The No-Equipment Workout That Burns More Fat Than Running!

Running is one of the most popular exercises among people trying to lose weight. However, most people eventually hit a wall despite religiously logging miles every day. This is also why many of these folks give up running before hitting their weight loss objectives.

While running is great, it has its own set of limitations. For instance, bad weather can keep you from going out for a run. One missed workout can quickly turn into a week, throwing your progress off track.

Furthermore, running is a high-impact, time-consuming exercise that can lead to lower body injuries and can start feeling monotonous after a few days.

As a personal trainer who has been training athletes for over 17 years, I can tell you this — running, especially on a treadmill, is one of the most despised exercises ever.

That said, you don’t have to give up your weight loss ambitions. There are several efficient, enjoyable, and superior ways to incinerate fat than running. In this article, I will share a seven-minute no-equipment HIIT workout that will help you burn more fat than a 30-minute running session.

The Science of Fat Burning Using Bodyweight HIIT Workouts

Before we delve into the no-equipment HIIT workout that burns more fat than running, let’s understand the science behind it.

This is all possible due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), also known as the afterburn effect.

Steady-state cardio, like jogging, keeps your heart rate at a constant level throughout the workout. On the other hand, HIIT workouts crank the heart rate to the max, then let it cool down, then fire it up again, and so on. This sends your metabolism into overdrive, making it work harder even hours after finishing your workout. The body replenishes its energy reserves by burning stored body fat. (1)

Running boosts the heart rate, which makes some people assume that it is the most effective way to burn fat and improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). However, research shows that bodyweight HIIT (high-intensity interval training) protocols are significantly more effective than running-based HIIT protocols in developing CRF and improving muscle health indicators. (2)

Besides being convenient and cost-effective, the bodyweight HIIT workout listed below is very versatile and can be adapted to individuals of different fitness levels.

This HIIT workout is a godsend for people who cannot make time for hour-long workout schedules. Furthermore, since this workout requires no equipment, you can do it anywhere, at any time.

7 Must-Do HIIT Exercises For Burning More Fat Than Running

Since we are looking for a workout that burns more fat than running, we will mainly focus on lower-body exercises to get our heart rate up and speed up the metabolism. However, these will be compound movements that involve multiple muscle groups and will spike your heart rate within a few seconds.

Without further ado, here are the exercises that should be a part of your arsenal:

1. Burpees

I have a love-hate relationship with burpees. They are one of the most brutal full-body exercises that will leave you in a pool of your own sweat.

A study suggests that burpees are more effective than running for burning calories and can also improve endurance and short-term memory in adolescents. (3)

How To Perform Burpees:

1. Stand upright with a shoulder-width stance.
2. Squat and place your hands in front of your feet.
3. Frog jump your feet back so your body is in a plank position.
4. Perform a push-up.
5. Jump your feet back to your hands.
6. Return to the standing position, and then explosively jump up while reaching your hands overhead.
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

2. Squat Jumps

There is a reason so many lifters skip leg days — they hurt. Since we are trying to get the best bang for our buck in the shortest period, squat jumps are non-negotiable in this workout.

A clinical trial concluded that low-load jump squats can boost strength, power, and speed development. This can result in better low-body gains over the long term, leading to better training performance and subsequent results. (4)

How To Perform Squat Jumps:

1. Stand erect with a hip-width stance.
2. While maintaining an upright torso, squat as low as your mobility allows.
3. Extend your ankles, knees, and hips to return to the standing position, and then explosively jump up so your feet are off the floor.
4. Land softly and immediately lower into another squat.

3. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are like running in place. However, the isometric contraction involved with the high plank position also recruits your upper body.

I highly recommend keeping up with your average running stride rate while performing this exercise to maximize calorie churn.

How To Perform Mountain Climbers:

1. Get into a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and legs extended behind you.
2. Lift your right foot off the floor, flex your right knee, and bring it towards your chest while keeping your core engaged.
3. Return your right foot back to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
4. Alternate quickly between sides for a fluid motion.

4. Plank Jacks

This exercise takes the mountain climbers one step further. Avoid pausing after completing each rep, and instead, string together as many reps as possible during the allocated time.

How To Perform Plank Jacks:

1. Start in a high plank position, just like the mountain climbers.
2. While maintaining a braced core, jump your feet out to the sides, just like a jumping jack.
3. Jump your feet back together.
4. This is one rep.

5. High Knees

In my opinion, high knees are one of the most effective running alternatives. If you neither want to go out for a run nor want to engage in a 20-30 minute multi-exercise HIIT workout, high knees would be your best bet.

