Lara Rosenbaum

Staying fit in December isnt easy. So heres our holiday gift to you: a half dozen exercises that you can mix in infinite ways for a brief, convenient, intense, fat-burning, strength-building workout. Do them in the gym, at home, or anywhere at all.

Have nine minutes to kill waiting for the kids to see Santa at the mall? Do the last three exercises. Got 15 minutes before the office holiday party? Pick five moves.

The principle behind these combinations is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. Its simple: You do timed bursts of exercise interspersed with periods of brief rest. HIIT can improve cardiovascular health and preserve or even add muscle mass, studies show.

This dose of HIIT, from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/athleanx/" id="3be89794-c338-3b9f-a841-d3501e196e09"> Jeff Cavaliere, C.S.C.S., M.S.P.T. </a> , creator of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JDCav24" id="6b84ab63-08e0-389c-a5ff-05f897c24a59"> Athlean-X </a> , couldnt come at a better time.

For the optimal benefit, complete a session at least 3 or 4 times a week.

Standard Version

<ul><li> Select 3 to 5 moves. Do each for 3 minutes, working in 30-second intervals (20 on, 10 off). </li></ul>

<ul><li> Pick 4 moves; do each for 1 minute. Rest 20 seconds between moves, 1 minute between rounds. Do as many rounds as possible. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Assume a high pushup position, your hands on 15-pound (or lighter) dumbbells. Lift your left leg and pull that knee toward your chest. Lift the right dumbbell and pull it toward your hip. Return to the pushup position. Repeat, this time moving your right leg and the left weight. Thats 1 rep. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Hold a pair of 25-pound (or lighter) dumbbells at your shoulders. Keeping your chest up, squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand back up and raise the dumbbells until your arms are straight overhead. Then lower them back to your shoulders. Thats 1 rep. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Place 25-pound (or lighter) dumbbells about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Squat to grasp them underhand, and then stand with them as you keep your chest up. When theyre at your waist, curl them to your shoulders. Press them overhead. Reverse the movements. Thats 1 rep. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Assume a split stance, your left foot forward. Squat until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. Before your right knee hits the floor, hop slightly left, staying in a split squat position. Hop back right, then up. Land in a split stance, right foot forward. Repeat the sequence. Too hard? Do jump lunges. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Start in a high pushup position. Kick both legs up as if youre doing a handstand. Land with your right knee tucked toward your chest and your left leg back. Then drive your left knee toward your chest as you straighten your right leg back. Repeat, leading with your left knee. Thats 1 rep. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Stand with your left hand on your chest. Bend your knees and fold forward until your right hand hits the floor. Hop your legs to a plank and touch your chest to the floor. Push back up (knees on the floor if needed) and stand. Repeat with your other arm. Too hard? Do a regular burpee. </li></ul>

This story was originally published in the December 2017 issue of Men's Health.

This HIIT Workout Plan for Winter Will Save Your Holiday Fitness

A natural storyteller, McGraws got names for other moves, too. He does a yoga flow and dubs it Infinity. He squats deep and opens his torso to one side and calls this doing Cheyennes. He does sumo-stance squats, focusing on pushing his butt back, part of his quest for thicker legs. Those are Beyonces.

This is how the 52-year-old country-music star injects fun into a vicious 90-minute sweat he designed himself, aiming to push his own limits. I dont really get tired of training, McGraw says.Theres such a feeling of accomplishment that comes from the feeling of being my age and still being at the top of my game.

McGraw wants you in that position, too; thats why hes become one of a growing number of celebritieslike Mark Wahlberg, Tom Brady, and Chris Hemsworthleveraging global stardom to build fitness and wellness brands. McGraw creates his own workouts and partnered with exercise chain Snap Fitness to design TRUMAV, which is filled with his favorite gear (kettlebells, TRX straps, and battle ropes). His new book, Grit &amp; Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life, describes his late-career fitness transformation.

Eleven years and 40 pounds ago, he realized hed lost control of his own fitness when he starred in Four Christmases. Hed grown up playing sports, but he was up to 215 pounds, and his daughter Gracie noticed, saying he looked big on the screen. I got out of it for a while, he says. I was in the prime of my career, and I wasnt capitalizing on it. So he ditched alcohol, burgers, and truck-stop foods and began walking in the morning.

That became a 20-minute run, and soon he was lifting weights. And he realized it was helping his music. I use my whole body to singmy legs, my butt, he says. And having more control over those things makes my voice stronger.

He also started taking his workouts on the road. The same equipment he got for TRUMAV is always at his trailer. Hours before every concert, he works out with his band, often using moves he learned from a trainer he sometimes works with, Roger Yuan. Ive learned a lot over the last three or four years.

