Best HIIT Workouts & Exercises for Women

Here’s how to do it:

• Begin in a standing position and brace your core.
• Raise your arms overhead.
• Twist your torso to the right while bringing your right knee up.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.

Shuffle Punch

The shuffle punch is a great way to work your legs and core.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand with your feet together.
• Place your arms at your sides with your elbows at 90 degrees.
• Step to the left, beyond shoulder width, and squat.
• As you squat, punch out with your right arm.
• Immediately shuffle to the right and punch out with your left arm.

Here’s how to do it:

• From standing, have your arms bent in front of you, mimicking a barbell curl.
• Sink into a deep squat until your elbows touch your knees.
• Quickly propel yourself out of the squat, rising on the balls of your feet.
• While rising, keep your core engaged and raise your arms straight overhead.

Related: Squat Variations

Side-To-Side Knee Drivers

From my experience training clients, I've found that side-to-side knee drives are well-rounded exercises that effectively strengthen the core and improve balance.

Here’s how to do them:

• Begin by standing with feet just wider than shoulder-width and reaching your arms overhead and slightly to the left.
• Draw your arms down, lift your right knee and drive it up and to the left as if you were delivering a knee strike.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Mountain climbers will boost your heart rate and engage your core.

Here’s how to do them:

• Start in a high plank position.
• Drive your left knee up towards your chest without lifting your hips.
• Quickly switch to the other side and keep the rhythm switching back and forth.

Table Top Reach and Lift

This move will help you build a stronger core.

Here’s how to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your feet flat and firmly planted and your hands underneath your shoulders.
• Engage your core and brace yourself.
• Push through your heels to raise your hips off the floor.
• Stretch your left leg while reaching for it with your right arm.
• Lower your hips and switch sides to repeat the movement.
• Then, raise your hips into a tabletop position, tucking your pelvis to avoid hyperextending your lower back.

“Due to the intensity of the workout, HIIT can elevate your metabolism for hours after exercise. This results in burning additional calories even after you have finished exercising.”

- Tyler Read, BSc, Certified Personal Trainer

This HIIT exercise will boost your lower-body power.

Here’s how to do them:

• Begin by sitting on a box with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lift your arms in front of you.
• Swing your arms back and jump as high as you can.
• Make sure to keep your knees soft when you land.
• Lower yourself to the starting position and repeat.

Related: Best Step Exercises

Hop Overs

Hop overs are a great way to increase lower-body strength.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand on the left side of the box.
• Place your right foot on the box.
• Push off the box, leaping over it with a lateral hop and landing with your left foot on the box and right foot on the floor.
• Immediately repeat on the other side and continue with a fluid rhythm.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand behind a box and position your left foot on it.
• Use the left foot to launch into the air while swinging your left arm forward.
• Once you land, repeat the motion on the opposite side.
• After 20 seconds, pause briefly, switch sides, and repeat.

Hands-On Climbers

Hands-on climbers are a variation of the mountain climber exercise described in the beginner workout.

The only difference is that you begin with your hands on the box or step into the high push-up position.

Feet-On Climber

Another advanced variation of the traditional mount climber is that you begin by placing your feet on the box.

Perform the mountain climber exercise and ensure you replace each foot on the box before you lift the other.

Related: Stair Climber Workouts

You will challenge your balance and coordination with this exercise.

Here’s how to do it:

• Sit on a box or step and extend your right leg forward.
• You can use your arms for balance.
• Stand up using only your left leg and hop onto your right foot before sitting back down.
• Switch legs and get into a rhythm.

HIIT workouts are high-intensity interval training sessions, a type of workout that alternates short periods of intense exercise with brief periods of rest or active recovery.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is great for torching calories, boosting endurance, and enhancing overall fitness faster than moderate or low-intensity exercises.

HIIT sessions include diverse activities like jump rope, sprints, cycling, or bodyweight exercises such as burpees and squats. Tailor the intensity and duration of each interval to match your fitness level and objectives.

According to a study by the National Institute of Health (NIH), a half-hour HIIT workout can torch about 30% more calories than weight training [1].