4 Home HIIT Workouts

You don’t need a gym membership to get fit. You don’t even need to get outside. All you need is 30 minutes and the will to exercise.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is perfect as a home workout. HIIT is a combination of exercises that alternate high intensity activity with periods of recovery, strengthening the cardio-vascular system, burning body fat and building muscle fast.

Be aware that due to the high intensity, HIIT is not for beginners. If you’re just starting out, don’t over-exert yourself. Do a lighter version of HIIT with shorter activity and longer rest periods, and start with once per week.

Here are 4 HIIT workouts that you can easily do from the comfort of your own living room. Don’t forget to warm up and cool down!

1. No-equipment training – 25 minutes

The beauty of HIIT is that you don’t need any special equipment for exercising. There are so many bodyweight exercises that you can incorporate into your training, just mix and match for variety.

Here is one example of a 25-minute workout that will target the entire body, burning body fat and building muscle. The workout has two parts, each comprised by set of 6 exercises. Do as many reps as you can in the active interval, and do both sets of exercises twice.

Part 1: 45 seconds of exercise, 15 seconds of rest 

Complete two sets of the following exercises:

• burpees
• butt-kicks
• jump squats
• lateral lunges
• tuck jumps
• plank jacks

Part 2: 35 seconds of exercise, 25 seconds of rest 

Complete two sets of the following exercises:

• burpees
• mountain climbers
• squats
• reverse crunch 
• reverse lunge 
• butt-kicks

2. Tabata workout – 10 minutes

Tabata workouts are one of the programs that sound too good to be true, only actually true. 
Being very efficient, they’re perfect for working out at home on a busier day, when 10-15 minutes is all you have.

Created by Japanese professor Dr. Izumi Tabata from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Tabata training significantly increases both the aerobic and anaerobic systems in a very short workout.

Each exercise in a Tabata workout is only 4 minutes long, but will feel like the longest 4 minutes of your life. If you do it right, you won’t be able to sustain a long workout. If you can do a 30-minute routine, it’s not Tabata, it just means the intensity isn’t high enough.

Exercise structure

20 seconds of max intensity exercise
10 seconds of rest
complete 8 rounds
rest for 1 minute after each set of 8 rounds

Creating a workout

You can incorporate any exercises you like, as long as you do them at your maximum intensity.
Burpees, squats, jump squats, mountain climbers and reverse lunges are all great for a Tabata workout. Combine 2 exercises for a 10-minute workout.

Example:
Set 1:  squats
Do 20 seconds of high intensity squats, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat another 7 times. 
Rest for 1 minute.

Set 2: mountain climbers
Do 20 seconds of high intensity mountain, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat another 7 times. 

Start with incorporating Tabata training into your routine once a week in order to prevent over-training.

3. Dumbbells routine – 20 minutes

If you love interval training but you also love weightlifting, why not combine the two? Grab your dumbbells (or buy an inexpensive set from any sports store) and let’s do a 20-minute workout. You will need a lighter set for upper body exercises and a heavier one for your lower body.

Complete 4 sets of the following 4 exercises.
Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.

• dumbbell lunges (heavier set)
• dumbbell squats (heavier set)
• bridge with dumbbell bench press (lighter set)
• dumbbell jumping jacks (lighter set)
• V-sit dumbbell press (lighter set)

4. Kettlebell routine – 15 minutes

Kettlebells are a very popular workout tool and for a good reason. They combine strength, cardio and flexibility, offering a full-body conditioning in a short period of time.
As opposed to regular weights, kettlebells focus on dynamic exercises performed with a wider range of motion.

If you have a kettlebell, you can use it as part of a HIIT workout. Try the following quick workout:

Part 1:  40 seconds exercise, 20 seconds rest

Start with one set of the following 5 bodyweight exercises to warm up your body and prevent injuries.

• star jacks
• mountain climbers
• squats
• plank jacks
• lateral lunges

Part 2: 30 seconds exercise, 30 seconds rest

Grab your kettlebell, and complete two sets of the following 5 exercises:

• two handed kettlebell swings
• two handed kettlebell jump squats
• kettlebell clean
• kettlebell Russian twist
• side step kettlebell swing

Cool down with some stretches and don’t forget to hydrate your body and eat a healthy meal after your workout.

Sprinterval helps you get started with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  Available for iOS and Android.