This is a workout presented in Men’s Health magazine.
I like this one for its simplicity. It’s a 20 minute circuit workout with only 4 exercises and is perfect for someone with no exercise gear at home or someone who does a lot of traveling and doesn’t have a hotel gym available.
The first 9 refers to the number of reps you’ll perform of each exercise; the second 9 is how many rounds of the circuit you’ll do; and the third 9 is the number of minutes it should take you to finish the entire routine.
The circuit looks like this:
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Body-Weight Squat: Do 9 reps
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Pushup: Do 9 reps
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Inverted Row: Do 9 reps
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Jumping Jacks: Do 9 reps
That’s one round. Your pace is determined by your fitness: You can rest as needed between each exercise—simply go by “feel.” Do a total of 9 rounds. Try to complete the entire workout in 9 minutes or less.
Rest for 2 minutes, and repeat the workout. Your goal: Try to finish in the same time as you did the first routine.
Now, this particular workout looks super simple, but to finish the entire circuit in 9 minutes may be a little tough for most people. So there is a starter plan presented below to help you work up to the full 9-9-9 plan.
THE STARTER PLAN
Perform this routine every other day, resting one day between each workout. Workout 1: (Circuit One: 3-9-9, Circuit Two: 2-9-9) For each exercise, do 3 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 2 reps of each exercise. Workout 2: (Circuit One: 4-9-9, Circuit Two: 2-9-9) For each exercise, do 4 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 2 reps of each exercise. Workout 3: (Circuit One: 5-9-9, Circuit Two: 3-9-9) For each exercise, do 5 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 3 reps of each exercise. Workout 4: (Circuit One: 6-9-9, Circuit Two: 3-9-9) For each exercise, do 6 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 3 reps of each exercise. Workout 5: (Circuit One: 7-9-9, Circuit Two: 4-9-9) For each exercise, do 7 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 4 reps of each exercise. Workout 6: (Circuit One: 8-9-9, Circuit Two: 4-9-9) For each exercise, do 8 reps. After you've done 9 rounds, rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then repeat, only do 4 reps of each exercise. Workout 7: (Circuit One: 9-9-9, Circuit Two: 5-9-9) By now you should be ready to try 9-9-9. So be sure to use a stop watch and time yourself.
Continue your every other day schedule, and focus on reducing your time each session.
Enjoy!
— PFM
