We all have those days (or many of those days!) where we are short on time and our workout may take a backseat if we don’t think we can fit it in. Other days you may feel like you need a better workout than you have time for, and then you just don’t do anything because it doesn’t seem “worth” it. Well I have good news 🙂 I’m sharing the best quick workout to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time, so even if you only have 15 minutes, I have something for you to torch those calories and keep them burning throughout the day.
The Best Quick Workout To Burn The Most Calories
What Makes This Workout So Effective?
This workout is so effective in a short amount of time because it is a combination of HIIT, plyometrics, and compound movements. The high intensity interval training paired with plyometrics (jump training) and compound movements (resistance training with multiple muscle groups at once) gets that heart rate up, requires a lot of energy (aka calorie burn) from your body, and is efficient because it does those things so quickly. Compound movements in themselves are great time-savers, I mean why do a squat by itself and shoulder presses by themselves when you can do a squat with a shoulder press at the same time?
How Will I Be Burning Calories All Day After The Workout?
The reason that your body will continue to burn calories throughout the day after you do this workout is because of something known as EPOC, or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. EPOC is when your body continues to use oxygen after an intense workout to recover. This boosts your metabolism and burns calories as your body works to return you to a normal resting state and replenish your oxygen stores long after the actual activity of the workout is over. It is often referred to as the “after burn effect”.
More intense, strenuous exercise produces a more significant EPOC response in the body than does a steady-state exercise, say, going out for a run. Even if the exercise itself burns the same amount of calories in the same amount of time, after a run you typically go back to normal pretty quickly and once your heart rate goes back down, you’re pretty much done burning calories from that exercise. Not so with resistance & HIIT exercise, which will have you burning calories all day. Some people may still be recovering up to 24-48 hours later, which is why you wouldn’t want to do this type of exercise every day. You need to give your body time to fully recover. That is why I like to alternate my cardio and circuit training days!
The Workout
Do each circuit as many times through as you can in 8 minutes. Move as quickly as you can through while still having good form. Don’t compromise the integrity of the move to do it faster. If you have time, repeat them both again!
WARM UP
- 30 seconds jumping jacks
- 30 seconds jog in place
CIRCUIT 1
- 40 mountain climbers
- 16 split lunge jumps
- 10 curtsy lunges with T-raise (per side)
- 15 squat jumps
- 10 frog hops
CIRCUIT 2
- 10 burpees with 2 jumping jacks (1 burpee w/ 2 JJ, 10x)
- 10 squats with alternating leg raise
- 20 toe touch squat hops
- 15 v-sits with bicep curl
- 8 woodchops per side
Want a free printable download of this workout, complete with picture demos, to take with you to the gym or to workout at home? CLICK HERE to subscribe to my email list and you will be sent the PDF directly to your email!
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xo,
Bess
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