5 Hardcore Workouts You Can Do in Under 10 Minutes

Pop Quiz Hot Shot....You have 10 minutes in the gym to get a workout in, what do you do.  WHAT DO YOU DO?!

One thing I love, I mean besides 90's movie references is helping people get a great workout.  One of the myths in the fitness industry is that you have to workout multiple hours a day to get into shape.  Even in CrossFit, which proved you don't need two hours in the gym to get in shape, this myth started to creep its way into the daily mythos.  Back in 2010 when I was first introduced to CrossFit, the goal was get in, get a great workout, and get out.  

Then came the era of where everyone who walked into a CrossFit gym wanted to "go to the games."  The training seemed to take on a 'more is better' approach.  Programs like Outlaw Way and other online templates became very common scene in the gym.  People left the community of the class aspect, and the eyes of a coach, to follow a template that was made for high end athletes.  WHY??  My personal thought is because everyone wants to feel like they do something special.  People felt like if they couldn't post long death marches, or 2 a day workout sessions on social media....they felt they weren't getting what they needed.

I feel at this time there were many more injuries involved with CrossFit and you really began to see the separation of CrossFit the "training program" and CrossFit "the sport."  But, if there is anything that is guaranteed in this industry, it's that times will change.  Now CrossFit has taken a turn back to focusing on the health and wellness aspect and distanced itself from the sport.  And with that a brand new group of people are finding CrossFit.  One thing that is hopefully coming back is the focus on maximizing efficiency over volume.  Getting a great workout, getting in shape, changing body composition while not living within the gym.  So, in that line of thinking, here are 5 fantastic workouts that really push you, and the best part is they can be done with minimal equipment in 10 min or less!!

 1.  Tabata Calories on the Assault Bike:  Tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds on (max effort) and 10 seconds rest.  This means 4 minutes of work.  But don't let that fool you, because if a workout says "tababta" in front of it, get ready to push yourself.  If you push yourself this will be a hard 4 minutes.

 2.  CrossFit Games Open Workout 12.1 (7 Min of Burpees): The best thing about this workout is that you could do it without ever leaving a hotel room.  Another way to change this up is to change the style of burpee you do.  You can do burpee kickbacks (if you can't do push-ups). You could also do strict burpees where you emphasize the burpees.  Whichever way you choose to scale your burpees, it is a fantastic workout.

·       3.  The Crazy Eights:  This one I came up with on a cruise ship when i didn't have that much equipment at my disposal.  You can use a kettlebell which is how I program for my classes, or you can use a dumbbell.  I recommend using a 53lb kettlebell for men and 35lb for women. The workout is 8 Min AMRAP (as many reps as possible) 8 Goblet Squats and 8 jumping squats (no weight).  It literally wrecks your legs and makes you second guess how long 8 minutes is.

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·      4.   Half "Cindy":  Cindy is a CrossFit benchmark workout, and is literally my favorite hotel workout for on the road.  Cindy is a 20 minute AMRAP of 5 pull-ups, 10 Push-ups, and 15 Air Squats.  So half Cindy is the same workout just for 10 minutes long.  For those that cannot perform a pull-up you can swap it out with a sit-up and it works just fine.

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·       5.  5 Min AMRAP Kettlebell Clean & Jerk:  This takes a little more skill.  You can use one or two kettlebells, but I prefer a kettlbell in each hand if you have the equipment.  This can also be used with dumbbells, but I like kettlebells better (just a personal preference).  If you try to hang on and go for large sets it can be very demanding.

Give these workouts a try.  You will be surprised at how effective they can be and it will leave you plenty of time in your day for other things.  Which is the original design of CrossFit.