If you’re pressed for time and can’t commit to hours in the gym, lower your standards. Face it—a 30-minute workout is better than no workout at all. If you do it regularly, 30 minutes is enough time to get results.

The following workout is designed to get you strong and raise your heart rate. Building strength while increasing your anaerobic capacity is essential for burning fat and getting lean. The workout  is a type of complex, but instead of moving from exercise to exercise, perform each exercise for the allotted time. Working within your strength range for each exercise will help you improve your strength.

Choose among compound movements that engage as much muscle as possible in the least amount of time. Using 70 percent of your one-rep max for each exercise, perform each one for five minutes. I suggest hitting 3 to 5 reps at a time, then recovering for 15-20 seconds and hitting the movement again for another 3-5 reps. Record your number of reps for each exercise. The next time you perform the complex, try to beat your total number of reps in the allotted time.

Warm-Up

Perform 3 sets of the following:

• Jumping Jacks x10
• Squats x10
• Push-Ups x10
• Inverted Rows x10

Complex Workout

• Squat (70% for 5 minutes)
• Overhead Press (70% for 5 minutes)
• Pull-Ups (5 minutes)
• Deadlift (70% for 5 minutes)

Check out more short workouts: