High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become extremely popular in recent years.
And for good reason.
Not only are HIIT workouts extremely effective but they are also time-efficient and can be modified endlessly.
There are basically no limits to the types of exercises you can use for interval training, which makes it the perfect workout method to use at home. This article will present you with the ultimate list of HIIT workouts you can do at home.
Some of the workouts below may require a small amount of equipment, but it is all affordable and useable in a small space. Other workouts are completely based on bodyweight movements, so you can do them absolutely anywhere.
You should also be sure to complete a 5-10 minute warm up before diving into the workouts.
Without further ado, here is our list of 21 HIIT workouts you can do at home.
Bodyweight HIIT Workouts
Workout 1
You will need a stopwatch for this one. It is a very simple interval style workout that is based on the TABATA timing method, which involves working as hard as you can for short bursts of 20 seconds and then resting for half of that time period.
To complete this workout, you will alternate between exercises A and B. Perform 20 seconds of exercise A followed by 10 seconds of rest before performing 20 seconds of exercise B followed by 10 seconds of rest. You will then repeat the entire sequence for a total of 4 rounds, which will last 4 minutes.
If you wish, you can then take a short rest and complete another set of 4 minutes. You could also make it even more challenging by wearing a vest with weights.
- Mountain Climbers – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
- High knees sprint – Standing on the spot, sprint while bringing your knees up towards the ceiling with each rep. Pump your arms hard just like you would if you were sprinting on a track.
Workout 2
This workout takes more circuit training approach. There are 5 total exercises, labelled A-E. You are to perform each exercise for the stated number of repetitions before moving on to the next one. After every single exercise, perform a 15-second cardio exercise.
Perform 3 total rounds of this circuit, changing the 15-second cardio exercise for each round.
- Squats x 10 – Take a shoulder width stance with your feet and slightly point your toes out. Keeping your chest, drop down between your thighs by sitting back slightly and opening up your hips. Once you have reached the bottom point, drive back to the start position by pushing into the ground and straightening your legs.
- Push-ups x 10 – Begin in a prone position on your toes with your arms extended out in front of you. Hands should be underneath your shoulders and your body should remain in a straight line. Bend at your elbows to lower your whole body towards the ground, go as low as you are comfortable going before extending your elbows and returning to the start position.
- Alternating lunges x 12 total – Stand upright with your abs braced and a neutral spine. Take a large step forward with one leg and drop down until your front knee is bent to around 90 degrees and your back knee is just off of the ground. Push through your front foot and drive your body back to the start position. Switch legs and repeat.
- Lying leg raises x 10 – Lay completely flat on your back with your legs and feet together. Brace your stomach so that your lower back is pushed into the ground. Raise both feet towards the ceiling while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Stop just before your legs and body are at a 90-degree angle and slowly lower the back towards the ground. Lower them as far as you comfortably can without touching the ground before repeating.
- Glute bridges x 12 – Lying flat on your back, bend your knees up and plant your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips towards the ceiling by tensing your glute muscles. Take a slight pause at the top and tense your glutes hard before slowly lowering under control and repeating.
15-Second Cardio Exercises
Round 1 – Mountain climbers – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
Round 2 – Jumping jacks – Begin standing with feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a small jump and lift your arms out to the sides while your separate your legs at the same time. Land in a star like position on the front of your foot before taking another small jump and bringing your arms back down with your feet together. Repeat this for the given time frame or a number of reps.
Round 3 – Plank thrusters – begin in a push-up position with your arms extended and legs straight. Bend both knees at the same time and bring them in towards your elbows, which should look like a frog jump position. Shoot your legs back out by straightening them and repeat for the next repetition.
Workout 3
For this workout, you will be switching up the intensity as you go between moderate intensities and high intensities. You will complete 1 minute of moderate intensity/strength-based exercise followed by 30 seconds of high-intensity effort. Repeat the entire workout 2-3 times total with a 1-2 minute rest in between rounds.
Moderate Intensity 1
Push-ups x 30 seconds – Begin in a prone position on your toes with your arms extended out in front of you. Hands should be underneath your shoulders and your body should remain in a straight line. Bend at your elbows to lower your whole body towards the ground, go as low as you are comfortable going before extending your elbows and returning to the start position.
Lateral Lunges x 30 seconds – Start with your feet together and abs braced. Take a large step out to your side with one foot. Bend your stepping leg to around 90-degrees while keeping your other leg straight. Push off hard with your stepping leg and return to the start position. Switch legs and repeat.
High Intensity 1
High knees sprint x 30 seconds – Standing on the spot, sprint while bringing your knees up towards the ceiling with each rep. Pump your arms hard just like you would if you were sprinting on a track.
*Rest for 30 seconds*
Moderate Intensity 2
Single leg balance X 10 per leg – Start standing with your hands clasped behind your head. Shift your weight onto one foot and hinge forward while keeping your standing leg slightly bent. Your other leg should remain straight and directly behind you as you tip forward. Try and bring your torso parallel to the floor before returning to the start position. Keep one foot off the ground and repeat.
Commando planks – Begin in a push-up position with your arms straight and extended in front of you. Keeping your abs braced and body in a straight line, take one hand off of the ground and replace it with your forearm before doing the same with the other hand. You should now be on your forearms in a plank position. Reverse the movement and return to the start position to complete one rep.
High Intensity 2
Squat jumps x 30 seconds – Perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
Workout 4
Here we have a pyramid style workout. You will be performing each exercise for varying amounts of time as follows:
- 10 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 40 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- 10 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
Perform each of the following exercises in the above format.
- Alternating jump lunges – Start with your feet staggered, one foot in front of the other. Bend both knees before jumping into the air. As you jump, switch the position of your feet so that the back foot is now in front and vice versa. Land softly and repeat.
- Plank thrusters – begin in a push-up position with your arms extended and legs straight. Bend both knees at the same time and bring them in towards your elbows, which should look like a frog jump position. Shoot your legs back out by straightening them and repeat for the next repetition.
- Mountain climbers – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
Workout 5
For this one, you will need a bit of extra space to run in. If you really can’t get outside on a field, you could replace the actual run with on the spot running instead.
The idea here is to combine explosive exercises with cardio. You will perform a given number of reps for each exercise for a “set”. Each exercise is to be performed for 3 total sets. Between each set, you will take a 30-second, moderate effort run.
- Broad jumps x 8 reps per set – Stand with your feet parallel and around shoulder-width apart. Drop down into a shallow squat as you swing your arms down and behind you. Swing your arms powerfully overhead at the same time as extending your knees and propelling yourself as far forward as you can. Land with bent knees to absorb the landing and repeat. Depending on space, you may need to turn around between each rep.
- Plyo push-ups x 8 reps per set – Perform a push as normal but be as explosive as possible as your push up so that your hands leave the ground between every rep. Absorb the landing by bending your elbows and dropped straight down into the next push-up.
- Squat jumps x 10 per set – Perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
Workout 6
Here we have a purely cardio circuit that you can perform in a very small space. You will need to grab a stopwatch for it since you will be timing every exercise.
This is an extremely simple workout that consists of 4 exercises, which are to be done back-to-back for 30 seconds each. You will then take up to 60 seconds’ rest and repeat the circuit.
Complete 6 total circuits.
- Jumping Jacks – Begin standing with feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a small jump and lift your arms out to the sides while your separate your legs at the same time. Land in a star like position on the front of your foot before taking another small jump and bringing your arms back down with your feet together. Repeat this for the given time frame or a number of reps.
- Bunny hops – Get yourself into a standard push-up position with your arms extended and feet together. Bend your knees slightly and jump both feet out to one side. Keep your feet together the whole time. Jump your feet from one side to the other and repeat as quickly as you can.
- Skater jumps – Start with your feet close together and knees bent slightly. Take off from one leg and jump laterally in the direction of your other foot. For example, jumping from your right foot would mean jumping to your left and landing on your left leg. After landing softly on your opposite leg, jump back to the other side. Repeat this side to side jumping for the target time or a number of reps.
Kettlebell HIIT Workouts
For the following workouts, you will be making use of kettlebells. Kettlebells are a fantastically versatile and portable piece of exercise equipment, which makes them perfect for home workouts.
If you don’t have kettlebells, here is a great inexpensive option on Amazon.
