We all love quick fat burning workouts. Not only in the sense of when we are crunched for time, but ones that will bring us quick results too. The majority of us don’t have the time or patience for long, slow boring cardio and that is a good thing. Not only does long, traditional cardio take hours out of your day, it also brings slow results.
If you have ever done this style of training in the past, you know exactly what I am talking about.
There is a much better, and much quicker way of doing your workouts.
What quick fat burning workouts should you be focusing on?
There are a few different ways that you can speed up your results in terms of fat loss, and all of these can be done in under 20 minutes (many in just 4-minutes!):
Sprints
If you have spent any time on this site, you have heard me say: “Sprints are the best fat burning and physique shaping workout on the planet.” Not only that, but they are also the most time efficient workout you can do.
When you do sprints, an all out burst of speed for a short period of time, you are literally forcing your body to burn unwanted fat. Plus, you are:
- Boosting your metabolism allowing your body to burn calories and fat for hours
- Increasing lean muscle
- Boosting testosterone and Growth Hormone, both incredibly important for men and women when trying to stay lean, strong, and healthy.
- Improving insulin sensitivity and heart health
Just to name a few…
Sprint workouts are not complicated. They simply require you to go out and perform an all out burst of speed for a short period of time, rest and repeat. Below are the best forms of sprint workouts that you can do:
- Track Sprints
- Hill Sprints
- Sled Pushes
- Basketball Court Sprints
- Rowing Machine
- Bike Sprints
- Pool Sprints
- Treadmill
- Elliptical
I recommend sticking with the top 5 on the list. Those are the ones that bring the best results. If you are a beginner, start out on the rowing machine, bike, or in the pool as this will be less demanding on your body.
Example Sprint Workout:
Exercise: Track Sprints
Perform a 30-60 yard sprint, walk or rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat 6-10 times.
Sprint: 30-60 yards
Rest: 30-60 seconds
Repeat 8-12 times!
Interval Training
Some interval workouts can get the job done in as little as 4 minutes. Talk about quick! And yes, short interval workouts have been proven to be better for you that long slow cardio, both in terms of fat loss and overall health!
In a study done by the University of South Wales, researchers divided individuals into two groups.
- Group A trained three days a week performing 20 minutes of intervals, which included 8 seconds of work followed by 12 seconds of rest and repeating for the duration of the 20 minutes.
- Group B trained three days a week performing 40 minutes of cardio going at the same pace throughout the workout.
We can note here that group B trained twice as long as group A, yet the results of the study were shocking…
Group A were the ones that saw significant fat loss while group B participants saw nearly ZERO results.
One person in Group B actually gained weight over the 15 week study even through they spend 120 minutes a week working out.
Participants in Group B were able to see significant fat loss with one person losing 15 pounds of fat while claiming she was still eating a bad diet at the time.
Can you imagine if the interval participants would have been eating healthy during the study? Their results would have doubled or tripled.
Here is the problem that our long slow cardio group ran into…
When you go for a jog, you only burn calories while during the workout. Once your workout is over, your calorie and fat burning stops.
To get the results you are looking for, you must engage in workouts that will allow your body to burn fat and calories for hours and even days after your workouts are finished.
Intervals will do this for you!
And the best part is your workouts don’t have to last for hours. They just need to be intense, quick workouts and you will be good to go. When done properly, a simple 4-minute workout will do the trick.
Quick Fat Burning Interval Workouts:
Remember, your fat burning workouts do not have to be complicated. Most times sticking to the basics is what does the best job!
Under 4-minute Workouts:
Workout 1:
Description: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Push-Ups, Rock Climbers
Workout 2:
Description: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Squat Jumps, Jump Lunges
Workout 3:
Description: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Burpees, Kettlebell Swings
Under 8-Minute Workouts:
Workout 4:
Description: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 8 minutes (16 rounds)! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Push-Ups, Burpees**
**For 3 of the rounds, you can replace burpees or push-ups for Bodyweight squats. But use wisely. You can only do it 3 times throughout the entire workout.**
Workout 5:
Description: Complete 3 minutes of the first exercise, rest 2 minutes, then complete 3 minutes of the second exercise:
- Push-Ups: As many as possible in 3 minutes!
- Rest: 2 minutes
- Squat Jumps: As many as possible in 3 minutes!
Workout 6:
Description: 30 seconds on, 15 seconds rest for 8 minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Overhead Press, Overhead Squats, Arnold Press, Single Leg Squats (foot on a bench)
Under 12-Minute Workouts:
Workout 7:
Description: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest for 12-minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Sprints in place, Squat Jumps, Burpees
Workout 8:
Description: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest for 12-minutes! Move from one exercise to the next and repeat.
Exercises: Defensive Slide Side Shuffle, Push-Ups, Single Leg Leap Ups
Workout 9:
Description: Move from one exercise to the next with no rest. Rest 30 seconds between rounds! Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes.
Exercises:
- Kettlebell Swings: 20 reps
- Goblet Squat: 15 reps
- Pull-Ups: 10 reps
- Burpees: 5 reps
As you can see, your workouts do not have to be complicated! Stick to simple, high intensity exercises that are proven to bring results like the ones found in the workouts above.
If you start throwing in sprints and high intensity intervals into your workout routine, your fat burning results are going to soar. It is time for you to stop the long slow cardio, and instead focus on the quick fat burning workouts above!
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