HIIT exercises make you fit! This Intensity Interval Training makes kilos fall and muscles grow. These are my favorite exercises for an intense workout in the living room.
Don't feel like going to the gym? Me neither! You don't have to go to a gym to get fit.
You can also train at home.
HIIT exercises - High Intensity Interval Training - are particularly well suited for this.
They help to burn a lot of fat in a short time and shape the body beautifully.
I warn you better right at the beginning: HIIT is really enormously exhausting! But: It's worth it!
Table of contents
What is HIIT Training?
The high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a special type of endurance training. The very intensive and effective form of training comes from high-performance sports. The special thing about it is that you can achieve very good results in a short time. Short very intense power phases and restful relaxation phases alternate.
Many studies have shown that High Intensity Interval Training THE workout par excellence for burning fat.
HIIT exercises are very flexible. You can use the cross trainer, treadmill, bike, jump rope or body weight exercises for this.
No matter what you choose, the important thing is to push yourself to your limit in short and really intense sessions.
The high load is followed by a recovery phase, which the body really needs more than necessary. This allows you not only to build muscle, but also to improve your Greatly improve endurance.
As with any workout, it's important to build a solid habit and not skip your workouts.
What is the benefit of 15 min HIIT?
With HIIT exercises, you can get your workout done in 15 to 20 minutes. Instead of sweating it out in the gym for an hour, you pack the intense workout into this short period of time. The short and crisp sessions maximize your fat burning. You can burn 200 calories in 20 minutes of HIIT.
Tip for workout at home
I like to work out at home myself. The fitness platform Gymondo is great for that. You sign up once and can then choose from 60 programs and 570 workouts.
All you need is an exercise mat and a little space in your living room.
You can do abs, legs, butt one day and legs and arms the next. Just put together whatever you feel like doing. With less than 8 euros per month and unlimited access to the workouts, the investment will soon pay off.
Here you can find even more info about it!
The best HIIT exercises for the living room
There is a very long list of HIIT exercises. The most important thing is to find the right one for you.
From classics like squats, to push-ups, to jumping rope, the HIIT workout has everything to get your heart rate up.
We have selected HIIT exercises that you can do even with little space in the living room. We combine strength and endurance. So you don't need a park or a gym.
By the way, these exercises are perfect for you if you want to lose weight. Because strength training and Build muscle are much more effective than any diet the world.
Correct performance of HIIT exercises
Now it's time to get serious. Let's get into your first workout! For best results, you should do HIT training 3 times a week.
However, do not overdo it. There should be at least 24 hours between workouts. Your body needs this time to recover.
For beginners:
- 15 seconds load
- 30 seconds pause
For moderately trained:
- 30 seconds load
- 60 seconds pause
For professionals:
- 45 seconds load
- 90 seconds pause
In total you take 20 - 30 minutes Time for training! Make as many repetitions as possible.
Thanks to Box Jumps you'll get really fit!
Who has little time, can watch this video and train directly. But beware: mega exhausting :)
The warm up before interval training
As with any workout, warm-up exercises are also on the schedule before HIIT exercises. You should never do without them! Especially not before a High Intensity Interval Training. Because here you perform all exercises very quickly. Your muscles must be prepared and warmed up for this.
The best way to do this is to take a look at our Warm up exercises over.
We'll start right away with HIIT exercises that will get your circulation going.
Burpees as HIIT exercise
We start at full throttle! Exercise Burpees the entire body and get your pulse racing right from the start of the HIIT exercises.
- Stand upright and jump into push-up position with momentum
- 1x push-up
- Straighten up again with momentum
- Jumping in the air while stretching the hands straight up
Beginners can do this HIIT exercise without the push-ups and lie down on the floor for a short time. Then jump right back up and perform the stretch jump.
This will get your body going at full speed!
Squats with stretch jump
Squats are the classic butt exercise. Mixed with stretch jumps, they are the perfect HIIT fitness exercise for the butt and legs.
- Stand about hip width
- Squat with momentum
- The arms are in front of the body
- And jump! Stretch as high as possible!
Squats with Kicks in HIIT Workout
You can hardly do a High Intensity Interval workout without squats. The squat is also the starting position for this exercise.
- Start again in the upright position with a squat
- The hands are on the back of the head this time
- Straighten up with momentum and kick with your right leg as high as possible
- And change of direction!
