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Want a workout that gets your heart pumping without leaving the house, or even needing any equipment? This is it.
It’s a home cardio workout that needs nothing but a bit of floor space. Eight moves, done against a timer, for 20 to 30 minutes. There are three levels, and every move has a no-jumping version for sore knees or the neighbors downstairs.
Here’s what it’ll honestly do: get your heart rate up, build your fitness, and burn roughly 200 to 260 calories a session for most people. That’s a real contribution to fat loss!
It’s not the “1,000 calories” you’ll see promised elsewhere, and we’ve shown the math further down.
The workout at a glance
| Time | 20 to 30 minutes including warm-up |
| Format | 8 moves in a circuit, against a timer |
| Equipment | None. A mat helps |
| Space | About 6 ft x 6 ft (2 m x 2 m) |
| How often | 3 times a week |
| Levels | 3, plus a no-jumping option for every move |
Warm up first: 4 minutes
One minute each, at an easy pace:
- March on the spot, swinging your arms
- Arm circles, forwards then backwards
- Slow bodyweight squats
- Step jacks, or a jumping jack where you step one foot out at a time
The circuit
Do each move for the work time, rest for the rest time, then move on to the next one. After all eight moves, rest for 1 minute. That’s one round!
| # | Move | No-jumping version |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumping jacks | Step jacks |
| 2 | Squats (level 3: jump squats) | Squats, slow on the way down |
| 3 | Mountain climbers | Slow mountain climbers, or standing knee drives |
| 4 | Reverse lunges, alternating legs (level 3: split jumps) | Reverse lunges |
| 5 | High knees | Marching high knees, fast arms |
| 6 | Push-ups (on knees is fine) | Push-ups with hands on the sofa or a wall |
| 7 | Skaters (leap side to side) | Lateral step and reach |
| 8 | Burpees | Step-back burpees, no jump |
Choose your level
| Level | Work | Rest | Rounds | Total with warm-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Starting out | 30 sec | 30 sec | 2 | about 21 min |
| 2. Getting fitter | 40 sec | 20 sec | 3 | about 30 min |
| 3. Fit already | 45 sec | 15 sec | 3 | about 30 min |
Level 2 and level 3 take the same amount of time. Level 3 is harder because you rest less and use the jump versions.
Form notes
- Mountain climbers: start in a push-up position with your hands under your shoulders. Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch, like running on the spot. Keep your hips level with your shoulders.
- Skaters: leap sideways onto one foot and let the other foot swing behind you, landing softly with a bent knee. Then leap back.
- Burpees: squat, put your hands down, jump or step your feet back to a plank, bring them back in, and stand up. Add a small jump at the top if you’re on level 2 or 3.
- Land softly on every jump, with your knees bent, on the balls of your feet. If a landing is loud, slow down or switch to the no-jumping version.
Your 4 week schedule
| Week | Sessions | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 (e.g. Mon, Wed, Fri) | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 1, with an extra round if it felt easy |
| 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 | 2, or 3 if you are ready |
Move up a level once you can finish every interval at a steady pace without stopping mid-move.
Three 25 minute sessions a week adds up to about 75 minutes of hard work, which meets the WHO’s recommendation of 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week. Add some walking on the other days, and you’re well covered.
How many calories does it burn?
Here’s the honest number, and how to work out your own.
Exercise scientists rate activities in METs, or metabolic equivalents. One MET is the energy you use sitting still, which is roughly 1 calorie per kg of bodyweight per hour.
The standard reference table, the Compendium of Physical Activities, rates vigorous bodyweight exercise like burpees, jumping jacks and push-ups at 7.5 METs.
So for a 154 lb (70 kg) person doing 30 minutes, the sum looks like this:
7.5 METs x 70 kg x 0.5 hours = about 260 calories
The rests bring the real figure down a little, so most people burn around 200 to 260 calories per session. Heavier people burn more, and lighter people burn less.
Want to work out yours? Just swap your own weight in kg into the sum (your weight in pounds divided by 2.2 gives you kg).
So what about those “1,000 calorie” workouts? At this rate, 1,000 calories would take close to two hours of non-stop hard effort. Curious what it really takes? We went through it in how to burn 1,000 calories.
Do you keep burning fat for hours afterwards?
A little. The “afterburn”, or the extra calories your body uses after a workout, is real, but small.
A review of the research found it’s about 6% to 15% of the calories the workout itself used, even after very hard sessions. On a 250 calorie workout, that’s around 15 to 40 calories. The workout itself is what counts.
Will it help me lose fat?
Yes, as part of the bigger picture. Fat loss comes from eating a little less than you burn, and this workout adds to the “burn” side three times a week, without you leaving the house.
Intervals like this are also really efficient. In adults with overweight, a review of 13 trials found interval training and steady cardio led to similar fat loss, but the intervals took about 40% less time.
So if a 30 minute circuit at home is what you’ll actually do, it’s just as good a choice as an hour’s walk.
Looking for other options? Take a look at the best cardio for weight loss. Want to add some strength work too? The bodyweight workout plan pairs really well with this on alternate days.
Questions people ask
Can I do it every day?
Three times a week is plenty to start. If you’d like to do more, go for a walk or try the low impact cardio routine on the other days, and keep at least one full rest day.
My knees hurt on the jumps. What should I do?
Use the no-jumping column for every move. You’ll still get your heart rate up! If the pain is sharp or doesn’t go away, please see a doctor or physical therapist.
I live in an apartment. Will this annoy the neighbors?
Not if you use the no-jumping versions, which are nice and quiet. Push-ups, lunges and step jacks make almost no noise.
Is this HIIT?
Level 3 comes close. Levels 1 and 2 are interval circuits at a hard but steady effort. Want more? HIIT workouts for women has 12 options.
Can I do it before work?
Absolutely. Just do the warm-up properly, especially first thing in the morning.
Have fun with it, and enjoy that post-workout feeling!
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems or are pregnant, check with a doctor before starting vigorous exercise.
