Got 12 minutes? Then you've got enough time to get in a killer workout.
Microblogging sites like Twitter prove on a daily basis that we live in a society built upon the “quicker-is-better” mentality. Fortunately for the time-pressed among us (isn’t that everyone?), this belief may actually be true when it comes to exercise. In fact, when it comes to workouts, speedy bouts can be just as effective as longer ones, if not more so.
The Science
Ever heard of EPOC? It stands for “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption,” and it refers to the process your body goes through postworkout to return to its preworkout state – and the higher it is, the more calories you’ll burn even after you’re done sweating it out. Here’s the thing: high-intensity exercise elicits more EPOC than slower, drawn-out exercise (think: running a marathon). Since you can’t keep up a vigorous intensity for very long, short but tough workouts are where it’s at if you want results fast.
The intervals in this workout will up your EPOC with only two pairs of light- to medium-weight hexagonal dumbbells (for stability when you are on the floor, like in the weighted burpees and plank rows) and a mat. Do it two to three times per week, leaving at least 48 hours of rest between bouts and supplementing it with total-body resistance workouts and less-strenuous cardio sessions.
