The Dali Bar Ultra-Fast Ultra-Effective Workout

We at Dali Bar love staying fit and healthy and we’d love to be able to spend every day hiking, cycling, playing football, or doing other active things.

But, like most people, our lives are busy and it’s not always possible to dedicate a lot of time to doing sports and fitness.

I recently had personal success with a two-step exercise program that I came up with to try to get around this time-crunch. It focuses on short high-intensity interval training with a mix of aerobic and weight training elements. I performed it about five mornings per week on a three-week business trip during which I had very little spare time for exercise and no access to my regular exercise facilities.

I actually came back thinner, stronger and fitter than when I left, all with a workout that can be squeezed into a 20-30 minute period in the morning. It’s now part of my regular fitness routine and I’m continuing to feel the benefits of it.

Here’s the program for other busy people out there who are looking for an fast and simple workout program:

Step one: high-intensity aerobic training.

This step uses the Tabata training regimen developed by Japanese sports physiologist Dr Izumi Tabata. Dr Tabata conducted experiments on Japanese Olympic athletes to show that short and extremely intense workouts provide many more benefits to aerobic and anaerobic capacity than many hours worth of exercise performed at a moderate level of intensity. Performing Tabata’s high-intensity intervals also boosts your metabolism for several hours after finishing your workout and performing them regularly may help prevent diabetes.

The Tabata regimen is about as simple as it gets: running, riding a bike or using any other sort of aerobic exercise equipment go as hard as you possibly can for 20 seconds and abruptly slow to a easy recovery pace for 10 seconds. Repeat seven more times for a total of eight intervals. In order for the Tabata regimen to be most effective you should be maxing out your heart rate and feeling extremely uncomfortable by the end of the eighth interval, even to the point of coming close to vomiting. The plus side is that entire workout only takes four minutes, perfect for those of busy folk looking for an ultra-quick workout.

Step two: high-intensity circuit training with body weight

This step comes from a regimen developed by the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida, USA. It became popular in the United States after the New York Times reported on its benefits, which are similar to those of Tabata training but with more of a focus on muscular development.

This regimen is also simple to perform if you’re already familiar with each of the individual exercises: Do each of the following for 30 seconds at an intensity level of about 80%, followed by 10 seconds of rest before proceeding to the next exercise:

Photo: the New York Times

1. Jumping jacks

2. Wall sit

3. Push-up

4. Abdominal crunch

5. Step-up onto chair

6. Squat

7. Triceps dip

8. Plank

9. High knees/running in place

10. Lunge

11. Push-up and rotation

12. Side plank

Like the Tabata regimen, you should also feel uncomfortable by the time you’re finished. But again, it’s very short, lasting just under eight minutes.

Combined, these two steps give an incredible full-body aerobic, anaerobic and strength workout that will keep you feeling fit and healthy whether you’re on a business trip or simply in a rush to get on with your day. They can be fit into a half-hour block and the only equipment required is a pair of running shoes and some exercise clothes.

Try it out for a few weeks and savor at how little time commitment it takes to feel fit, strong and full of energy!

Dan Siekman is a Partner and Marketing Director at Dali Bar