Workouts for busy professionals. Full body, before breakfast.
Short, demanding, done before the day starts.
The workout I give most busy professionals is a short full body circuit before breakfast: bodyweight movements one after another, with very short rests, done before the day can take the time back. It needs no equipment and works at home or in a hotel room. A longer gym session helps when the week allows, but it is not required.
Eight movements, no equipment.
Each movement works a different part of the body, and the short rests between them keep your breathing up the whole way through. That short rest, more than any single exercise, is what makes it demanding in a small amount of time.
- Squat. Feet about shoulder width apart, sit back and down, stand tall.
- Push-up. From the floor, or with your hands on a worktop until the floor is within reach.
- Back lunge. Step back, lower the back knee towards the floor, push through the front foot to return.
- Diamond push-up. Hands close together under the chest, which moves more of the work to the backs of the arms.
- Skipping on the spot. Light and quick on the balls of the feet, no rope needed.
- Mountain climber. From the top of a push-up, drive the knees towards the chest one at a time.
- Jump squat. A squat with a jump at the top, landing softly. A brisk squat without the jump if your knees or the neighbours prefer.
- Glute bridge. On your back, knees bent, lift the hips until you are straight from knees to shoulders.
I set the work, the rest and the number of rounds for each client, by their level. If you have a health condition, or have not exercised for a long time, talk to your GP before you start.
One session covers everything.
A split routine, with the chest one day and the legs the next, assumes you will turn up on every one of those days. Miss one, and that part of the body waits another week. Full body means every session covers everything, so a missed morning costs far less.
Before breakfast is not about anything clever with food. It is the one part of the day that meetings, travel and other people have not reached yet, so it is the session most likely to happen.
From one workout to a week.
- 1. Measure first. On a first call I test a one leg stand, upper body strength, a squat and posture, so the circuit starts at the right level.
- 2. The circuit before breakfast, on the mornings your week allows.
- 3. A longer session when there is room, in a gym or at home, for more total work and more variety.
- 4. Short bursts on the days that fall apart. Research links short bursts of activity with better health, even in people who do no formal exercise.
- 5. Make it harder only when it feels steady: a harder version of a movement, shorter rests, or one more round.
- 6. Retest every 12 weeks. The same measures, so the numbers tell you what is working.
Short bursts of activity: Nature Medicine, 2022. A link found across a group of people, not a promise for any one person.
A programme, not one workout.
A good workout is a start. A fitness programme for a busy professional also has to change when the week does. Every plan is written and adjusted by me personally: about three hours a week, often less, at home, in a hotel room or in a gym.
You film a set and I review it and reply. We speak every week or two, your choice, you get a written review every week, replies within one UK working day, and Mr Z, my AI coach, between calls.
What people ask first
What is the best workout for busy professionals?
For most of my clients, a short full body circuit before breakfast: bodyweight movements with very short rests. It needs no equipment, fits before the day starts and covers the whole body every time.
Can I do it at home, without a gym?
Yes. The circuit needs only floor space, at home or in a hotel room. If you have a gym, we add a longer session there when the week allows.
Why full body rather than a split?
Because busy weeks are unpredictable. With a split, a missed day leaves part of the body untrained for another week. With full body, every session covers everything, so missing one costs less.
Is a short workout enough?
With my clients, the whole method takes about three hours a week, often less, and the short circuit holds its own when the schedule will not allow more. Research also links short bursts of activity with better health.
What does your fitness programme for busy professionals cost?
Z12 is 12 weeks for £900 in total, with a full refund within 14 days. Z24 is 12 more weeks for £2,100, in one payment or two, only if we both agree it is needed.
Francesco Zen, founder of ZTraining
Last reviewed 10 November 2026. General information, not medical advice: if you have a health condition, or have not exercised for a long time, talk to your GP before you start.
Twenty minutes, with me.
We talk about your week, your health and what you have tried before. If the programme fits you, I will say so. If it does not, I will say that too.