Workout 7
The following kettlebell workout revolves heavily around one of the best and most widely used kettlebell exercises, the swing. Between each exercise in the circuit, you will be performing a set of 10 kettlebell swings.
The workout plan goes as follows:
- Exercise A
- 10 x swings
- Exercise B
- 10 x swings
- Exercise C
- 10 x swings
- *rest for 60secs*
- Repeat for 5 total rounds
Exercises
- Overhead press x 10 – Preferably, this would be performed with double kettlebells but if you only have a single kettlebell, it can still be done. Stand with your feet around hip-width apart with your knees soft and abs braced. The kettlebells should be in the rack position at your shoulders. Keeping your abs braced, press the weights overhead. As you press up, your arm should rotate so that your palms end up facing forward at the top of the rep. Lower back to the start position under control.
- Goblet squat x 10 – Hold the kettlebell at your chest with the bottom facing up and stand with a shoulder-width stance. Descend into a squat by bending your knees and sitting back slightly. Drop as low as you can go while maintaining a neutral spine before reversing the movement and driving back to a standing position.
- Single arm rows – Stand with a staggered stance, one foot in front of the other. Hold a kettlebell in the hand on the opposite side of your front foot. Lean your body forward by resting your free hand on your front thigh, your torso should be almost parallel to the floor. Pull the kettlebell upwards by driving your elbow back behind you and pulling your hand to the side of your stomach. Lower back under control to a fully extended arm.
Kettlebell swings – Grasp the kettlebell with a double overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
Workout 8
Here we have a kettlebell complex. The aim of this workout is to keep hold of the kettlebell and not set it down until you have completed an entire circuit. This workout is also a single arm workout so you will be doing everything twice.
There is 4 total to be done in sequence on one hand before switching hands and going through the 4 exercises again.
You will perform 5 reps of each on your right hand then 5 reps of each on your left. Then, you will switch back to your right hand and do 4 reps of each then 4 reps of each on your left, back to your right hand for 3 reps and so on.
Exercises
- Single-arm swings – Grasp the kettlebell in one hand and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
- Single arm overhead press – Stand with your feet around hip-width apart with your knees soft and abs braced. The kettlebell should be in the rack position at your shoulder. Keeping your abs braced, press the weight overhead. As you press up, your arm should rotate so that your palm ends up facing forward at the top of the rep. Lower back to the start position under control.
- Single arm overhead squats – Hold the kettlebell in one hand with your arm fully extended overhead, your palm should be facing forwards with the kettlebell resting on the back of your forearm. From here, perform a squat as follows: Take a shoulder width stance with your feet and slightly point your toes out. Keeping your chest, drop down between your thighs by sitting back slightly and opening up your hips. Once you have reached the bottom point, drive back to the start position by pushing into the ground and straightening your legs.
- Single arm high pulls – Grip the kettlebell with an overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance with the kettlebell hanging from your arm between your legs. Take a fast, shallow dip with your knees and reverse the movement quickly to a full standing position again. As you begin to stand, pull the kettlebell vertically towards the ceiling. Keep your elbow above your wrist and pull the kettlebell handle to around nipple level. Lower and repeat.
Workout 9
Of course, you can mix up bodyweight exercises and kettlebell ones for even more variety. This workout does exactly that. It is a simple circuit style session so the exercises are all performed back to back.
Each exercise should be performed for 40 seconds for 4 total rounds with 30 to 60 seconds’ rest between rounds.
Circuit Exercises
- Kettlebell swings – Grasp the kettlebell with a double overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
- Plank – Start in a prone position with your upper body resting on your forearms. Bring your entire body off of the ground by coming up onto your toes and resting on your forearms. Tense your abs and glute muscles to maintain a straight line with your body.
- Squat press – Hold a single kettlebell at your chest with the bottom facing up, palms around the bell and your thumbs underneath the handle. Drop down into a squat. As you extend your legs and stand up, use your momentum to press the kettlebell directly overhead. Bring the weight back down to your chest before repeating for the next rep.
- Single arm Kettlebell rows (20 seconds per arm) – Stand with a staggered stance, one foot in front of the other. Hold a kettlebell in the hand on the opposite side of your front foot. Lean your body forward by resting your free hand on your front thigh, your torso should be almost parallel to the floor. Pull the kettlebell upwards by driving your elbow back behind you and pulling your hand to the side of your stomach. Lower back under control to a fully extended arm.
- Squat jumps x 12 – Perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
Workout 10
This next workout is perhaps the simplest of the entire list yet it had to be included for its’ devastating effectiveness when it comes to conditioning and fat burning.
All you need is a relatively heavy kettlebell or a pair of kettlebells and somewhere to sprint: a hill works best.
All you need to do is perform a heavy lower body exercise for 8-12 reps followed by an all-out sprint that lasts around 15-20 seconds. You would then take up to 2 minutes’ rest before repeating. Repeat this combination for 8 total rounds.
If you have enough weight to make it challenging, a front squat is a great exercise to use before the sprints. If not, high rep swings (around 20 reps) can be done instead.
The workout is very simple: Kettlebell exercise for 8-12 (20 swings) > drop kettlebells and immediately sprint > rest max 2 mins > repeat 8 times total.
Exercise Descriptions
Front squat – Hold the kettlebells in “rack” position at your chest and stand with a shoulder-width stance. Descend into a squat by bending your knees and sitting back slightly. Drop as low as you can go while maintaining a neutral spine before reversing the movement and driving back to a standing position.
Kettlebell swings – Grasp the kettlebell with a double overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
Workout 11
A double circuit workout. As you may have guessed, this workout features 2 separate circuits. Within each circuit, you have an upper body, a lower body, a core and a cardio exercise.
You must complete 5 rounds of circuit one before moving on and completing 5 rounds of circuit 2.
Each exercise in a circuit is done back to back for 30 seconds. Take 30 seconds’ rest between rounds and 60 seconds’ rest between the 2 circuits.
Circuit 1
- Single arm high pulls – Grip the kettlebell with an overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance with the kettlebell hanging from your arm between your legs. Take a fast, shallow dip with your knees and reverse the movement quickly to a full standing position again. As you begin to stand, pull the kettlebell vertically towards the ceiling. Keep your elbow above your wrist and pull the kettlebell handle to around nipple level. Lower and repeat.
- Sumo deadlift – Take a very wide stance (feet outside of shoulder-width) directly over a kettlebell. Grip the kettlebell with an overhand grip in both hands and stand with it hanging straight down between your legs. Descend into a squat-like position by bending your knees. Touch the kettlebell to the ground and reverse the movement by pushing hard against the ground and tensing your glute muscles.
- Lying leg raises – Lay completely flat on your back with your legs and feet together. Brace your stomach so that your lower back is pushed into the ground. Raise both feet towards the ceiling while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Stop just before your legs and body are at a 90-degree angle and slowly lower the back towards the ground. Lower them as far as you comfortably can without touching the ground before repeating.
- Mountain climbers – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
Circuit 2
- Overhead press – Preferably, this would be performed with double kettlebells but if you only have a single kettlebell, it can still be done. Stand with your feet around hip-width apart with your knees soft and abs braced. The kettlebells should be in the rack position at your shoulders. Keeping your abs braced, press the weights overhead. As you press up, your arm should rotate so that your palms end up facing forward at the top of the rep. Lower back to the start position under control.
- Goblet squat – Hold the kettlebell at your chest with the bottom facing up and stand with a shoulder-width stance. Descend into a squat by bending your knees and sitting back slightly. Drop as low as you can go while maintaining a neutral spine before reversing the movement and driving back to a standing position.
- Russian twists – Sit on the ground with your legs outstretched in front of you. Lean your upper body back until you feel your abs tense up. Now, keep your feet together and pick them up off of the ground slightly. Hold this position while rotating your entire torso to touch the ground on one side of your body. Rotate to the opposite side and lightly touch the ground. Keep the movement slow, controlled and make sure your whole upper body is moving as a single unit.
- Plank thrusters – begin in a push-up position with your arms extended and legs straight. Bend both knees at the same time and bring them in towards your elbows, which should look like a frog jump position. Shoot your legs back out by straightening them and repeat for the next repetition.
