Burn Calories Fast with This 10-Minute Plyometric Cardio Workout

Burn Calories Fast with This 10-Minute Plyometric Workout
Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn DB10

Work ran late, you hit rush hour traffic, and dinner took twice as long as expected. Once again, you watch your workout window shrink from an hour to…mere minutes. But not all hope is lost. Thanks to this plyometric workout, 10 minutes is enough to get your heart rate up in no time.

Plyometric exercises — which stretch and shorten your muscles through explosive movements — help build a trifecta of athleticism: speed, agility and endurance. That’s why CeCe Marizu, a lead trainer for Daily Burn’s new DB10 program, uses them when efficiency is key. “Plyometrics are beneficial for strength and cardiovascular training, and for getting those fast-twitch muscle fibers to turn on.” Marizu, a former D1 athlete, also relies on plyometric training to help track improvements in speed and endurance. “I’m always thinking can I get higher? Can I move faster while keeping my form?”

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And your first challenge starts here. These bodyweight-only plyometric exercises will not only burn calories fast; they’ll help improve your balance, quickness and mobility. Just remember to nail the fundamentals before adding height or speed, Marizu says. “It’s a great way to mix up your workout. And who doesn’t want to fly?” Even better: No passports (or equipment!) necessary.

Your 10-Minute Plyometric Workout

Like any DB10 workout, put 10 minutes on the clock to tackle this AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) workout. Do six reps of each move before continuing on to the next one at a constant and consistent pace. Take as little recovery time as possible — you’ve only got 10 minutes, after all. If your body feels like giving up, remember that you can do more, even if it’s just one more rep. “We can always test ourselves. That burning sensation is change,” Marizu says. So hop, squat and jump to it!

RELATED: 10-Minute Workouts to Get Fit Fast with DB10

10-Minute Plyometric Workout: Side Burpees Exercise
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1. Quick Feet Side Burpees

How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart and your knees slightly bent. Raise your arms to chest height with your palms parallel to each other (a). Run in place as quickly as you can for five seconds (b). Then, jump laterally to your right side and perform a burpee. To do so, drop down and extend your legs behind you into a high plank position, then hop your feet back to your hands. Stand back up and return to quick feet (c). Continue alternating sides.

RELATED: Got 10 Minutes? Your 3-Move Kettlebell Workout

10-Minute Plyometric Workout: 180 Squat Hops Exercise
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2. 180 Squat Hops

How to: Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, and sit back into your heels, so your butt is back and down. Your core should be tight and your chest lifted (a). Bring your right hand down to touch the floor (if you can’t, lower it as much as you can without sacrificing form) (b). Driving from your heels, jump off the ground to complete a 180-twist, and then drop back down to a squat with your left hand touching the ground (c). Repeat the same movement, alternating sides.

RELATED: Your 10-Minute Total-Body Dumbbell Workout

10-Minute Plyometric Workout: Pendulum Lunge Exercise
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3. Pendulum Lunges

How to: Stand with your feet hip-distance apart with your hands at your sides (a). Take a big step forward with your right leg and land on the ball of your foot (b). Lower your body towards the ground, and bring your left hand forward with your right hand down at your side (c). Now, bring your right foot back to standing and take a big step forward (d). Lower your body into a lunge with your right hand forward and your left hand at your side (e). Next, scissor-jump your legs and land with your feet hip-distance apart. Alternate sides and take a step forward with your left leg (f).

For more 10-minute total-body workouts, sign up Daily Burn’s DB10 program — free for 30 days.

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