If you are interested in joining the military, there are several physical fitness tests you must pass to qualify.
But not all military roles are physical. In fact, many military personnel have desk jobs and experience the same challenges as regular office workers.
That’s where Lt. Col. Jason Barber of PA-C comes in. He is a U.S. Army Reserve soldier, strength and conditioning coach, and leader of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system.
As part of Barber’s role, he uses a system inspired by special forces training methods to help desk-based service members stay healthy and ready for action.
This may sound like Barber has an intimidating and difficult workout, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
He shared his go-to exercises to improve strength and fitness. You can do these at your desk while you work.
He says a complete workout can be done “in less than 10 minutes while sitting at your desk.”
He also made modifications to scale the exercises up or down to suit your fitness level.
Let me know in the comments how you felt and whether you found this military-approved workout more difficult or easier than regular training methods.
See how to do a desk workout without equipment
exercise guide
1. Squat
set: 2-3 manager: 10-15
manner:
- Stand with your chair back, feet shoulder-width apart, and toes pointing slightly outward.
- Push your chest up and strengthen your core.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your knees bent and hips pushed back.
- Push through your heels to stand back up.
Add strength: Remove your chair, hold a heavy book or water bottle to your chest, or do some jump squats.
Decrease intensity: If your chair has arms, use them to push up on the backrest.
Barber says: “Bodyweight squats improve mobility and stability while strengthening your lower body by targeting your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core.”
2. Desk push ups
set: 2-3 manager: 10-15
manner:
- Place your hands on the desk with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
- Step your feet back so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward your desk.
- Step away from the desk and extend your arms to return to the starting position.
Add strength: Add instability by lifting one leg. Place your hands on the floor and do push-ups. If this is still too easy, elevate your legs on a chair and repeat for slow, controlled reps.
Decrease intensity: Use a wall to do push-ups at a gentler angle.
Barber says: “Forward push-ups work your chest, shoulders, and triceps, making them an effective upper-body workout. They’re also easy to modify.”
3. Reverse lunge
set: 2-3 manager: 10-15 pieces per side
manner:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Step your right foot back and bend both knees. Keep your left knee directly over your left ankle and your chest facing forward.
- Press through your left heel to return to a standing position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating between each rep.
Add strength: Hold the weight or add a knee drive to the top.
Decrease intensity: Limit the depth of your lunges or hold on to a chair for balance.
Barber says: “Reverse lunges are a great way to improve your balance and coordination while strengthening your lower body. Also, reverse lunges have less impact on your knees than forward lunges.”
4.Standing twist
set: 2-3 manager: 10-15 pieces per side
manner:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms raised in front of you at shoulder height, and grab something from your desk to add weight to it.
- Start from the middle of your back, but keep your eyes forward and move your arms to the right, then to the left, keeping your hips facing forward.
- Train your core throughout the entire movement.
Add strength: Hold weights or a medicine ball, or increase the speed of your twists.
Decrease intensity: Perform small twists slowly.
Barber says: “Standing twists help improve rotational mobility and core work, and are a great exercise for people who spend most of their day at a desk. They mainly activate the abdominal and oblique muscles, and help strengthen spinal stability.”
5. Lateral hop
set: 2-3 manager: 10 to 15 in each direction
manner:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Raise your right leg and jump to the right, landing softly on your right foot while keeping your left foot off the floor.
- Immediately jump back to the left.
- Continue jumping from side to side, keeping your feet light.
Add strength: Increase hop distance or speed.
Decrease intensity: Instead of jumping up and down, step to the side.
Barber says: “The lateral hop increases agility, coordination, and endurance while targeting the glutes, quadriceps, calves, and stabilizing muscles around the joints. If you’re a runner, consider incorporating this exercise into your training to increase stability in your hip, knee, and ankle joints.”
Lt. Col. Jason Barber (Mississippi, Pennsylvania, California) has served in the U.S. Army for the past 34 years. He spent his active duty days in the Army National Guard and is currently in the U.S. Army Reserve.
He holds advanced degrees in exercise science and physician assistant studies, as well as multiple strength and conditioning and sports medicine certifications.
He is currently working to support the implementation of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system at the 81st Readiness Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. In that role, he spearheads the Army’s H2F System, an effort to improve Soldier readiness across physical, mental, nutritional, sleep and mental health.
Barber is also the Distinguished Coordinator for the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), which helps Soldier-athletes prepare for and qualify for international competition, most recently the 2026 Winter Olympics.
#noequipment #workout #designed #desk #build #strength #muscle