Some short sessions I'll be trying

I'm now starting work a bit earlier on Monday so I don't have time to do anything of decent distance before work any more but I'm going to try to get something in. I won't have time to do more than about half an hour plus a shower in between dropping my son at the child minders and setting off for work.

I want to out line some of the sessions I'll be trying to put in. Hopefully this will keep me in mind of what I have to do but I hope it will be interesting reading because some of them will be quite unusual sessions. There'll be the usual interval sessions but there'll be some all over conditioning too.

Here goes starting with the more usual stuff and including explanations where I think they may be needed

4 x 4 mins hard with 2 mins rest.

2 x 1 mile

2 x 100 meters

Tabata circuit. This involves taking an aerobic activity (so running, cross-trainer, stationary bike, jumping jacks, burpees etc.) to the point where its no longer an aerobic exercise. It takes 8 minutes in total here's how you break it down; 3 mins easy easy jog warm up, then 8 lots of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off, then 1 minute easy easy jog cool down. When you do the 20 seconds on its full max effort. Don't try and do a pace that you can do for each round just hammer it as hard as you can. No matter what your level this should be hard. The first time I did this session I felt really sick. In test it has been observed that subjects heart rates go beyond their theoretical maximum limit and this session has big claims for being one of the best weight loss sessions you can do because of the amount of calories you'll burn off in the 48 hours after the work out.

All over circuit. 5 x chin ups, dips, press ups, crunches, 400 meter sprint, rest. For the exercises choose sensible numbers and bear in mind that from the second exercise to the end you'll find them harder than normal because all the exercises share muscles. So I'm at around 40 mark for press ups in a single set but the last time I did this session I did 5 x 10 press ups within the session and I was finding them hard by the end

Stair training. For this you want around 40 steps in a flight. I do it on the Forest Recreation ground in Nottingham which has a set of 36 steps in 3 sets which is ideal. Here's what you do; every time you go up you go hard and when you come down you go easy you do 3 rounds each of; running touching every step, every other step, every third step, every fourth step; 2 rounds each, on each leg, of hopping touching every step, every other step, every third step; 1 round each of two footed jumps touching every step, every other, every third, every fourth, every fifth (if its possible on the steps you're on); last crawling – start at the bottom with your back to the steps go onto all fours (hands and feet not hands and knees (very important)) crawl backwards to the top when you get to the top crawl forwards back to the start. Carry on with the crawling if you can or if your like me you're now feeling wasted so go and cry.

Half an hour balancing. Get yourself a level hand rail (round if your balance is good square if not) get on it and practice balance; walking forwards and backwards stand facing the direction of the rail and do some squats, practice standing sideways on the rail, try some squats there too, also crawling (hands and feet not hands and knees) along the rail.

Those should keep me busy I'll add more as and when I think of them. If you find you've got bored with gyms or with normal intervals why not get yourself down to some stairs.