Tabata Workouts has been a trend for a number of years now and it has helped develop some pretty incredible results. The way it works is that you go hard for 20 seconds and rest for 10; repeat this for a total of 4 minutes or the equivalent to 8 rounds. Some do sprints, push-ups, squats, sit-ups, burpees and other forms of conditioning exercises.
It's another idea to look at Micro Workouts where you don't have to do something very long but it's intense enough to really get you going. I approach it a little differently where I would take certain exercises (mainly isometrics and animal moves) and work them good instead of just typical bodyweight movements and fast paced exercises. For instance, yesterday I did an Isometric Workout using the Tabata Style timing but went for a total of 5 minutes instead of the typical 4. This consisted of holding the horse stance and the fist plank, going back and forth. The fist plank is a bit harder to hold than the palm version because of balance and the engagement of the tendons, ligaments and the core muscles. Managed to get through it very well and although it wasn't very challenging, it's still a good micro workout to build strength in a different way.
Isometrics aren't always just holding a position for a few seconds and moving on. They can be taxing when you really put them into perspective. When you do them Tabata Style, you don't just change an exercise on the fly, you have to be in control of the hold as well. A much harder Tabata Isometric Workout would be for the Core which consists of 3 exercises (The third is where you do one side and then the other) that really tackle the abs, lower back and obliques like crazy. I learned it from Red Delta Project which you can find here...No sit-ups or crunches, just pure intense isometrics that could make you feel more sore than dynamic movements.
Another approach to Tabata Style is doing the timing in reverse (10 on, 20 off instead of 20/10) and work certain exercises that way. I've seen Johnny Grube do this with his Rogue Bike for Sprint Training and regardless of how I feel about his idiotic rants, I respect his training style and it inspires me to do similar things (remember my workouts using the sandbell and step-ups? Those were inspired by him) so I took that approach and did a workout for 8 rounds of 10/20 doing Bear Crawls which is pretty intense and will get you huffing and puffing like motherfucker. As you know, Bear Crawls are one of the most rugged exercises to get you in shape quick, this is a great way to tackle them in a short period of time.
Micro Workouts save you a bunch of time and can get in a workout in less than a few minutes than many can in an hour or more. Short and intense training builds a level of conditioning that gives off a different feeling. Explosive and resting very little in comparison to a 10 rep set and resting for like a minute. When it comes to Isometrics, it's being able to hold and switch very quickly and although 20 seconds may not seem like that long, depending on the kind of exercise, it can be so intense it feels like being hit with a crowbar and you're not even moving. Whether Isometrics or Movement Training, it can jack your heart rate up fast and build on explosive power and strength that lasts. Give it a go and see how you do.
