With work, family, and life piling up, hitting the gym often feels impossible. Enter the 7-minute workout, a high-intensity exercise routine that promises results in no time.
The viral regimen includes 12 basic moves you can do at home with just your bodyweight, a wall, and a chair. Sounds like the perfect solution for the time-strapped, right?
Not so fast. To reap the full benefits, the workout’s creator says you’ll need to repeat the circuit two or three times, turning your “7-minute” workout into 14 or 21 minutes. It’s not as effortless as it sounds, but still a lot quicker than your average gym session.
What is the 7-minute workout?
Developed in 2013 by exercise physiologist Chris Jordan, the 7-minute workout popularized high-intensity interval training. Known for being quick, effective, and accessible for a variety of fitness levels, the routine has remained a viral favorite for more than a decade.
The workout consists of 12 bodyweight exercises:
- Jumping jacks
- Wall sits
- Push-ups
- Abdominal crunches
- Step-ups on a chair
- Squats
- Tricep dips on a chair
- Plank
- High knees (or running in place)
- Lunges
- Push-ups with rotation
- Side planks
Each move should challenge you, but not leave you gasping for air. Aim for “about an eight on a scale of effort from one to 10,” Jordan told The Washington Post.
But keep in mind, that’s based on “your perception of an eight,” he said, stressing that everyone’s 7-minute workout should be customized to fit their own fitness level. You can also modify each move to suit your ability.
The order of exercises matters. Do them in the circuit shown above to avoid overworking any muscle group. For example, while someone is performing a push-up, the lower body gets a break and recovers, ensuring it has enough energy for squats later in the workout.
The structure also alternates between exercises that pump up your heart rate and those that let it calm down.
Does the 7-Minute Workout Work?
A study featuring the 7-minute workout was first published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal in 2013.
Jordan and his colleagues reviewed existing research and found that just a few minutes of high-intensity circuit training can help decrease body fat, improve insulin sensitivity, boost muscular fitness, and increase VO₂ max — a key measure of cardiovascular health.
Follow-up studies have shown more promising results. A 2016 study compared the effects of 7-minute, 14-minute, and no circuit training over 8 weeks. Both exercise groups showed notable improvements in muscle endurance and strength.
Another study evaluated the 7-minute workout over six weeks, with some participants doing it every day while others did nothing at all. The results? The exercise group lost some weight, decreased waist circumference, and reduced fat mass — without changing their eating habits.
However, not everyone is sold on it. Critics have questioned whether the workout truly delivers on weight loss, and some have raised doubts about the initial 2013 study’s methodology.
Adam Bornstein, a fitness and nutrition author, noted in his blog that “the studies used to ‘prove’ the concepts don’t mirror the workout that is being lauded as the seven-minute fix for your body,” according to NBC News. For instance, one of the studies involved additional weights, and participants took three times as long to complete the exercises.
Even with those criticisms, “when it comes to exercise, anything is better than doing nothing, even if it’s just seven minutes,” Katie Lawton, exercise physiologist, told the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s not going to replace your other fitness routines, but it can be a good filler workout, like between gym days or when you’re traveling.”
That advice could prove helpful, especially since a survey of 2,000 American adults found 79% feel happier when they stick to a regular workout routine — but 48% are too busy to exercise at all.
Lawson said the consistency of the 7-minute workout also makes it ideal for beginners in need of a set routine. However, she warned against newbies pushing themselves too hard, too fast.
“If you’re a regular exerciser, this workout is OK to do every day. But if you’re just starting out, give yourself a rest in between, with some days of walking or another type of light exercise instead,” she said.
For those considering the high-intensity workout, Jordan and his team cautioned in their study that some exercises may not be suitable for individuals who are overweight or obese, have previous injuries, are elderly, or suffer from conditions like hypertension or heart disease.
