10-Minute Workouts That Burn Belly Fat Fast — No Gym Required!

It’d be safe to say that getting in shape tops the list of New Year’s resolutions. 

Nonetheless, only a few people are able to achieve their fitness goals.

It has less to do with their willingness to learn about training and diet and more about struggling to find the time for exercise.

However, this is where high-intensity interval training (HIIT) shines. It involves alternating between short periods of explosive anaerobic exercise with brief recovery periods.

The best thing about HIIT training is that typically, these workouts take less than 30 minutes to complete and can be done anywhere, at any time, with minimal or no equipment, making them suitable for even the busiest people.

Furthermore, you can design your HIIT protocols, depending on your desired objectives, such as fat burning, improving metabolism, strength, or muscle gains.

But the problem with most of these high-intensity workouts you see online is that they can get monotonous and boring really quickly.

Drawing from my 17 years of coaching experience, I can tell you that exercise variability and doing something new in each workout can help people stick to their training routine for longer.

In this article, I take you over three 10-minute HIIT workouts to torch belly fat and share tips on maximizing your results.

Three 10-Minute HIIT Workouts For Shedding Belly Fat

Add the following three workouts to your arsenal. The best part about these workouts is that you can do them in the comfort of your home without any equipment.

Workout 1: The Core Crusher

In the first workout, you’ll start with a full body exercise but then switch to core-focused movements to blast the midline.

To keep things simple, you’ll stick to the same high-intensity format for all three workouts.

Each workout will comprise five exercises, with the first three lasting 45 seconds and the final two lasting a minute each.

Exercise	Work (seconds)	Rest (seconds)
Burpees	45	15
Mountain Climbers	45	15
Plank Jacks	45	15
Russian Twists	60	15
Leg Raises	60	15

The three workouts listed in this article are apt for intermediate and advanced exercisers. Beginners can scale the workout depending on their current fitness level and their training objectives. For example, switch out the burpees with 30 seconds of push-ups and 15 seconds of squats.

Conversely, advanced athletes can aim for two rounds of this workout, which comes out to be 20 minutes per training session.

Although this high-intensity workout demands an all-out effort, ensure that you are not compromising your training form. Stick to a picture-perfect technique to maximize results and minimize the possibility of injury.

Workout 2: The Fat Blaster

Although this workout is similar to the first one, the primary objective here is to go pedal to the metal in the first three exercises.  

I highly recommend using a giant wall stopwatch for these workouts because you might not have time to flick your wrist and glance at the remaining duration every time.

Exercise	Work (seconds)	Rest (seconds)
Jumping Jacks	45	15
High Knees	45	15
Butt Kicks	45	15
Crunches	60	15
Bicycle Crunches	60	15

The effectiveness of HIIT workouts depends on the training intensity. If an exercise feels too easy, increase the difficulty by using additional resistance. For instance, use ankle weights while performing jumping jacks, high knees, and butt kicks.

Progressive overload is key for making consistent progress. Increase the overall training volume by around 10 percent every time you feel like your gains are starting to stagnate.

But how do you do that?

You could shorten the rest breaks from 15 seconds to 10 seconds or even five if you’re craving a challenge. You could aim to do a higher number of reps per work interval. Finally, you could use additional resistance to boost strength and muscle gains.

Workout 3: The Ab Sculptor

After the explosiveness of the first two workouts, you transition to a much lower-impact HIIT workout to target the core muscles. This workout will primarily consist of isometric exercises to maintain constant tension on the target muscles.

According to scientific literature, increasing the time under tension of a muscle can lead to greater muscle and strength gains. (1)

Exercise	Work (seconds)	Rest (seconds)
High Plank	45	15
Low Plank	45	15
Reverse Crunches	45	15
Side Plank	30-second (each side)	15
Flutter Kicks	60	15

Although these are bodyweight workouts, you must ensure that you are warming up properly before each session. This ensures an optimal blood supply to the target muscles and loosens up your joints, tendons, and ligaments, improving your training performance and limiting injury risk.

Research suggests that five to 10 minutes of dynamic exercises, like arm circles and leg swings, are the most optimal for warming up the target muscles. On the other hand, static stretches, like the Samson stretch, are effective for flushing the metabolic out of the muscles and promoting recovery. (2)

Things To Consider To Shed Excess Belly Fat

Now that you know about the three most effective HIIT workouts, here are the things you must internalize to achieve quick results:

Run a Calorie Deficit

I hate to be the one breaking this for you, but spot reduction is a myth. Irrespective of how many crunches or hanging leg raises you do, it won’t result in belly fat reduction. (3)

A calorie deficit is the holy grail of fat loss and involves expending more calories in a day than you consume. Use a TDEE calculator to determine your ideal weight loss calorie intake and prioritize nutrient-dense, whole foods to meet those targets.

