High-intensity interval training (HIIT workouts) took the fitness industry by storm because of its potential to torch maximum calories in a minimum amount of time.
The idea is that you do short periods of all-out work followed by short periods of active rest to make the body work harder than it does during steady-state cardio (exercise intensity vs duration should always have an inverse relationship; the harder you work, the shorter the duration).
To capitalize on the benefits of HIIT exercises, we reached out to George “Hit” Richards, celebrity fitness trainer and calisthenics expert; Pete Bommarito, C.S.C.S., U.S.A.W., a certified MAT Jumpstart Specialist and owner of Bommarito Performance Systems; and James Banks, CPT, for a variety of interval workouts designed to burn fat, build muscle, and enhance sports performance.
Related: HIIT done right
You'll hit all the major muscle groups and enjoy a host of health benefits.
Workouts 1-5 are courtesy of Richards, 6-10 are courtesy of Bommarito, and 11-15 are courtesy of Banks.
15 HIIT Workouts to Get You Shredded Fast
1. Burpee Interval Workout
Directions:
Complete the following circuit 4 times, resting 1 minute after the burpees in each round.
1. Pullups
Reps: As many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
2. Jumping Jacks
Reps: 60 reps
3. Burpees
Reps: 20
2. Jump Rope Interval Workout
Directions:
Complete the following circuit 4 times, resting 1 minute after jumping rope in each round.
1. Mountain Climb
Reps: 45
2. Pushups
Reps: 20-30
3. Front Plank
Reps: 1 min
4. Jump Rope
Reps: 1 min
3. Resistance Band Finisher
Directions:
Complete the following circuit 4 times, resting 1 minute after the curls in each round.
1. Jump Rope
Rest: 1 min
2. Dips
Reps: 12-15
3. High Knees
Reps: 30 each knee
4. Curls with Resistance Bands
Reps: 20
4. Lower-Body Interval Workout
Directions:
Complete the following circuit 4 times, resting 1 minute after the calf raises in each round.
1. Sprint
Reps: 30 sec.
2. Squat Jumps
Reps: 45 sec.
3. Lunges
Reps: 20 each leg
4. Calf Raises
Reps: 50
5. Abs Interval Workout
Directions:
Complete the following circuit 4 times, resting 1 minute after the half-burpees in each round.
1. Crunches
Reps: 50
2. Bicycle Crunches
Reps: 1 min.
3. Sit-ups
Reps: 15
4. Hanging Knee Raises
Reps: 15
5. Oblique Crunches
Reps: 20 (each side)
6. Half Burpees
Rest: 20 secs
6. Stair Stepper Machine Interval Workout
Directions:
This can be performed on any machine that has piston-leg action, like:
- The Cybex Arc
- Keiser Runner
- Versa-Climber, or any other stair-climbing machine where the foot is constantly fixed to the pedal.
How to do it:
- Set the resistance level high enough so that it’s challenging for the entire 30 seconds of work.
- Gradually increase the “stride length” level of the machine with each bout.
- This is the advantage of machines like Cybex Arc, where the distance between the feet (the height of the knee on the top leg versus the drop of the foot on the bottom leg) can be adjusted.
30 seconds of work immediately followed by 30 seconds of active rest is considered 1 rep.
Total time: 20-30 min.
7. Battle Rope Interval Workout
Directions:
Put the rope around a stable, immovable object like a pole, goal post, concrete pillar, or a heavy weight sled that won't move, etc. Each end of the rope will come off this immovable object with equal distance so that you can grab the ends of the rope (one with each hand) and have it be tense on both sides.
Half of the total reps will be with a double arm motion; half will be with an alternating arm motion.
1. Double-Arm MotionHow to do it:
- Grabbing both ends of the rope (one with each hand), whip the rope up and down continuously as fast as possible.
- Both arms will flex and extend at the same time.
- The height of the rope on the upswing will depend on how high you can raise your arms comfortably.
- Brace the trunk and spine region hard when going through this entire motion.
- The hips will “lead the arms” in these motions from the upswing of the rope to the downswing of the rope, and subsequently from the downswing of the rope to the upswing of the rope.
2. Alternating-Arm MotionHow to do it:
- Grab rope initially in the same manner as the double arm motion.
- The arms will now alternate—as one arm goes up the other arm comes down.
- The hips will stay fixed on this one; get the motion from the arms.
- Still have the same “bracing” action of the trunk/spine.
Total Time: 20-40 min.
