15 Best HIIT Workouts You Should Know About

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a workout routine in which you exert all-out effort in short, intense exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, rest periods. This sort of workout raises and maintains your heart rate while burning more fat in less time.

Moreover, if you have a packed-up schedule and find it difficult to manage time for exercise, this routine is best for you. Wondering which are the best HIIT workouts you can begin your routine with? Keep reading.

Here is the list of top HIIT workouts which you can try doing. Remember to gradually increase your workout routine and only do as much as your body allows. Overdoing any exercise can have harmful effects on your health.

1. Burpees

Burpees consist of a push-up followed by an air leap making it a two-part exercise. All of your muscles are worked during burpees, which are mostly intended to strengthen the triceps, chest, glutes, shoulder, calves, biceps, and lats.

Burpees are a quick exercise that doesn't need any special tools or weights. To do burpees, you need to bend over while in a partial squat position. Put your chest on the floor while keeping your spine straight. Push yourself up, do a frog jump with both legs together, and then throw your hands up in the air.

2. High Knees

Another easy HIIT exercise that doesn't need any extra equipment is high knees. High knees encourage overall coordination and flexibility by raising your heart rate, which in turn helps to strengthen all of the muscles in your legs.

Open your feet to hip width and raise your left knee towards your chest to perform a high knees exercise. Repeat with the second leg while jogging at a fast pace. The exercise should also be tried with your arms outstretched and your knees resting on your palms.

3. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks, or side-straddle hops, are total-body workouts that may be performed almost anywhere since no special equipment is needed.

Start by standing tall and with your feet at least hip-width apart to begin this HIIT exercise. Maintain a calm posture while keeping your gaze straight ahead. Now leap and laterally spread your feet. At the same time, raise and lower your hands above your head.

4. Lunge Jumps

A more challenging variation of the walking lunge exercise is the lunge leap. The workout involves leaping into the air, changing to your other foot in front of you, and landing. This exercise in particular helps with muscles like calves, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, and glutes, while also enhancing the cardiovascular system.

Your legs should be at least shoulder width apart when performing lunge jumps. Keep your back straight as you advance on one leg. Make sure your leg is parallel to the floor as you flex it and lower yourself. Jump and extend the other leg forward as you finish the exercise.

5. Rope Jumping

Rope jumping, often known as skipping, is chosen by thousands of people over jogging due to its numerous advantages.

A rope is all you need to start skipping. Now stand straight up with your elbows pointing toward your tummy and your legs close together. Jumping now will cause the rope to circle your entire body from head to toe. Jumping both forward and backwards will also change the trajectory of the jump.

6. Mountain Climbers

This exercise is well known for its many advantages, including improved agility and cardiovascular endurance.

To perform mountain climbers, assume the straight arm plank position. A little wider than your shoulders should be where your hands should be. Without lifting your hips, bring your right knee to your chest. Then advance it and add the second knee. To continue performing it, repeat the steps.

7. Battle Rope

This exercise works best for the upper back, shoulders, quads, biceps, hamstrings, and chest. Start by holding the handles of the battle rope. Then, keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, you need to roll your shoulders back, chest out, and maintain a straight face. After that, bend your knees to get into a half-sitting position.

You need to maintain a 90-degree angle with your upper arms and keep the elbows close to your torso. Pick your right arm up slightly and slam the rope on the ground as you lower it. Simultaneously, you need to drop and pick up your left arm to slam the rope on the ground. Increase your speed once you have gained momentum.

Keep your back straight and your shoulders rolled back.

8. Push-ups

One of the best HIIT exercises is the push-up, which you can perform at home without any extra equipment. Begin the exercise on the floor maintaining a posture that resembles a crawling cat with your palms and toes touching the surface and then practise push-ups.

Then, go down till your chest is touching the ground. Make sure to maintain a straight spine and legs. Putting your toes together will allow you to exert more force as you gain experience.

9. Russian Twist

This twisting exercise is perfect if you want to strengthen your hips and core. Start on the ground with your legs extended in front of you to execute the Russian Twist. After that, bend your knees and sit in a v-sit. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart at all times.

Finally, rotate your body from side to side. Repeat a lot to condition your body.

10. TRX Pullup

Although it demands a lot of upper body power, this challenging HIIT workout is simple to perform if you know how. To perform a TRX pull-up, take a TRX grip. Now lift your torso upward with your arms extended and your legs shoulder-width apart.