Tighten the bridge with leg
With this HIIT exercise you can let the circulation go down a bit. Because compared to the previous fitness exercises, this one is not aimed at endurance, but strength.
- Lie with your back on the exercise mat
- Lift the buttocks from the mat and bend the legs
- The hands are parallel to the body
- Your body forms a line
- Now alternately pull the left and right knee to the chest
The Mountain Climber as HIIT Workout
And are you already really hot? Very good! Because now the real fun begins! We're climbing a mountain with the Mountain Climber.
- Go into full plank position - arms are extended through
- The toes and the palms of the hands touch the training mat
- Now alternately pull the right and left knee towards the chest
- Hopp, Hopp up it goes on the mountain! :)
Plank and rotate upper body
When planking, you train your entire body. If you add a twist like we do, you strengthen your arms even more specifically.
- Start this HIIT exercise in full plank
- Tighten abdomen, do not let back sag
- Now shift the weight to the palm of the left hand
- Turn the upper body outward - the legs remain on the mat
- The right arm points to the ceiling
Forget about all the other exercises! These 19 Plank variations will make you fit
High jump from a standing position
If you haven't been sweating until now, it will be the case at the latest with this high jump from a standing position.
- The exercise begins in the normal upright position
- Squat lightly and jump in the air
- Pull your legs as close as possible to your chest while doing this
- Hop as high as you can!
Bicycle Crunch (diagonal crunch)
The diagonal crunch trains the abdomen, buttocks and legs evenly. But it also works the back muscles.
- Lie on your back
- Take the legs off the floor
- Cross your arms behind your head
- Pull the right leg to the left elbow
- And change sides!
Do you already know the great muscle building guide for women?
Squat with kettlebells as HIIT workout
So that the buttocks and arms are not neglected, there are now squats with additional weight. If you don't have kettlebells, you can also use water bottles or dumbbells.
- Stand shoulder width apart
- The tips of the toes point slightly outward
- Grab the weight and bring it to shoulder height
- Squat and stretch through with momentum
- The weight now points to the ceiling
Lunge with weight as HIIT exercise
And again the arms, but also at the same time buttocks and legs. The perfect combination for the well-trained body!
- Grab the kettlebells
- Take a big step forward with your right leg
- Lower the buttocks to lunge - the knee does not protrude above the toes
- Lift the kettlebells first to shoulder height and then stretch them above your head
Planks with kettlebells
And again, focus on arms. Full planks can be made more difficult with weight. But don't overdo it with the weight at the beginning.
- Go into full plank position - your body forms a line
- The arms and legs are stretched firmly
- Now raise the kettlebell from the floor to your chest and lower it again!
- At least 5 repetitions before you change sides
Sit ups with weight as HIIT workout
Dear belly, now it's your turn! Sit ups perfectly train the abdominal muscles. With weight in the hands sit ups can additionally strengthen the arms.
- Lie down on the training mat
- The legs are bent
- Grab the kettlebell and stretch your arms to about chest height
- Now slowly straighten up!
The important thing is that you do the movement with your abdominal muscles, not with momentum!
Do you already know the 13 best strength exercises for at home?
Tighten knees with weight
For another wonderful abdominal exercise in our HIIT workout, grab a weight. We use a dumbbell in our workout.
- Sit on the floor
- Clamp a dumbbell between your knees (or another weight)
- Lift the legs off the floor and pull the dumbbell to the chest
- The palms face the body
- Now stretch the legs forward. Without putting them down.
- The upper body is slightly bent backwards
- And straighten again
HIIT workout full planks
And on we go with pure bodyweight exercises. We now straighten up from normal planks to full planks.
- Go into full plank position - palms are under shoulders
- The body forms a line
- Now bend the right and then the left arm
- Now you are with both elbows on the mat. Straighten up again and start over!
The jumping jack for endurance
The absolute classic among all warm-up exercises must not be missing in our High Intensity Interval Training! It is a great loosening exercise for the now already very stressed arms and legs.
