The Only 2 Fat-Burning Workouts You’ll Ever Need

When the alarm goes off in the morning, two things can happen:

You hit snooze…

…or you jump up and hit the ground running.

And when it comes to losing weight, you need a no-nonsense fat-burning workout that gets you quick results and fuels your momentum for the day.

That’s when you can slap a giant “S” on your chest…

… because then you know you’re kicking butt.

Today I have something to share with you that will make you feel like you have weight loss superpowers:

Two insanely effective fat-burning workouts that you can do in under 15 minutes.

1. The Tabata Workout

Tabata workouts have become a popular and well-known tool in a trainer’s toolbox.

Why?

Because they’re backed by scientific evidence that 20 seconds of all-out work, followed by just 10 seconds of rest, gets you MASSIVE fat-burning results.

Try doing a combination of specific exercises, repeated for a total duration of 4 minutes, and this, the king of fat-burning workouts, will get you results in less than 15 minutes, including a warm-up!

Download a free Tabata timer for your smartphone, and try this full-body fat loss workout from the Tabata founder Izumi Tabata for yourself.

EXERCISE 1: COCKROACH

AREAS TRAINED

Full-body, emphasizing legs, glutes, arms and core.

INSTRUCTIONS

Starting on all fours, crawl as fast as possible forward for four paces. Stop, get up, and jump in the air. Turn around, get back on all fours, and repeat.

EXERCISE 2: ROTATING JUMP LUNGE

AREAS TRAINED

Legs, glutes, and core.

INSTRUCTIONS

Like many exercises in these fat-burning workouts, you’ll need to start in a lunge position with your arms in a circle. Swing your arms around to one side, then jump the lunge onto the other leg, swinging the arms in the opposite direction. Use the arm swing to provide momentum.

EXERCISE 3: SPRAWL AND JUMP

AREAS TRAINED

Full-body, emphasizing legs, arms, glutes, and core.

INSTRUCTIONS

Sprawl out to the side, putting both hands and one foot on the ground. Bring your top leg toward your chest. Push off with the hands and get up into a standing position, then jump. Repeat on the other side.

EXERCISE 4: WEIGHTED WOOD CHOP

AREAS TRAINED

Biceps, shoulders, core and legs.

INSTRUCTIONS

Lunge to one side, holding a light weight (2.5-5 lbs.) with both hands. Swing the weight up from the floor to above your opposite shoulder. Repeat, alternating sides.

EXERCISE 5: FROG JUMP

AREAS TRAINED

Legs and glutes.

INSTRUCTIONS

Drop into a squat, then jump in the air with the knees tucked up. Repeat quickly.

EXERCISE 6: SINGLE-LEG BURPEE

AREAS TRAINED

Full-body, targeting legs, glutes, biceps, triceps and shoulders.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start in the push-up position. Jump in with one leg, and then jump up, bringing the opposite knee toward the chest. Repeat on the other side. If this is too difficult, perform the burpees with both legs.

EXERCISE 7: SINGLE-ARM KICK-THROUGH

AREAS TRAINED

Biceps, triceps, core, glutes, and legs.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start in a push-up position. Shift your body weight toward the right arm, and then kick to the left with the right leg. Alternate the movement on your left and right sides quickly.

For a less-advanced version, keep both hands on the ground and alternate knees to the chest rapidly, similar to a mountain climber.

EXERCISE 8: CRAB LUNGE

AREAS WORKED

Full-body, targeting arms, core, glutes and legs.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start in a deep squat and lean back into a crab-walk position. Take a small weight (2.5-5 lbs.) in one hand, using the other to balance on the floor. Swing the weight back over your head, adopting the crab position. Alternate sides and repeat quickly.

2. The High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout

HIIT:

No, it’s not an act of violence…

…or is it?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the most widely used fat-burning workouts in the world today because it’s super effective at achieving “brutal” fat loss results.

And better yet, they only take a few minutes to complete.

Try this ultimate 10 minute HIIT fat melting workout for yourself.

TIP: Bring a towel…

Warm-Up

Skipping, stationary bike, or walking machine for 10 minutes.

The Workout

Perform each exercise as prescribed.

1. Jump Lunge

Duration: 1 min.

Recovery: 1 min. of jump roping

2. Box Jumps (Box should reach knee height)

Duration: 1 min.

Recovery: 1 min. of jump roping

3. Dumbbell Renegade Row with Pushups

Duration: 1 min.

Recovery: 1 min. of jump roping

Description: Starting in pushup position, row one dumbbell. Return to pushup position. Row the other dumbbell. Return to pushup position. Do a pushup. That’s one rep.

4. Dumbbell Power Jerk

Duration: 1 min.

Recovery: 1 min. of jump roping

Description: Perform a quarter squat with dumbbells at shoulder level then press both dumbbells over your head. Return to start.

5. Dumbbell Uppercuts

Duration: 1 min.

