Drop What You're Doing — This 15-Minute Full-Body HIIT Workout Requires ZERO Equipment
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High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is like the gift that keeps on giving. You can build lean muscle, shed fat, and torch calories. It's cardio-based, since doing short bursts of activity at maximum effort elevates your heart rate and you only have brief periods of rest. Plus, the American Council on Exercise named HIIT the most effective exercise for something called "the afterburn effect" — meaning, the time that you continue to burn calories after your workout.
Johanna Devries, certified personal trainer known as Grow With Jo on Instagram, shared with POPSUGAR an at-home HIIT workout that requires zero equipment and will work your entire body (with an emphasis on core and legs). All you need is 15 minutes, an open space, and your kickbutt self. You can also find Johanna's tips for making the most out of your home workouts here.
15-Minute Bodyweight HIIT Workout
Warmup
- Jumping jacks — 30 seconds
- High knees — 30 seconds
- Lying glute kickback — 30 seconds
- Fire hydrant — 30 seconds
HIIT Workout
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. Once you've completed all five moves, repeat everything again two more times.
- Standing crunch: 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Jumping lunge: 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Up-down plank: 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Jump squat: 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Star jump: 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
To be clear, complete the above circuit for a total of three rounds. Johanna said that you should do the rounds without stopping (the only rest you should take is the 20 seconds after each exercise). In about 15 minutes, you'll be done, she said. Don't forget to cool down and stretch afterward. Ahead, check out exactly how to do each exercise in this five-move circuit. And, if you want more, check out these 20 HIIT workouts.
Standing Crunch
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and your arms up, hands close to your temples like you would in a regular crunch on the floor.
- Drive your right knee up as you bring your left elbow down across your chest to meet your knee.
- Return to your starting position and do the same with your other side. This counts as one rep.
- Repeat, continuing for 30 seconds. Then rest for 20 seconds.
Jumping Lunge
- Stand with your feet together and your knees soft.
- Jump into a lunge with your left leg forward.
- Push off with both feet and hop into a lunge with your right leg in front, switching your legs in the air. This counts as one rep.
- Continue to alternate your lunges for 30 seconds. Then rest for 20 seconds.
Up-Down Plank
- Come into a plank position with your arms and legs straight (in high plank).
- Lower your left elbow to the floor where your hand was. Then lower your right elbow to the floor where your right hand was (now you're in elbow plank, on your forearms).
- Come back into the starting plank position on your left hand and then on your right. This completes one rep. Engage your core the entire time, and try not to sway from side to side.
- Continue for 30 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds.
Jump Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively.
- When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.
- Continue for 30 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds.
Star Jump
- Start with your feet together and arms at your sides. Jump up with your legs out and hands overhead, then land back to your standing position.
- These are basically jumping jacks off the ground. Continue for 30 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds.