HIIT Workouts for Beginners: Quick & Easy Home Exercises

The first HIIT workout requires no gym equipment except your body weight, which is considered equipment of sorts.

The work-to-rest ratio for this 10-minute HIIT workout is 20/10, and you should do it for 1-3 rounds.

Here is the entire 10-minute beginner HIIT workout:

1. Jab, cross, front (right side) - Assume a split stance where your right foot is in front of the left, and your hips are facing your left side. Lift your arms and assume a boxing guard. Start the workout by jabbing forward with the right arm and then throw the cross power punch with the back left arm. Ensure your body rotates when throwing the punch with your back arm. Your body weight should be placed over your right foot with your back heel slightly picking off the ground. This is cardio kickboxing.
2. Jumping jacks - Assume an upright position with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and your arms placed in the anatomical position. Jump with your feet outward to start the jumping jack motion while raising your arms simultaneously. Repeat this motion as fast as possible.
3. Sumo squats - Assume a standing position with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart to enter the starting sumo stance. Ensure your toes are slightly turned outward to achieve a deeper squat position. Start the exercise by simultaneously bending your hips, knees, and ankles to bring your body into the squat position. Ensure your back is flat, your heels are on the ground, and your core is activated during the whole movement.

20-Minute MetCon: HIIT Workout

The 20-minute MetCon HIIt workout will maximize calories burned due to the very high intensity it brings with the whole workout. The workout consists of 5 moves that focus on full-body exercises.

Aim to do as many reps as possible for each 45-second interval and then rest for 15 seconds to recover. So, the work-to-rest ratio for this HIIT workout is 45-15.

Here is the entire 20-minute MetCon HIIT workout:

1. Push-ups - Based on your gender and training experience, you can opt-in for the different push-up variations. Choose between regular, kneeling, incline, decline push-ups, or other variations. Ensure your shoulders create 30-degree internal rotation, 45-degree flexion, and 60-degree abduction. This will place the shoulder in an optimal functional position.
2. Squats - Assume a standing stance a little wider than shoulder-width apart. During squatting, ensure your back is flat, your heels are on the ground, and your knees don't cave in. You may change the width of the squats based on your preferences.
3. Butt kicks - You can perform butt kicks by jogging or walking in place. Kick your left heel up to touch your glutes. Repeat with the right leg.
4. Tricep dips - You should perform tricep dips on the parallel bars that aren't too wide and will likely cause excessive pressure on your shoulder joint. Ensure your chest lowers at the level of the bars before starting to come up.
5. Side lunges - Perform side lunges alternatively, and ensure enough depth on each repetition to fire those glutes, quads, and adductors.

The 30-minute MetCon HIIT workout is the most advanced HIIT workout of all three.

This workout will challenge your whole-body conditioning and muscular endurance, so I advise using the first two HIIT workouts before trying them.

The work-to-rest ratio is 45-15.

Here is the entire 30-minute MetCon HIIT workout:

1. Push-ups - Choose the variation that suits you the most. However, it is best to stick with regular or kneeling push-ups for this workout.
2. Squats - Assume a shoulder-width stance and ensure your toes are slightly turned outwards to achieve proper squat depth. Don't round your back or cave the knees in during the whole workout.
3. Butt kicks - Perform butt kicks in place by jogging or walking. Alternate between the legs.
4. Tricep dips - Ensure you reach the depth that resonates with the level of your chest. Avoid too wide parallel bars for excessive pressure on your shoulders.
5. Side lunges - Alternate between the legs and focus on contracting those glutes, quads, and adductors.
6. Jumping jacks - Ensure proper frequency and don't stop until the work interval is over. Many prefer here to make pauses, which is not allowed.
7. Sit-ups - Don't pump sit-ups immediately. It is better to start slowly to last for the whole work interval.

HIIT or high-intensity interval training is the type of interval training precisely assigned with adequate work-to-rest ratio and intensity of VO2 max, pulse, or other metrics.

High-intensity training is widely used to elicit cardiovascular and respiratory benefits with strenuous work intervals and in a relatively short period.

HIIT workouts can be divided into two categories based on the work-to-rest ratio. When the work-to-rest ratio is 1:1, you mostly exercise your aerobic capacity.

Contrary to that, when your work time exceeds the rest time, like in Tabata workouts, you raise blood lactate levels much faster and primarily exercise your anaerobic glycolytic system.

HIIT workouts are excellent for heart health because they improve cardiovascular and respiratory functions.

This is because your body will need to pump blood in various places in your body to supply muscle cells with adequate energy.

Doing that will make your heart stronger and more resistant to physical stress, such as high-intensity interval training.

"Note that HIT and HIIT — high intensity interval training — are not the same thing. The difference is actually pretty simple. HIT is about lifting very heavy weights, while HIIT is a conditioning tool. Yes, HIIT can get you stronger, and high intensity lifting can — if you program it right — help out with your conditioning."

- Alex Polish, Certified Personal Trainer