You have 20 minutes to get a killer workout. What's the workout?
For example, most CrossFit WODs last 8-15 minutes. Many will even do two WODs after a warm-up, though others will begin a session with a strength or skill component then do the WOD.
But depending on your objective – strength, size, fat loss – you can use different strategies for a short workout.
Let's say your goal is NOT fat loss. After all, it's easy to design a fat loss workout lasting 20 minutes or less... just string together a circuit of thrusters, Prowler pushing, farmer's walks, pulls-ups, dips, etc. and you got something decent.
Let's look at strength. When someone is strapped for time and his main goal is strength and size I recommend an EMOM approach. EMOM means that you start a set at the beginning of each minute (every minute on the minute). Here's an actual workout I did a few years back that completely destroyed me:
You start a set at the beginning of each minute and the set (4 reps of one exercise) must be completed before the minute ends. If at one point you can't do the 4 reps unbroken, you can rest 10-15 seconds and finish it... it just gives you less rest before the next minute starts! Each minute you do a different exercise.
Repeat until the 21 minutes is up. Why 21? Because then each exercise has 7 sets.
If you prefer to focus more on the upper body you can replace the deadlifts with pull-ups. You could even do a power clean instead of the deadlift if you'd rather work on explosiveness (I would recommend 70% instead of 75% for cleans).
You WILL need a day off after this one! – Christian Thibaudeau
Few pieces of equipment offer the ability to train power, strength, hypertrophy, strength-endurance, and endurance as well.
It also has a fast recovery time with low risk of injury. Since the exercise is primarily concentric in nature, you can do sled or Prowler workouts more frequently, and can go at a higher intensity without paying the price of muscle and joint soreness. And it's easy to use, no detailed techniques involved.
From a coaching perspective, another great benefit is that it's very easy to change weight on the a sled or Prowler, so it's great for partner or group sessions, and it's easy to incorporate with other exercise for easy transitions.
Here's an example. Feel free to adjust it for your needs. Go all-out on each working phase. It'll test your mental toughness.
Rest 90 seconds. Complete two rounds. Go for three if you're an athlete. – Michael Warren
Some might opt for cardio with such a short period of time to train, but you can still achieve a great workout that elicits a hypertrophy response and a massive amount of EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption).
For safety and efficiency, don't lift heavy weight for this. It looks almost like a circuit. Here's an upper body example:
Do three rounds of this:
Do three rounds of this:
The key is to take no rest between the three exercises and only 15 seconds between rounds. Working opposing muscle groups and doing an ab or calf exercise between them will afford you some degree of strength recovery between sets.
If you push yourself you'll knock this out in 20 minutes, be rewarded with a killer pump, and the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption will keep you thermic for hours. – Mark Dugdale
You can't go wrong using a training method that's literally time-based and operates strictly by-the-clock, especially when the clock is your training partner for the day. A solid EDT workout takes exactly 15 minutes from start to finish, not counting your general warm-up.
Or you might go with an EMOM workout lasting 10, 12, or 15 minutes (again, after a quick general warm-up of just a couple minutes of bodyweight work and you're good to go).
Those are both totally effective plug-and-play methods that let you bang out a good session by working against the clock, or working with the clock if you're a "glass half full" person.
But, instead of a more conditioning-intensive plan where your anaerobic endurance could be a significant and potentially limiting factor, you can get some good strength work done in bare minimum time with the right programming.
It was used by '70s raw powerlifter and record-setter John Kuc. He was the first lifter to squat 900, first to pull 850, first to total 2,300, and he got there with simple programming.
For our emergency 20-minute session, go through a quick general warm-up first. That's something you can never skimp on, especially when you still want to lift heavy in the session. Three or four minutes is plenty of time to get some blood flowing and hit a mobility drill or two.
Choose one big exercise. Remember, we need efficiency, so any big basic compound exercise will be fine as long as you can safely hit a heavy single. That means rows, chins, dips, and dumbbell work aren't the best ideas.
Do one or two light warm-up sets for the movement, then get started. The key to this countdown-style approach is in the loading. You gradually work up in weight while dropping reps, and then reduce the weight and bump the reps back up for a final set:
For example, you might go 185x5, 205x4 225x3, 235x2, 245x1, 195x5. That very last set is key. By dropping the weight, you can focus more on picture perfect form even in a relatively fatigued state.
Plus, you're in the sweet spot of post-activation potentiation, which basically means your brain is saying "Pfft! After that heavy work, this one's a feather." So the set should feel easier than the very first because your CNS is amped up and your muscle recruitment is optimized.
If you decide to adopt this plan for the coming weeks, you'd progress by adding 5-10 pounds to every set. Or just return to your regularly scheduled program and keep this in your back pocket until next time. – Chris Colucci
Popularized by the great bodybuilder, Vince Gironda, 8x8 is exactly what it sounds like: 8 sets of 8 reps. However, the beauty of 8x8 isn't exclusively in the set/rep scheme itself, but also in the short rest periods – a mere 30 seconds or less.
It's like a "shock and awe" program designed to let you do the maximum amount of work in a given time period. The workouts are fast-paced and intense, with the ultimate goal to lift as much weight as possible while staying within the 8x8, 30-second rest parameters.
This isn't about strength, but rather meant to be about ramping up metabolic pathways and conditioning. Here's how to do it in 20-minutes or less:
Pick one or two exercises for your intended muscle group(s). Here are some great options:
If you're going do two exercises in a session, choose two non-competing movements (push/pull, upper/lower, chest/back) to allow you to use the most volume possible. And again, the magic is in the rest periods, so avoid super-setting exercises because while you still may only be resting 30 seconds between exercises, muscle groups are getting a longer break than that, and then it's not true 8x8. Instead, perform all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next.
Also, avoid unilateral exercises since that'll allow for too much rest, and anything that overly stresses the lower back like deadlifts, good mornings, or bent-over rows due to the high level of fatigue.
When starting out, choose a weight that's approximately 60-70% of your 8-rep max, and aim to keep that weight for all 8 sets. Stronger lifters may need to ramp the weight up, doing the first 2-3 sets at 50, 60, then 70%. If you need to drop reps, do it, but that means your starting weight was too heavy. However, never compromise rest periods. That means staying off your phone.
If you stick to this prescription, you won't just be in and out of the gym in 20 minutes, you may need to be carried out. It's a helluva workout. – Eric Bach
Never skip your active dynamic warm-up. Failing to do a proper warm-up will lessen the results of your workout and could potentially lead to injury.
I like to do a few sets of band pull-aparts and some band walks to make sure the back and hips are activated properly to prevent injury to the shoulder and knee. Two sets of 10 reps for each will do the trick.
Do medicine ball slams to wake up your nervous system.
For the actual workout, do a circuit with three movements. These include as many sets as possible of 10 back squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 inverted rows for 10 minutes.
This style of training is great for muscular endurance as well as cardiovascular fitness. It creates balance in the body and will guarantee that you leave the gym feeling accomplished. – T.J. Kuster