12 Minute Fat Loss

Personal trainer Craig Ballantyne returns with great workout routines.

Do the warmup at the start for every 12 Minute Fat Loss workouts below. There’s a total of nine workouts in total for you to vary each week, or every other alternate days, etc.

Warmup

To begin every workout of the 12-minute workout program, you will start off with a bodyweight warm-up.

The first exercise will be the Y-squat. Place your hands up in a Y position with your shoulder blades back, and then sit back and squat.

After finishing the Y-squat, go down and do Push-ups. If you’re a beginner, then do kneeling push-ups, otherwise regular pushups.

The Last exercise in this warm-up is the Diagonal Lunge. So, stepping out in a 45-degree angle, with your foot still pointing forward, drop down, and then drive back up using your front heel to power up. Alternate sides, doing 6 repetitions per side.

Go through this warm-up twice and then you will be warmed up and ready to move into the workout.

Workout #1

In this workout you’ll do a superset upper body workout that includes the Incline Dumbbell Chest Press exercise paired with the Incline Dumbbell Row exercises.

So, for the chest presses, you will press the dumbbells up and in and then down and out.

Immediately after this exercise move into the incline DB row. So, with your bench inclined at about 45-degrees, lean up against it, grab both dumbbells and then simply row up, while using the bench as chest support.

Rest and then repeat that superset as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Workout #2

In this second workout of the 12-minute workout program, we will pair two lower body exercises together.

The first exercise is the Dumbbell Split Squat. So, grab a set of DBs and place one leg forward and one leg behind. Next you want to drop your hips straight down and then come back up. Do all repetitions for one side and then switch sides.

Immediately afterwards, you’ll move into an exercise that targets both your lower body and your abdominals, the Spiderman Climb.

So, in a push-up position, bring one foot up to just outside your hand and then back down, alternating sides. Be sure to keep your hips down nice and low. Also, don’t over stretch your groin and just do whatever feels comfortable. As your flexibility increases so too will your ability to bring your foot up to your hand.

Once you’ve finished all the repetitions there, go right back into the DB Split Squats and try to get as many reps into the 12 minute workout as you can.

Workout #3

This workout is a conditioning circuit using Pushups and Dumbbell/Kettlebell Swings

The first type of pushup you will do is the Close-Grip Pushup. So for this exercise, do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds. From there, move immediately into 1-Arm Dumbbell Swings for 30 seconds. Once you’ve gone for 30 seconds, switch sides and do the other arm.

Again, if you have KB’s then you can use those in place of the DB’s.

Next you will do regular Pushups for 30 seconds and finishing off the circuit with 2-Arm Dumbbell Swings.

It’s important to note that throughout this circuit you will not take any rest. By then end of the circuit you’ll be pretty tired, so take one minute rest and then try to go through it again two or three times.

Workout #4

We’re going to start with dumbbell forward lunges in workout 4 of the 12-Minute Fat Loss workout program.

So, with dumbbells at your side, lunge forward, drop your hips straight down, and then drive up off that front heel to the start position. You will alternate sides for this exercise.

From that exercise, you will then move right into a dumbbell push press. To get in position for this exercise, you will place the dumbbells at shoulder height facing outward. You can probably use the same weight as you used for the lunge exercise so as to not need to switch dumbbells. Next, you will squat down a little bit and then drive the dumbbells up overhead. Bring them down, and repeat.

After you have finished that exercise, you will either do a dumbbell row or if you have a bar at home, then you can do inverted rows.

For the dumbbell row, place one knee and one hand on the bench, keep your back nice and flat and then row the dumbbell up to your abdomen.

In the case of inverted rows, grab the bar with an overhand grip with hands slightly wider than shoulder width a part, and then row your chest up to the bar.

So, go through those 3 exercises in circuit fashion as many times as you can in 12 minutes and that’s it!

Workout #5

This workout is another total body, 3-exercise workout. You’ll start out this mini circuit with a dumbbell squat. So, for this exercise, grab a set of dumbbells and place them at your sides. Next, push your hips back and squat down, then drive up. However, as you come up, you will do a bicep curl into an overhead press. Repeat.

Once you’re done that exercise, move immediately into a T-push up. So, go down into a regular push up position, and then as you come up, swing one arm out and rotate out so that your arm is perpendicular to the ground. Bring your arm down, do a push up, and then repeat for the other side.

After that exercise you’ll do a series of burpees. So, go down, kick your legs out, do a push up, jump up, and then repeat that for 30 seconds.

That’s it for the mini-circuit, so you can take a rest, and then repeat that as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Workout #6

In this workout you will perform an upper body superset of chin-ups paired with dumbbell chest presses.

Now, you won’t be able to lift as much weight as you normally would simply because your body will be fatigued from doing the chin-ups.

So, take the bar by an underhand grip, shoulder width apart, and from a dead hang, pull your chest up to the bar and back down. Perform as many reps as you can.

Move immediately into dumbbell overhead chest press. Press the db’s up and in, and then down and out.

Once you’re done all your reps, rest one minute and then repeat that superset as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Workout #7

In workout 7, we’re going to do lower body exercises and an abdominal exercise for a 3-round circuit.

Start with Bulgarian Split Squats. If you are strong enough to hold dumbbells, you can do that. Put one foot behind you and on the bench. Drop straight down through your hips and drive back up through your heel. Feel the stretch in your back leg.

Next, move immediately into stability ball leg curls. Squeeze your butt as you bridge your hips up the entire movement. Curl the ball in so your body is in a straight line and back out again.

Without rest, move into a plank with your elbows on the ball. Your elbows will be positioned slightly ahead of your shoulders. Hold this position and brace your abs.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this circuit as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Workout #8

In workout 8 we’re going to start out with dumbbell squats. Hold the dumbbells down by your sides, push your hips back and keep your chest up and out.

Move immediately into a pushup with your hands on the ball. If you can’t do these, just do regular pushups.

Finish off with deep step-up. With your dumbbells in your hands, put one foot on the bench, drop your hips down and step up. Step back and down. By dropping your hips down, youll get more work out of that lead leg. Finish all reps on one side and switch to the other side.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this set. Do these as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Workout #9

This is the last workout of the 12 minute workout program.

We’re going to do a bodyweight circuit as many times as we can in 12 minutes.

Start with a decline pushup and move immediately into stick-ups. With your feet about 6 inches away, tuck your elbows into your sides and raise your arms up and down all the while keeping your butt, shoulders, shoulder blades, elbows, wrists and head against the wall.

Next, move into a back extension on a ball. Lean on the ball with your feet against something solid to keep you in place. If you are doing this on a slippery surface, make sure you put a mat down to so the ball doesnt slip away from you. Lean forward and back up using your back extensors and also you glutes and hamstrings.

Move immediately into stability ball jackknifes. Place your feet on the ball and your elbows on a bench and tuck your knees into your chest. Make sure you keep your abs braced.

Finish with regular jumping jacks. Keep your arms up over your head as much as you can to work your shoulder blades and upper back. Do 60 reps.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this circuit 2 more times, trying to finish in 12 minutes.