Forget spending hours in the gym only to walk out like a zombie, drained and stiff-legged. You really only need 10 minutes to burn fat, build strength and improve your fitness level. And the real magical thing about short, intense workouts is how energized you’ll feel when you’re done. If you want, skip the gym altogether. This HIIT routine can be done almost anywhere – even in your bedroom. It’s a whole new spin on the zombie walk.
The Must-Haves for a 10-Minute Workout
Before you grab your water bottle and towel, it’s important to understand how to safely and effectively approach the 10-minute HIIT workout. Here are four key tips to keep in mind.
1. Fast paced
First, you want this workout to be fast paced. Generally speaking, the shorter the workout you plan on doing, the less rest you should be taking.
For example, if you’re in the gym for 30 minutes, chances are you’re going to need a decent amount of rest at within that 30-minute period. On the other hand, if you’re in the gym for 10 minutes, you should be able to get through the session with very little to no rest at all.
The exception? If you’re just starting out with these intense workouts, 20-30 seconds of rest can be implemented throughout the session. You want to avoid resting any longer than that, or you’ll lose the overall intensity of the workout along with some of the main benefits you’re trying to attain.
2. Total body movements
Next, you want to ensure that you’re using total body movements when selecting the exercises to include in your workout routine. The last thing you want when you’re trying to get a workout done in 10 short minutes is isolation exercises. They simply don’t give you the best bang for your buck. Instead, the more muscle fibers you can work at once, the greater the benefits.
This is why exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, rows, shoulder presses, deadlifts and so forth are all great options. Avoid doing a bicep hammer curl when you only have 10 minutes to work and your main goal is fat burning.
3. Cardio and strength components
It’s important that you include both cardio and strength components in the workout. The cardio component will help raise your heart rate, fire up your metabolic rate and ensure that you’re burning calories quickly during the workout.
On the other hand, a strength focus will help ensure you continue to burn calories for hours after the workout is finished. Both of these elements are key to optimizing the fat-loss process.
Believe it or not, you can work all areas of your fitness level in 10 minutes. And do you know what that means? You won’t need any additional sessions throughout the week. This could drastically open up your schedule for other, more important things – like meal prepping or spending more time with loved ones.
4. Reps for time
Finally, consider doing reps for time rather than specific sets. For example, if you do a set of 8, you may get to 8 and not feel fatigued. However, if you set out to do as many reps as you can in a minute, you’ll feel the burn before the minute is up. Also, by doing reps for time rather than a set number of reps, you push the boundary even further with your fitness level and really set fat burning on fire.
With these critical points established for your short, fast-paced, fat-burning workout, you’re ready to get to it!
Your 10-Minute, Fat-Burning Workout
Perform each exercise, doing as many reps as you can in one minute. If you need to stop and rest before that minute is up, do so but pick back up again as soon as possible.
1. Bodyweight squats
2. Push-ups
3. Burpees
4. Walking lunges
5. Plank hold
6. Mountain climbers
7. Pull-ups
8. Dumbbell shoulder press
9. Dumbbell sumo squat
10. Running knee raises/high knees
The next time you find yourself short on time, give this sweaty session a try. You’ll boost energy, improve your metabolic rate and burn fat, all in 10 minutes or less!
Supercharge Your Workout Sessions
Staying hydrated is a must if you hope to perform optimally. Even during a 10-minute workout, you want to go into it well hydrated and make sure you replace any fluids you lose due to sweat (and you will sweat during this workout!).
KAGED MUSCLE Hydra-Charge electrolyte drink mix is the perfect solution. The great taste will ensure you drink plenty of water. Plus, it has key ingredients to fully hydrate your thirsty muscle tissues. Drink up and you’ll notice a difference in how you feel and perform.
