DCB refuses to sit for timeout

[MommaL]

Has anyone had a child who would not cooperate with timeouts? I have a 3 year old boy who refuses to sit (or stay sitting) for a timeout. He gets off the chair and will try running away. I have tried sitting on the chair with him or holding him, but he suddenly has superhero strength and squeezes and pushes himself out of my arms. Before I know it, it's a full blown tantrum; everyone is upset and exhausted and the boy no longer remembers the reason for the timeout in the first place. It's just not working and if anything, the behaviour he displays during the timeout is worse than the behaviour that caused the timeout. Now I should mention that this boy is normally a very sweet and loveable kid. It's rare that he even does anything to require a timeout. Perhaps this is even part of the reason why he becomes so upset by them. I'm just not sure what to do going forward. I'm planning to talk to his parents to see what they do at home. But am wondering if others have any suggestions or experiences to share?

Edited to add: I have considered getting rid of the timeout altogether for this boy or changing it somehow to find something that will work better for him (e.g. a different location). But then I worry what might happen if it's not consistent amongst all the kids.