20 Minute Cardio Workout
There are a few fad fitness plans out there claiming that cardio isn’t necessary to blast fat, lose weight and get fit. While there may be some truth to this, here’s what I think…
Cardiovascular exercise, in its traditional form, isn’t absolutely necessary in order to get in shape. Treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, and other cardio equipment can definitely burn a ton of calories on the spot, but this isn’t the only way to do it.
Other forms of exercise, particularly high intensity exercises that combine short-duration cardio with high-intensity resistance exercises, are better at promoting overall fitness. This is because you’ll still work up a huge sweat and burn a tone of calories, all while increasing your lean muscle mass (which further promotes fitness and weight loss).
You also won’t spend endless amounts of time engaging in the same movement over and over again. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever felt bored on the treadmill!
When it comes to fat loss though the trick is to change things up more frequently, incorporate resistance where possible, and get a little more intense than you’re used to.
And you’re going to do all that in 20 minutes…
20 Minute Cardio Workout
Here’s the workout. This cardio workout packs all the punch of a longer workout into a 20 minute window. This is high intensity stuff, and it’s broken into intervals to prevent boredom. This is the workout for you if you need to jumpstart your exercise routine and start burning some serious calories!
- Warm-Up – 3 minutes on treadmill at moderate pace.
- Jump Rope – 3 minutes at fast pace.
- Jumping Jacks – 1 minute at moderate pace.
- Sprinting – 1 minute at moderate-fast pace.
- Light Jog – 3 minutes on treadmill at moderate-fast pace (light jog).
- Run – 1 minute on treadmill at fast pace (fast jog/run).
- Jump Rope – 2 minutes at fast pace.
- Walking Lunges – 2 minutes at easy pace.
- Jog – 2 minutes on treadmill at moderate-fast pace.
- Cool-Down – 2 minutes on treadmill at low-moderate pace.
Sound intense? It is! And you need to move quickly. There’s no room for rest here. Keep moving through this routine, and rest when your 20 minutes are up. I guarantee you, this 20 minute workout will have a bigger impact than the 30 minutes cardio workouts you’re used to!
