Overwhelmed Professional’s Guide to Time Efficient Workouts
When life gives you lemons and stress levels soar, you’re likely missing out on sleep, eating less mindfully, and lacking the time and (mental and physical) energy to workout. Here’s how I design my workouts during these intense periods. This method is simple, time-efficient, and adaptable to various fitness levels and intensity preferences.
My name is Anthony. I’ve been a functional fitness (formerly CrossFit-affiliated) gym owner and coach since 2012. My approach combines functional fitness, mindfulness meditation, and Stoic philosophy to help my clients and myself remain prepared for life’s inevitable challenges. These practices were a lifeline when my family’s business was destroyed by a natural disaster in 2018. In this guide, I’ll show overwhelmed business owners and professionals how to create “plug-and-play” workouts that allow you to stay fit when the external stressors of life gets overwhelming.
Time Efficiency
During high-stress periods, I rely on an "Every Minute on the Minute" (EMOM) workout format. This style is highly adaptable to the time you have available. For example, if you only have 30 minutes, you can select a 28-minute EMOM structure.
Here's how it works:
Choose three movements and one rest period.
In the first minute, complete the first movement, then rest for the remainder of the minute.
In the second minute, do the second movement, then rest.
In the third minute, do the third movement, then rest.
In the fourth minute, rest completely.
The built-in rest allows you to move sustainably and focus on high-quality movement, which is essential when you’re low on sleep and energy. This structure ensures that fatigue doesn’t lead to poor form and injury risk.
Movement Choice
I generally select three types of movements to cover a range of physical demands:
Bodyweight/Gymnastics – Examples: pull-ups, push-ups, handstand push-ups, wall walks.
Compound Lift – Examples: deadlifts, barbell squats, snatch, or clean and jerk.
Cardiovascular – Examples: rowing, air bike, or skipping.
The order of these movements depends on your priority for the day. For example, if improving gymnastics strength is my goal, I’ll place bodyweight movements first. Let’s say I choose handstand push-ups.
The compound lift should complement the first movement. Since handstand push-ups are an upper body push exercise, I’ll avoid other upper body push movements like the snatch. Instead, I’ll choose deadlifts for lower body focus. Finally, for the cardiovascular component, I’d pick rowing, which involves a lower body push and upper body pull.
Repetitions and Intensity
With the movements set, adjust repetition and intensity to keep the workout sustainable. Aim for 60-70% of your max capacity to maintain good form. For example, if my max for handstand push-ups is 15 reps, I would aim for 9 reps in each round during the workout.
For the compound lift, decide if you want to focus on strength or muscle endurance. For strength, I would choose a heavier weight allowing for 5-7 reps with good form. For muscle endurance, I would select a lighter load that allows me to complete 8-12 reps, both ideally executed within 45-50 seconds, leaving time to transition to the next movement.
For the cardio, I would aim for a level of output that I can sustain across all intervals, in this case I would aim for 20 calories on the rower.
Rest Period: Recovery Techniques
During the rest, I focus on recovery. I use a “physiological sigh,” taking two sharp inhales through the nose followed by a long exhale through the mouth. This helps lower the heart rate and improve recovery. I also practice mindful grounding by feeling my feet, tuning into my physical sensations, and regulating my breathing to refocus for the next round of work.
Example Workout
28-Minute EMOM
Minute 1: 9 Handstand Push-Ups
Minute 2: 10 Deadlifts at 100 kg
Minute 3: 20 Calories Row
Minute 4: Rest
Want to Do More?
On days when I have extra energy, I add an “unsustainable” finisher for a final push. For example:
For Time:
27 Handstand Push-Ups
30 Deadlifts
60 Calories Row
This finisher allows me to train in larger sets and push for higher intensity at the end, and “leave it all out on the floor”. Please note that I don’t do this every session. This is only reserved for days that I feel like I want to go for the extra push.
Warm-Up
I create my warm up routine to prepare my mind and body for the main piece of training. This is a simple progression that I use to create an effective and time efficient warm up. Start with 2 minutes of easy cardio (air bike, rower, or bike), focusing on nasal breathing to prepare the cardiovascular system. Next, warm up with three progressive rounds: with round one being easy pace with body weight movement, round two increasing the movement complexity / intensity, and round three with the movement and intensity that I would be doing in the workout.
Round 1
10 Push-Up to Down Dog
10 Banded Good Mornings
1 minute row at easy pace
Round 2
1-3 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
10 Deadlifts at 50% of working weight
30 seconds row at moderate pace
Round 3
5 Handstand Push-Ups
5 Deadlifts at working weight
30 seconds row at high intensity
Recovery
I end each training session with static stretches, holding each pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. I work on being mindful with my stretching and my breathing. Sensing into how the body feels in each stretch. For the above workout I will choose something like the puppy pose - stretches the spine, relieving tension in the upper and mid-back, and opens up the chest and shoulders; pigeon pose - targets the hip flexors, glutes, and psoas, relieving tension from these areas and improving hip flexibility; and lizard pose - stretches and opens the hip flexors, quads, and groin, beneficial for people who sit for long periods. I would also use parasympathetic breathing - this involves deep inhalations followed by slower and extended exhalations. For instance a four count in breath followed by a five or six count out breath. Parasympathetic breathing helps in bringing our central nervous system back from “fight or flight mode” to “rest and digest”. This is useful at the end of training to kick start the recovery process.
Conclusion
Training often becomes secondary during periods of stress. However, this way of creating “plug-and-play” time efficient workouts can help you manage stress, improve appetite, and sleep better. This way of training during periods of high stress provides me with something that is structured yet flexible, easily implemented each time I train, and offer an essential boost during challenging times. Give this a try in your next workout and let me know how you go!
