If you’ve tried every trick under the sun to shed extra weight but without any luck, we feel you. Luckily for you, we reached out to Kyrie Furr, CPT, a certified personal trainer and performance coach with Barbend, who delivers a highly efficient 10-minute bodyweight HIIT workout to help you torch calories, boost your metabolism, and sculpt your abs. This workout is perfect for those busy days when you don’t have time for a long gym session but still want to get a solid workout in.
HIIT is an incredibly effective training method for blasting away unwanted fat. According to a 2023 meta-analysis, doing just three HIIT sessions per week for eight weeks can significantly reduce body fat percentage, fat mass, and fat-free mass. That’s because HIIT workouts combine short bursts of intense exercise with brief rest periods or lower-intensity exercise, helping you burn more calories in less time than steady-state cardio. Plus, HIIT’s fat-burning effects can last long after your workout is over. Research suggests that HIIT workouts can help you burn calories even while you’re resting by speeding up your metabolism.
So, if you’re ready to elevate your fitness and reveal well-defined abs hidden beneath stubborn belly fat, read on for Furr’s 10-minute bodyweight HIIT workout to maximize belly fat loss.
The Warm-up
Get your body warmed up and ready to exercise by doing a light jog in place for one minute. Follow this with 20 arm circles forward and 20 backward to loosen up your shoulders. Then, lift your knees high in a high knees motion for one minute to warm up your lower body further.
Workout
1. High Plank to Low Plank
First up in this calorie-torching HIIT workout is the high plank to low plank. This exercise engages your core, arms, and shoulders, helping build strength and stability. Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm.
To perform this movement, Furr instructs, “Start in a high plank position, then lower yourself down to your elbows one arm at a time, then return to the high plank position one arm at a time.”
2. Mountain Climbers
Next on the docket are mountain climbers, a dynamic, full-body exercise that targets your core, legs, and arms. Perform three sets of 20 to 30 reps per leg.
“Start in a high plank position on your hands. Alternate bringing your knees toward your chest in a running motion. For more of a challenge, drive your knee to the opposite elbow across the body,” instructs Furr.
3. Burpees
While many people have a love-hate relationship with burpees, you can’t deny that they’re a fantastic full-body exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, boosts your heart rate, and incinerates calories to help blast away belly fat. Do three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
“From a standing position, hinge down to place your hands on the ground, jump your feet back into a plank position, do a push-up, jump your feet back toward your hands, then jump with your hands over your head,” explains Furr.
4. Plank Jacks
This dynamic exercise works your core, shoulders, and legs while boosting your cardiovascular fitness. Perform three sets of 20 to 30 reps.
To do it, Furr says, “Start in a high plank position on your hands and jump your legs wide apart and then back together, similar to a jumping jack.”
5. Russian Twists
Russian twists target your obliques and core muscles, helping to improve your rotational strength and stability while shrinking your waistline. Complete three sets of 15 to 20 reps per side.
“Sit on the ground with your knees bent and lean back slightly. Hold your hands together in front of you and rotate your torso from side to side, touching your hands to the ground on each side. For an added challenge, you can hold a weight in your hands while you rotate,” says Furr.
6. Jump Lunges
Jump lunges are an explosive lower-body exercise that strengthens your legs and improves your balance and coordination. Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg.
“Start with your feet hip or shoulder width apart, step back into a lunge position, and then jump up, switching legs mid-air to land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward,” explains Furr.
The Cool-down
After any workout, it’s essential to cool down and stretch the muscles you worked. Perform some light static stretching, focusing on your core, legs, and arms. Doing so will help prevent injury, improve your flexibility, and allow you to recover quicker for that next workout.