Reps: 10-20 Rest: 60 seconds
8. Sled Training Interval Workout
Directions:
There are two protocols: elite athlete and basic level athlete. For the elite athletes, do a 40-yard sled sprint. Then, increase the distance of each successive sprint by 10 yards until you’ve done a single 150-yard sprint (12th sprint).
w, pyramid down, decreasing the length of the sled sprints by 10 yards every sprint until you’ve ran a 40-yard sprint again. For the basic level athletes, the distance will increase by 10 yards every two sprints and the pyramid back down will start after the eighth sprint until you reach the final sprint (14th).
How to do it:
- Attach a weight belt around your waist, and a rope from the belt to the sled.
- Step forward so there is no slack in the rope to begin.
- Step out with one foot far in front of your center of mass, so the heel will strike the ground first, and the foot will then come in contact with the ground.
- The torso should remain upright at all times throughout each step; don’t lean forward and let the body weight aid in moving the sled.
- You want to feel as if your front leg heel dig and hip pull is the only thing moving the sled.
Rest: 30-60 seconds between sprints
Professional/Elite athlete level: 23 total sled sprints
Sprint 1: 40 yards
Sprint 2: 50 yards
Sprint 3: 60 yards
Sprint 4: 70 yards
Sprint 5: 80 yards
Sprint 6: 90 yards
Sprint 7: 100 yards
Sprint 8: 110 yards
Sprint 9: 120 yards
Sprint 10: 130 yards
Sprint 11: 140 yards
Sprint 12: 150 yards
Sprints 13-23: 140 down to 40 yards (decreasing 10 yards every sprint)
Basic level: 14 total sled sprints
Sprint 1: 20 yards
Sprint 2: 20 yards
Sprint 3: 30 yards
Sprint 4: 30 yards
Sprint 5: 40 yards
Sprint 6: 40 yards
Sprint 7: 50 yards
Sprint 8: 50 yards
Sprint 9: 40 yards
Sprint 10: 40 yards
Sprint 11: 30 yards
Sprint 12: 30 yards
Sprint 13: 20 yards
Sprint 14: 20 yards
9. Resistance Training Interval Workout
Why it's on the list:
This will consist of strength and power exercises combined with other forms of conditioning work. Rest 20 seconds after each exercise. Run through the circuit 5-10 times. Time yourself to see if you can increase work capacity next session.
1. Dumbbell Squat and PunchHow to do it:
- Holding two light dumbbells (10 pounds), bring arms up so elbows are bent, palms are facing down and forearms are parallel to the ground.
- Maintaining the arm position squat as low as possible, pause, stand and slowly punch the arms out until the elbows are straight.
- Then come back to start position (arms remain parallel to the ground during the entire punching action).
Reps: 20 Rest: 20
2. Sprint and Change Direction to Sprint (10 total reps)How to do it:
- Sprint full speed 5 yards, immediately change direction and sprint back 5 yards
- Sprint 10 yards out, 10 yards back
- Sprint 15 yards out, 15 yards back
- Sprint 10 yards out, 10 yards back
- Sprint 5 yards out, 5 yards back
Reps: 10 Rest: 20
3. Rotational Lunge With Resistance BandHow to do it:
- Fix a light band to a high pole, pillar, or some immovable structure.
- Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, grab a band with both hands and interlock fingers.
- Move away from the fixture point of the band so the band is tense.
- Face to the side of where the band attaches and extend your arms straight out, parallel to the ground so the band will be perpendicular to the arms.
- Keeping arms straight, rotate to the left and drop down into a lunge; pause, come back to start position.
Reps: 10-20 each side Rest: 20
4. Single-Leg Dumbbell Stabilization and PunchHow to do it:
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- Hold a light dumbbell in each hand in front of the body using a neutral grip with elbows bent.
- Keeping the right knee bent, raise the right leg up high behind you, while keeping left leg straight.
- Extend the right leg behind the body and moving torso forward.
- While in this position, punch arms straight out, keeping arms parallel to the ground (many people call this yoga airplane pose).
- Return back to start position. That’s one rep.
Reps: 10-20 each side Rest: 20
10. Sprint Interval Workout
High level (professional athlete level)How to do it:
- Sprint 89 yards in 10 seconds
- Rest: 30-50 sec.
- Repeat 10-20 times
Average levelHow to do it:
- Sprint 73 yards in 10 seconds
- Rest: 30-50 sec.
- Repeat 10-20 times
11. Full-Body Circuit Blast
Directions:
This workout can be done using an interval timer or scaled in reps. For time, do 50 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. If you prefer reps, aim for 8-12 reps for each move.
