11-Minute Air Force Canadian Workout

An Overview of the 5BX Plan

The 5BX Plan also known as the 11 Minute Canadian Workout was developed by the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1960s as a fitness regimen that could be completed in just 11 minutes. This workout is composed of five basic exercises targeting key muscle groups to improve strength, flexibility, and mobility. The exercises focus on using body weight, allowing the workout to be performed daily without risking injury, even in remote locations.

As a former solider myself back in the 1990s we did similar style training and it taught me about how effective body weight and shorter workouts could be. Throughout my ongoing career in fitness I have used similar methods with short home-based bodyweight workouts (with over 390 Million views worldwide from my YouTube Channel) these have helped millions of people on their health journeys. The 11-Minute Air Force Canadian Workout has been used by royalty and it is said that King Charles has used this.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the 5 exercises and I am also going to provide an alternative which will still have the same effect and bring more benefits.

THE WORKOUT

Exercise 1: Toe Touches for 1 Minute – This exercise aims to improve flexibility by beginning with arms up and standing straight, then leaning forward from the hips to touch your toes.  My comment on this move I feel this could make someone feel light-headed and would therefore focus on this instead as a standing straight leg lift.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION: Standing Straight Leg Kicks aim for 1 minute. This is incredible for developing your hamstring flexibility as well as boosting your cardiovascular health.

Exercise 2: Floor Crunches For 1 Minute – This classic move aims to target the abs with either full sit-ups or crunches. My comment on this move would be to do standing abs as this is a more efficient way of working the core and less strain on the back and neck.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:  Ab Runners 30 seconds each Leg. Start in a split stance, then drive the knee up from the leg behind and swing the arms, engage your core tummy muscles to help with stability and balance, hold for a second, and then return to the start position. Repeat the same leg, do 30 seconds on one side then change to the other.

Exercise 3: Lying Extension for 1 Minute -This exercise involves lying face down, lifting your legs off the floor and activating your glutes to help build strength in this area and improve hip flexibility. My comment on this move would be that by doing this face down on the ground we have limited range of motion, so again I would do this standing.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:  Basic Squat aim for 1 Minute. Stand straight, then slowly squat as if you are about to sit on a chair and extend your arms straight out, hold, and then come back up to standing.

Exercise 4: Push-Ups For 1 Minute – This exercise is excellent for upper body strength and one of my personal favourites. My comment on this move would be for any beginner to start with doing basic push-ups and progress to this move

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:  Wall Push-Up for 1 Minute. Place your hands in line with your shoulders and lean into a sturdy wall or worktop, and simply lower your body by bending through your elbows close to the wall, hold then push back up.

Exercise 5: Cardio Element for 6 Minutes This exercise lasts for six minutes and includes running in place for 75 counts and doing 10-star jumps, repeating for 6 minutes. My comment on this move would be for any beginner or someone with knee or back injuries, to swap the high-impact moves for simply low-impact.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:  Marching on the Spot for 75 Counts, this is as simple as it sounds, then the key is to march with good upper body posture, then do 10 low-impact starts, so this is simply stepping one foot out to the side and taking the same side arm up and over and alternate from one side to the other. Then go back to your marching for 75 counts. Keep doing this for the suggested duration of 6 Minutes.

Consistency is key in fitness, and short workouts are a great way to achieve this goal. Using body weight is one of the most effective ways to train your body. Focus on the mind-muscle connection, and you’ll get the best results out of this workout.