Trust me, I'm a fitness trainer - why the 5-10-15 workout could be the most efficient way to improve strength and fitness

PSA: the 5-10-15 workout is the latest training style everyone's talking about. Joining the likes of other number-based exercise routines like the 25-7-2 workout, 3-2-8 method, and 4-2-1 method, the 5-10-15 workout is designed to make keeping fit feel easy.

The main premise is simple: you do five reps of a very intense exercise, ten reps of a moderately intense move and 15 reps of a slightly lower-intensity move. You'll repeat this as many times as you like, though the general consensus is that five sets work well.

Exactly what moves you choose depends on your fitness ability, the kit available to you and how long you have, but the good news is that it's totally doable as a bodyweight workout.

Studies also recommend this type of training. In a 2021 Sports Medicine review, researchers found that concurrent training - meaning training across cardio and strength by mixing up rep ranges and training styles - can efficiently boost strength and muscle.

Bodyweight moves like those used in the 5-10-15 workouts are also packed with benefits. A study from the Journal of Human Kinetics found that intense, functional bodyweight movements can rival weight training when it comes to building upper-body muscle - with the added bonus that, unlike weight training, it can be done anywhere.

After more ideas to shake up your workout routine? Don't forget to check out our guides to other numbered workouts, including the 3-2-1 workout method, the viral 12-3-30, and the 30-30-30 workout trend. Who'd have thought there were so many...

Your guide to the trending 5-10-15 workout, from a fitness instructor

What is the 5-10-15 workout?

As above, the 5-10-15 workout focuses on five reps of a very challenging workout, ten reps of a medium-level challenge workout, and fifteen reps of a more manageable move.

The premise is all about making your workout simple, easy to follow, and enjoyable, too, allowing you to choose your go-to exercises for your session.

What are the benefits of the 5-10-15 workout?

The 5-10-15 workout is packed with benefits, including:

1. It boosts strength and fitness

Given the varied rep ranges for this workout, you'll be working across multiple types of muscular strength. The heavy, low-rep moves will build power, the medium-rep moves will build muscle and the highest-rep moves will build endurance.

Given the fact you'll be kept moving through the workout with minimal rest, you'll also be working on cardio fitness, getting your heart rate up as you continue to move through the rounds.

Of course, to build muscle you do need to be working your muscles to almost failure. Typically, that's hard with bodyweight movements, though the idea of this workout is that you'll be performing many rounds and reps meaning, by the end, your muscles should feel fatigued. There's always the option to add weights to this workout if you have them, but remember that the weights should be manageable for the high-volume nature of the session.

2. It's adaptable

There are so many ways to do this workout. There's the option for it to be bodyweight or weighted and, not forgetting, you have full choice over all of the exercises.

You can also choose how many rounds you wish to do. You could set a goal to add one more round to the workout each week so that you progress your fitness, or you could set a 30-minute timer and see how many rounds you can squeeze into that time.

3. It's quick to do

If you do three to five rounds of this workout, it likely won't take a super long time. That's because you take no rest between exercises and minimal rest between sets. It's great if you want a quick blast.

Equally, if you prefer to go slow and take rest breaks, you do you. The best workout is the one that feels good for your body.

How I got on when I tried the 5-10-15 workout myself

As a Health Editor and fitness trainer, I'm always keen to try new ways to train. So, when MC UK commissioned me to give the 5-10-15 workout a go, I jumped at the chance.

But I hit my first stumbling block before I even arrived at my local fitness space. I loved the idea that this was a bodyweight workout which meant I could do it from home but the classic 5-10-15 programming involved pull-ups and as I don't have a pull-up bar at home, I had to go to the gym.

You can, of course, get around this by investing in a pull-up bar, or even visiting a park gym where they often have outdoor pull-up bars. That said, it is worth noting, as it makes it a slightly less accessible bodyweight workout than other alternatives.

Once I got to the gym, I set myself up for my workout - it was a quick set-up, given I only needed a bar. You might also want to grab a resistance band to loop around the bar and step into it to support your pull-ups too.

My circuit involved five pull-ups, ten press-ups and five squats. I set a goal to do as many rounds as I could in 20 minutes. The first set down and I felt fine. I even contemplated grabbing some dumbbells for the squat section of my workout but decided to keep it as straightforward as possible for the sake of journalistic reporting.

Well, let's just say I'm glad I did that. By the end of my timer, I was knackered. I had to drop to my knees for the press-up portion of the circuit and my heart rate was racing which made even bodyweight squats feel tricky (they are hard regardless, but for someone who squats with barbells and plates, I was surprised by how much my legs were burning).

My takeaway? This is a great workout and one that I will keep in my locker for busy days when I want to get in and out of the gym quickly or am in a hotel gym with limited kit. I really loved the formula, so I'll definitely be putting together other workouts using the 5-10-15 idea. I've shared some ideas below for you to try.

5 of the best 5-10-15 workout ideas to try yourself

1. 5-10-15 for strength

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 press ups
• 15 squats

2. 5-10-15 for cardio

• 5 burpees
• 10 squat jumps
• 15 crunches

3. 5-10-15 for lower body

• 5 sumo squats
• 10 split squats (five on each side)
• 15 glute bridges

4. 5-10-15 for upper body

• 5 press ups
• 10 diamond press-ups
• 15 tricep dips

5. 5-10-15 for Pilates

• 5 Hundred's
• 10 toe taps
• 15 leg circles

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