Last week was one of those weeks—packed with work, year-end deadlines, holiday events, shopping, and the usual December chaos.
Staying consistent with training this time of year isn’t easy.
I had already skipped my workout the day before, and I knew I needed to get something in—even if it was just a short session before dinner. So I pulled together three of the highest-yield exercises I know: movements that deliver the most return in the least amount of time.
Exercises that work as a warm-up with lighter loads and become the main workout when you go heavier.
Exercises that mobilize joints while simultaneously building strength.
What I ended up with was a surprisingly effective 15-minute session—one that did far more than I expected.
That experience led me to create two more workouts I now rely on during busy stretches like this.
If you’re struggling to stay consistent—or just want a high-value workout in less time—give them a try.
Workout 1
Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many quality rounds as possible. Rest as needed between exercises and rounds.
Exercise 1: Turkish Sit-Up — 5 reps per side
Exercise 2: Alternating Cossack Squat — 10 reps total
Exercise 3: Shield Cast — 5 reps per side
Recommended weight:
-
Kettlebell: 24 kg
-
Club: 35 lb
This workout covers nearly everything you need to stay resilient on the mat, making it effective whether you’re short on time or simply want a highly efficient session.
The Turkish Sit-Up builds rotational core strength and shoulder stability—key qualities for strong frames, effective space-making, and powerful sweeps from bottom position.
The Alternating Cossack Squat develops lateral movement while strengthening the legs and hips through a deep, single-leg squat. It also mobilizes the hips and hamstrings, making it especially valuable for passing, transitions, and dynamic guard work.
The Shield Cast improves upper body rotation while mobilizing and strengthening the shoulders and lats. It keeps your shoulders and spine feeling and moving their best while strengthening the grip and stabilizing the core — a reprieve for cranky beat up jiu-jitsu joints.
Performed with minimal rest, this circuit also drives your heart rate up and challenges your lungs, giving you a solid conditioning effect alongside strength and mobility.
Workout 2
Complete 5 sets of the following circuit:
Exercise 1: Hunter Squat — 5 reps per side
Exercise 2: Half-Kneeling Rotational Press — 5 reps per side
Exercise 3: Alternating Step Swing — 5 reps per side
Recommended weight:
-
Kettlebell: 24 kg for all exercises
This total-body circuit builds strength and power in the exact areas that matter most for high-level BJJ performance.
The Hunter Squat may be one of the best squat variations a grappler can perform. It develops single-leg strength and knee resilience in positions commonly used for passing, transitions, and stabilizing under pressure. Beyond that, it improves hip mobility, foot strength, and core stability—qualities that carry over directly to the mat.
The Half-Kneeling Rotational Press builds upper-body pressing strength while enhancing rotational capacity and spinal resilience. This has become one of my go-to pressing variations because it does far more than strengthen the shoulder—it integrates the core, lats, and shoulders into a unified, resilient pressing pattern.
The Alternating Step Swing is a unique take on the kettlebell swing that aligns the movement much more with the body’s natural biomechanics. While the two-handed swing is excellent for explosive hip power, its bilateral nature can leave some athletes feeling compressed through the lower back. The step swing delivers the same power output while incorporating internal and external rotation, similar to natural gait. The result is power that feels fluid and athletic—leaving you energized and mobile rather than compressed.
Choose a weight that allows you to finish each set with one rep left in reserve.
Workout 3
15-Minute EMOM
Min 1: Get Down Left— 1 rep per side
Min 2: Get Down Right— 1 rep per side
Min 3: Heavy Club Mill — 5 reps per side
Recommended weight:
-
Kettlebell: 32 kg
-
Club: 35 lb
If you’re truly strapped for time, this is the workout I’d choose. It’s just two exercises, but both offer an exceptional return on investment. They’re among the highest-value movements you can perform with a kettlebell and a heavy club.
The Get Down is a seven-step sequence with enormous benefits for grapplers. It builds shoulder resilience, core strength, hip mobility, and single-leg strength, while reinforcing movement patterns directly transferable to sweeps and takedowns. Performed with sufficient load, it develops total-body resilience in a way few exercises can match.
The Heavy Club Mill is the pinnacle of club swinging. It develops rotational strength while improving shoulder and hip mobility, core stability, and grip endurance. The mill combines the Inside Circle and Shield Cast, two valuable movements on their own, into a dynamic rotational flow. This pattern is often neglected in training but is essential for building a resilient, well-rounded BJJ body.
Final Thoughts
Being busy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your training, or the quality of it.
When high-value movements are paired with smart programming, the result can be incredibly effective. Start each session with lighter weights and a few controlled reps to groove the patterns before adding load.
These three workouts aren’t just backups for hectic days. They work just as well as warm-ups before BJJ, finishers after training, or as stand-alone sessions.
As the years go by and responsibilities add up, the key isn’t doing more, it’s training smarter.
And this is exactly how you do it.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
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