Did you know HIIT is not cardio? It is an anaerobic exercise. It works by depriving the muscles of oxygen during the small bursts of intense exercise. This helps the body burn fat even 1-2 days after you leave the gym! So, if you are looking for “The Workout” to lose fat, tone up, and boost fitness, then “HIIT” it! Here are 15 HIIT exercises you can do to burn more calories in 10 minutes than 60 minutes of cardio. Scroll down!
Warm-Up
Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps Standing touch toes – 1 set of 10 reps Side lunge – 1 set of 10 reps Spot jogging – 3 minutes Standing side crunch – 1 set of 10 reps
Now that your muscles are prepared, start the HIIT exercises. I have designed a full-body HIIT workout for fat loss, toning, and fitness. It comprises 3 sessions of HIIT for 30 minutes. Let’s begin!
HIIT Session 1
Do 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise mentioned in session 1. Take 10-15 seconds rest between each set.
1. High Knees
Works On: Lower abs, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, and calves. Steps
2. Burpees
Works On: Calves, quads, hamstrings, abs, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, glutes, and lats. Steps
3. Jumping Lunges
Works On: Calves, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, glutes, and lower abs. Steps REST – 60 Seconds
4. High-Intensity Jumping Jacks
Works On: Calves, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, glutes, shoulders, lats, and core. Steps
5. Mountain Climbers
Works On: Lower abs and upper abs (rectus muscle), obliques, shoulders, triceps, lats, hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Steps
HIIT Session 2
Do 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise in session 2. Take 20 seconds rest between each set.
6. Rope Jumping
Works On: Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, adductor, abductor, wrist flexors and extensors, biceps, and core. Steps
7. Jump Squats
Work On: Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, and lower abs. Steps Rest – 10 secs
8. Russian Twist
Works On: Obliques, lower abs, upper abs, hamstrings, and quads. Steps Rest – 10 secs
9. Sprint
Works On: Hamstrings, quads, calves, adductors, glutes, and core. Steps Rest – 120 secs
HIIT Session 3
Do 3 sets of 20-25 reps for each exercise. Take 20 seconds rest between each set.
10. Flutter Kicks
Works On: Lower abs, quads, and glutes. Steps
11. Bicycle Crunches
Works On: Lower abs (rectus muscle), obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Steps
12. Ab Crunches
Works On: Upper abs, middle abs, and lower abs (rectus muscle). Steps
13. Arm Curl Jack Knife
Works On: Abs, glutes, biceps, quads, and hamstrings. Steps
14. Battle Rope
Works On: Biceps, shoulders, chest, upper back, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Steps Rest – 20 Seconds
15. TRX Pull-Ups
Works On: Chest, shoulders, biceps, and lats. Steps These are the 15 HIIT exercises that can help you lose weight, burn more calories than cardio, become fitter, and improve muscle tone. Let’s take a look at the benefits of doing HIIT at least twice a week.
Benefits Of HIIT Workout
HIIT offers the following benefits (1), (2):
Improves cardiovascular fitness. Helps tone the body by improving muscle mass. Increases fat burning capacity. Reduces body fat. Boosts weight loss. Boosts agility and flexibility. Improves balance and coordination. Enhances mood and reduces stress. Improves attention. Improves sleep quality.
Is 20 minutes of HIIT enough? Yes, you should at least do 20 minutes of HIIT per day, thrice a week to see visible results. Can HIIT cause weight gain? If you are gaining weight with regular HIIT exercising, it is most likely due to the increased muscle mass.
