Is there a superfast workout I can get in before leaving the house in the morning? Something I can do in 10 minutes or less, before I head out to work? —Jose C., Miami, FL
We have one you can do in four minutes. Professor Izumi Tabata, a researcher at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, found that brutally intense interval workouts lasting just four minutes improved endurance better than more conventional interval training—and they even increased fat burning. Known as tabata training, this technique is now used by athletes across the globe.
“You need only one exercise,” says Men’s Fitness training director Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., who suggests burpees: Perform reps for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds. Repeat for four minutes. You’ll get a burn going!