20 Minute Circuit To Increase Your Metabolism

You don't have time for this $h!t. We know, we know. Life is an endless list of things to do, set against the impossible backdrop of Insta' worthy expectations. How are you supposed to work, make healthy meals, stay up-to-date on what happened last night on This is Us, help little Timmy with his science homework and have time to workout? Well, we can't help you explain the mole method to your kid, but we can help you with the workouts. (And the meal prep: check out our 20 minute meals!)

You have 20 minutes to spare three times a week. You may not think you do, but it's there, tucked into all the unnecessary daily time sucks. It's in the time spent on the toilet with your iPhone, or standing in the line for a caramel latte. It's in the time you spend bemoaning your body instead of just getting up off your keister and taking action.

We know you have the time, and we know that if you just use that time to do something good for your mind and body, all the other hours in your day will seem a little less frazzled. That's the power of regular exercise.

We’ve created this 20 minute fat-burning, metabolism boosting circuit for anyone, of any fitness level. Beginners, look for modifiers below the moves, so no excuses, OK? Smash this out, and let us know how you feel in the comments!

Perform the four exercises in a circuit, and do the circuit FIVE times through, working for 50 seconds and resting for 10 seconds in between moves. If you're working up to your ability (which you should always try to do) five rounds through this HIIT routine will take you to your max out  — exactly where you need to be to see start seeing results.

Remember: doing HIIT just three times a week is enough to significantly increase your lean muscle mass and improve your cardiovascular health (while also giving you all the other rewards of exercising), so you don't need to overcomplicate or overcommit to your workouts: you just need to do them.

Why 20 minutes?

If you’ve trained with us before, you know that most of our workouts are 12 minutes. When you’re HIITing it most days of the week and targeting different muscle groups in each session, 12 minutes every day is plenty of time to see gains. However, if you only have three days to commit to exercise, pushing your time to the 20 minute mark is a great way to compensate for the days you aren’t able to workout.

Just be aware that doing HIIT for much more than around 20 minutes on the regular could increase your cortisol levels. While our cortisol levels are meant to rise sometimes, like in the morning and when we are responding to stressful situations, it should not be spiked all the time. Chronically raised cortisol levels result in fat retention, poor sleep, and a weakened immune system.

Want to gear up for maximum gains? You likely know that adding resistance will help you build more lean muscle mass, which will amp up your metabolism for hours after your workout. So, if you’re ready to take on next-level training (and next-level results), shop our Black Friday Bundles or cash in (with cash back) on our Cyber Monday Promo to score sweet deals for your next sweat ‘sesh.

Press & Point Jump Squat

Combo 3, Move 5 - 

Beginner modification - Take out the jump until you’re comfortable working with heavy resistance. Remember to go as heavy as you can safely, and while performing the move properly. If the weight is pulling you forward or you cannot extend your arms all the way out or up, you’ll need to lighten up. Doing the full extension will be difficult by the end of the workout, but it should not be impossible at the beginning.

Squat LPD

Combo 2, Move 5 - 

Beginner modification - Perform without gear and master the squat fundamentals: sink down low into your heels, keep your back flat & chest lifted, keep your legs in line with your hips and your knees behind your toes.

Challenger Hip Flex

Combo 2, Move 2 - 

Beginner modification: Perform move on the floor, placing your hands behind your hips for support. Remember to engage your abs, pulling your belly button in toward your spine. Don't arch your back.

Standing Back-Kick

Combo 1, Move 1 -

Beginner modification: Work up to using the Booty Bands. Try it with just your own body weight first. Then, when you're ready (i.e. the move becomes too easy), grab the bands for max results.