Total Transformation in 30 Minutes: Introduction

Gold's Gym Fitness Institute expert and celebrity trainer Adam Friedman has put together five workouts that can help you get big results with minimum gym time.

Thirty minutes—that is all it takes to get a great workout. If you think it takes hours of grueling gym time to see real change, then think again. These five 30-minute workouts created by Adam Friedman, a Gold's Gym Fitness Institute expert and celebrity trainer, will help you maximize your exercise time and increase your strength and stamina. This plan works for anyone—from pure beginners to seasoned athletes—because you can gauge the intensity to match your fitness level. 

Four days of the plan are devoted to serious circuit training, moving from one exercise to another with one-minute cardio bursts (or what we call active recovery) between each set. That active recovery can be jumping rope, running in place or doing jumping jacks—just something you can do close to your workout area. By keeping your heart rate up, active recovery helps you burn more calories. One day of the plan is just pure cardio.

The other important part of this plan is to keep increasing the intensity. Each week you'll have to step it up and push yourself a bit harder. Here's the week-by-week breakdown.

WEEK 1:
Start with two sets of eight to 10 reps on each machine, at a weight that is comfortable for you.

WEEK 2
Add two more reps, for a total rep count of 10 to 12. 

WEEK 3:
Add three more reps, for a total rep count of 13 to 15. 

WEEK 4:
Transition back to eight to 10 reps, but increase the amount of weight. If you were using eight-pound barbells, for example, try 10-pounders.

This workout plan will let you optimize your gym time and still get visible results. If your schedule can handle more, ask a Gold's Gym trainer to help you add on to this plan.

Now let's get started! Find all 5 30-minute workout created for 5 days of the week by clicking on the links below.