How To Perform High Knees:

1. Stand tall with your feet placed hip-width apart.
2. Hold your hands in front of your chest so your palms are facing the floor.
3. Lift your left leg off the floor by flexing the knee. Bring it as close to your hands as possible.
4. As you return the left leg to the starting position, jump and bring your right knee to your hands.
5. Maintain a quick pace throughout this exercise.

6. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are among the first exercises we learn to perform as kids. They are simple yet incredibly effective for working the entire body and maximizing calorie expenditure.

Research shows that jumping exercises are more effective than running for building leg strength. Performing jumping jacks also recruits all the major muscle groups, which can lead to similar aerobic capacity improvements as running. (5)

How To Perform Jumping Jacks:

1. Begin with your feet together and arms by your sides.
2. Jump your feet out to the side while raising your arms overhead in a sweeping motion.
3. Return to the starting position.

7. Push-ups

Let’s end with an upper-body move — because why not?

Push-ups are not necessarily a replacement for running in this workout. They are added to ensure you end the workout with some upper body stimulation to boost strength and muscle gains.

How To Perform Push-ups:

1. Begin in a high plank position.
2. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. While keeping your body in a straight line, flex your elbows.
4. Lower your upper body until your chest touches the floor.
5. Explode back to the starting position.

No-Equipment Workout For Burning More Fat Than Running

Below is the HIIT workout you should be doing to maximize fat oxidation:

Exercise	Work Interval	Rest Interval
Burpees	60 seconds	30 seconds
Squat Jumps	60 seconds	30 seconds
Mountain Climbers	60 seconds	30 seconds
Plank Jacks	60 seconds	30 seconds
High Knees	60 seconds	30 seconds
Jumping Jacks	60 seconds	30 seconds
Push-ups	60 seconds	30 seconds

Modifications and Progressions For Lifters of Varying Experience Levels

The beauty of HIIT workouts is that changing the workout, rest intervals, and total number of rounds can make it suitable for people of different experience levels.

• Beginners: Perform one round with 30 seconds of work time and 30-second rest intervals for each exercise. The workout would take 6.5 minutes in total.
• Intermediate: Perform one round using the exact programming mentioned above. This workout will last 10 minutes.
• Advanced: The sky is the limit here, but I recommend performing at least two rounds of this workout, which will take 20.5 minutes.

Finally, even though this is a bodyweight workout, you must always prime your muscles with a five-minute dynamic warm-up routine to increase blood flow to the target muscles and improve mobility. Arm circles, leg swings, and torso twists are some of my favorite dynamic warm-up exercises.

Similarly, finish each workout with a five-minute cool-down routine comprising static stretches to flush out the metabolites from the muscles and kickstart recovery.

Conclusion

While the bodyweight HIIT workout listed in this article will help you burn more calories than running, weight loss will ultimately boil down to running a calorie deficit. You must expend more calories in a day than you consume to maximize your weight loss progress.

Like any fitness program, consistency, dedication, and discipline are key to meeting your objectives. Plus, you must ensure you are giving your body enough time to recover between workouts. While beginners can perform this no-equipment HIIT workout five to six times a week, advanced exercisers should limit themselves to five weekly workouts at best.

If you have any questions about the exercises detailed in this article or need help implementing them into your workout, please post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Jung WS, Hwang H, Kim J, Park HY, Lim K. Effect of interval exercise versus continuous exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption during energy-homogenized exercise on a cycle ergometer. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2019 Jun 30;23(2):45-50. doi: 10.20463/jenb.2019.0016. PMID: 31337205; PMCID: PMC6651650.
2. Li Z, Liu Y, Han X, Zhou Z. Effects of running-based versus body-weight-based high-intensity interval training on physical fitness in healthy adolescents. Front Physiol. 2023 Mar 10;14:1060216. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1060216. PMID: 36969578; PMCID: PMC10036788.
3. Polevoy G, Cazan F, Padulo J, Ardigò LP. The Influence of Burpee on Endurance and Short-Term Memory of Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 18;19(18):11778. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811778. PMID: 36142051; PMCID: PMC9517252.
4. McBride, J. M., Triplett-McBride, T., Davie, A., & Newton, R. U. (2002). The effect of heavy- vs. light-load jump squats on the development of strength, power, and speed. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 16(1), 75–82.
5. Venegas-Carro M, Herring JT, Riehle S, Kramer A. Jumping vs. running: Effects of exercise modality on aerobic capacity and neuromuscular performance after a six-week high-intensity interval training. PLoS One. 2023 Feb 10;18(2):e0281737. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281737. PMID: 36763697; PMCID: PMC9917273.

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