HIIT Workout Ideas
HIIT workout ideas using weights or just a jump rope and your bodyweight. These workouts are guaranteed to get your heart pumping!
Don’t you just love a good HIIT?!! In case you don’t already know exactly what a HIIT is, it stands for high-intensity interval training. You combine repeated max effort exercises (greater than or equal to 80% of your max heart rate) with variable periods of rest (depending on your fitness level).
HIIT training is one of my favorite forms of exercise because it gets the job done in a shorter period of time. This type of training incorporates cardiovascular exercise with muscular fitness for a great overall workout, and this can be accomplished with weights or your own body weight resistance.
Another great benefit of this form of exercise is that it revs-up the metabolism for “EPOC” (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which translates to a higher calorie burn for the workout. Bonus! You definitely want to HIIT it y’all!
As with any form of exercise, make sure that you are performing movements with proper form. Movements and intensity can be modified for any fitness level. If you are advanced, you’ll have shorter rest periods between rounds.
If you are a beginner, you’ll need longer rest in between. Always be smart and listen to your body when you exercise. Everyone’s optimal training intensities are different, much like our physiology is unique in regards to nutrition.
You can use the “talk test” guide or a heart rate monitor to assess your intensity level. During the “talk test,” it should be difficult to carry on a conversation during your high-intensity intervals.
You can also incorporate a recovery interval (about 40-50% of max heart rate) as your rest in between the bouts of intensity. Your body may need more time to recover from the intensity of HIIT training, so start with 1-2 HIIT workouts a week and build from there. Most importantly, have FUN!
Below are a couple of personal favorites, but feel free to create your own using your favorite workout modalities!
Jumping HIIT Workout {Bodyweight only}
Do 3-4 rounds with 1-minute rest in between
- 40-second jump rope (double unders, speed step, or singles- scale accordingly)
- 20-60 second rest (depending on fitness level and cardiovascular endurance)
- 40-second burpees
- 20-60 second rest
- 40-second jack squats
- 20-60 second rest
Hurricane HIIT {with weights}
*Make sure you warm-up properly before jumping into this workout
Set 1– Repeat 2-3 x’s
- 30-second sprint (all out pace, any form- in place, treadmill, mountain climbers, airdyne bike, etc)
- 30-second rest
- 10 push-ups
- 15 kettlebell swings
- Rest 60 seconds
*Before next 2-3 rounds rest 2 minutes
Set 2– Repeat 2-3 x’s
- 30-second sprint
- 30-second rest
- 10 Push Press (can use barbell, kettlebells, or dumbbells)
- 10 weighted lunges, jumping lunges, or bodyweight lunges
60-second rest
*Before next 2-3 rounds rest 2 minutes
Set 3– Repeat 2-3 x’s
- 30-second sprint
- 30-second rest
- 10 ring dips (can also do bench dips/parallette dips or tricep extensions with dumbells)
- 10 bent over rows
60-second rest
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