When I was younger I used to run about 100 miles a week on my high school cross country team.
I also lifted weights, so I did not look like a stereotypical cross country runner.
For years I thought that for your cardiovascular activity you had to run and to build muscle you had lift weights.
Then I discovered that you can actually combine the two activities into one for a much greater effect in a shorter amount of time.
No, I'm not talking about running around with a bunch of weights.
What I am talking about is kettlebells.
These are Russian pieces of equipment which look like a cannonball with a handle on them.
Because of their design they lend themselves to being swung in ways that dumbbells and barbells don't.
When I first picked up a KB and swung it I didn't think it would do much.
However, I was huffing and puffing in just a few swings.
There are hundreds if not thousands of different exercises you can do and people are always coming up with new ones, but the swing is the fundamental motion.
Because of this it lends itself perfectly to the Tabata protocol which is the point of this article.
The Tabata protocol is 8 20 second periods of intense activity, such as KB swinging, separated by only 10 second of rest.
In this brief 4 minute workout you can increase your anaerobic capacity up to 28%.
You will also be burning calories at a much higher rate long after the exercise is over.