Time to turn up the heat! Get ready to break a good sweat and build that six-pack you’ve always wanted. Nothing comes easy, but that's the beauty of HIIT.
High intensity training, or HIIT, is the most effective and efficient way to blast fat. Because of the amount of energy expended on each exercise, HIIT workouts are designed to be completed in a short amount of time, at maximum effort.
In order for the workout to be truly transformational, push yourself to give it all you’ve got, and get that heart rate up! Alright, no turning back now. Let's move!
Warm-up
Five minutes of quick-pace walking on treadmill at a speed of 3.0 or greater.
Circuit One
| No. | Exercise | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jump Lunges | Step forward into a lunge, keeping upper body straight. The front knee should stay behind your toes. Brace your core, and launch into a jump. Land with opposite leg in front in lunge position. To modify, do regular lunges. | |
| 2 | Sit-up with Arms Overhead | Lie on back, knees bent. Arms stay extended overhead. Use abdominal muscles to lift head, shoulders, then chest off floor and up to knees. Roll back down. |
Circuit Two
| No. | Exercise | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heisman | Stay in a low, athletic stance. Keep knees soft, hinge the hips forward. Shuffle laterally for three steps, then add a knee lift. Repeat to opposite side. To modify, step laterally. | |
| 2 | Plank Jump to Oblique Crunch | Get in plank position with hands directly beneath shoulders. Keep back straight. Jump feet out to the sides and back. Bring right knee to meet right elbow, engaging the oblique. Jump again, and bring the left knee to the left elbow. Modify by stepping out one leg at a time or taking the plank to knees. |
Circuit Three
| No. | Exercise | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burpee to Jump Squat | Start standing. Squat down, place hands on the floor, then jump feet back into plank position. Jump feet up to hands, squat, then jump straight up into the air with arms overhead. | |
| 2 | Leg Lift | Lie on the floor with your legs straight up in the air. Keep your arms by your side and slightly bend your knees. Bracing your core, lower your legs as far as you can without arching your back. Lift them back up and repeat. |
Circuit Four
| No. | Exercise | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumping Toe Taps | Stand with your feet together and hands by your side. Simultaneously jump your feet out wider than hips and raise your arms above your head. Jump back to the start, touch right hand to left foot and repeat, alternating sides. | |
| 2 | In-n-Outs | Sit on the floor with legs bent in front. Keep your back straight, and lean back with your hands on the floor behind for balance. Extend legs, then pull them into your chest, lifting your body up at the same time. For a greater challenge, hold arms out to your sides. |
Circuit Five
| No. | Exercise | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Jumps | Lower the body in a squat position. Explode up in the air, extending arms up as feet also extend out to the sides—creating a star. To modify, alternate lifting one leg out at a time. | |
| 2 | Around the World | Lie on the floor with your legs straight up. Keep arms by your side. Bracing your core, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and lower your legs as far as you can to one side without arching your back. Sweep them around to the other side, lift them back up and repeat in the opposite direction. |
Cool down
Walk five minutes on a treadmill. Don’t forget to stretch!
Build Your Intensity
As you grow stronger and build up your endurance, try increasing the time to 30-second bursts. And, for the ultimate burn, add this workout to the end of a strength training session. Even if you only add four circuits, that’s still a solid 15 minutes of HIIT!