Barbell HIIT Workouts
With a barbell and a few weight plates, you can really open up your options when designing workouts. Home barbell sets are inexpensive and are available in space-saving sizes so you may consider buying one if you like the sound of the workouts below.
Here is an inexpensive set that is plenty for any of the exercises below.
Workout 12
Barbell complexes are a great way to get your heart racing while training your entire body. They work the same way as the kettlebell complex from earlier. The aim is to complete all of the exercises in a row without setting the barbell down until the round is complete. You don’t need a power rack, but if you already have one, it will help.
The following complex is made up of 5 exercises that are to be done for 5 reps each and for 5 total rounds. Take a 60-second rest between each round.
Exercises
- Romanian deadlifts – Take a double overhand grip on the barbell at shoulder width and stand with a hip-width stance. Keeping your knees soft, tip forward at your hips by pushing your butt behind you. The bar should travel down towards the floor, as soon as you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, reverse the movement by engaging your glutes and bringing yourself back to standing.
- Bent over rows – Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and stand with a hip-width foot stance. Bend your knees slightly and tip forward at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the floor with the barbell hanging out in front of you. Start the rep by driving your elbows behind you and pulling the bar into your stomach. Lower under control until your arms are straight again and repeat.
- Upright rows – Stand up straight with your abs braced and take a wide grip on the bar. Keep the bar close to your body as to pull it vertically to mid-chest level. Ensure your elbows remain high and above your wrists as you pull. Lower under control and repeat for the next rep.
- Front squats – Holding it in your fingers, rest the barbell across the front of your shoulders and close to your neck. Your elbows should be out in front of the bar and kept high, this will bend your wrists backwards so requires some flexibility. Bend your knees and open up your hips as you descend into the squat. Squat down as low as you can while maintaining good technique before pushing through your feet and returning to a standing position.
- Overhead press – Begin with a shoulder-width grip and rest the barbell across the front shoulders. Your abs must remain braced as you bring your head back to allow the bar to be pressed straight up. As the bar clears your head, bring your head back forward into a neutral position. When the bar is lowered, you will need to move your head back slightly so that it remains on a straight bar path; the bar moves in a straight line, your head must move around the bar.
Workout 13
Working the big muscles of your lower body requires a lot of effort from your heart and lungs. So, lower body exercises are some of the most effective when it comes to performing HIIT training with resistance exercise. This workout takes full advantage of using those larger, more powerful muscles.
The workout itself consists of 5 exercises in a circuit format that focus mainly on your lower body. Perform each exercise for the given number of reps back to back. Rest for 1 minute between rounds and complete 4-5 rounds.
Exercises
- Bodyweight squats x 20 – Take a shoulder width stance with your feet and slightly point your toes out. Keeping your chest, drop down between your thighs by sitting back slightly and opening up your hips. Once you have reached the bottom point, drive back to the start position by pushing into the ground and straightening your legs.
- Romanian deadlifts x 15 – Take a double overhand grip on the barbell at shoulder width and stand with a hip-width stance. Keeping your knees soft, tip forward at your hips by pushing your butt behind you. The bar should travel down towards the floor, as soon as you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, reverse the movement by engaging your glutes and bringing yourself back to standing.
- Front squats x 10 – Holding it in your fingers, rest the barbell across the front of your shoulders and close to your neck. Your elbows should be out in front of the bar and kept high, this will bend your wrists backwards so requires some flexibility. Bend your knees and open up your hips as you descend into the squat. Squat down as low as you can while maintaining good technique before pushing through your feet and returning to a standing position.
- Plank thrusters x 5 – begin in a push-up position with your arms extended and legs straight. Bend both knees at the same time and bring them in towards your elbows, which should look like a frog jump position. Shoot your legs back out by straightening them and repeat for the next repetition.
- Bodyweight squats x 20 – Take a shoulder width stance with your feet and slightly point your toes out. Keeping your chest, drop down between your thighs by sitting back slightly and opening up your hips. Once you have reached the bottom point, drive back to the start position by pushing into the ground and straightening your legs.
Workout 14
The Tabata protocol that we used earlier can be applied to any type of training. While this one won’t technically be Tabata training since Tabata involves some kind of sprint, we will still be using the same timing scheme.