Hydration

The human body is made up of 60 percent of water. You must drink at least a gallon of water daily to ensure optimal organ and cognitive function, body temperature, mood, and gut health.

Lifestyle Factors

Training for 10 minutes a day might nudge you toward your dream physique, but the work doesn’t end there. You need a complete lifestyle overhaul to get into peak shape. Factors like sleep quality and quantity, stress levels, and alcohol consumption play a huge role in achieving your weight loss goals.

Importance of Rest and Recovery

Don’t fall into the trap of online fitness influencers who tell you that taking an additional day off from training is a sign of weakness. Feel free to take an additional day off if you’re feeling beat up and sore. These are your body‘s way of telling you that you are not ready to push yourself again.

Learn to listen to your body. If something feels weird or unnatural, discontinue the exercise immediately. Consult your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing pain and it does not subside within a couple of days.

Progress Tracking

Remember, what gets tracked gets improved. Body weight tracking, circumference measurements, and progress photos are reliable methods of monitoring your progress. I highly recommend using a training journal to log your workouts. It helps ensure that you are pushing yourself in each training session and will tell you where you need to improve.

Understanding Belly Fat & How HIIT Workouts Can Help

Not all belly fat is made the same. There are two main types of belly fat that you should know about.

• Subcutaneous fat: This type of fat lies just beneath your skin, and you can easily pinch it with your fingers. However, it is not as dangerous as the next type of fat.
• Visceral fat: It lies deep within your body and surrounds your vital organs. It can also be linked to several health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers.

Our first objective really is to always get rid of the visceral fat.

Besides an unbalanced diet, a bulging belly can result from several factors, including a lack of exercise, high-stress levels, and hormonal imbalances. You must forgo sugary drinks and processed foods and adopt a more active lifestyle to minimize the possibility of gaining belly fat.

Why Traditional Fat Loss Protocols Fail

It is no secret that most conventional fat loss training programs are ineffective and an utter waste of time. These are the reasons why these methods often fall short:

Most cookie-cutter fat loss programs involve long cardio sessions, which aren’t necessarily effective in targeting belly fat. You might end up burning a lot of calories, but that does not always translate to a smaller waistline.

That’s not all. Most of these regimes involve crash diets, which do more harm than good. While they might deliver quick weight loss initially, they often slow down your metabolism and make it harder to lose fat in the long run. Also, many people report gaining back the lost weight after a few weeks.

Why These 10-Minute HIIT Workout Programs Work

Now, you might think that if most fat loss protocols don’t work, what will make these short, 10-minute workouts tick?

The secret lies in the programming and what happens behind the scenes.

HIIT workouts lead to a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), also known as the afterburn effect. This revs up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day, even hours after completing your workout. (4)

Your body makes up for the energy deficit and starts the recovery process by burning stored body fat. It is a win-win, if you ask me.

Conclusion

It’s normal to question if a 10-minute workout can really make a big difference in your overall physique. However, I have several clients who can vouch for the effectiveness of these three belly fat-smashing workouts.

Like any other training program, consistency, dedication, and patience are key to seeing results with these three 10-minute HIIT belly fat-blasting workouts. You must do them daily for at least eight weeks for the best results.

Beginners should start with one of these 10-minute workouts and add more as they gain more experience. Remember, these workouts don’t need a big time commitment, but the results will be mind-blowing. You’ll be left wondering why you did not start working out sooner.

If you have any queries about the three workouts listed in this article or need help implementing them into your routine, please post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References 

1. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
2. Arntz, F., Markov, A., Behm, D. G., Behrens, M., Negra, Y., Nakamura, M., Moran, J., & Chaabene, H. (2023). Chronic Effects of Static Stretching Exercises on Muscle Strength and Power in Healthy Individuals Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review with Multi-level Meta-analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 53(3), 723–745. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01806-9
3. Vispute, S. S., Smith, J. D., LeCheminant, J. D., & Hurley, K. S. (2011). The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 25(9), 2559–2564. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46
4. LaForgia, J., Withers, R. T., & Gore, C. J. (2006). Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(12), 1247–1264. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410600552064

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