Micro Workouts For More Efficient Training And Time Friendly Options

Time isn't always our friend and because of certain obligations we have in our lives, we have to get things done and feel like it's never enough. It can be stressful doing many things like making sure the bills are paid, are the kids happy and fed, is the house clean, need to pick up the groceries, got this and that appointment, am I going to make it to that meeting on time, I need to get my kid to practice, need to get dinner ready. At some point, either someone has done all of these or at least 3 of them. 

Even when we try to focus on ourselves, it can be stressful too; do I look ok, is my ass too big for this dress, need to get to Yoga class (or wherever you choose to train at), I have to be restrictive about my eating or I won't lose weight, am I eating enough to put on muscle, I need to workout longer but will that take away my time from everyone else? It's that rush, rush, rush and taking on so many priorities, we often forget that there are 24 hours and yes there are things to prioritize, but also it's not good to try to sprint during a whole marathon either. 

Getting some form of exercise in doesn't have to be stressful or complicated like we make so many other things. Sometimes, just a few minutes is all we get but we can also make them count. Micro Workouts have been around a long time but what really is the term Micro Workouts? In a nutshell, it's the idea of doing exercise for a short period of time that can range from a few seconds to like an open window of 15 minutes. It's the concept of using the time you can use to get something going and with the intent of being efficient and utilizing intensity. There's the Tabata concept where you do 20 seconds of hard exercise with 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds (4 minutes all together). Another great one is a favorite where you take two exercises and go back and forth with them as a superset for say like 10 minutes with little to no rest. That might be your workout for the entire day which is great, so don't feel bad because you can't exercise for an hour straight or longer like the magazines and general fitness ideals tell you.

 One workout I did the other day was part of what I'm learning about Suspension Calisthenics and molding the superset concept and making it intense but not impossible to do. If you're into Suspension Training, this is a quick one that doesn't take up a lot of time and targets your core muscles like crazy...

Do 6 Knee Pull-Ins Followed by 16 Mountain Climbers (8 each side) for 3 sets resting as needed in between sets. You can add another set of exercises if you wish like I did or just do that. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes depending on your rest periods. My add on to it was another superset of Suspension Curls & Rows doing 10 each for 3 sets. That workout alone was an ass kicker. For that first superset of the knee pull ins and climbers can be better explained here...I just did the Knee Tuck version without the seesaw move as you'll see. 

Another great Micro Workout is a great Tabata Style of Isometrics focused on the Abs. It involves 4 exercises (In reality only three cause one of them involves side planks for each side) that you do 2 rounds of for 20 on and 10 off for 4 total minutes. You will feel it and not one exercise involves crunches or a sit-up. The workout can be seen here...

You can just use your bodyweight for things like push-ups, squats, lunges, step ups, carrying a heavy bag, animal style movements, you can use light dumbbells if you want, it can even be a sprint session. Don't be afraid to use the time you need to get the job done. You won't always have an hour to get some training in. If you have little ones, use their nap time to get some exercise in. Take the time during commercials of your favorite show to get some blood pumping (this was a favorite for athletes such as Herschel Walker & Rickey Henderson) or doing a few squats or lunges while the gas is being pumped into your car, there are so many ways to do Micro Workouts it's ridiculous. 

Find the strategies that work for you. To learn about this training concept check out the book Micro Workouts by Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project. Be strong, use your time wisely and be amazingly awesome. 

Sprint 8 Without The Machinery And Summer Results So Far

Changing things up can be a good thing so you can stay interested and take on a different style of the training you're working on. Since about late May, I was working on Hill Sprints and up until now did around 60 Sprints in that time ranging from 4-5 per workout at 10-15 seconds each. I would take about a 20 minute walk to the hill, do my sprints and walk back 20 minutes. It was good for a while but was feeling burnt out and needed to change things up. Doing research and seeing what could work for me, I found the Sprint 8 Program.

Doing a couple workouts with Sprint 8 so far and it's tough but I have greater energy and the timing is better for me since I can practically do it anywhere and not always exhaust myself. If you ever read the course by Phil Campbell it's simply a workout where you do an exercise for 30 seconds fast and "rest" for 90 seconds for 8 rounds. The workout itself takes less than 15 minutes all together and only 4 minutes of intense training.  

