HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is pretty much everywhere these days—and for good reason. With so many of us crunched for workout time and short on attention span, trainers across the country have turned to these quick but effective workouts.
Here’s how HIIT works: “You exert your maximum physical effort in a series of short work intervals, coupled with short periods of recovery,” says fitness and nutrition coach Adam Rosante, C.P.T., creator of Strong(h)er. Often, workouts take just a half-hour or less. This format leads to something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. Because you push so hard during the work intervals, you increase your body’s need for oxygen both during your rest intervals and throughout the day after your workout. The extra work your body does to deliver that oxygen boosts your resting metabolic rate, a.k.a. the amount of calories you burn at rest.
In simple terms: You burn a lot of calories during the workout, and then continue burning more than you normally would after the workout is over. The key is making sure you really push it (we’re talking level-10 effort) during those work intervals, Rosante says.
Sounds pretty sweet, right? Put HIIT to work and try one (or all!) of these seven, top trainer-approved routines.
HIIT Workout #1: The ‘Complete 180’ Workout
Your trainer: Joey Thurman, C.P.T., author of 365 Health and Fitness Hacks That Could Save Your Life
“This workout is a mix between maximal heart rate aerobic conditioning and anaerobic (muscular) stimulation,” says Thurman. That means you work your cardiovascular system and your muscles. This three-move workout will challenge your cardio and work every muscle in your body.
The goal of this workout is to complete 180 total reps (hence the name) as safely and as quickly as possible. You’ll cycle through three moves, first performing 16 reps of each, then 14 of each, then 12, 10, and eight.
Rest and grab water as needed. Just try not to rest for more than 60 seconds, says Thurman.
Here are the moves:
Pushup with Oblique Knee Tuck
Start in pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Engage your core and bend at the elbows to slowly lower down until your chest reaches the ground. Then drive up through your palms and use your chest, shoulders, and triceps to push back up. Once you’re back at the top position, bring one foot slightly off of the ground and tuck your knee toward the same shoulder, engaging your obliques. Return your leg to starting position and repeat that tucking movement with the other leg. That’s one rep.
Bridge Crunch
Flip your body around so that your chest is facing the sky and you are in a reverse table-top position with your palms and the soles of your feet planted firmly on the ground. (This is also known as a bridge tuck.) Engage your glutes and keep your hips up. Contract your abs and bring one knee in toward your chest. Bring that knee back to starting position, then pull other knee in toward chest. That’s one rep.
Split Jump
Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Step your right foot back and lower into a lunge, with a 90-degree bend in both knees. Jump up explosively and switch your legs mid-air to land softly with your feet in the opposite position. Immediately lower back into a lunge and repeat the move with the mid-air leg switch so your original front foot is back in front. That’s one rep.
Related: 5 Myths About Your Metabolism—Busted
HIIT Workout #2: The Do-Anywhere, Bodyweight-Only Workout
Your trainer: Adam Rosante, C.P.T., strength and nutrition coach
“I love to put a series of bodyweight moves together for a fat-burning and muscle-strengthening workout that can be done anywhere,” says Rosante. “This routine eviscerates fat and really targets the legs, butt, chest, shoulders and abs, while also putting a focus on the upper back (something that’s almost always neglected in bodyweight workouts) for balanced strength and postural alignment.”
You’ll perform six exercises back-to-back for 30 seconds each. Go as hard as you can and rest only when absolutely necessary. After you finish the sixth move, rest for 30 seconds. That’s one round. Repeat for up to eight rounds total. (It’ll take less than a half hour!)
Tip: Rosante recommends using an interval app on your phone so that you don’t get distracted from your workout by checking your watch or wall clock.
Here are the six moves you’ll be crushing:
1 1/4 Squat Jumps
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower down into a squat. (Just maintain the natural arch in your lower back.) Then press through your heels to lift a quarter of the way back up. Lower down again, and then drive through the heels to explosively jump as high as you can. Land softly.
Cross-Body Mountain Climbers
Start in high-plank position. Drive your right knee to your left elbow, then return it back to starting position as you start to drive your left knee to your right elbow. Repeat at a quick pace, as if sprinting.
Split Jumps
Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Step your right foot back and lower into a lunge, with a 90-degree bend in both knees. Jump up explosively and switch your legs mid-air to land softly with your feet in the opposite position. Immediately lower back into a lunge and repeat the move with the mid-air leg switch so your original front foot is back in front. That’s one rep.
Contraction Pushups
Start at the top of a pushup position. Contract your core and bend at the elbows to lower your body all the way to the ground, then draw your shoulder blades together and squeeze the muscles in your upper back. Hold for five seconds. Release the contraction and push back up to start. That’s one rep.