Recovery: 1 min. of jump roping

Description: Perform a squat while holding the dumbbells at your side. Punch up and across your body with one arm. Repeat with your other arm.

About the Author

Jason is a writer for the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center and a minimalist lifestyle designer with a focus on personal health and wellness. He is a Personal Trainer, a seeker of fat-burning workouts, and an advocate for naturopathic and holistic healing therapies that create an exceptional quality of life.

REFERENCES
The Ultimate HIIT workout 
The Real Tabata: A Brutal Circuit From The Protocol’s Inventor 

The Only 2 Fat-Burning Workouts You’ll Ever Need

Straightforward Workouts

Walking more than to speak to your coworker encounter-to-encounter, alternatively of sending an electronic mail, is the traditional workplace way to burn a handful of additional calories, says researcher Ashlee McGuire. “It might only get 2 minutes to stroll down the hallway but for the duration of this time you are burning calories, increasing blood movement, contracting your muscle tissues, and loosening your joints.”

Photograph: /www.jupiterimages.com

Straightforward Workouts

Sit up straight: five of the very best posture workouts

If you have a medical issue or injury, seek the advice of your GP or physiotherapist just before undertaking these exercise routines.

Back pain reliever (above)

Most of us commit too much time sitting down, and this shortens our anterior hip muscle tissue (a group of muscle tissue that attach to the front of pelvis in numerous ways – namely the hip-flexors, quadriceps and psoas). In flip, this pulls the pelvis forward into a tilt to the front, and can ultimately lead to back pain and bad posture simply because it generates an exaggeration to the curve of our lumbar spine. “By stretching these muscle tissue, we assist to hold our pelvis in neutral alignment,” says Jan Keller, a postural correction professional. If you have a decrease-back ache or tightness, this may possibly offer instant relief.

“Kneel down, then spot your right leg out in front of you at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands behind your head and push your left hip forwards. You will truly feel the stretch through the front of your left hip and front of the thigh. Hold for thirty seconds. Don’t lean forward, but hold your shoulders over your hips.” Go back to kneeling and repeat on the other side. Try this five instances a day.

Shoulder stretcher

Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

A lot of of our day-to-day pursuits, this kind of as driving or functioning on a pc, involve reaching forward with our hands, triggering our shoulders to curl and our chest muscles to shorten and tighten. Rishi Loatey, chiropractor at the British Chiropractic Association, suggests the following exercise to relieve stress from the shoulders and counteract the effects of hunching up.

“Stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart and put your arms out to the side. Bend your elbows into a appropriate angle, with the palms facing forward, and draw your shoulder blades collectively. Start creating tiny, backwards circles with your arms and hands, maintaining your shoulder blades drawn collectively. As soon as you’re into a rhythm, start swaying gently from side to side.” Consider this for 10 seconds once or twice a day.

Back strengthener

Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

This physical exercise from Christianne Wolff, a Pilates instructor, is superb for strengthening the core-stability muscle tissues that wrap close to our middle and support to assistance the lumbar spine – weakness in them leads to bad posture.

“Get down on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and knees beneath hips, eyes searching at the floor. Breathe deeply. As you exhale, lift your right arm and left leg out straight, to be level (or as near as you can get) with your physique. Do not lean into your right hip to assistance oneself – counterbalance by engaging your core-stability muscle groups rather. They are like a corset wrapped about your middle – picture pulling it in tight. Inhale, and reduced your arm and leg back to the starting position, ensuring that both touch the floor at the identical time. Exhale, and increase the opposite arm and leg. Inhale, and lower. Maintain moving with each and every breath.” Aim for ten-20 raises in complete.

Spine relaxer

Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

This Alexander Approach workout makes it possible for the spine to rest and regain its all-natural curve, enabling you to sustain far better posture when you stand up yet again. Peter Nobes, an Alexander Strategy instructor, suggests the following exercise.

“Use books to make a 6cm-9cm assistance for your head, or whatever feels comfy. f your chin is dipping in direction of your chest, take a book away. Bend your knees to carry your feet flat on the floor, and maintain the knees slightly wider than hip-width apart. Now, retaining your elbows resting on the floor, deliver your hands to rest somewhere in between your reduce ribs and hips, wherever feels cozy. Keep in this place for ten-20 minutes and come to feel your spine, slowly but surely, chill out and soften.”

Stand tall

Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

This exercise, recommended by the physiotherapist Sammy Margo, will aid you fight the effects of the round-shouldered desk slump, and remind your physique what it feels like to actually stand up straight.

“Uncover a blank segment of wall and stand tall up towards it, with your heels touching it. Make positive that your shoulder blades and bottom are in make contact with with the wall. There ought to be a gap among your reduced back and the wall, to keep its natural arch. Now try to place the back of your head against the wall by tilting your chin downwards somewhat. Think about a piece of string pulling the back of your hair up. Stand right here for 30 seconds and then step away, keeping this newly straightened posture.”

Sit up straight: five of the very best posture workouts