7 Minute Workout For Fat-Loss and Fitness

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Is a 7 minute workout long enough to improve fitness and burn fat? The answer to that question depends on how hard you are prepared to push yourself and what exercises comprise your workout.

Studies have shown that even short, high-intensity bursts of 20- to 30-seconds can promote fat loss and physical development. (The authors of Exercise Physiology state that ‘intensity’ is a ‘critical factor’ for improving fitness and general health benefits.) And the number of bursts needed to trigger these outcomes is surprisingly low.

For example, in the BBC documentary The Truth About, researchers from Birmingham University showed that just six sets of 20-second high-intensity cardiovascular intervals were enough to burn fat and maintain fitness levels.

What’s more, after the brief bursts the body continued to burn fat for 20 minutes afterwards. So, a high-intensity 7 minute workout could be as physically beneficial as a low-intensity 30-minute gym session.

The 7 minute workout below will help you burn fat and keep in shape. And the great thing about this workout is you can complete it pretty much anywhere as it doesn't require any equipment. Also, if time permits, you could always extend the workout by doubling the number of rounds you perform.

How to do this 7 minute workout

It’s advisable to spend a minimum of 5 minutes warming up before starting the workout. Once you are sufficiently prepared, set a minute repeater on your training timer and then attack the seven exercises as though your very life depends on it.

There’s no stopping for rest, water, or social media updates. Seriously, you’ve got to assault this 7-minute workout with the indomitable determination of Hercules when he defeated the Hydra in hand-to-hand combat. And if, after completing the final exercise, you’re not wreathing in agony and rolling around in a pool of self-pity, well then you simply didn’t train hard enough.

Warm up

• 5 minute warm up: 30 sec cardio → 30 sec air squats → 30 sec cardio → 30 sec press-ups → 30 sec cardio → 30 sec squat thrust → 30 sec cardio → 30 sec squat thrust → 30 sec cardio → 30 sec squat thrust → start the 7 minute workout!

• 10 minute warm up: 1 min cardio → 30 sec air squats → 1 min cardio → 30 sec press-ups → 1 min cardio → 30 sec squat thrust → 1 min cardio → 30 sec squat thrust → start the 7 minute workout!

7 minute workout

You are jogging on the spot but raising the knees high so that a 90° angle forms at the hip flexor. When performing the exercise, it helps to pin your elbows to your side while holding your arms to your front so that the palms of your hands are parallel to the floor. As you raise your knee, aim to touch your palms.

Though a deceptively easy exercise, high knee raises engage the aerobic system like a bout of HIIT hill sprints. Not convinced? Try one continuous minute of raises with the aim of making as many touches as possible. I give you 20 seconds before your quads are on fire and you feel like you're going to cough up a lung.

The burpee is used in military recruit training for three reasons. First, it activates the aerobic system. Two, it engages multiple major muscle groups as well as a score of synergists. Third, it requires no equipment other than a slice of space.

When burpeeing, ensure to maintain the correct form. From the start position, squat down and avoid hinging at the hips. In the crouched position, the feet are jumped out and back simultaneously. As you stand up, conclude the rep with a plyometric jump.

The press-up is a terrific bodyweight exercise for developing the anterior muscles – pectorals, abdominals, hip flexors, and quads. Of course, press-ups activate many more muscles including the triceps, deltoids, and lats.

For this 7 minute workout, try and touch your chest on the floor with each rep. Also, extend at the elbow until you're a hair's breadth from lockout. To further increase the intensity, throw in a couple of clap-hand press-ups.

I admit, it’s a bit mean positioning plank directly after press-ups. But this will only add to the intensity of the workout; the objective of which is to maintain output for 7 minutes. (Want a shredded six pack? Try this 8 minute ab workout >)

If the plank is a touch too easy for you, there are a couple of ways to spice up this exercise. For half the duration, hold out the left arm and right leg. After 30 seconds switch sides. Alternatively, you can rotate from side to side as you reach your hand to the ceiling.

Again, another favourite of military fitness instructors. Similar to burpees, hill climbers (sometimes called squat thrusts) induce a nasty cardio burn. In addition to stimulating the heart and lungs, they also promote functional physicality. And, like all the exercises in this line-up, they are quite versatile.

Though hill climbers are simple, they are often performed incorrectly. By far the most common mistake is performing partial reps – that is, not touching knees to elbows and not extending the legs straight. All this does is reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. It’s always best to perform the full range of movement.

The walkout is an underrated and underused upper-body and core developer. When performing the exercise, you are kind of emulating the way an Orangutan walks – expect that your feet remain fixed to the floor. (Actually, if the fancy strikes, you can walk about on all fours – which is a bear crawl. Need more exercise ideas?)

If you’ve not tried walkouts before, here’s an outline of the technique. Start off standing. Perform a partial squat and place your hands on the floor. Now walk them out until you are in the high plank position. Retrace your steps to complete the exercise.

The bastod, if you didn’t know, is an amalgamation of the burpee and the press-up. Thus, it delivers all the benefits listed under those exercises. The scope of physiological engagement makes bastods a must-have movement in any bodyweight circuit or short-duration workout. Here are the key techniques.

From standing, drop down into a crouched position ensuring to place the palms flat. Explosively shoot the legs out until you are in the high plank. Now perform a press-up. Hop the legs back in (ensuring to touch knees to elbows!), stand up, and conclude the exercise with a jump.

Cool down

After you’ve recovered from the physical melee go for a gentle 5-minute walk or complete the warm-up at a lower intensity. Once you’ve cooled down, start this 10 minute stretching routine >

Enjoyed this 7 minute workout?

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About Adam Priest –

A former Royal Marines Commando, Adam Priest is a content writer, college lecturer, and health and wellbeing practitioner. He is also a fitness author and contributor to other websites. Connect with Adam via LinkedIn or info@hungry4fitness.co.uk.