It is an extremely straightforward workout of just 2 exercises. You will work for 20 seconds at a time and then rest for 10 seconds.
Perform exercise A, using this 20 on, 10 off timing method, for 8 rounds.
Take a 2-minute rest before doing the same for exercise B. The whole workout will only take 10 minutes but it can be repeated if you have the fitness.
Exercises
- Push press – Take a shoulder-width grip on the barbell and rest it across the front of your shoulders. Perform a short dip down by breaking slightly at your knees. Reverse the movement by rapidly straightening your legs again. As you start to straighten your legs, drive the barbell straight above your head. The idea is to create momentum with your legs in order to press the bar towards the ceiling powerfully.
- Barbell Squat jumps – With the bar resting across your upper back muscles, perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
AMRAP Workouts
AMRAP stands for “as many rounds as possible” and is a common feature of CrossFit style workouts. The aim of an AMRAP is to complete as many rounds as possible of a particular set of exercises within a given time frame. They require some mental toughness and a willingness to push yourself but are very rewarding once you get through them.
Workout 15
We will start with a nice simple version of an AMRAP. Perform the circuit below as many times as you can in 15 minutes.
Exercises
- Push-ups x 20 – Begin in a prone position on your toes with your arms extended out in front of you. Hands should be underneath your shoulders and your body should remain in a straight line. Bend at your elbows to lower your whole body towards the ground, go as low as you are comfortable going before extending your elbows and returning to the start position.
- Goblet squats x 20 – Hold the kettlebell at your chest with the bottom facing up and stand with a shoulder-width stance. Descend into a squat by bending your knees and sitting back slightly. Drop as low as you can go while maintaining a neutral spine before reversing the movement and driving back to a standing position.
- Kettlebell overhead press x 20 – Preferably, this would be performed with double kettlebells but if you only have a single kettlebell, it can still be done. Stand with your feet around hip-width apart with your knees soft and abs braced. The kettlebells should be in the rack position at your shoulders. Keeping your abs braced, press the weights overhead. As you press up, your arm should rotate so that your palms end up facing forward at the top of the rep. Lower back to the start position under control.
- Mountain climbers x 20 total – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
- Single arm high pulls x 10/arm – Grip the kettlebell with an overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance with the kettlebell hanging from your arm between your legs. Take a fast, shallow dip with your knees and reverse the movement quickly to a full standing position again. As you begin to stand, pull the kettlebell vertically towards the ceiling. Keep your elbow above your wrist and pull the kettlebell handle to around nipple level. Lower and repeat.
- Kettlebell swings x 20 – Grasp the kettlebell with a double overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
Workout 16
The workout below is an AMRAP that consists of 2 separate circuits and uses only bodyweight exercises. Complete as many rounds of circuit 1 as you can in 7 minutes, rest for up to 2 minutes and then do the same for circuit 2.
Circuit 1
- Squat jumps x 10 – Perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
- Commando planks x 10 – Begin in a push-up position with your arms straight and extended in front of you. Keeping your abs braced and body in a straight line, take one hand off of the ground and replace it with your forearm before doing the same with the other hand. You should now be on your forearms in a plank position. Reverse the movement and return to the start position to complete one rep.
- Skater jumps x 20 – Start with your feet close together and knees bent slightly. Take off from one leg and jump laterally in the direction of your other foot. For example, jumping from your right foot would mean jumping to your left and landing on your left leg. After landing softly on your opposite leg, jump back to the other side. Repeat this side to side jumping for the target time or a number of reps.
Circuit 2
- Broad jumps x 10 – Stand with your feet parallel and around shoulder-width apart. Drop down into a shallow squat as you swing your arms down and behind you. Swing your arms powerfully overhead at the same time as extending your knees and propelling yourself as far forward as you can. Land with bent knees to absorb the landing and repeat. Depending on space, you may need to turn around between each rep.
- Push-ups x 20 – Begin in a prone position on your toes with your arms extended out in front of you. Hands should be underneath your shoulders and your body should remain in a straight line. Bend at your elbows to lower your whole body towards the ground, go as low as you are comfortable going before extending your elbows and returning to the start position.
