10 Minute Workouts Worth Doing

Sometimes my idiot brain jumps into perfectionism and therefore the little idiot voice in my head tells me that because I only have 10 minutes available for a workout that it isn't worth doing.

What do I do when this happens? i do not compute.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The fact is I've had many glorious 10 minute workouts when time is tight. 7 months ago my wife had a baby. We've been busy since then and sometimes all I even have may be a few 10 minute chunks of your time for understanding . More often than not, I dive into an excellent intense 10 minute workout... but sometimes I fall for the "if i can not compute for 30 or hour , there is no point" mentality.


Are 10 minute workouts worth doing?


Absolutely. I've gone to the gym for 10 minutes to grind out an excellent intense superset workout. I've never regretted it. Even a brief 2-muscle superset routine keeps me on my weight lifting schedule (whether a 3, 4 or 5 day split).

More importantly, by getting into those 10 minute workouts when that's all the time I even have (instead of skipping them), I maintain my momentum. Momentum is a particularly powerful and effective element to understanding consistently within the end of the day .

When I have momentum, I never skip a workout. once I skip a workout or 2 within the past, I've lost momentum and find yourself skipping more workouts until I dig in and obtain my momentum back.

Multiple 10 minute workouts throughout the day

You may be too busy to suit during a 30 or 60 minute workout, but anyone on any day can scrape together 3 ten minute chunks of your time to urge during a full regimen throughout the day. Splitting up workouts is great because you'll do super intense sessions.

In fact, I've had many 3 mini workout session days. I'll start with a ten minute stretching routine within the morning. Do an intense 10 minute weight lifting superset routine at lunch. I'll end the day with 10 minutes of HIIT outside my home or on my treadmill. Bang, that's half-hour of fitness covering all the bases. the simplest part is it hardly seems like I figured out within the time-sense. It also leads to highly focused and intense sessions.

10 minute workout examples

The sky is that the limit once you open your mind up to doing 10 minute workouts.

The start line is to interrupt it down into weight lifting, cardio and stretching. I do all three weekly (often within the same workout or on an equivalent day).

10 minute weight lifting workout routines

I find the simplest thanks to do 10 minute weight lifting workouts is to try to to supersets.

A sample 10 minute weight lifting workout for chest and back is as follows:

3 sets of every of the subsequent supersets:

Bench press / Seated rows
Incline DB press / Lat pull downs
Do them with 15 to twenty seconds rest between supersets.

You can create similar supersets for all muscle groups during a multi-day split.

10 minute cardio workouts



Probably the simplest short cardio workouts are high intensity interval training workouts. These are where you're employed out at maximum intensity for 10 to 90 seconds, followed by 10 to 60 seconds of low intensity. In 10 minutes you'll get during a sweaty, intense cardio workout. the subsequent is an example 10 minute HIIT workout on a treadmill:


  • 60 second warm up at 65% maximum pulse .
  • 60 second sprint (7 to 10 mph).
  • 30 second walk (3 to 4 mph).
  • 60 second sprint
  • 30 second walk
  • 60 second sprint
  • 30 second walk
  • 90 second fast run
  • 60 second walk
  • 60 second sprint
  • 60 second walk/cool down


You can adjust the time intervals and intensity consistent with your ability. The sprint sessions should be high intensity. If that's walking at 4 mph on an incline, that's fine. it is the intensity that matters.

10 minute yoga/stretching workouts

Many people don't bother stretching in the least . i feel that's an enormous mistake. I find being flexible improves my life also as my workouts and athleticism.

On the flip side, you do not need to stretch for 30 or hour a day to profit . I often restrict my stretching/yoga routines to 10 minutes.

The goal of any stretching/yoga routines is to hit each of the main stretching motions, which are:


  • forward bend
  • Backward bend
  • Inversion
  • Twist
  • Balance pose
  • Standing


For ten minute yoga routines, i'll forego standing and balance postures or emphasize them. The key's to urge during a great forward stretch, backward bend, inversion and a twist.



A sample 10 minute yoga routine is as follows:


  • 3 sun salutations (forward bend, plank, downward dog, lunge both legs, downward dog, forward bend - do each for 1 breath) - 3 minutes
  • Seated forward bend: 30 seconds
  • Seated twist (30 seconds both sides)
  • Cobra (60 seconds)
  • Seated V-forward bend (30 seconds)
  • Seated V-sideways bend (30 seconds each side)
  • Butterfly (30 seconds)
  • Shoulder stand (60 seconds)
  • Fish pose (30 seconds)
  • Savasana (rest pose - 60 seconds)


The above is simply an example. you'll create many 10 minute yoga workout variations. As you'll see, all the main movements are included (even standing with the lunges during the sun salutations).

If you've got a 20 minute session only during a given day, you'll consider supersetting your yoga workouts with weight lifting sessions.

The cumulative effect is what counts

Even if your life is insanely busy, getting into 1, 2, or 3 ten minute workouts every day will end in a fitter you within the end of the day . Don't fall for the trap in thinking that you simply must have 30, 60 or 90 minutes for a workout deter you from getting and remaining fit. It's like working - working harder/longer isn't necessarily better than working smarter. an equivalent applies to fitness.

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