Try to raise your chest so that it is level with the handles, but don't worry if you are unable to do so the first time. Practice is all that is necessary. After that, maintain that position for a brief moment before lowering your body and repeating the procedure.

11. Abs Crunches

If you want to train your middle abs, upper abs and lower abs, you can try this exercise. Lie on your stomach. Place your feet hip-width apart on the ground. Bend your knees and cross your arms over your chest. Inhale while contracting your abs.

Then, lift your upper body while exhaling and maintaining your head and neck relaxed. Return to the beginning posture by inhaling and exhaling.

12. Bicycle Crunches

To perform this workout, lie on the floor on your back, knees bent, feet flat, and arms straight up. Maintain a flat back as you progressively stretch your left arm and right leg.

Then, keep your core strong and your low back on the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side for 1 rep.

13. Flutter Kicks

You can train your glutes, quads, and lower abs by doing this exercise, but both of your hands should remain beneath your buttocks. Keep your lower back on the ground as you lift your right leg slightly past hip height and your left leg a few inches off the floor.

Then, hold for 2 seconds before switching legs and performing a flutter kick motion.

14. Jumping Squats

Maintain a straight posture. Maintain a neutral spine, a straight posture, and relaxed shoulders. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart and your feet 45 degrees out. Bring your hips back, bend your knees, and draw your hands together close to your chest to sit (squat).

Get back up and try to jump as high as you can. To gain momentum, throw your hands to the sides. Softly place your feet on the ground. To avoid injury, do not land on the balls of your feet. Return to the squatting position. Do this at a faster but more precise pace.

There are plenty of benefits that one can reap by performing HIIT workouts. A few of them are mentioned below.

• Burns Calories Even After Your Workout: Not only does HIIT burn a lot of calories during the activity, but it also raises a person's resting metabolic rate. This implies that the body will continue to burn calories even after the workout is over, making calorie management much easier.
• Helps in Relieving Stress: It is quick, which is positive for individuals who dislike aerobic training, and it can fit into a hectic schedule. Furthermore, maintaining high-intensity levels necessitates intense attention. This diverts the brain's attention away from the tensions and problems of daily life, allowing the mind to rest.
• Boosts Your Strength: Anaerobic exercise causes a person to lose both muscle and fat. HIIT, on the other hand, has been shown to sustain muscle by training it to rebuild and recover during brief rest periods. This aids in the rapid development of strength and is readily maintained by simply continuing with the HIIT exercise.
• Increases Your Endurance: HIIT is based on the idea of adaptation, in which the body adapts to the stress it is subjected to strengthen its ability to cope. The lungs, heart, and muscles will learn to adapt to the challenge by pushing the body into the anaerobic zone when the heart is functioning at 80-90 per cent of its maximum rate. Not only will the exercises grow easier, but the body will be able to maintain pace and exertion during other forms of strenuous activity.
• Keeps You Youthful: The Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, is a hormone generated by the body during the childhood and puberty phase, which in turn, helps a person grow and develop into maturity. HIIT stimulates the synthesis of the hormone, which in turn promotes hair and nail development. So, not only will HIIT keep you in shape, but it will also keep you looking young.

Here are a few safety tips that you should keep in mind before and during your HIIT workout.

• Do Not Skip Warm Up: Warming up prior to the workout is essential to avoid straining a muscle or tendon. Also, abrupt stress when the body is not prepared might create heart problems, especially in people who are predisposed to heart disease.
• Maintain Correct Form: Check that your form is correct. This not only has the greatest effect on your body, but it also minimises the possibility of injury.
• Work According to Your Body and Age: HIIT workouts have no age restrictions; however, it is recommended that you consult an expert before beginning. This is because certain age groups, particularly those with underlying health conditions, should be more careful before doing the high-intensity top HIIT exercises.
• Do Not Overdo It: Do not overdo the exercises, especially if you are a beginner. If you are a beginner, you should start under expert supervision and limit your workouts to 2-3 times per week. Overdoing it can raise the risk of soft tissue joint problems. To guarantee your body recovers from the high intensity of the workout, opt for shorter HIIT sessions with longer rest periods.
• Maintain a Diet: Pre-workout diet and nutrition are essential; nourish your body in preparation for an aggressive workout. These workouts should not be done on an empty stomach. Choose fast-digesting proteins and carbohydrates that deliver amino acids and aid in muscle and strength development. That is all regarding the top HIIT workouts. Before starting, you can talk to a physical instructor to seek expert advice. Understand your body’s requirements and work accordingly. If you feel uneasy during any exercise, you should immediately stop and consult a doctor.