20 Minute HIIT Workout to Torch Body Fat

What if you could burn away excess body fat, without needing to spend hours in the gym?

That’s what high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can do for you. These workouts are intense (like it says in the name), but they are awesome for fat loss. Even better, HIIT workouts don’t need to take up your whole day. A simple 20-minute HIIT fits into your busy schedule and is an efficient way to build the body of your dreams.

By squeezing an intense workout into a short space of time, HIIT workouts are great at boosting metabolism. So not only do you burn calories while working out, but your body will continue to do so for hours after. That’s why it’s such a great method for reducing fat.

For the best results and quickest recovery time (meaning less time spent feeling sore afterward), warm up sufficiently before your workout, and drink a shake with whey protein powder after your workout. Protein is vital for muscle recovery and helps you feel full quicker, which will make you reach your fat-loss goal that much quicker.

Now let’s check out a HIIT workout that produces results.

The Workout: Torch Body Fat in Under Half an Hour

The idea behind HIIT workouts is to maximize output and minimize rest time. It may feel like hell, but the entire workout will be done in less than half an hour, at which time you can pat yourself on the back.

Do each of the first four exercises for 60 seconds each. When you’re done, go straight to the next exercise without resting. For the final set, the sprints, do this in a Tabata style – 20 seconds full sprint, then rest for 10 seconds (repeat, for 60 seconds total).

Do all five exercises for one round, resting for a minute after the round. Go for four rounds in total, which will end up as 20 minutes’ workout time.

Let’s go through the exercises now.

180° squat jumps

Squat jumps are awesome for the lower body and core. You’re activating multiple muscle groups – glutes, hamstrings, calves, abs, and lower back. And by doing this exercise with bodyweight only, it’s putting minimal stress on your joints, so the risk of injury is low.

For a jump squat, do a regular bodyweight squat, and jump at the top of the motion, swinging your arms down to help propel yourself up. As an added bonus to working your cardio a little more, turn 180° when you jump, so you’re facing the opposite direction each time.

The jumps and turns on this exercise are fantastic at kicking your cardio into gear. It might feel easy on the first rep, but by the end of the 60 seconds, you’ll be sure to notice it.

Duration: 60 seconds non-stop

Rowing machine

From the lower body in the first exercise, we move to the upper body, with the rowing machine.

Rowing is a super simple exercise, great for both cardio and muscular endurance. It activates the full upper body, and even works the core and legs. It’s a great way to train your posterior chain muscles (the chain of muscles along your back, including calves, hamstrings, glutes, and lats).

Put the rowing machine to a setting that’s comfortable for you, but forces enough effort. You don’t want to slack off, but if you start with maximum resistance, you may not make it to the end of the set.

Duration: 60 seconds non-stop

Burpees

Burpees are a great calorie-burning exercise. Deceptively simple, they become much harder after 20-30 seconds of action.

Start standing. Lower yourself in a pushup, and come back to your feet and jump in the air (quite like the jump squat from the first exercise).

You’ll activate a lot of the same muscles as with the jump squat, as well as the upper body during the pushup portion of the rep.

Duration: 60 seconds non-stop

Kettlebell swing

Kettlebell swings are great at training the full-body, particularly the posterior chain. They’re especially good at kicking your metabolism into gear, which helps you burn fat that much quicker.

Like with the rowing machine, don’t grab the heaviest kettlebell you can pick up. Go a little lighter than if you were training for power – it will feel a lot heavier at the end of a 60-second set.

Duration: 60 seconds non-stop

Tabata sprint

The term Tabata is sometimes interchangeable with HIIT. They both work on the same concept – intense training for a short time, followed by a short rest.

The classic Tabata pattern is 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, which is what we’ll do with this set. Get on the treadmill (this could also be done easily outside), and sprint for 20 seconds. Jump off for 10 seconds, then repeat.

Two reps of 20 on and 10 off adds up to one 60 second set.

Duration: 20 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest

Try to minimize rest between sets – go from one exercise, straight to the next. After one round, take 60 seconds’ rest and get back at it.

This is a killer way to burn fat and improve your cardio, and all in less than 30 minutes.