McGraw takes pride in his transformation because it never had anything to do with the popularity contest that is celebrity. Most things in this business are out of your control, he says. What the radio is going to play, how many records youre going to sell. Control the things you can, and maybe that helps.

None of this means McGraw (or any celeb) should be your source of gym wisdom, but there is plenty that this wave of Hollywood athleticism can help you do. Guys like Tim and Chris shouldnt be viewed as fitness gurus, says MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. Theyve experienced success. Thats not pushing somebody else to success. Just be inspired when you see them crush their own workouts.

Back at TRUMAV, McGraw is crushing this workout. One moment hes climbing up two ropes; the next hes flipping his torso upside down on them and hoisting his legs skyward. Then hes flipping a tractor tire. He doesnt slow until he begins doing burpees and pushups.

When hes done, he feels energized. This workout is my meditation, he says.It frees things up in your head so you can get the trash out for a little while.

In a pinch for a quick sweat? Try this 20-minute basic bodyweight session, a McGraw creation. He doesnt have a name for this one, so lets call it Not a Moment Too Swoon, a play on one of McGraws big hits.

Warm up with 3 sets of 20 jumping jacks, resting 30 seconds between sets. Do the first set slowly, picking up speed with each set. Then work through the following circuit. Do each move for 40 seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Rest 1 minute after each round. Do 5 rounds.

<ul><li> Start in pushup position,hands directly below your shoulders, core tight. Bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering until your chest is an inch from the floor, then press back up. Too easy? After you press up, lift one hand off the floor and open into a side plank; alternate sides. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, core tight. Bend at the knees and push your butt back while keeping your chest up; lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand up, squeezing your glutes at the top. Too easy? Squat down until your thigh sare below parallel, or shift your feet wider. </li></ul>

<ul><li> Lie on your back, feet hip-width apart, heels on the floor. Keep your chin up. Squeeze your abs and, lifting your torso from the ground, reach for the ceiling. Lower with control. Too easy? Do V-ups. Lie on your back, legs straight and arms extended. Lift your straight legs and arms, touching your hands to your toes. </li></ul>

Tim McGraw Trains Hard to Stay Country Strong

Tim McGraw stands with a kettlebell in his right hand, back pin-straight, and looks toward the wall at <a href="https://trumavfitness.com/" id="b55e5d86-735f-3aff-a730-06fead2c0778"> TRUMAV </a> , his new gym in Nashville. He starts walking, then smiles. "I call this Taking Out the Trash," he says.

But the problem isn't just reserved for the gym. A recent review presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meeting revealed that the number of men under the age of 65 who undergo hip surgery is on the rise, and another study out of Sweden recently revealed that patients suffering from osteoarthritis who receive hip replacements tend to live longer due to an improved quality of life.

Of course, if your hips are healthy to begin with, youll experience less pain and even lower your chances of injury. The key is to keep them moving properly. Tight hips can lead to compensatory patterns, which lead to muscle imbalances, explains Chicago-based physical therapist David Reavy, PT, OCS. A tight muscle will not allow you to produce the same amount of force-nor absorb it.

San Francisco-based trainer and mobility specialist Nat Viranond, NASM-CPT, FRCM, created three hip flows designed to mobilize the joints based on the ways (and movement patterns) you might use them most: running, strength training or sitting at your desk. All of the movements are geared toward improving the hips ROM while activating and strengthening surrounding muscles to help control the movement.

Joints need to be strong enough to handle repetitive stress, Viranond says. If you cant flex your hip when you sweat, for example, that movement and flexion will come from somewhere else in your body, potentially causing an injury.

Perform the following flows before a workout or run as a warm-up, or if you wish to focus more on flexibility, perform the flows post-training when your blood is already flowing. Viranond recommends doing at least one set of Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) daily, and an entire flow two to three times per week.

Standing Hip CAR

What it does: Helps to gently bring circulation to all tissues in and around the hip joint, and provides a baseline of your overall hip mobility. These standing CARs mimic the hip flexion needing for running.

How to do it: Stand and hold a chair or wall with your right hand, if necessary for balance. Keeping your core pulled tight, lift your left knee, and with your body still, open that knee to the left side. Circle the knee so that your foot comes behind you, until your left knee meets your right. Perform three to five reps, and then circle in the other direction while squeezing your glutes for three to five reps. Switch sides and repeat.

Standing Hip Stretch

What it does: Stretches the front of the thigh while activating muscles along the backside of the body, and helps teach your body to control hip ROM.

How to do it: Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-distance, and take a large step back with your right foot. Pretend youre wearing a belt, and aim to point the buckle toward the ceiling with your pelvis. Bend your left knee while keeping your back leg straight, like a deep lunge. Hold for at least five deep breaths, and create isomeric tension within your glutes and core. Slowly release the contraction and repeat on the other side.

