How to Get More from a Short Workout
Add short bursts of intense activity., Do hard circuit training intervals for a short period., Increase the difficulty of the exercise., Perform an aerobic exercise at your max level for a short period of time., Do interval training., Try...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Add short bursts of intense activity.
One way to increase the effectiveness of a short workout is to push yourself by adding short bursts of intense activity.
Choose a time length, and then give the activity everything you have for that short duration.
Then, recover by doing the activity at a more moderate pace for a few minutes.For example, if you are walking, add in 20 to 30 second sprint runs.
After a two minute warm up, sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
Then, recover by walking at a moderate pace for two minutes.
Repeat as many times as you can.
You can do this with any aerobic activity, such as walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, rowing, stair climbing, or anything else. -
Step 2: Do hard circuit training intervals for a short period.
If you have seven to 10 minutes, you can get an overall workout that pushes you and is effective.
For the duration of the workout, you should push yourself during each burst of activity.
You should feel around an eight on the one to 10 toughness scale.
It may be uncomfortable and hard, but it’s over quickly.The way you should approach this workout is with 30 seconds of hard, as much as you can activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest.
You can choose a different exercise for each 30 second interval, or you can choose few and go through two or three rounds.
Examples of exercises to do during this workout include jumping jacks, burpees, pushups, mountain climbers, crunches, step ups, squats, dips, plank, high knees, and lunges. , Another way to get more from shorter workouts is to increase the intensity of whatever exercise you are doing.
You can do this by performing the exercise at a faster pace or doing a harder variation.For example, instead of doing regular squats, do jump squats or tuck jumps.
Try walking lunges or jump lunges.
Instead of regular jogging, try running with high knees or butt-kickers. , Another way to get results from a short workout is to push yourself to your max effort level for a time.
This means you are doing the activity the fastest you possibly can for the duration of the workout.
You should not be able to push yourself any harder, and by the end you should be completely out of energy and breath.Four to five minutes is a good length of time for this workout.
Choose an activity, like running, swimming, biking, stair climbing, or other aerobic activity.
Do this activity as hard as you possibly can for four or five minutes.
You should not pace yourself or be able to talk during the workout. , You can get a lot from a short workout if you vary the intensity of your effort throughout the workout.
You break the effort into an easy pace, a moderate pace, and a hard pace.
You can decide how many effort levels you want, as long as you are varying the intensity of the intervals as you work out.A common way to do this is to follow the 10-20-30 method.
You do an activity, like cycling or rowing, at an easy pace for 30 seconds.
Then, increase to a moderate pace for 20 seconds.
For 10 seconds, do the exercise as fast and hard as you possibly can.
Keep repeating over the length of your workout.
If you are using a treadmill, it can be hard to get the treadmill up to speed fast enough to do very short intervals.
You'll want your intervals to be more like 90 seconds of jogging followed by one minute of sprinting.
Do this for about 15 to 20 minutes (remembering to warm up with five minutes of walking beforehand and cool down with five minutes of walking afterwards). , Tabata is a style of workout in which you spend 20 seconds doing high-intensity activity then 10 seconds rest.
You repeat this for four minutes, or eight rounds.
Putting together two Tabata-timed moves can give you an effective and short workout.For example, you may start with eight rounds of high knees for 20 seconds, with 10 seconds rest.
Then, you may go to eight rounds of 20-second intervals of burpees, followed by eight rounds of squats.
Just about any cardio or bodyweight exercise can work for tabata training.
You can vary the exercise by doing a different exercise for each 20 seconds, going back and forth.
The key to Tabata is to push yourself as hard as you can for those 20 seconds. -
Step 3: Increase the difficulty of the exercise.
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Step 4: Perform an aerobic exercise at your max level for a short period of time.
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Step 5: Do interval training.
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Step 6: Try Tabata-timing HIIT.
Detailed Guide
One way to increase the effectiveness of a short workout is to push yourself by adding short bursts of intense activity.
Choose a time length, and then give the activity everything you have for that short duration.
Then, recover by doing the activity at a more moderate pace for a few minutes.For example, if you are walking, add in 20 to 30 second sprint runs.
After a two minute warm up, sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
Then, recover by walking at a moderate pace for two minutes.
Repeat as many times as you can.
You can do this with any aerobic activity, such as walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, rowing, stair climbing, or anything else.
If you have seven to 10 minutes, you can get an overall workout that pushes you and is effective.
For the duration of the workout, you should push yourself during each burst of activity.
You should feel around an eight on the one to 10 toughness scale.
It may be uncomfortable and hard, but it’s over quickly.The way you should approach this workout is with 30 seconds of hard, as much as you can activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest.
You can choose a different exercise for each 30 second interval, or you can choose few and go through two or three rounds.
Examples of exercises to do during this workout include jumping jacks, burpees, pushups, mountain climbers, crunches, step ups, squats, dips, plank, high knees, and lunges. , Another way to get more from shorter workouts is to increase the intensity of whatever exercise you are doing.
You can do this by performing the exercise at a faster pace or doing a harder variation.For example, instead of doing regular squats, do jump squats or tuck jumps.
Try walking lunges or jump lunges.
Instead of regular jogging, try running with high knees or butt-kickers. , Another way to get results from a short workout is to push yourself to your max effort level for a time.
This means you are doing the activity the fastest you possibly can for the duration of the workout.
You should not be able to push yourself any harder, and by the end you should be completely out of energy and breath.Four to five minutes is a good length of time for this workout.
Choose an activity, like running, swimming, biking, stair climbing, or other aerobic activity.
Do this activity as hard as you possibly can for four or five minutes.
You should not pace yourself or be able to talk during the workout. , You can get a lot from a short workout if you vary the intensity of your effort throughout the workout.
You break the effort into an easy pace, a moderate pace, and a hard pace.
You can decide how many effort levels you want, as long as you are varying the intensity of the intervals as you work out.A common way to do this is to follow the 10-20-30 method.
You do an activity, like cycling or rowing, at an easy pace for 30 seconds.
Then, increase to a moderate pace for 20 seconds.
For 10 seconds, do the exercise as fast and hard as you possibly can.
Keep repeating over the length of your workout.
If you are using a treadmill, it can be hard to get the treadmill up to speed fast enough to do very short intervals.
You'll want your intervals to be more like 90 seconds of jogging followed by one minute of sprinting.
Do this for about 15 to 20 minutes (remembering to warm up with five minutes of walking beforehand and cool down with five minutes of walking afterwards). , Tabata is a style of workout in which you spend 20 seconds doing high-intensity activity then 10 seconds rest.
You repeat this for four minutes, or eight rounds.
Putting together two Tabata-timed moves can give you an effective and short workout.For example, you may start with eight rounds of high knees for 20 seconds, with 10 seconds rest.
Then, you may go to eight rounds of 20-second intervals of burpees, followed by eight rounds of squats.
Just about any cardio or bodyweight exercise can work for tabata training.
You can vary the exercise by doing a different exercise for each 20 seconds, going back and forth.
The key to Tabata is to push yourself as hard as you can for those 20 seconds.
About the Author
Arthur Harris
Arthur Harris has dedicated 10 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Arthur focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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