highly effective hour of fitness.

If you’re having trouble finding exercises to fill up your power hour, there are some suggestions listed below. You can also check out Pinterest, fitness websites, and your favorite magazines for more exercise suggestions to fill that hour.

This is an example of a Power Hour Workout itinerary. If you are having difficulty figuring out what exercises to do it with, try following this model or pull some exercises from this one for your own.

Minute 1: Jumping jacks        31: Lunges with twist

2: High knees                         32: High knees

3: Run in place                       33: Crunches

4: Jumping jacks                    34: Yoga flow sequence

5: Jump rope                          35: Yoga flow sequence

6: Crunches                            36: Yoga Flow sequence

7: Bicep curls                         37: Bicycle crunches

8: High knees                         38: Wide leg squats

9: Lunges with weights          39: Pushups

10: Bicep curls                       40: Water break

11: Wall sit                            41: Burpees

12: Pushups                           42: Hip-thigh raise

13: Bicycle crunches              43: Run in place

14: Jumping Jacks                 44: Jumping jacks

15: Jump rope                       45: Plank

16: Crunches                         46: Side plank

17: Wall sit                            47: Side plank other side

18: Water Break                    48: Wall sit

19: Jump squats                    49: Hip-thigh raise

20: Burpees                           50: Plank

21: Jumping jacks                 51: Crunches

22. Bicycle crunches             52: Wall sit

23: Bicep curls                      53: Jumping jacks

24: Plank                               54: Stretch

25: Side plank                       55: Yoga flow sequence

26: Side plank other side     56: Yoga flow sequence

27: Stretch and breathe        57: Yoga flow sequence

28: Pushups                          58: Plank

29: Hip-thigh raie                 59: Stretch

30: Crunches                        60:  Stretch