The program itself is not really that new and the concept itself as I recall was originally "founded" by Dr. Lawrence Moorhouse who had athletes do this with Burpees or Step Ups (can't remember which one exactly) but it's a good program. Campbell updated this protocol in the modern age by using it for cardio machines that's actually pre-set to the protocol. There's a warm up period, the workout and a cool down which all together takes 20 minutes. This is to be done 3x a week which the trial run is 8 weeks. 

I don't use machines so I just do Burpees for this particular workout because as a bodyweight exercise, Burpees are the closest to the most intense, fat burning and weight loss exercise you can do next to sprint training. The rest period is just walking it off. I would start with a few minutes of Joint Loosening and than get right to it. When I'm done, I hop in the shower and do recovery work the rest of the day. The workout itself is less than 15 but if you include the joint loosening its about 18-19 minutes) and that is perfect for me. 

You don't need machines to do this workout (which I just showed), you can do this with slam balls, bodyweight exercises, sprints in place, Burpees, Step Ups, weights just about whatever your imagination can come up with, just do something fast for 30 seconds and actively rest for 90 for 8 rounds, that's it. With the Hill Sprints and this workout so far, I've lost 7-9 pounds and put on some muscle but it's still a work in progress and got a ways to go so I just need to trust the process. I didn't even diet that much if at all and the pounds were still slowly but surely coming off. 

Who knows where I might go with this but at the moment, I like it and it could lead to my best physique ever but I'm not looking for the beach body, just be in better shape and be in better health little by little. As of July 4th, I've gone from 267 lbs. to 258 lbs. (Pictures at 258), would like to be a little under 250 by the time I turn 38. Is it possible? We shall see.

Burning Fat With Sprints

 
    Trying to lose weight, burn fat, build muscle and all that stuff yet most would tell you to do an hour of cardio and weights. Hate to break it to you but it always happen that way, however; you can get things done in a far shorter amount of time and that's through High Intensity Training (HIT). We've all heard this before but does it really work? Hell yes it does but a lot believe you need to do it everyday. There's no way in hell you can go that hard everyday without either blacking out, burning out or just plain die from exhaustion. At best 2-3x a week should be the maximum, for beginners once a week is enough.

 
    Sprint Training is the focal point to HIT because it's a far shorter workout, you're resting more than training. Your body is filled with powerful cells and has a very strong sense of recovery. Although different people recover differently the principle still applies. Now when some mention sprints they think running either or up a hill or flight of stairs; it's not always running something it could be other things like skipping rope, battling ropes, moving like a wild animal; it's moving as fast as you possibly can for a short burst. Thirty seconds should be the peak. At first only a few seconds is all you can do which is fine it's a start. In my personal training when I do sprints, most of the time 30 seconds is the whole workout not one set at a time. When you go hard at a fast pace, you're opening the fast twitch muscle fibers that unlocks every muscle in your body that's firing.

 
    There's just no way your body can move fast without every muscle firing because if you did it in isolation and only working a specific set of muscles those muscles would be far drained and you'll be looking like a goofball. Whether it's running, swimming, battling ropes or whatever, most likely your whole body comes into play because it needs to work in unison. Hitting the body that hard produces natural growth hormone which creates a level of burning fat, building muscle and releasing more cells to the bloodstream. Think about all those dumb lethal injections people do to stimulate growth hormone when in reality you can produce it naturally and have it be 10x more than the latest pill or needle in your arm or wherever. Unless your hormones are so low that exercise wise it won't come no matter what you do than see a doctor about it but generally your body is meant to naturally grow from within, it's a beautiful piece of work.

 
    Think of it like this, who in the hell has a lot of time these days to get in awesome shape? You work like a madman, got a family to feed and you think an hour and a half everyday is going to get you somewhere? So why not have shorter workouts that produce far more than standard cardio. It's building your body without the hassle. Even if you spent a few short minutes a day doing a crazy style of Yoga can help you and progress even by the smallest fraction. On your "days off"; stretch, breathe deeply and recover. There are days where you hit hard one day and go a 180 the next or you go hard and the next day you do about half or a third of the previous day. Listen to your body and get a feel of how you recover, your level of energy and the intensity you bring yourself. Don't always listen to some shmuck that ghost writes, do what's best for you. Shorter bursts produce better results in my opinion but it's also just as important to recover and let your body repair itself. Practice it and you'll start to see changes you never knew was possible.

 
Have a great weekend everyone. Be Awesome.