Amp up your fat burn and blast calories with these 17 high-intensity interval workouts, perfect for your schedule no matter how little time or equipment you have at the ready.
Complete each move for 40 seconds, resting 10 seconds between each. Complete two to four rounds, resting one to two minutes between rounds.
1. Triceps dip 2. Bicycle abs 3. Dynamic plank (Go from full plank to elbow plank, lowering one arm at a time, then back to full plank, alternating arms.) 4. Mountain climber 5. High knee 6. Lateral stepup (Face a stair on one side, step down and up with one leg; switch sides after 20 seconds.) 7. Reverse lunge
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milanvirijevic / Getty
Body-weight fat blaster
Time: 25 minutes
Expert:Jamie Botti, Trainer, Titan Fitness Studios, New York City
The workout
Perform each move for 45 seconds, resting for no more than 10 to 15 seconds between each move. Complete three rounds, taking one minute to recover after each round.
1. Squat thruster 2. Pushup 3. Burpee with jumping jack 4. Alternating lunge 5. Triceps dip 6. Mountain climber
“This workout is perfect for when you’re stuck at the office or home. Stair sprints target glutes and hamstrings, cankle-crushing heel raises shape calves, and running down stairs on recovery helps you build stronger legs.”
Round 1
Sprint up stairs, taking single steps (30 sec.)
Pushup (10 reps)
Wall squat (Hold for 15 sec.)
Mountain climber (15 reps per side)
Jog down stairs (active recovery; 30 sec.)
Round 2
Run up stairs, two steps at a time (30 sec.)
Pushup (12 reps)
Mountain climber (15 reps per side)
Wall squat with calf raise (Hold for 15 sec. while lifting and lowering heels.)
Jog down stairs (active recovery; 30 sec.)
Round 3
Jump up stairs (Try jumping two steps at a time. 30 sec.)
Pushup (15 reps)
Mountain climber (15 reps per side)
Wall squat with lifted heels (Hold 15 sec.; keep heels off floor.)
Jog down stairs (active recovery; 30 sec.)
Repeat sequence two to three times.
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Per Bernal
Express HIIT
Time: 12 minutes
Expert: Ashley Kaltwasser, IFBB bikini pro, 3-time bikini Olympia champion, fitness model
Expert: Julia Ladewski, C.S.C.S., strength and conditioning coach
“This workout kicks my butt every time. It targets many main muscle groups, including the shoulders, hips, hamstrings, chest, back, and quads, while challenging the heart. If you really give maximal effort, it’s a tough one to finish.”
The workout
Rest for 60 to 90 seconds after the circuit. Repeat six to eight times.
“I really like this routine because it’s a good combination of power, strength, and endurance that challenges different energy systems in your body along with providing some agility and balance. It’s a quick and effective total-body metabolic workout.”
Circuit 1
Complete five rounds.
Power split lunge (30 sec. per leg)
Pullup (1 min.)
Kettlebell single-hand snatch (30 sec. per side)
Pseudo planche pushup (Keep hands below chest and push up off floor. The farther your hands are from your chest, the harder the move. 1 min.)
Circuit 2
Tabata supersets: Do 20 sec. of work/10 sec. recovery; complete five rounds.
Use a kettlebell (ideally 12kg or 20lbs or heavier). Complete three rounds, taking 10 seconds to rest between moves and 20 seconds between rounds. Use the same kettlebell for all movements, with the option to increase weight for swings.
1. Kettlebell deadlift to high pull (40 sec.) 2. Kettlebell swing (30 sec.) 3. Burpee (20 sec.)
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Per Bernal
Whole-body HIIT
Time: 45–50 minutes
Expert: Lacee Lazoff
This workout uses kettlebells, a rower, battle ropes, plus a TRX to keep you moving every minute.
Warmup
(5 min.)
Do three rounds of the following: 10 walking squats,10 pushups, 10 plank shoulder taps
500-meter row (Aim to finish between 2 and 2 1⁄2 min.)
Circuit 1
Do each move for 45 seconds, three rounds total, resting 20 seconds between rounds.
Battle rope squat with qaves
Row (Aim for 150 to 200 meters.)
Kettlebell figure eights (Weave the kettlebell between your legs.)
Circuit 2
Do each move for 30 seconds; do three rounds total, taking 20 seconds rest between rounds.
Kettlebell swing
Goblet squat
Body-weight plyo pushup
Circuit 3
Do each part of the superset for 45 seconds; repeat each sequence twice before moving on to the next.
Battle rope diagonal pull (Holding ends of rope with thumbs up and elbows close to body, move rope side to side, reaching for opposite hip in a chopping motion as quickly as possible.)/ Row 150 to 200m
Kettlebell forward lunge/bentover switch row (Begin with kettlebell on floor between feet; hinge forward from hips; bend knees and pick up the bell, rowing it to side with one hand; switch sides; repeat.)
TRX atomic pushup (Begin in full plank with feet in TRX straps; pike hips toward ceiling, then lower back to full plank and do a pushup.)/Side Plank Hold
Circuit 4
Do these Tabata-style: 20-second intervals, 10 seconds rest; eight rounds, with maximum effort during work intervals
“All you need for this workout are two kettlebells and a Dynamax (soft) medicine ball. It’s a surefire way to get your heart pumping and burn fat while targeting the main muscle groups.”
The workout
Do eight rounds of the following exercises:
Double kettlebell swing (35 sec. on/25 sec. off)
Double kettlebell clean (35 sec. on/25 sec. off)
Double kettlebell thruster (35 sec. on/25 sec. off)
Dynamax medicine ball slam (35 sec. on/25 sec. off)
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Jay Sullivan
Figure fours
Time: 16 minutes
Expert: Latorya Watts, 2015 Olympia figure champion
The first exercise of each set is a kettlebell movement, followed by a body-weight move.
Complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) for each five-minute round.
Round 1
Double kettlebell front squat (10 reps)
Situp (10 reps)
Continue for 5 minutes; rest 2 minutes.
Round 2
KB push press (Use two kettlebells; clean weights to rack position; dip down a few inches and use momentum from legs to press bells above head. 10 reps)
Jumping lunge
Continue for 5 minutes; rest 2 minutes.
Round 3
KB thruster (use two kettlebells; clean weights to rack position. Squat as deeply as possible. As you stand up, press kettlebells over head. Do 10 reps.)
Try to keep up a rate of 26 spm (strokes per minute, which is displayed on the rowing-machine console). Add one power stroke at the top of each minute interval. Recover between the last of your power strokes until the beginning of the next minute.
Minute 1: 10 hard strokes (which should take about 25 sec.). Keep moving at a moderate pace until you reach the second minute.
Minute 2: 11 hard strokes (25 to 27 sec.). Keep a moderate pace until you reach the third minute.
Minute 3: 12 hard strokes (27 to 29 sec.). Keep a moderate pace until you reach the four-minute mark.
Continue this ladder until you reach 18 hard strokes.
“These sprints are designed to help build explosive cardio as well as burn fat for weight loss. As an active competitive fighter, I can attest how effective these sprint cycles are.”
Vary your treadmill speeds from a walk (about 3 mph) to a jog (6 to 6.5 mph) to a sprint (8 to 10 mph). Increase by .5 mph for each set.
Sprint series 1
Walk (1-2 min.) Jog (1 min.)
Sprint (10 sec.), then lower back to jog (30 sec.)
Repeat sprint/jog interval walk (1 min.)
Do two sets.
Sprint series 2
Repeat the format as above, increasing to a 20-second sprint at .5 mph faster; reduce jog to 20 seconds.
Do three to five sets.
Sprint series 3
This is a challenge series for more advanced exercisers. Repeat as above, increasing to a 30-second sprint at .5 mph faster; jog for 30 seconds to recover.
“The following three workouts are all effective ways to get your heart rate into the afterburn zone, which can help you burn more calories up to 36 hours post exercise.”
Workout 1
Treadmill and rower Warm up for a few minutes on either machine, then do six to eight rounds of the following:
Treadmill sprint (max effort; 1 min.)
100-meter sprint row (Go for highest wattage possible.)
Workout 2
Battle rope/medicine ball Do 10 rounds of the following:
Alternating ropes (1 min.)
Lateral ball slam (1 min.)
Workout 3
Jump rope/jump squat
Complete as many rounds as possible for 20 minutes.
