The Best HIIT Workouts With Bodyweight, With Kettlebells, and More

Whether you call it conditioning, metcon, or just plain “cardio,” some type of cardiovascular training is necessary to achieve results that cannot be replicated with standard weight training alone. Although there are many programming options, cardiovascular training basically falls into one of two camps.

One is steady-state cardio training, where a single speed or intensity is maintained throughout the entire workout without rest. The other type is interval training, which involves alternating periods of work with periods of rest.

One unique type of interval training may actually give you better results in less time. (1) Specifically, I’m talking about HIIT. high intensity interval training. This is a special training protocol that alternates periods of high intensity (or “intervals”) followed by periods of recovery during a workout.

The key elements of HIIT training are the first two words. expensive. strength. For best results, aim to apply the following: give maximum effort in each work periodit’s not just something that “feels painful.”

Many of the common HIIT workouts you’ll find on the internet are “high intensity,” with short rest periods and insufficient recovery, rather than requiring high-intensity output between tasks. Although this approach of short rest and high volume training can be incorporated into your training routine, it is nothing more than interval training. You won’t get the same results as if you did these really high-intensity workouts.

Perform these workouts no more than three days a week. If you can perform them continuously without rest, reconsider how much “high intensity” you are actually putting into each interval.

THE BEST HIIT WORKOUTS

HIIT workout with one dumbbell

This workout is performed in time using the AMRAP approach. In this case, AMRAP is as many rounds as possible. Start the timer just before you perform the first rep of your first exercise. Rather than performing strict “sets,” perform a series of exercises continuously until the timer expires.

A full-body workout follows a specific sequence: lower body exercises, then upper body exercises, and finally abdominal exercises. This structure allows you to move non-stop while allowing the muscle groups involved to rest before repeating the exercise. This is how you Keep overall training intensity high throughout the session.

goblet squat

• manner: Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest, supporting one side of your weight with both hands. Pull your shoulders back and bend both your hips and knees to keep your torso upright as you squat. The position of the goblet keeps the torso relatively upright, allowing for a deeper crouching position. Make sure your head and shoulders rise first when you stand up. Keep your elbows close to your ribs and your weight close to your chest during the exercise.

• Number of sets and reps: 12 times
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

single arm floor press

• manner: Lie on the ground holding a dumbbell in one arm. Extend your arms over your chest in a locked out position. Bend your legs and keep your feet flat on the floor. Lower the weight as if you were doing a dumbbell bench press. Keep your upper arms at an angle about halfway between your feet and shoulders. Control your speed so your arms don’t bounce off the ground.
• Number of sets and reps: 5 times per arm, 10 times total
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

Alternating jackknife raises

• manner: Lie on the ground with your legs straight and your arms at your sides. As you raise one leg, extend your opposite arm over your body until your hand and foot touch. This requires a full-body abdominal exercise. Alternate sides with each repetition: left foot and right hand, right foot and left foot, etc.
• Number of sets and reps: 4 times on each side, 8 times in total
• Break time: There is no break before returning to the first exercise. After 3 minutes of continuous work, take a 1-minute break. Perform two 3-minute “sets” in total.

HIIT workout with one kettlebell

Many exercises can be performed equally well using dumbbells or kettlebells. However, the kettlebell’s unique shape and offset center of gravity make it recommended for certain exercises. This workout specifically uses kettlebells to improve muscle recruitment and increase explosive power output. That’s how it should be Completed on time using AMRAP approach — as many rounds as possible.

goblet clean

• manner: This dynamic movement moves your weight from the floor to the goblet position near chin height in one powerful motion. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the kettlebell between your feet. Squat down and grab the top of the kettlebell with both hands, palms down. Keep your spine neutral as you explosively stand up while pulling the kettlebell to chest height. Once the weight has passed over your hips, quickly shift your hands to the kettlebell’s “horn” (the shaft of the handle on each side). Stabilize your body in an upright position by holding the weight just below your chin, then lower the weight in reverse.

• Number of sets and reps: 12 times
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

single arm push press

• manner: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Hold the kettlebell in one arm, with your hand near the front of your shoulder, supporting the kettlebell’s “ball” along your forearm. Sink a few inches deeper into a short squat, then use your body as a spring to generate force as you push your weight to lock it out from above your head and stand up. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Repeat all repetitions on one arm before switching sides.
• Number of sets and reps: 5 times per arm, 10 times total
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

straight arm sit up

• manner: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and feet flat. Extend your arms overhead and place the backs of your hands on the ground. Perform a full range of sit-ups and bring your chest toward your knees. When you stand up, extend your arms straight out over your head and in front of your chest. In the top position, your elbows should be close to your knees. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
• Number of sets and reps: repeat 8 times
• Break time: There is no break before returning to the first exercise. After 3 minutes of continuous work, take a 1-minute break. Perform two 3-minute “sets” in total.

EMOM HIIT workout

EMOM training is an intensive, time-based protocol that typically requires performing one set of exercises every minute of every minute. It typically takes 60 seconds to complete the specified number of repetitions. The next “set” begins at the start of the next minute, so the only rest time is the rest of the minute. This intensive training method motivates you to work harder and faster to get more rest.

The most common EMOM uses a 1-minute period, but this method can be adapted to almost any time frame. This allows you to perform more reps per exercise or more reps per workout to perform a higher volume of work. The goal is to complete each work phase as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you have enough rest to maintain your performance in future rounds.

In this HIIT workout (“E4MO4M” or “4 Minutes of 4 Minutes”), you complete all of the workouts below in 4 minutes. You can also use different weights for each exercise to make the repetitions more challenging, but pre-calibrate the weights before you start your workout to save time.

The goal is to complete all 102 repetitions in 3 to 3 1/2 minutes so you can rest before starting the next set. Perform a total of 3 to 5 circuits. This is a 12-20 minute workout.

• single arm dumbbell row: 15 times per arm, 30 times total
• Single arm clean: 12 times per arm, 24 times total
• Single arm push press: 10 times per arm, 20 times total
• Goblet squat: 16 times
• alternately reverse lunge: 6 times per leg, 12 times total

Bodyweight HIIT training

Bodyweight HIIT workouts are surprisingly effective. By removing external loads, your natural strength becomes less of a limiting factor, allowing you to focus on technique and simple effort.

Many bodyweight exercises can be programmed at speeds and intensities for HIIT workouts. Here are two ways to train your upper and lower body.

lower body HIIT workout

This is a relatively advanced training for lifters who have mastered the basic technique and can perform plyometric jumps quickly, explosively, and safely. Inexperienced lifters can choose alternative exercises such as alternating lunges.

air squat

• manner: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Get into a squat position, with your thighs almost parallel to the floor. Place your hands close to your chest and keep your upper body nearly vertical. Quickly return to the starting position. Always keep your feet on the ground during the exercise.
• Number of sets and reps: Repeat continuously for 20 seconds, ideally 18 to 22 times.
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

jump squat

• • manner: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Squat down partially so your thighs are parallel. Lower your hands to your sides. Raise your arms close to chest height and explosively stand up and jump into the air. Soften your landing in the squat position and smoothly transition into the next repetition.

• Number of sets and reps: Repeat continuously for 20 seconds, ideally 10 to 12 times.
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

squat hold

• manner: Bring your hands to chest level and lower your body into a deep squat position. Your thighs should be at least parallel to the ground, preferably deeper. Actively press your feet into the floor, engage your hips and core, and hold still. Maintain an upright torso. Avoid slouching when you get tired. Your muscles will work to maintain that position and flare up. Embrace the burn.
• Number of sets and reps: Hold that position for 20 seconds.
• Break time: There is no break before returning to the first exercise. Complete 2 sets in a row. Advanced lifters can rest for 1 minute before performing the third set. Very advanced lifters should aim for three sets in a row.

Upper Body HIIT Workout — 55 Years Old

This training uses countdown method Deliver a highly efficient HIIT workout. Do a lot of work and do it with minimal rest. It is often used in circuits of two or three exercises to allow each muscle group to recover slightly for optimal performance.

To perform the countdown method: Repeat the first exercise 10 times, then immediately repeat the second exercise 10 times. Immediately repeat the first exercise 9 times, then the second exercise 9 times, then the first exercise 8 times, the second exercise 8 times, and so on. Repeat each once to complete the total. Repeat each exercise 55 times.

Be sure to time the amount of time your training takes. The goal of progress is Complete the same workout faster every time you repeat it. This creates a competitive environment and also personal challenges to keep the intensity high.

push up

• manner: Place your hands slightly outside your shoulder width and support yourself with your toes and hands. During each rep, while maintaining a straight line from your neck to your ankles, bend your elbows and lower your entire body until you are fully locked out. To reduce tension in your shoulder joints, point your elbows toward your feet rather than your shoulders.
• Number of sets and reps: Countdown method, 10 to 1 repetitions.
• Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise.

pull-up

• manner: Grasp the overhead pull-up bar with your hands approximately shoulder-width apart and a grip with your palms facing up. Raise your body until your chin or neck is in line with your hands. Lower your body in a controlled manner until your arms are almost fully extended. Avoid shrugging your shoulders in a down (extended) position. Keep your core strong to prevent leg shaking.
• Number of sets and reps: Countdown method, 10 to 1 repetitions.
• Break time: There is no break before returning to the first exercise.

HIIT for fat burning, conditioning, or both?

HIIT workouts are often used as part of fat loss plans. Fat loss occurs when you create a calorie deficit by consistently burning more energy than you expend. Different types of exercise contribute to increased energy expenditure, but the amount is much smaller than you might think. Over-focusing on exercise has been shown to be less effective for fat loss than using a more comprehensive approach that combines goal-focused nutrition and training. (2)

The main benefit of fat loss workouts is preserving muscle mass, so if you lose weight, most of that loss will come from body fat. To promote muscle retention, you need to train your muscles to their limits, and HIIT training is an effective and efficient way to do this in a short period of time.

HIIT workouts can also be used to improve conditioning, endurance, and even overall cardiovascular health. HIIT workouts have been consistently shown to be as effective as other aerobic training methods for improving whole-body conditioning and multiple cardiovascular health markers. (3)(4)

It’s HIIT time

HIIT workouts can be a highly effective and (relatively) fun part of any training plan. When combined with proper nutrition, structured strength training and low-to-moderate-intensity aerobic (steady-state) training, you have a comprehensive training program that should see improvements in performance and body composition. The key to HIIT training is to always remember what it stands for. You cannot avoid putting high strength Incorporate it into your high-intensity interval training.

References

1. Ito S. High-intensity interval training for health benefits and heart disease care – the key to an efficient exercise protocol. World J Cardiol. 2019 7 26;11(7):171-188. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v11.i7.171. PMID: 31565193; PMCID: PMC6763680.
2. Johns, DJ, Hartmann-Boyce, J., Jebb, SA, Aveyard, P., Behavioral Weight Management Review Group (2014). Weight management programs that combine behavior with diet or exercise therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of head-to-head comparisons. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(10), 1557-1568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.005
3. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ (2013) VO2max trainability and high-intensity interval training in humans: a meta-analysis. Proswan 8(9): e73182. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073182
4. Batakan RB, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJothersEffects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studiesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:494-503.

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