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12 Minute HIIT!
Our “12 Minute HIIT Workout” is a quick 12 minute workout that you do every day, first thing in the morning, in addition to any big workout you’ll do later that day. It’s carefully designed and laid out to get your muscles working hard, burn fat, and raise your metabolism so you can burn more fat throughout the day.
Try to do this upon waking, first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach (see comment about this below). You can have coffee to wake you up (it’s probably a good idea) and give you energy but do not add sugar! And only drink half a cup. That’s 4 oz max. No need to have a half gallon swishing around in your belly during this workout since you’re going to be jumping, then doing pushups, then more jumps, then on your back, then more!
The concept of doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) first thing in the morning is that it speeds up your metabolic rate, which means that you will keep burning fat throughout the day when you’re not exercising. This is the key to losing fat quickly and surely!
THE WAY IT WORKS:
You’ll be doing intervals of 30 seconds, alternating between High Intensity and Low Intensity exercises.
Low Intensity Intervals: Simply run in place in a calm pace so you can catch your breath. Start with a Low Intensity interval.
High Intensity Intervals: The exercises in Big Red Text are the High Intensity Intervals.
Do not change the order or skip an exercise because they are carefully designed to let one muscle group rest while working another. Also, the two abs exercises and the two jumping exercises are split up so that after you do one jumping exercise, you are laying on the floor catching your breath and preparing for the next jumping exercise. Your abs also get 30 seconds in between exercises. No more, no less.
In addition, it takes a lot of energy to get up off the floor in a hurry which will burn calories while building muscle. You’ll do this many times. Be sure to hurry up and get down or get up for your next exercise!
The only equipment you need are a pair of hex dumbbells like the ones pictured below (hex so they don’t roll around) and a countdown or interval timer that repeats so you can set it to 30 second intervals. You can use a phone app or what I use is a cheap Timex wristwatch that I got at Target. Or see below for some great online timers I like to use as well .
FREE VIDEO! We have a REALTIME video of the 12 Minute HIIT that you can play along and use as a timer while you do the workout. It’s like having a coach pushing you, with a pumping soundtrack to get you moving! Get the official, complete, “Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days” ebook for access.
The exercises in RED are the High Intensity intervals.
START:
Run in place 30 seconds, then
1. Pushup Rows: 30 seconds
How to do Pushup Rows: Perform a pushup on dumbbells, then row one to your ribs, making sure you don’t rotate your hips. Bring the dumbbell back down. Another pushup, then row the other one. Better with hexagon dumbbells so that they don’t roll. Use a weight that’s challenging for the rows but not so much that you can’t do 30 seconds of it.
If you can’t do pushups, go ahead and do them on your knees but don’t have your knees close to your hands. Work your way to having your knees way back to where you eventually get on your toes for regular pushups.
If you don’t have dumbbells or they are too light, do Pushup Flies until you get some heavier ones:
Pushups Flies:
How to do Pushup Flies: Perform a pushup. Then keep one arm straight and extend it to the side .
But don’t rotate your torso! Keep your shoulders side by side; not one over the other. It should be hard to keep yourself from falling over. Another pushup, then raise the other arm. These are great for your core since you’re trying not to topple over and also great for the rear delts.
But the Pushups Dumbbell Rows are better. Get yourself a pair of dumbbells. Walmart has fantastic prices on hex dumbbells.
If you’d like, make this one two rounds so you can get more pushups in. You would be doing one minute of this exercise.
Run in place 30 seconds, then
2. Squat Jumps: 30 seconds
All the way down, let your butt touch your ankles and jump really high and powerful each time!
(aim to get 20 jumps in 30 secs)
Run in place 30 seconds, then
3. Crunches: 30 seconds
Fast, but really ‘crunch’ it at the top and don’t hold your breath.
There are 3 more exercises you will do for a total of 6 whole body exercises, 2 rounds for 12 minutes of fat burning madness!
Here are some internet timers I have painstakingly found for you!
1.
This timer from online-stopwatch.com is a good internet interval timer that I like to use.
To set it, click on the + to make a new timer.
Enter 30, name it where it says Enter label, choose a sound, and click Set. No need to set the Repeat or Pause.
Be sure to check “Loop at end”. Then press Start and run in place. Works great when you click on Full Screen!
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2.
This one from Speedbag Forum is good but quite complex to set up. http://www.speedbagforum.com/timer.html
One good thing about this is that you can set a delay before starting. I set a 10 second delay so I can walk away and get ready to start. You can also set the “Rest length” in between rounds so that you add another 5-10 seconds to allow you to move from one exercise to the other before the 30 second count down. Also, you can set different sounds for the low or high intensity intervals, and even different times like if you’d like to make the high intensity intervals a full minute and the rest only 30 seconds. Very versatile!
Here’s a screenshot on how to set it so it works with the 12 Minute HIIT:
(click to enlarge in a new window)
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3.
Last is Tabatatimer.com another great timer that’s available for iPhone or Android phones or with a browser.
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NOTE:
If you’re not a morning person or didn’t get enough sleep and are not feeling it, go ahead and have a slice of wheat bread or around 4 ounces of yogurt or a scoop of a protein shake .5 hour before this HIIT workout.
The subject of working out on an empty stomach is one of the most argued ones there is on bodybuilding. You’ll see people with equally killer physiques swearing by each!
So, if it seems too hard, you’re either not getting enough quality sleep (≥8 hrs) or you’re not ready yet. Caffeine, a small carb and a small protein will help but don’t pig out or have a full breakfast. You can have your ham and eggs when you’re done. After all, it’s only a 12 minute workout.