If you're looking to burn calories, lose body fat, and gain muscle, this 45-minute workout designed by fitness instructor John Kersbergen is all you need to maximise your gym time and effectively lose weight in the shortest amount of time [1]. It combines cardio with strength-training moves, so aside from decreasing body fat, it also tones and defines your muscles. Warning: this workout is fast-paced and will leave you dripping with sweat!
This is a Tabata workout [2], which is a form of high-intensity interval training [3] (HIIT), which is proven to help diminish belly fat [4] better than steady-state cardio. Each four-minute section of this workout involves eight rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off. What makes this workout so intense is that it's long: 45 minutes total! You get a one-minute rest every 12 minutes, so soak it up! Drink some water, catch your breath, walk around a little, and then get ready to rev up the intensity once again.
Equipment needed: skipping rope (if you don't have one, just pretend!), medium- to heavy-weight dumbbells, and a clock or Tabata app [6] to help keep track of time
The Workout
| 0:00-5:00 Warmup | Repeat as many times in 5 minutes |
|---|---|
| 10 jumping jacks [7] | |
| 10 forward backward lunges [8] (5 per side) | |
| 10 plank jacks [9] | |
| 5:01-6:00 | Rest |
| 6:01-10:00 Cardio | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds skipping, 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds mountain climbers [10], 10 seconds rest | |
| 10:01-14:00 Legs | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds air squats [11], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds goblet squats [12], 10 seconds rest | |
| 14:01-18:00 Arms | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds triceps push-ups [13], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds dumbbell thrusters [14], 10 seconds rest | |
| 18:01-19:00 | Rest |
| 19:01-23:00 Core | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds plank with bunny hops [15], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds v-sits [16], 10 seconds rest | |
| 23:01-27:00 Cardio | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds skipping, 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds mountain climbers [17], 10 seconds rest | |
| 27:01-31:00 Plyo | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds burpees [18], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds split lunge jumps [19], 10 seconds rest | |
| 31:01-32:00 | Rest |
| 32:01-36:00 Back | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds superman lifts [20], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds plank with row [21], 10 seconds rest | |
| 36:01-40:00 Butt | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds jump squats [22], 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds deadlifts [23], 10 seconds rest | |
| 40:01-44:00 Cardio | Repeat 4x |
| 20 seconds skipping, 10 seconds rest | |
| 20 seconds mountain climbers [24], 10 seconds rest | |
| 44:01-45:00 | Rest |
If you need a refresher, ahead is a description of each of the above moves.
After you complete this gruelling workout and have peeled yourself off the floor, mobilise your muscles by doing this stretching sequence [25] and get out the foam roller and do these moves [26].
Jumping Jacks
- Begin standing with the feet together.
- Jump your legs out as you bring your hands overhead, then jump back to standing.
Forward Backward Lunge
- Stand with the feet together.
- Put weight in the left foot, lift your right knee up, and step into a forward lunge. The front knee should be at a 90-degree angle with the left knee just barely hovering above the ground.
- Push into your right heel, come to stand, and immediately step the right foot behind you into a reverse lunge with the left knee at a 90-degree angle.
- This counts as one rep.
Plank Jacks
- Begin in the plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.
- Like the motion of jumping jacks, jump your legs wide apart and then back together to complete a rep.
Mountain Climbers
- Start in a plank position.
- Step your right foot forward, planting your toes on the floor near your right hand.
- Hop both feet off the floor and switch legs, landing with the left toes near the left palm.
Air Squats
- Begin with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward.
- Keeping your weight in your heels, sit back into your deep squat as you raise your arms overhead.
- Return to standing while lowering your arms to your sides. This completes one rep.
Goblet Squats
- Start standing with your feet wider than shoulder width, holding one dumbbell in both hands.
- With your back slightly arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
- With your weight focused in your heels, push yourself up to the starting position.
Triceps Push-Ups
- Begin in plank position with the arms and body straight, shoulders over the wrists. Keep the core engaged.
- Bend the elbows behind you and lower your chest to the floor. Keep your upper arms tight to your body so your elbows are against your ribs on both sides.
- Straighten the arms, coming back to plank position.
- This counts as one rep.
Dumbbell Thrusters
- Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
- Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
- Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
Plank With Bunny Hop
- Begin in a plank position with your feet touching.
- Pull your abs in, and jump your feet to the right, bringing your knees toward your right elbow. Your torso will twist to the right.
- Jump your feet back to plank, to complete one rep.
- Repeat on the other side and continue alternating sides.
V-Sits
- Lie on your back, and reach your arms rigidly to your side, off the floor. Lift your legs off the floor, and point them, so they are at about a 45-degree angle. Lift your head, so your shoulders are off the floor as well.
- Lift your upper torso off the floor, and bend your knees. You can lean back to make this move harder or come up more to make it easier. Slowly lower your upper body back down toward the floor as you straighten out the legs. Stop when your back is on the floor, but not your head, shoulders, or legs.
- This completes one rep.
Burpees
- From standing, lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back, simultaneously bending the elbows behind you, touching your chest to the floor.
- As you jump the feet forward to the hands, straighten the arms and come back to into a squat.
- Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
Split Lunge Jumps
- Stand with your feet together and your knees soft. Jump and come into a lunge with your left leg forward.
- Push off with both feet, jumping them together, then hop into a lunge with your right leg in front.
- Jump your feet back together to complete one rep.
Superman Lift
- Lie face down on your stomach with arms and legs extended. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Keeping your arms and legs straight (but not locked) and torso stationary, simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling to form an elongated "u" shape with your body — back arches and arms and legs lift several inches off the floor.
- Hold for two to five seconds, and lower back down to complete one rep.
Plank Row
- Start in a plank position with your legs wider than hip distance; the wider stance makes you more stable. Hold onto your dumbbells, keeping your wrist locked to protect the joint.
- With your core tight and your glutes engaged, exhale, stabilizing your torso as you lift your left elbow to row; feel your left shoulder blade sliding toward your spine as you bend your elbow up toward the ceiling.
- Keeping your neck long and energized, return the weight to the ground, and repeat the movement on your right side to complete one rep.
Jump Squats
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively.
- When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.
Deadlift
- Stand holding a pair of medium to heavy-weight dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at your hip joint, not your waist, and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight. Looking forward, not at the ground, will help you avoid rounding your back. Keep the weights close to, almost touching, your legs.
- Squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up. Be sure not to use your back or round your spine!