So who wants a quick 10 minute workout that will strip off tons of body fat quickly and easily? Well, unfortunately you cannot lose a lot of fat with just a few brief 10 minute workout sessions. If that was the case, everyone would be lean and shredded! Don’t get discouraged though since you can make big changes in your physique when you put in the work with both your training and diet!
What about those times when you were planning on doing a regular 45 minute workout, but suddenly something came up and you now only have 15 minutes or so to do it? Since you cannot do the full workout, are you not even going to utilize those 15 minutes that are available to you? I am sure that you will want to make the best of whatever time you have at your disposal and get an intense workout. So to encourage that spirit, I will share with you some sample workouts that you can do.
Quick Fat Loss Workouts Part #1 – Bodyweight Exercises
One thing that you must realize, is that if you are going to cut down on training time then your training intensity becomes even more crucial! So, do not just go through a warm-up type workout since you have less time. The workouts I will share with you in this article will involve bodyweight, dumbbells, jump rope and kettlebells. In other words, these are all workouts you can do at home! I am sure if you only have 15 minutes to train, you will not have the time to travel to a gym and waste time.
In part 1, I will share a few workout routines that you can do without any equipment simply using your own bodyweight. I personally feel that many people underestimate the value of bodyweight exercises and thus do not reach their peak potential. So, here are some quick bodyweight workouts that you can use whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced.
Bodyweight Circuit for Beginners
If you have just started your fat loss journey and are not very conditioned, then try this 15 minute workout:
- 10 push ups (hands on bed)
- 15-20 reps squatting up and down on bed
- 12-15 crunches
- 50 punches as fast as you can
- Take 1-2 minutes rest and repeat the circuit as many times as possible.
Bodyweight Circuit for Intermediates:
- 6 push ups
- 6 reverse lunges (each leg)
- 25 ab crunches
- 12 squats
- 6 side bridges (each side)
- Rest 1 minute or less and repeat as many times as possible. The idea is to do as many circuits as possible in 15 minutes. Completing more than 5 circuits is great!
Bodyweight Circuit for Advanced
For advanced individuals who have used bodyweight exercises before, it is a little difficult to make a generic routine without knowing what exact exercises you have been doing up to this point. So, here are two advanced workouts that you can try:
- Workout #1 – 500 squats in 15 minutes.
- Workout #2 – Alternate between push-ups and squats and do as many reps as possible with no rest (or maybe just a few seconds in between sets).
I have not included any jumping type exercises in this routine like burpees because I feel that if you are training on a hard surface at home then jumping too high could be a problem. So, go ahead and use these quick bodyweight workouts when you are short on time and cannot get in your regular fat loss workout!
Quick Fat Loss Workouts Part #2 – Dumbbell Exercises
Why dumbbells? For starters, they are probably the most widely available strength training equipment found in most homes. Another advantage of using dumbbells is that they require very little space to perform the exercise which is very convenient.
As with any short workout that is effective, this routine relies on performing it with high intensity to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to fat burning! Here are some sample workout routines that you can try!
Quick Workout Routine #1 (Single Dumbbell Circuit)
For this workout, choose a heavier dumbbell (after warming up). This workout routine is ideal for people with less than a year of training experience:
- 5-6 reps of overhead dumbbell press
- 8-10 reps of bent over dumbbell rows
- 8 reps of dumbbell lunges
- 10 push ups
- 15-20 reps of dumbbell squats
- Take about 1-2 minute break and repeat up to 5 times in 15 minutes. If you find it easy, then increase the weight rather than trying to add another circuit round.
Quick Workout Routine #2 (Dumbbell and Jump Rope Circuit)
If you have a jump rope available, then you can combine it with a dumbbell to do the following workout.
- 3 sets of 10 dumbbell snatches, 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds rest and repeat.
- 3 sets of dumbbell rows, 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds rest and repeat.
- 3 sets of dumbbell squat push press, 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds and repeat.
Quick Workout Routine #3 (Heavy and Low Rep Routine)
This one is for all those who hate doing high reps, are advanced and love going heavy! Take a weight that is your 8-10 reps max and perform:
- 3 sets of 5 reps of dumbbell cleans and presses (rest 45 seconds between sets).
- 3 sets of 5 reps of dumbbell Turkish get-ups (rest 45 seconds between sets).
- 3 sets of 5 reps dumbbell lunges (rest 45 seconds between sets).
- 3 sets of 5 reps of dumbbell rows (rest 45 seconds between sets).
Now you have a few tough dumbbell workouts to use for those busy times when you need to get in a killer workout fast! Go ahead and try out these workouts and let me know how they work for you!
Quick Fat Loss Workouts Part #3 – Kettlebell Exercises
With kettlebells you can perform jerks, snatches, cleans, squats and other compound exercises which will pay huge dividends in a short amount of time. It’s no wonder that kettlebells are probably the primary equipment to train with these days for most trainees!
Kettlebell swings are probably the new “cardio” that you see trainees do in the gym instead of the old fashioned cardio exercises like using the treadmill and bike. Many gyms have very popular fat loss group workouts which use only a kettlebell and sometimes bodyweight exercises along with it. Clearly, using kettlebells for fat loss works extremely well! So, let me share with you the fat loss workouts that you can do with a kettlebell when you’re short on time!
Beginner Kettlebell Workout
Do the following circuit with a single kettlebell:
- 6 reps of kettlebell shoulder press (each side) (rest for 30 seconds).
- 10 reps of kettlebell swings (each side) (rest for 30 seconds).
- 8 reps of kettlebell front squats (each side) (rest for 30 seconds).
- Rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat for as many circuits as possible in 15-20 minutes
Intermediate Kettlebell Workout
Do the following circuit with a single kettlebell:
- 10 reps of kettlebell shoulder press (each side), 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds of rest and repeat.
- 10 reps of kettlebell snatch (each side), 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds of rest and repeat.
- 10 reps of kettlebell front squats (each side), 45-60 seconds jumping rope between each set and then 30-45 seconds of rest and repeat.
Advanced Kettlebell Workout
Do the following circuit without letting the kettlebell touch the ground:
- 8-10 reps moving the kettlebell around your body (each side).
- 8-10 reps of kettlebell snatch (each side).
- 8-10 reps moving the kettlebell around your body (each side).
- 8-10 reps of kettlebell jerks (each side).
- 8-10 reps moving the kettlebell around your body (each side).
- 8-10 reps of kettlebell front squat (each side).
- 8-10 reps moving the kettlebell around your body (each side).
- 8-10 reps of kettlebell swings (each side).
Repeat the entire circuit another 2-3 times and enjoy the killer burn! Remember, do not let the kettlebell touch down on the ground for the entire duration. Passing the kettlebell around the body is the “rest” portion of the circuit. Yes, I’m serious!
Another Option for Kettlebell Training
This is a tough one, so get ready! Take a kettlebell and do either a swing or a snatch continuously for a full 10 minute set. You can change hands as many times as you want and you can also rest while holding the kettlebell, but do not let the kettlebell touch the ground during the entire 10 minutes!
So, now you have several ideas for different quick fat loss workouts that you can incorporate into your schedule. I hope that the workouts that I have covered will leave you with no excuses to ever miss a workout if you are short on time. I would like to note, that in order to lose all the body fat that you really want to lose, it will be a long and tough journey. However, this journey will transform you into a new person when you reach your goal!