Power Planks
Start in a low plank position on your forearms and toes. Keep your core engaged. Raise your hips high into the air, lift your right foot, and drive your right knee in toward your chest. Return to start. Repeat, this time lifting your left foot and driving your left knee in toward your chest. Return to start. That’s one rep.
Burpees
Stand with feet hips-width apart. Squat down and place your hands flat on the floor. Jump your feet back to land at the top of a pushup position, then immediately lower your entire body to the floor. Explosively press back up and jump your feet forward to land in a crouched position. Jump straight up as high as you can and your hands directly overhead. Land softly. That’s one rep.
HIIT Workout #3: The ‘F45 Foxtrot’ Workout
Your trainer: Riley Wafful, CP.T. at F45 Training
Wafful loves to vary the intervals in his HIIT sessions. Why? “The blend of endurance sets and short sprints sends your muscles into a state of shock. When coupled with a hybrid of cardio and resistance exercises, this will elevate your heart rate and ramp up fat burning,” she says.
This tough workout takes just 15 minutes—unless you’re feeling bold enough to double it for a full 30 minutes of sweat. You’ll perform four sets of five different exercises. In your first set, you’ll go hard for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds. Then in your second set, you’ll go hard for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat that pattern for your last two sets. Move through each exercise back-to-back.
Here are those five exercises:
Kettlebell Squat and Upright Row
Stand with your feet hips-width distance apart and place a kettlebell on the ground between your feet. Drop down into a deep squat and grab the kettlebell. As you stand up, row the kettlebell up to chest height. Extend your arms back down to lower the kettlebell, then squat back down to place the kettlebell back on the floor. Return to standing position. That’s one rep.
Bench Hops
Find a bench that’s about two feet tall, and stand beside it with the length of the bench alongside you. Plant your hands on the bench and jump up and over it to land on the other side. Repeat.
Around-the-Clock Box Step-Ups
Start standing with a box on your right side. Plant your right foot on the box and lower into a slight squat. Push through your heels to jump up into the air, rotating to the next side of the box as you jump. Return to standing position before lowering back down into a squat and repeating. Work your way around all four sides of the box.
Battle Ropes Frog Stomps
Start standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a battle rope in each hand. Lower into a wide, low squat. Stay low and quickly lift one foot up at a time (in a stomping pattern) while whipping the battle ropes up and down in an alternating wave pattern.
Related: 9 Battlerope Moves To Build Strength And Get Shredded
Mountain-Climber Shoulder Taps
Start in a high-plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line. Quickly drive one knee at a time in toward your chest as if sprinting. Complete 10 mountain-climbers. Then, starting in that plank position, lift one hand off the ground at a time to tap your opposite shoulder. Continue in an alternating pattern for six shoulder taps. Then return to the mountain-climbers.
HIIT Workout #4: The ‘Pick-Up-Those-Weights’ Workout
Your trainer: Ippolita di Paola, C.P.T. at LifeTime Athletic
“My favorite workout is a 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off fat-torcher that allows you to give your absolute max effort of speed and power by providing just enough recovery in between,” says di Paola.
You’ll perform three sets of 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for each of this workout’s five exercises. Di Paola loves that this workout keeps you from getting too bored or too fatigued in one muscle group to keep performing. One run-through of the workout takes 15 minutes.
Here are the moves you’ll use:
Sit Outs (a.k.a. Break Dancers)
Start on all fours with your wrists below your shoulders, your knees below your hips, and toes planted on the ground. Push your knees up so they hover an inch or two off the ground. (This is ‘bear crawl’ position.) Tuck your right knee beneath your torso to kick your right leg out through to the opposite side so it fully extends out to the left. Rotate your hips to the left and up toward the ceiling and lift your left hand off the ground and up toward the ceiling. Staying low, come back to your starting bear crawl position. Repeat in the opposite direction, kicking out your left leg and reaching up with your right arm. Then return to starting position and repeat.
Double Kettlebell Swings
Start standing with your feet hips-width distance apart and two kettlebells placed in between your feet just in front of you. Hinge your hips back (like in a deadlift) while maintaining a flat back and open chest, with your shoulders higher than your hips and your hips higher you’re your knees. Grab the kettlebell handles and engage your lats. Swing the bells back through your legs then drive your hips powerfully forward to reach a standing position and allow the bells to float up to about ribs or shoulder-height. The top of your swing should look like a standing plank, with your legs and core tense, before the bells fall back toward your hips, propelling you into your next swing. Bring the bells back between your legs again and repeat. Make sure that your legs and hips are applying the force here.