Run a half-mile run followed by a 1-minute plank to warm up. This workout can be done using an interval timer or scaled in reps. For time, do 50 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. If you prefer reps, aim for 8-12 reps for each move.
That’s one round; do four rounds of each circuit, taking 25 to 50 seconds rest at the completion of each round.
Circuit 1:1. Dumbbell Squat + Overhead Press2. Dumbbell Renegade Row3. Dumbbell Russian Twist4. Burpees (no jump at the top)Circuit 2:1. Dumbbell Sumo Squat to Front SquatHow to do it:
- Hold dumbbells down for sumo
- Then swing them up into front loading position for front squat
2. Kneeling Dumbbell Alternating Hammer Curls3. Suitcase Crunch (extend legs and arms fully, then crunch back in)4. Speed Skaters
12. Dumbbell Interval Workout
Directions:
Do a half-mile run followed by a 1-minute plank to warm up. This workout can be done using an interval timer or scaled in reps. For time, do 50 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest.
If you prefer reps, aim for 8-12 reps for each move. That’s one round; do 4 rounds of each circuit, taking 25 to 50 seconds rest at the completion of each round.
Circuit 1:1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift2. Dumbbell Floor Press (arms at 45 degrees, hips elevated in a bridge)3. Jack Knife Crunch4. Full BurpeeCircuit 2:1. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges2. Dumbbell Tricep Floor Press (keep arms close to sides)3. Cross-body Mountain Climbers4. Jumping Jacks + High Knees ComboHow to do it:
- 3 jumping jacks
- Followed by 10 high knees
Reps: 1
13. Lower Body Interval Workout
Directions:
Do a 1-mile run followed by 1 minute of dead bug exercises to warm up. This workout can be done using an interval timer or scaled in reps.
For time, do 50 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. If you prefer reps, aim for 8-12 reps for each move.
That’s 1 round; do 4 rounds of each circuit, taking 25 to 50 seconds rest at the completion of each round.
Circuit 1:1. Dumbbell Clean + Squat2. Dumbbell Alternating Snatch3. Scissor Kicks with Toe Touches 4. Alternating Plyometric LungesCircuit 2:1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift + Row2. Alternating Dumbbell Front + Lateral Shoulder Raises3. Pushup + Alternating Dumbbell Pull-ThroughHow to do it:
- At the top of the pushup, pull the dumbbell across your body from left to right with your right hand.
- Then alternate sides.
4. Squat Jump + Mountain ClimbersHow to do it:
- 2 squat jumps.
- 4 mountain climbers is 1 rep
14. Plyo, Strength, and Core Interval Workout
Directions:
Do 20 squat jumps and 50 bicycle crunches to warm up. Repeat the first circuit two times, then rest for two minutes. Repeat the second circuit three times, then rest for two minutes. Finish with one round of the final circuit.
Plyometrics:1. Kettlebell Swings
Reps: 10-12
2. Jump Lunge + Squat Jump Combo
Reps: 10
3. Plank Shoulder Tap + Pushup + Cross Knee-Drive Combo
Reps: 10
4. Lateral Jump + Burpee Combo
Lateral jumps from left to right, followed by 1 full burpee. Reps: 10 reps
Strength:1. Decline Pushup
With feet on chair, stool, etc.
Reps: 10
2. Resistance Band Pull-Apart
Reps: 20
3. Dumbbell Kneeling Military Press
Reps: 10-15 each arm
4. Dumbbell Single-Arm Row
Reps: 10-12 each arm
Core:1. Dumbbell Weighted Situps
Reps: 25
2. Leg Lifts
Reps: 40
3. Controlled Cross-body Mountain Climbers
Reps:50 each leg
15. Bodyweight Interval Workout
Directions:
Do a 1-mile run to warm up. Then do the eight moves below, followed by 1 minute rest. That’s 1 round. Complete 5 rounds total.
1. Burpees
Reps: 10
2. Plank
Reps: 1 minute
3. Squats
Reps: 25
4. Plank with Hip TapsHow to do it:
- Alternate lifting each arm to tap the same-side hip.
Reps: 45 seconds
5. Navy Seal BurpeeHow to do it:
- Do 3 pushups when you hit the ground
Reps: 8
6. Side Plank
Reps: 30 seconds each side
7. Squat + Reverse Lunge
Reps: 10
8. Forearm Plank + High Plank
Reps: 30 seconds eac
