The Benefits of Brief Workouts

The past month has been filled with a mix of rides, runs, and kettlebells, typical of my usual training schedule.  When free time becomes a minimum, its time to turn to the best workouts you can do to get the maximum out of that minimum time.

Minimum Time Workouts have a great series of benefits:
1. you save time, obviously!
2. you beat your body up less versus grueling, fatigue-inducing workouts that last 1-2 hours
3. less body beatings = less injuries or susceptibility to injury.
4. you can get more workouts in per week when they are shorter in duration.
5. If you don't have time for an hour workout, you will feel better by doing a 10-20 minute routine versus doing nothing at all.

There is one routine and format I go to often to take advantage of those benefits: The 20/10 Pattern.

The 20/10 work/rest pattern is a time tested routine I go to a lot, especially with kettlebell workouts. It also works great with bodyweight movements and exercises.

The basis of why I go to these routines is mainly from doing Craig Ballantyne's "Home Workout Revolution".  When I was very busy at times in doing a custodial job, and coaching some sports, I had some short times between the two in order to get a workout in.  Most of these workouts were 10-15 minutes a piece, sometimes closer to 20.  Overall, it kept the workouts short, brief, focused, and effective when doing 2-4 minute cycles of the 20/10 work/rest pattern.

I've typically created my own from time to time, focusing on the basic movements of the body:

Squatting exercise
Pushing exercise
Lunging exercise
Pulling exercise
Bending exercise
Twisting exercise

2 minutes of each and you have a quick 12 minute routine.

3 minutes each? an 18 minute workout.

Even with a kettlebell routine, I can do 2-4 minute cycles of Swings, Cleans, Snatches, Presses, plus a Clean & Press combo.

I've done 2 minute rounds of Swings, then Cleans, then Snatches, then Cleans, then Swings to end it all in quick 10 minute routine. It's a good little 'ladder' type workout of going from simple actions in the swings to more complex ones in the cleans and snatches.

Bottom line, you can take a lot from Craig's routines that he's set up with the HWR series, and spend far less than a P90X, Insanity, or other overpriced DVD set.

In fact, you can start downloading his workouts ASAP after purchase and burn your own DVD sets of select workouts, like I have done. 

You need to do yourself a favor and check out Craig's complete, affordable, and time-saving system:
http://tinyurl.com/cbhwrevsale

-----------
Coach Rick
Kettlebells & Coffee
http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee