“HIIT workouts are very effective because you can get a lot done in a short period of time. They are the best bang for the buck workouts you can do, and they are great for those that want to improve their strength and cardio at the same time,” says Dr. Grayson Wickham, PT, DPT, CSCC and founder of Movement Vault, a company that helps you alleviate pain, prevent injury, and increase your flexibility and mobility. And HIIT workouts work for you because continue to burn calories after you’re done working out. “As opposed to traditional cardio workouts, with fat loss primarily occurring only during the training, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) actually burns calories and fat long after you’ve finished working out!” says Cat Kom, certified personal trainer and CEO/Founder of Studio SWEAT onDemand. That’s because these 10-30 minute high-intensity workouts push your body to a phenomenon called EPOC, or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. “When you reach this highly pumped state, your body uses extra oxygen to bring it back to normal, which boosts your metabolism and leads to, you guessed it—burning fat. HIIT is also such an incredible option for those working out at home because it requires little-to-no equipment, doesn’t take up much space, and is super fun,” says Kom. Plus, HIIT workouts are a great option for at-home workouts. “HIIT workouts are also very versatile as you can use almost any piece of equipment or no equipment at all. They are very convenient if you want to work out at home and don’t have a lot of equipment or space,” adds Dr. Wickham. Ready to find the perfect (and free) HIIT workout to try on YouTube? Here are 8 of the best, according to trainers.
HIIT workouts at home
15-Minute Dumbbell Destroyer
Level: Intermediate Time required: 15 minutes Equipment required: 2 dumbbells What to expect: “I like this workout because he includes some great warmup and mobility movements pre and post-workout. An effective mobility warm-up is very important for preparing your nervous system, muscles, fascia, and ligaments for your workout. A well-programmed warm-up can have huge benefits for improving the performance of your workouts and decreasing injury risk. He also does a great job at giving technique and form cues as to what you should focus on when performing each exercise,” says Dr. Wickham.
30-minute HIIT Upper Body and Cardio Circuit Workout
Level: Intermediate Time required: 30 minutes Equipment required: A pair of light dumbbells (She uses 10 pounders) What to expect: “Most HIIT workouts have a heavy focus on the legs, but I love this one because it has a lot of creative upper body HIIT moves. The trainer also does a good job giving modifications for those with different skill levels,” says Kom.
40-minute No Repeat HIIT Cardio Workout
Level: Intermediate Time required: 40 minutes Equipment required: None What to expect: “This is a long workout that burns a lot of calories. She includes a very large variety of exercises as there are no repeats for the entire 40 minutes. This is a great HIIT workout if you have extra time and love your workouts to include a variety of exercises,” says Dr. Wickham.
20-minute Total Body HIIT Workout
Level: All Levels (modifications offered) Time required: 20 minutes Equipment required: Just a small towel What to expect: “This is one of the Best Total-Body HIIT workouts around. At just 20 minutes, it’s a fast and truly fun full-body burn. It combines higher intensity exercises with short rest periods, for a truly effective and efficient workout,” says Kom. “This class was filmed in a live environment with real people (not actors or models) and is led by the popular Studio SWEAT onDemand trainer known as ‘Military Mere’ (don’t let that scare you, she’s great), who you can tell is having a blast the entire time. And as you know, attitude is contagious, so expect to smile while you sweat! Plus, with no equipment needed and modifications to spice it up or tone it down, it’s great for all fitness levels.”
10-minute Fat Burning Shred Workout
Level: Intermediate Time required: 10 minutes Equipment required: None What to expect: “I like this work because it is short and intense and requires no equipment. It’s also great because they include a lot of core stability exercises, which almost everyone can benefit from. One of the highlights of this workout is the fact that they include a lot of side to side and rotational movement pattern exercises, which most people lack in their workouts,” says Dr. Wickham.
20-minute Intense HIIT Treadmill Workout
Level: Advanced Time required: 20 minutes Equipment required: Treadmill What to expect: “This intense treadmill HIIT workout is a burner! I like how during the rest periods, which are so important, there are training and motivational tips to inspire you to push yourself even harder. The countdown timer is also really helpful," says Kom.
28-minute Intense Fully Body, No Equipment HIIT WorkoutLevel: Intermediate
Time required: 28 minutes Equipment required: None What to expect: “I like this workout because it’s not too short and not too long. Although a 28-minute HIIT workout can be very challenging, it will burn a lot of calories," says Dr. Wickham. “He is very creative with his exercise selection focusing on a lot of dynamic leg exercise variations that you may have never tried before. He includes a lot of lower body dynamic plyometric exercises, which are great for improving strength, power, and speed. I really like the fact that he takes the exercises a step up by adding in different ranges of motion angles with the same movement.”
Low-impact Full Body HIIT Workout
Level: Beginner to intermediate-high intensity, low impact Time required: 30 minutes Equipment required: None What to expect: “This one is great for those that tend to get bored because it’s a no-repeat workout. That’s right, you only do each exercise once! Also, the intensity is high, but the impact is low, so it’s great for your knees, and because there’s no stomping or jumping—it’s also great for your neighbors!” says Kom. Next up, here are the 18 best beginner at-home workouts.
