You only need 10 minutes to burn fat and build strength all over

This high-intensity session will build strength and boost your metabolism

Person doing mountain climbers
(Image credit: Getty)

With the colder months approaching, many of us will face dips in motivation to get out and exercise. So it's a good idea to have efficient workouts to hand like this 10-minute bodyweight workout. It's quick to complete and can be completed at home so that you still work out even when you can't be bothered trekking to the gym.

As it is a bodyweight-based routine, you won't need any equipment like weights or machines. However, you should consider placing some extra padding beneath you, such as one of the best yoga mats or a blanket, to protect your back as you move.

According to Maddie Lymburner (MadFit), the workout instructor behind this full-body session, you will perform each move for 30 seconds each back to back. There is a one-minute rest in the middle section of the routine but this time is spent completing two 30 seconds planks. Learning how to plank properly will pay off in any core training you do and can improve posture.

Nailing the technique of any exercise is vital if you want to boost your workout results and prevent any unwanted injuries. Lymburner demonstrates the full routine in her YouTube video so make sure to refer to her form if you are unsure about any move or don't feel like the movement is targeting the muscles that it should be.

Watch MadFit's 10-Minute Full-Body HIIT Session

There are many reasons why HIIT workouts for fat loss are so popular. High-intensity interval training is known for burning calories, aiding weight loss, and building muscle without requiring hours of training. Scientific studies have proven HIIT workouts can be more effective than steady-state exercise. Perhaps if you're bored of spending long sessions pedaling on one of the best exercise bikes, you should build more HIIT into your regime.

HIIT training can also be useful for improving metabolism, it is known to keep your metabolism high even after exercise. According to recent research conducted at the University of Copenhagen, HIIT increases the volume of proteins in skeletal muscle that are responsible for producing energy in cells. 

We all hit plateaus at some point in our training and that's very normal. When this happens, it may be that your body needs rest or a change in exercise activity or you perhaps aren't challenging your muscles enough and need to use progressive overload to bump up your progress. You can do this either by increasing your reps or adding in some weight and gradually increasing the load you work with.

High-intensity resistance training is the same as your standard HIIT workout but it adds some weight into the mix. This can help you to build muscle and strength as you increase your heart rate using a combination of cardio and weight-based training.

Jessica Downey

Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her career in journalism began in local news and she holds a Masters in journalism. Jessica has previously written for Runners World, penning news and features on fitness, sportswear and nutrition. 


When she isn't writing up news and features for Fit&Well covering topics ranging from muscle building, to yoga, to female health and so on, she will be outdoors somewhere, testing out the latest fitness equipment and accessories to help others find top products for their own fitness journeys. Her testing pairs up nicely with her love for running. She recently branched out to running 10Ks and is trying to improve her time before moving on to larger races. Jessica also enjoys building on her strength in the gym and is a believer in health and wellness beginning in the kitchen. She shares all of this on her running Instagram account @jessrunshere which she uses for accountability and for connecting with like-minded fitness lovers.