If you are looking for an exercise program that requires minimal time with maximum gain (both in terms of weight loss and improved fitness), then keep reading because this strategy is for you. But we should warn you, there is one catch, you have to be willing to work hard! The best way to accomplish this is to do short high intensity intervals separated by relatively short recovery periods. This type of training increases your maximal aerobic capacity (Vo2max), while also boosting your growth hormone and testosterone (don't worry women - testosterone is equally important for you, just in lesser amounts than what men need). This type of training also burns way more calories in a shorter period of time than more conventional cardio. Although, running or cycling is a simple way to do this training, it's not the only way. Any exercise routine that has you alternating between very intense moments (think... hard breathing, fatiguing muscles, and inability to talk) with short active rest periods will do the trick. See below for examples. Super simple plan for running, cycling, swimming, and rowing:5 - 10 min easy warm up10 x (30 seconds hard + 30 seconds easy)5 min easy cool downYes it really is that easy... 20 - 25 min and you are done! You can play around with the length of the intervals. For example, you may need a full minute recovery when you start. Or you may want to increase the length of the hard part to 1 minute to challenge yourself more. Variety is important to keep your body adapting and helps make things more fun. Things such as a high intensity aerobics class or a fast paced soccer game would also fit the description.
