5-Minute Workout: How to Get Fit Quick, From Wall Street Trader Turned Trainer

Hilary Hoffman was in her second year as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs when she read that being sedentary was the new smoking, and the running joke on the trading floor was hashtag RIP.

“We’re going first. All we do is sit,” Hoffman told Business Insider. “Your value’s only derived at your desk.”

Dark humor aside, she wasn’t ready to compromise on her health and longevity for the sake of her career. She decided to create her own workout that fit into her busy schedule.

The SotoMethod stands for “60 on, 10 on,” a pattern of holding an exercise for 60 seconds, then working through a series of 10 movements.

Even if she only had five minutes to spare after a long day at the office, Hoffman said the workouts were challenging enough to get her in shape, but not so hard that she felt exhausted after.

Before long, Hoffman noticed she wasn’t the only who needed a quick fitness fix. She began teaching weekend classes in her yard that grew from three people to more than she could fit.

From there, she built the business from a side hustle all the way up to opening her own NYC studio.

Whether you’re working a Wall Street schedule or just trying to save time in the gym, Hoffman said a few simple tips can help you get the most out of a short workout.

Find a focus point

The first step to more efficient workouts is to have a clear aim. You can’t realistically do everything at once, Hoffman learned in the finance world, so having your priorities straight is key.

“When your job is that demanding from a time perspective, you really need to know what’s important,” she said.

For instance, to build muscle, you’ll want to include resistance training, increasing the challenge over time so your body adapts, while a combination of cardio and strength training may help boost longevity.

Start with 5 minutes a day

You can train your willpower like any other muscle, according to Hoffman.

Just like you wouldn’t learn to deadlift by starting at 300 pounds, the best place to begin a fitness routine is setting a time commitment you can manage.

As little as five minute a day helps to form a habit and starts the process of challenging your body to build muscle and get stronger.

Hoffman said her own workout plan on a busy schedule can hit all the fitness essentials is just over an hour per week: two 30-minute cardio sessions and two resistance training sessions of five minutes each, one for arms and one for core.

From there, you can add more. The SotoMethod uses simple blocks of exercise that can add up, so Hoffman said she often starts with a short workout and ends up surprising herself by getting more done.

“There are times I said I could only do five minutes, but I ended on a 30-minute workout because I kept stacking blocks on top of each other to build up,” she said.

Save time with isometrics

Hoffman uses a simple workout technique to increase muscle tension for better gains, without needing lots of time on many sets or reps.

An isometric exercise involves holding a static position that keeps your muscles working, like a plank or a low squat.

Firing up your muscles while staying in place is low-impact on your joints, making it easier to recover and prevent injury.

Hoffman’s strategy is to work isometrics into a class during transition periods when she’s explaining the next movement, so you can continue working even as you’re getting ready for the next exercise.

The end result is making the most of every second during a workout. It’s also a safe way to bring the muscles close to failure, which research suggests can help maximize strength and muscle gains.

“That’s how you really build new muscle and build endurance,” Hoffman said.