Power of 10 strength training appeals to busy exercisers

• A workout that's caught the attention of thousands of time-crunched New Yorkers over the years promises results with just 20 minutes of exercise a week.
• For years, Adam Zickerman, a fitness trainer and founder of InForm Fitness Studios, has been touting his workout plan as the only exercise you'll ever need.
• "Studies have been showing that strength training, if done properly, if done to the proper intensity, if done quickly and you get through the workout and you raise your heart rate through the whole workout, that it's as beneficial for the heart as conventional cardio," he says.
• With clients coming in one at a time to do 5-7 intense exercises each, Zickerman markets to busy New Yorkers looking to cram maximum amounts of exercise into the shortest amount of time possible.
• Literally, I just used to swim before, but now I've got weights and my body is so toned, much more toned than it was."
• Zickerman says another reason you can save time with this workout is that you're moving so slowly that you cut down on your regular 10-15 minute warm-up.
• While it's a method that's won clients over, some in the medical field are still skeptical.
• Doctor of Sports Medicine Clifford Stark of Columbia University doesn't refute the InForm Fitness/Power of 10 Plan, but he says it goes against current guidelines for the most heart-healthy exercise.
• "I think that weight-bearing activity is certainly one important aspect of fitness, but it really does not replace the need for aerobic activity," says Dr. Stark.
• Whether or not Zickerman's Power of 10 may give you the best workout for your heart, he has scores of clients swearing by what they say is a tried-and-true technique.