5 Quick Workouts for Days You’re Short on Time
On days when time is tight, you need workouts with clear names and simple rules. These five are widely used, easy to start, and done in 5–15 minutes. Pick one, set a timer, and go.
Tabata (4 Minutes)
A classic high‑intensity interval protocol: 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds easy, eight rounds, four minutes total.
How to do it
- Pick one move: air squats, stationary bike, kettlebell swings, or sprint in place.
- Warm up for one minute at an easy pace.
- Start a timer. Go hard for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times.
- Cool down with easy breathing for one minute.
Scaling
- Newer: keep the effort brisk, not maximal. Aim for the same reps each round.
- Advanced: alternate two moves, like squats and push‑ups.
The 7‑Minute Workout
Made popular by simple bodyweight circuits. Twelve exercises, 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off, one round is seven minutes.
How to do it
- Jumping jacks
- Wall sit
- Push‑ups
- Ab crunches
- Step‑ups (chair or stair)
- Squats
- Triceps dips (chair)
- Plank
- High knees in place
- Lunges
- Push‑ups with rotation
- Side plank (split the 30 seconds between sides)
Scaling
- Newer: shorten work to 20 seconds, keep rests at 10–15 seconds.
- Advanced: run a second round for 14 minutes total.
EMOM 10 (Every Minute on the Minute)
Work at the top of each minute, rest in the remaining time. Keeps you honest and moving.
How to do it (10 minutes)
- Odd minutes: 10 goblet squats with a dumbbell or 12 air squats.
- Even minutes: 20–30 second plank, then stand and shake out.
Tips
- Choose numbers you can hold for all 5 rounds of each movement.
- If you fall behind, reduce reps by two next minute.
AMRAP 12 (As Many Rounds As Possible)
Set a 12‑minute timer. Cycle the same three moves without stopping. Count how many rounds you complete.
How to do it
- 8 reverse lunges per side
- 6 push‑ups (hands on a counter if needed)
- 10 dead bugs total (slow and controlled)
Scaling
- Newer: make it AMRAP 8.
- Advanced: hold light dumbbells for lunges and add 10 kettlebell swings each round if you have a bell.
1–10 Ladder (5–15 Minutes)
Start at 1 rep per move, add one rep each round until 10. Short, focused, and easy to track.
How to do it
- Two moves: squat and push‑up.
- Round 1: 1 squat, 1 push‑up.
- Round 2: 2 squats, 2 push‑ups.
- Keep climbing. Stop at 10 or when you hit your time cap.
Scaling
- Newer: use incline push‑ups and stop at 6–8.
- Advanced: make squats into jump squats for the last three rounds.
How to Pick Today
- Want the fastest option? Tabata.
- Want structure with breaks? EMOM 10.
- Want a complete bodyweight circuit? 7‑Minute Workout.
- Want steady effort without counting seconds? AMRAP 12.
- Want something you can stop at any point and still feel done? Ladder 1–10.
Finish standing taller than you started, and keep the habit alive.
