Slim Down For Good With These 15-Minute Workouts, Trainer Says

One of the biggest myths in fitness is that you need to train at least an hour a day in order to get results. This might prevent you from even starting your workout journey, because, amid a busy schedule, the thought of carving out an hour or more for exercise may seem unattainable. But believe it or not, you don't have to spend a ton of time sweating at the gym in order to reach your fitness goals. In fact, shorter workouts can be just as effective, as long as you choose the right exercises. And that's where these trainer-backed, 15-minute workouts come in handy—they will help you slim down for good.

That's right—these 15-minute workouts are super effective, and the best part is, they won't take up a large chunk of time. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Strength training is key

The best workouts are strength training-based and involve compound exercises—ones that target multiple muscle groups. By choosing mostly compound movements, you can train more muscle groups with less exercises, making your workouts a whole lot more efficient. Below are two 15-minute workouts that you can do as part of your fitness routine to help you slim down and tone up. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and perform sets of the following movements back-to-back.

Workout #1

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

trainer doing goblet squat exercise — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Begin by holding one dumbbell in a vertical fashion in front of your chest. Keeping your core tight, push your hips back, and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive through your heels and hips to stand back up, flexing your quads and glutes to finish. Perform 10 reps of this exercise.

Dumbbell Row

Position yourself parallel to a bench so that one hand and knee are firmly planted on the surface for balance. Grip a dumbbell with your opposite hand, and your arm extended straight down toward the floor. Then, begin the motion by pulling the dumbbell up towards your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm back down, and get a nice stretch at the bottom before performing the next rep. Do a total of 10 reps for each arm.

Pushup

Get in a plank position with your body in a completely straight line above the ground. Start the movement with your feet together and shoulders in line with your wrists. Keeping your core tight and glutes squeezed, lower yourself (with control) until your chest touches the floor before pushing yourself back up, flexing your chest and triceps to finish. Do 10 to 15 reps.

Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Begin by placing your upper back on a sturdy surface, such as a weight bench and a dumbbell on your lap. Keeping your core tight and chin tucked, push through your heels, and extend your hips up toward the ceiling while pushing your knees out. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can at the top for at least 2 seconds, then lower yourself back down to the starting position before performing another rep. Complete a total of 10 reps.

Workout #2

Kettlebell Deadlift

Stand in front of the kettlebell with your feet outside of the weight. Push your hips back, and squat down low enough to grab the kettlebell. Make sure your shoulders are in line with the handle and that your torso is straight. Keeping your core tight and shoulders down, pick up the kettlebell by pushing through your heels and hips. Stand tall, and flex your glutes at the top. Reverse the motion to put the kettlebell down before performing another rep. Do a total of 10 reps.

Lat Pulldown

Grip the lat pulldown bar with your palms facing away from you, just outside your shoulders. Lean back slightly, and pull the bar down toward your sternum with your elbows, squeezing your lats at the very bottom of the movement. Resist on the way up, maintaining tension in your lats. Get a good stretch at the very top by letting your shoulder blades come up before performing another rep. Complete a total of 10 reps.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Begin this exercise by having the dumbbells up next to your shoulders, with your palms facing each other. Keeping your core tight and glutes squeezed, press the dumbbells up, flexing your shoulders and triceps at the top. Lower the weight under control before performing another rep. Do 10 reps total.

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

how to do a dumbbell walking lunge — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Start the exercise by holding a pair of dumbbells and stepping forward with one leg. Firmly plant your foot, then lower yourself under control until your back knee touches the floor gently. Once your knee touches the floor, walk forward with the other leg, and repeat. Perform 10 reps on each leg.