- Burpees x 10 – Start in a standing position. Drop down into a deep squat and place your hands on the ground just in front of you. Shoot your legs directly behind you so that you take up a push-up position. Bend your knees and bring them back towards your chest to return to the deep squat-like stance. Return to a standing position and jump.
Workout 17
Here is an example of a descending ladder workout in an AMRAP format. This is a circuit of exercises where you perform a decreasing number of reps for each exercise.
Perform the circuit for AMRAP in 20 minutes.
Exercises
- Jumping jacks x 40 – Begin standing with feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a small jump and lift your arms out to the sides while your separate your legs at the same time. Land in a star like position on the front of your foot before taking another small jump and bringing your arms back down with your feet together. Repeat this for the given time frame or a number of reps.
- Bodyweight squats x 30 – Take a shoulder width stance with your feet and slightly point your toes out. Keeping your chest, drop down between your thighs by sitting back slightly and opening up your hips. Once you have reached the bottom point, drive back to the start position by pushing into the ground and straightening your legs.
- Mountain climbers x 20 – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
- Lying leg raises x 10 – Lay completely flat on your back with your legs and feet together. Brace your stomach so that your lower back is pushed into the ground. Raise both feet towards the ceiling while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Stop just before your legs and body are at a 90-degree angle and slowly lower the back towards the ground. Lower them as far as you comfortably can without touching the ground before repeating.
- Burpees x 5 – Start in a standing position. Drop down into a deep squat and place your hands on the ground just in front of you. Shoot your legs directly behind you so that you take up a push-up position. Bend your knees and bring them back towards your chest to return to the deep squat-like stance. Return to a standing position and jump.
Superset Workouts
A superset is a pair of exercises that are performed back to back, like a mini circuit of just 2 exercises. Supersets are a good way of doing a lot of hard work in a relatively short space of time before taking enough rest to allow you to go hard again. All of the workouts in this section make use of supersets.
Workout 18
You have 3 supersets to complete here, each of which consists of an explosive exercise and a cardio-based exercise. Rest for 30 seconds between supersets and complete 5 rounds of the superset before moving on to the next one.
Superset 1
- Plyo push-ups x 8 – Perform a push as normal but be as explosive as possible as your push up so that your hands leave the ground between every rep. Absorb the landing by bending your elbows and dropped straight down into the next push-up.
- Mountain climbers x 40 – Assume a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Bring one foot up off of the ground and drive your knee towards your chest. Return your leg to the start position while simultaneously bringing the other knee up. It should be a similar motion to running.
Superset 2
- Broad jumps x 8 – Stand with your feet parallel and around shoulder-width apart. Drop down into a shallow squat as you swing your arms down and behind you. Swing your arms powerfully overhead at the same time as extending your knees and propelling yourself as far forward as you can. Land with bent knees to absorb the landing and repeat. Depending on space, you may need to turn around between each rep.
- Bunny hops x 20 – Get yourself into a standard push-up position with your arms extended and feet together. Bend your knees slightly and jump both feet out to one side. Keep your feet together the whole time. Jump your feet from one side to the other and repeat as quickly as you can.
Superset 3
- Burpees x 10 – Start in a standing position. Drop down into a deep squat and place your hands on the ground just in front of you. Shoot your legs directly behind you so that you take up a push-up position. Bend your knees and bring them back towards your chest to return to the deep squat-like stance. Return to a standing position and jump.
- High knees sprint x 40 (20/leg) – Standing on the spot, sprint while bringing your knees up towards the ceiling with each rep. Pump your arms hard just like you would if you were sprinting on a track.
Workout 19
Here you will make use of a barbell to perform supersets that alternate between strength and cardio. Perform 5 rounds of each superset, rest 30 seconds between supersets.
Strength Superset 1
- Front squat x 12 – Holding it in your fingers, rest the barbell across the front of your shoulders and close to your neck. Your elbows should be out in front of the bar and kept high, this will bend your wrists backwards so requires some flexibility. Bend your knees and open up your hips as you descend into the squat. Squat down as low as you can while maintaining good technique before pushing through your feet and returning to a standing position.
- Barbell bent over row x 12 – Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and stand with a hip-width foot stance. Bend your knees slightly and tip forward at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the floor with the barbell hanging out in front of you. Start the rep by driving your elbows behind you and pulling the bar into your stomach. Lower under control until your arms are straight again and repeat.