Hip Capsule Sleeper Stretch

What it does: Works internal rotation-an area in which athletes tend to lack mobility. When hips cant internally rotate, the impact from running can lead to hip and back pain.

How to do it: Sit with knees bent to 90 degrees, and feet slightly wider than hip-distance. Bring the inside of your right knee toward the floor, and gently deepen the stretch with your right hand, while maintaining 90-degree angles in the knee and ankle. Hold for up to two minutes. Next, press the knee into the hand, to create an isometric contraction. Hold for five breaths. Switch sides and repeat. Repeat the contraction cycle three times in each direction on both sides

For Desk Jockeys

Caucasian man working in an office cubicle.

What it does: Helps undo tightness and reduced ROM caused by excessive sitting. Like other CARs, these help the hips move through their entire range of motion while remaining gentle on the joint.

How to do it: Stand with feet about hip-distance, and perform a hula hoop circle with your hips. Bend at the waist as needed, to create as large a circle as possible while maintaining muscular control. Contract your glutes when your torso tilts behind you. Perform 10 circles in each direction.

Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

What it does: Stretches hip flexors (to undo sitting-position tightness) while engaging the hip extensors, to control increased ROM.

How to do it: Kneel with your left foot on the floor and right knee down (like a knight), and move your right knee slightly out to the side. Contract your glutes so that your imaginary belt buckle points toward the ceiling. Shift your weight forward and feel a stretch along the front of your right hip. Once the stretch begins to dissipate, create an isometric contraction by pulling the knee slightly against the floor. Hold for five breaths and push toward the back of the room, for five more. Switch sides and repeat.

Seated Hip Flexion

What it does: Stretches the entire hip area while allowing you to remain seated at your desk.

How to do it: Sit and pull one knee toward your chest into a gentle stretch. Hold for three breaths and begin to push your knee forward into your hands creating an isometric contraction. Next, aim to pull your thigh and torso toward each other without using your hands. Repeat the contraction cycle for three to five reps.

For Strength Trainers and CrossFitters

Caucasian man lifting weights in warehouse

Quadruped Hip CARs

What it does: Performing this move on all fours helps signal the body to stabilize the core-something that happens with every strength move. (When you remove a support base, youll activate your core to stabilize your body.) Several strength moves also take place in a prone position.

How to do it: Get on all fours, with your right side next to a wall. Pretend there is a cup of hot coffee sitting on your back, and slowly pull your left knee toward your left elbow, and then swing it out and up toward the ceiling. Slide the leg back around, rotating your thigh and pointing your knee toward the floor. Perform three to five circles. Next, reverse the movement, and slowly push your heel toward the ceiling. Bring your knee toward your left elbow as you return to start. Perform three to five more reps, and switch sides.

Kinetic Frog Stretch

What it does: Grooms hips for deep squats and repetitive squats-helping to protect them from overuse injuries.

How to do it: Get on all fours and start to sit back, keeping your knees wide apart and lowering your glutes toward your heels. This time, your belt buckle should point toward the floor. Allow your torso to sink toward the floor while pulling knees farther apart, if possible. Hold for up to two minutes. Next, drive both knees into the floor, to create an isometric contraction. Hold for five breaths. Pull knees in the opposite direction, to create another isometric contraction for five more breaths. Finish by contracting your glutes, so your imaginary belt buckle points toward the ceiling. Hold for five breaths and release.

Standing Passive Flexion Hold

What it does: Teaches the body to control ROM for common strength moves like squats, lunges, and mountain climbers, to help protect the joint during repetitive movements.

How to do it: Stand and hold something for balance, if needed. Grab your right knee with your right hand, and pull it up toward your chest and squeeze for five breaths. Slowly release and lower, creating an isometric contraction against your hand for five more breaths. Perform five sets of contractions, switch sides, and repeat for five more.

9 Mobility Exercises to Open Up Your Hips

Do you ever see guys squatting, deadlifting, and jumping around the gym and think that there's no way your inflexible self could come close to repeating the moves? You're not alone. A <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/bfvsb9/i_have_super_bad_flexibilitymobility_and_struggle/" id="67e8d4a7-dd76-3670-acc1-e44c44be2a05"> Reddit thread </a> highlighted a problem lots of guys face when they're looking to get active: stiff hips.

9 Hip Mobility Exercises to Help You Move and Feel Better

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Pulse Kenya is the most followed news and entertainment platform in Kenya. It informs and engages young Kenyans around the clock and provides updates by the hour.

Lara Rosenbaum

Articles written by the author

This HIIT Workout Plan for Winter Will Save Your Holiday Fitness

Tim McGraw Trains Hard to Stay Country Strong

9 Hip Mobility Exercises to Help You Move and Feel Better