The 8 Best HIIT Workouts For Weight Loss (You can do at home)

HIIT is a game-changing approach to burning an insane number of calories in far less time—a.k.a. a more effective and time-efficient workout!

The way HIIT works is simple:

• 30 to 60 seconds of maximum intensity effort

• 30 to 120 seconds of low-intensity “recovery” effort

• Repeat for 20 to 30 minutes

How long each interval lasts and how many cycles you do of each will largely depend on your fitness. The fitter you are, the less rest you’ll need and the longer you can train.

For that reason, HIIT is incredibly easy to adapt to your ever-changing fitness, strength, and endurance.

Because you’re working out at maximum intensity, you burn more calories per minute during those intervals than you would in a steady-state workout. There’s also a huge metabolic boost and improvements to both your lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen (oxygen uptake volume, or VO2) and your heart’s ability to beat (heart rate, or MaxHR).

Ultimately, it leads to serious improvements in your fitness!

Below, we’ve collected 8 of the best HIIT workouts you can do from the comfort of your home. Some require a bit of equipment (kettlebell, dumbbell, cardio machine, etc.) but many can be done with nothing else but your body.

Let’s get working!

Trainer’s Note:

We’re starting at a “baseline” of 30/90 (a max work/recovery ratio of 1:3), but you can extend your rest time to up to 120 seconds (1:4 ratio) if needed.

Or, to make the workouts harder, try:

• Shortening the “recovery” interval to 60 or even 30 seconds. Less time of rest between max-intensity intervals maximizes calorie burning and pushes your cardiovascular system harder.

• Lengthening the maximum intensity interval to 60 seconds. This will push your max capacity (both VO2 Max and MaxHR) harder, leading to greater fitness at a higher level.

HIIT Workout #1: Sprint Training

You don’t need anything for this workout but a good pair of running shoes and a road, sidewalk, trail, or running track where you can run for 30 seconds without slowing.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Sprint at full speed for 30 seconds.

• Walk/jog for 90 seconds.

• Repeat 10 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #2: Treadmill Sprints

Even if it’s too cold, snowy, or rainy outside to run, you can still get in a good sprint training workout using a treadmill.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Set the treadmill to 1% incline (to simulate outdoor conditions).

• Raise the speed as high as possible (8 to 10 MPH) for 30 seconds.

• Return to your light jog (around 4.5 MPH) or run (around 5 MPH) speed for 90 seconds.

• Repeat 10 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #3: Bodyweight Resistance Training

This workout uses only your bodyweight, helping you to build strength as well as endurance.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Do 30 seconds of push-ups, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Do 30 seconds of pull-ups, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Do 30 seconds of squats, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Do 30 seconds of crunches, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Repeat 5 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #4: Stationary Bike Sprint

If you’ve got a stationary bike at home, you can use it to get in a truly epic HIIT workout.

Note: Cycling workouts use RPE, or rate of perceived exertion, rather than speed. 1 is the lightest exertion, with 10 being the max.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light pedaling (at 2-3 RPE).

• Adjust the resistance to around 25%.

• Pedal as fast as you can for 30 seconds.

• Pedal at a lower speed (3 to 5 RPE) for 90 seconds.

• Repeat 10 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light pedaling or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

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HIIT Workout #5: Kettlebell HIIT Workout

If you’ve got kettlebells at home, you can use them to get in a truly amazing muscle-building and fat-burning routine.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Perform kettlebell swings for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell goblet squats for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell deadlifts for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell thrusters for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell lunges for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell bicep curls for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell farmer’s walk for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell good mornings for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell one-legged deadlifts for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Perform kettlebell high pulls for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

• Repeat twice for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #6: Boxing Rounds

If you’ve got a punching bag and gloves, it’ll make your daily HIIT workout a whole lot more fun and active.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Punch the bag at full intensity for 60 seconds.

• Recover for 90 seconds.

• Kick the bag at full intensity for 60 seconds.

• Recover for 90 seconds.

• Mix kicks and punches at full intensity for 60 seconds.

• Recover for 90 seconds.

• Repeat 3 times, for a total of a little over 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #7: Battle Ropes

Battle ropes are an amazing workout tool! Their weight makes them challenging to use, and your entire body is forced to get involved in moving them. They make one heck of a fun HIIT workout, too!

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light jogging or running.

• Perform 60 seconds of bilateral waves (right hand comes up while left hand goes down, and vice versa), followed by 60 seconds of recovery.

• Perform 60 seconds of unilateral waves (both hands moving together), followed by 60 seconds of recovery.

• Perform 60 seconds of rope slams (lifting the ropes above your shoulder level and slamming them to the floor as hard as possible), followed by 60 seconds of recovery.

• Perform 60 seconds of alternating wide circles (swinging the ropes in wide outward circles one hand at a time), followed by 60 seconds of recovery.

• Perform 60 seconds of jumping slams (like rope slams, but including a jump), followed by 60 seconds of recovery.

• Repeat 4 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light jogging or running followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

HIIT Workout #8: Rowing Sprint

Last, but not least, if you’ve got a rowing machine at home, you can use it for a truly epic-level fat-burning HIIT routine.

The Workout:

• Begin with 5 minutes of stretching, followed by 5 minutes of light rowing (at 2 to 3 RPE).

• Raise the resistance to 25 to 50%.

• Row at 10 RPE for 30 seconds.

• Slow down your rowing speed to 4 or 5 RPE and recover for 90 seconds.

• Repeat 10 times, or for a total of 20 minutes

• Cool down with 5 minutes of light rowing (at 2 to 3 RPE) followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

Think you’re up for the challenge? These workouts are guaranteed to push your body hard, but in doing so, will expand your fitness in every aspect—not just your cardiovascular endurance, but also your muscular strength and endurance, too. As a result, you’ll be a fitter, tougher, and more resilient athlete in every activity you do.

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