Renegade Rows
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and get into a high-plank position with your wrists below your shoulders, your back flat, and your body in a straight line. Engage your core and legs to keep you stable. Row one dumbbell from the floor up to your rib cage and squeeze your shoulder blades together. (Try not to rotate your hips.) Lower the dumbbell back to floor and repeat on other side.
Kettlebell Overhead Lunges
Start by holding a kettlebell overhead in each hand with the handles resting across your palms and the bells resting on the outside of your wrists. Keep your arms and wrists straight in line with your ears. Engage your core and step one foot back into a reverse lunge. Bring that foot back to center to return to start. Then step your other foot back into a reverse lunge. (Make it easier by bringing the kettlebells down to a racked position at shoulder-height instead of overhead.)
Hanging Leg Raises
With hands in line with shoulders, hang from a bar with straight arms. Use your core to lift your legs towards your chest. (It’s harder if you keep your legs extended straight out, otherwise you can bend your knees and draw them up.) With control, lower your legs back to the starting position.
Lateral Wall Balls
Stand perpendicular to a wall with your feet shoulders-width distance apart. Hold a ball between your hands at chest height. Use your core, arms, and back leg to rotate and throw the ball into the wall. Catch the ball and return to starting position. Repeat. (Switch sides for the second set, and then switch sides halfway through the third set.)
HIIT Workout #5: The Battleropes Workout
Your trainer: Mark Langowski, C.P.T., founder of Body By Mark Wellness
“Battleropes are such a great piece of equipment because, at the end of the day, they’re efficient,” says Langowski. “You hit your legs, arms, back, and shoulders, all while elevating your heart rate.”
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, don’t you think? You’ll perform three to four sets of just two moves. Beginners will perform each move for 30 seconds, while more advanced trainees can perform each for a full minute. You’ll rest as little as possible between rounds, so if you follow 30-second intervals, you’ll be done in just about five minutes. If you’re up for 60-second intervals of work, you’ll be done in 10.
Don’t worry about the small time commitment, though — these two moves will tire you out just fine:
Beat the Drum
Stand in a slight squat position, holding the ends of two battleropes. With your hands at about waist-height (as if you were beating a drum), whip the battle ropes up and down in an alternating wave pattern as fast as you can. Be sure to keep your abs tight and legs still.
Pushups
As soon as you’re done with the battleropes, quickly drop into a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and toes planted. Bend at the elbows to lower into a pushup, then drive through your palms to push back up. (You want to hit at least 15 to 20 pushups per interval, so drop your knees if necessary.)
HIIT Workout #6: The TRX Master Workout
Your trainer: Emily Cook Harris, C.P.T., founder of EMPOWERED
This workout targets your entire body—and takes less than 20 minutes to power through. “You’re varying the muscles that are worked from one movement to the next, so everything gets hit without completely fatiguing one muscle group,” says Cook Harris. You’ll tax your muscles and keep your heart rate elevated.
Cook Harris likes using TRX straps because they require a lot of core strength and stabilization—so every move is a core move.
In this workout, you’ll perform two speedy circuits of four exercises each. You’ll perform one move as fast as possible (with good form) for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, and then move on to the next exercise. You’ll repeat each circuit twice. Check ‘em out:
CIRCUIT 1 (TRX straps at mid-length)
TRX Low Row
Stand facing the TRX structure and hold the handles with palms facing each other. Extend your arms as you lean back and walk your feet forward so your body is a straight line at a 45-degree angle from the ground. Dig your heels into the ground. Squeeze your shoulder blades and pull your chest up through the handles, keeping elbows pointed back and slightly outwards. (Be sure to squeeze your core and glutes to keep your back straight as you row.) Pause for a second at the top of the row before lowering back to the straight-arm starting position. Repeat.
TRX Squat + Squat Jump
Stand facing the TRX with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the handles at chest height in front of you with your elbows in at your sides and your palms facing in. (Stand far back enough that there’s tension in the straps.) Push your hips back and lower into a squat and push up through your heels to return to the starting position. Lower into another squat, this time driving through your heels to push off the ground, extend your hips, and jump up into the air. (You can lean back slightly since the tension in the TRX is countering your weight.) Land softly. Repeat.
TRX Single-Leg Hinge + Knee Drive
Stand facing the TRX, with your right leg planted and your left foot hovering above the ground. Hold the handles at about rib height with your arms extended and palms facing the floor. (Keep tension in the straps.) Press into the handles and extend your left leg straight back behind you, while keeping your hips squared. Keep a slight bend in your standing right leg as you hinge through the hips (like you would in a deadlift) and drive the heel of the extended left leg back. Continue to press into the handles and use your core to return to a standing position. As you do, bend your left knee and drive it up toward your chest. Lower your left leg to return to the starting position. Complete two reps on one side before switching legs. (Emphasize slow and controlled movement and feel the activation in your glutes, hamstrings, and core.) Repeat.
TRX Split Jumps
Stand facing the TRX, with your feet hips-width distance apart. Hold the handles at about chest height with your arms extended and palms facing in. (Keep tension in the straps.) Step your right foot back and lower into a lunge. Jump up explosively, and switch your legs in mid-air to land softly with your feet in the opposite position. Immediately lower back into a lunge on the other side. Repeat.
CIRCUIT 2 (TRX straps at longest length)
TRX Chest Press
Stand facing away from the TRX with your feet shoulder-width distance apart. Hold the handles at chest height in front of you with your arms extended and palms facing the floor. With your body straight from head to heels, shift your weight to the balls of your feet and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward floor. Keep your hands high enough to prevent the straps from rubbing against your arms. Push up to return to starting position, maintaining a strong core and straight back throughout. Repeat.
TRX High Knees
Stand facing away from the TRX with your feet hips-width distance apart. Hold the handles at chest height with your elbows tight to your sides and palms facing in. Lean forward, shifting your weight to the balls of your feet, until the straps become taut. Keeping your core tight, drive your left knee up toward your chest while pressing down through the ball of your right foot. Quickly bring the left foot back to starting position, and repeat the movement with your right leg. Repeat.
TRX Pike
Start in high-plank position, facing away from the TRX, with your feet resting laces-down in the cradles. Engage your core and keep your legs straight as you lift your hips up to form an upside-down V (called a ‘pike’). Allow your head to drop naturally as your hips rise. With control, lower your hips back into high plank. Stay strong through the core, press your feet into the handles, and tighten your quads. Repeat.
TRX Hamstring Runners
Start lying on your back with your arms at your sides and your heels resting in the foot cradles. Keeping your legs straight and core tight, engage your glutes and lift your hips off the floor. (Don’t arch your back!) Keep your hips lifted and drive one knee in towards your chest. Extend that leg back out and, at the same time, drive opposite knee in. Repeat quickly.
HIIT WORKOUT #7: The ‘Dominate Dumbbells’ Workout
Your trainer: celebrity trainer Astrid Swan, C.P.T.
This workout is Swan’s personal go-to when she only has a few minutes to sweat. “I love it because it is the perfect balance of upper and lower-body strength work, and it still gets my heart rate up,” Swan says.
In this workout, you’ll perform a circuit of five exercises three times. For each exercise, you’ll go hard for 40 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. After you’ve performed all five exercises, you’ll rest for a full 60 seconds before starting the next round.
Get to work with those five exercises:
Burpee to Alternating Snatch
Start standing with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and a dumbbell on the floor just ahead of you. Perform a full burpee by planting your hands on the ground and jumping your feet straight out behind you so you land in a plank position. Then lower your body down to the ground, and push up, floating your feet into a crouched position so you can then explode upward in a jump. After the burpee, you’ll squat down to pick up the dumbbell for a snatch. Bend your knees and reach down to grip the dumbbell with your left hand. Your weight will be slightly forward. Squeeze your shoulder blades and bent at the elbow to forcefully push through your hips to row the dumbbell upward, as close to your body as possible. (You’ll come up onto your toes here.) Then, as the dumbbell approaches shoulder height, rotate your forearm up and back so it rests at about shoulder height and dip down into a slight squat. Push up from that slight squat and push the dumbbell up to the ceiling so your arm is fully extended overhead. Return the dumbbell to the ground. Perform your next burpee and then a snatch using your right arm. Repeat.
Renegade Rows
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and get into a high-plank position with your wrists below your shoulders, your back flat, and your body in a straight line. Engage your core and legs to keep you stable. Row one dumbbell from the floor up to your rib cage and squeeze your shoulder blades together. (Try not to rotate your hips.) Lower the dumbbell back to floor and repeat on other side.
Mountain Climbers
Start in high-plank position. Drive your right knee to your right elbow, and then return it back to starting position as you start to drive your left knee to your left elbow. Repeat at a quick pace, as if sprinting.
Alternating Lunges with Bicep Curl
Start standing with feet hips-width distance apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Step your right foot forward into a forward lunge. While in the forward lunge position, curl the dumbbells up to your chest and then lower back down to hanging position. Push off from your front heel and return to the standing position, keeping hips tucked. Repeat on the other leg.
Pushup Dumbbell Drag
Start in push-up position (high plank) with a dumbbell in one hand. Keeping your core engaged, lower your chest to ground for an uneven push-up. Push up through the floor to return to the starting position. Drag the dumbbell to the other side and grip it with your opposite hand. Repeat the pushup. Continue alternating.