The Best HIIT Exercises

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its efficiency and effectiveness in burning calories and improving overall fitness. With HIIT, you alternate between short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest or low-intensity recovery. The secret to HIIT is pushing your body to its maximum capacity during those intense intervals, maximizing your workout in a short amount of time. In this ultimate guide, we will explore the best HIIT exercises that you can incorporate into your routine to take your fitness to the next level.

The Ultimate Guide to the Best HIIT Exercises

1. Jump Squats

Jump squats are an excellent lower-body exercise that also helps to increase your heart rate. They target your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, while also engaging your core.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lower yourself into a squat, keeping your chest up and knees behind your toes.
• Push off the ground explosively, jumping as high as you can.
• Land softly back into a squat position and immediately jump again.
• Repeat for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

2. Burpees

Burpees are a full-body exercise that combines strength training and cardio. They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, core, and legs.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and place your hands on the ground in front of you.
• Kick your feet back into a plank position, keeping your body in a straight line.
• Perform a push-up.
• Jump your feet back towards your hands and stand up.
• Jump into the air with your arms extended overhead.
• Repeat for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

3. Mountain Climbers HIIT Exercises

Mountain climbers are a great core exercise that also targets your shoulders, triceps, and legs.

How to do it: hiit exercises

• Begin in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Bring one knee towards your chest, keeping your foot off the ground.
• Quickly switch legs, bringing the opposite knee towards your chest.
• Continue alternating legs at a fast pace for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

4. High Knees HIIT Exercises

High knees are a fantastic cardio exercise that also engages your core and strengthens your hip flexors.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lift one knee as high as possible while keeping the opposite foot on the ground.
• Quickly switch legs, raising the other knee as high as possible.
• Continue alternating legs at a fast pace for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

5. Push-Up to Side Plank

This exercise combines two great moves, push-ups and side planks, to target your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.

How to do it: hiit exercises

• Begin in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Perform a push-up, lowering your chest to the ground while keeping your body in a straight line.
• As you push back up, rotate your body to one side and lift the opposite arm toward the sky, forming a side plank.
• Return to the starting position and perform another push-up.
• Rotate to the other side and repeat the side plank.
• Continue alternating sides for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

6. Bicycle Crunches HIIT Exercises

Bicycle crunches are an excellent exercise for targeting your abs, specifically the obliques.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs extended.

• Bring one knee towards your chest while lifting your head and shoulders off the ground and rotating your torso, so your opposite elbow touches the raised knee.
• As you extend the raised leg, bring the other knee towards your chest and rotate your torso to the other side, touching your other elbow to the raised knee.
• Continue alternating legs and rotating your torso in a cycling motion for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

7. Skater Hops: HIIT exercises

Skater hops are a great lateral movement exercise that targets your glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also improving balance and stability.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Leap to the right, landing on your right foot while swinging your left leg behind your right leg.
• Immediately leap to the left, landing on your left foot while swinging your right leg behind your left leg.
• Continue hopping from side to side at a fast pace for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

8. Tuck Jumps HIIT Exercises

Tuck jumps are an explosive plyometric exercise that targets your lower body and increases your heart rate.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees slightly and jump as high as possible, bringing your knees towards your chest.
• Land softly and immediately jump again.
• Repeat for 30-45 seconds, followed by a 15-30 second rest.

Incorporating these HIIT exercises into your workout routine can help improve your cardiovascular endurance, increase your calorie burn, and build lean muscle mass. For a well-rounded HIIT workout, choose 4-6 of these exercises and perform each for 30-45 seconds with a 15-30 second rest in between. Aim to complete 3-4 rounds with a 1-2 minute rest between rounds. Remember, the key to HIIT is pushing yourself during the intense intervals, so make sure to give it your all. As you progress, feel free to increase the intensity by adding more rounds, increasing the work intervals, or decreasing the rest intervals. Enjoy your sweat session and the fantastic fitness benefits that come with it!