Cardio Superset 1
- High knees sprint x 20 seconds – Standing on the spot, sprint while bringing your knees up towards the ceiling with each rep. Pump your arms hard just like you would if you were sprinting on a track.
- Skier jumps x 20 seconds – Start standing with feet hip-width apart. Jump laterally with both feet, land on both feet at the same time and jump back to the start position. Repeat these side to side jumps for the given reps or amount of time.
Strength Superset 2
- Romanian deadlifts x 12 – Take a double overhand grip on the barbell at shoulder width and stand with a hip-width stance. Keeping your knees soft, tip forward at your hips by pushing your butt behind you. The bar should travel down towards the floor, as soon as you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, reverse the movement by engaging your glutes and bringing yourself back to standing.
- Upright rows x 12 – Stand up straight with your abs braced and take a wide grip on the bar. Keep the bar close to your body as to pull it vertically to mid-chest level. Ensure your elbows remain high and above your wrists as you pull. Lower under control and repeat for the next rep.
Cardio Superset 2
- Bunny hops x 20 seconds – Get yourself into a standard push-up position with your arms extended and feet together. Bend your knees slightly and jump both feet out to one side. Keep your feet together the whole time. Jump your feet from one side to the other and repeat as quickly as you can.
- Plank thrusters x 20 seconds – begin in a push-up position with your arms extended and legs straight. Bend both knees at the same time and bring them in towards your elbows, which should look like a frog jump position. Shoot your legs back out by straightening them and repeat for the next repetition.
EMOM workouts
EMOM stand for “every minute on the minute” and, much like AMRAPs, they are common in CrossFit style workouts. The goal is to perform a given set of exercises for a stated number of reps as quickly as you can every time the clock reaches a new minute. Therefore, the faster you do the exercises, the longer rest you get before the next round.
Workout 20
This one makes use of kettlebells. Start a timer and complete the exercises below. Whenever the timer reaches a new minute, perform the circuit again. Go for a total of 12 minutes.
- Kettlebell swings x 10 – Grasp the kettlebell with a double overhand grip and stand in a shoulder-width stance while holding the kettlebell straight down between your legs. To complete the swing, you must swing the kettlebell between your legs by pushing your hips back behind you. Once your upper body is almost parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by forcefully thrusting your hips forward and tensing your glutes hard. Let the kettlebell drop back between your legs and repeat the movement.
- Goblet squats – Hold the kettlebell at your chest with the bottom facing up and stand with a shoulder-width stance. Descend into a squat by bending your knees and sitting back slightly. Drop as low as you can go while maintaining a neutral spine before reversing the movement and driving back to a standing position.
Workout 21
This is another take on an EMOM workout. However, you will be rotating through 3 different exercises as follows:
- Minute 1: exercise A
- Minute 2: exercise B
- Minute 3: exercise C
- Minute 4: exercise A
- Repeat the pattern for 12 minutes in total.
Exercises
- Squat jumps x 15 – Perform a shallow squat by bending your knees slightly and extending them rapidly. As you extend them, launch yourself into the air. Absorb the landing by bending your knees slightly before repeating and jumping again.
- Burpees x 10 – Start in a standing position. Drop down into a deep squat and place your hands on the ground just in front of you. Shoot your legs directly behind you so that you take up a push-up position. Bend your knees and bring them back towards your chest to return to the deep squat-like stance. Return to a standing position and jump.
- Plyo push-ups x 10 – Perform a push as normal but be as explosive as possible as your push up so that your hands leave the ground between every rep. Absorb the landing by bending your elbows and dropped straight down into the next push-up.
HIIT Training: Final Words
Interval training is popular for good reasons: it is effective, time-efficient and very customizable. The above workouts can all be customized to suit your own fitness level and equipment availability.
Don’t feel like you have to stick to them exactly as they are written. You can perform the workouts listed here as they are or as a template for your designing own workouts.
You can use them as an alternative to your usual cardio sessions or tag some of the shorter ones on to the end of your strength workouts.
The options are almost endless, all you need to do is get out there and put the hard work in!
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