- Stand upright, arms pointing downwards
- Jump with both legs to the side
- At the same time you take your arms above your head
- Make fast movements and shake out your muscles a little bit
Beginners push-ups in HIIT training
Women push ups are easier to perform than traditional push ups. Therefore, they are perfect for beginners and those who already lack a little strength, because the HIIT exercises are really exhausting :)
- Kneel on the training mat
- Place the palms under the shoulders
- The fingers point forward
- The legs are bent upwards
- Now slowly lower the upper body towards the mat
- And up again
Learn push-ups - The great guide
HIIT exercise for the shoulders and pectoral muscles
This High Intensity Interval exercise is somewhat reminiscent of the well-known jumping jack. However, it deliberately targets the shoulders and pectorals.
- Stand upright. The legs are closed
- Raise the elbows until they are at shoulder level
- The elbows point forward. The palms are clenched into fists
- Now jump into the straddle while pushing the elbows to the side and the shoulders back. The arms are firmly tightened during this HIIT exercise.
Squat with side kick
And another squat variation for you that will make you sweat! With lateral kicks you strengthen your inner thigh muscles. This is important for a secure stance.
- Open the legs about shoulder width
- Put your hands on your thighs
- Do a squat in which you push your buttocks firmly backwards and downwards
- Get momentum - pull the arms to the hips and do a side kick
- Lift the leg as far as possible
HIT exercise for the buttocks and legs
This HIIT fitness exercise consists of three steps. It looks simple, but it has a lot going for it. Don't be fooled :)
- Start in an upright position
- The hands are on the back of the head
- Take a big step forward with your right leg
- Lower the buttocks
- Put the first knee on the floor and then the second one
- Now straighten up again!
These belly legs butt exercises change your life
The bridge with arms stretched
And once again, the thighs are the focus of our HIIT exercises. The bridge with stretched arms also trains the upper arms, as the name suggests.
- Sit on the butt
- Angle the legs and stretch the arms through
- The fingertips point forward
- Lift the buttocks until your body forms a line
- Lower again until you almost touch the floor and lift again
Raise knee as HIIT exercise
And finally, we boost the circulation again and do something for mobility at the same time. Raising the knees is the perfect exercise for this.
- Stand upright
- Pull the right knee with momentum as high as possible
- You can swing your hands along - this helps to keep your balance
- Then the left knee
- Really step on the gas and do the HIT exercise as fast as possible
Plank Mountain Climber
The last exercise will give you a lot of muscle in the arms, buttocks, thighs and abdomen.
- You start in the normal plank position
- The elbows are under the shoulders, the palms are on the mat
- The back is straight
- Now pull the right leg bent forward
- And put back again
- Change leg position with light jumps
How useful is exercising twice a day actually?
HIIT exercises - the cool down
Those who have been busy will now have a very high pulse. Now it is a matter of slowly lowering the pulse again and bringing the body to normal temperature. Light stretching exercises from our Abwärm training are particularly suitable for this.
Stretch back and legs
Time to take a breather and regain your strength! That's why there's now a little stretching exercise in our HIIT exercises.
- Take a medium step to the side and open the legs slightly more than shoulder width
- First let yourself tip over forward until your fingertips touch the floor
- Now you switch between right and left shoe
- Make sure the legs and back are stretched well
Because you need a few minutes for Cool down exercises we have dedicated a separate article to this important part of the training.
How often should you do HIIT?
Because High Intensity Intervals are very demanding, you should not do more than 3 sessions per week. It should be more than that even for advanced athletes. There should be a 48 hour break between each workout. During this time the body can recover from the workout, build muscle and lose fat.
Set fixed training days per week to stay on the ball and train regularly.
How effective is a HIIT workout?
High Intensity Interval Training is very effective. It takes you to your limits. And that several times. Puffing and sweating are guaranteed. And that's a good thing. Fat pads melt away and muscles are built up.
At the same time, you get your metabolism going. Due to the high oxygen demand and the high difference between your resting and training pulse, you benefit to a great extent from the afterburn effect.
HIIT exercises are short, but really very intense. They are performed in the form of intervals.
At HIIT Workout alternate between the load phase and the recovery phase:
-
The high-intensity phase in HIIT training
For a certain duration you go to your Load limit. How long this phase lasts depends on your training condition. Here you do the HIIT exercises until you have no more strength.
The point is to do as many repetitions as possible in the given time. Make sure you do them cleanly! -
The recovery phase of the HIIT workout
After that, you can take a breather during the recovery phase. You recover for two to three times the duration of the load phase. If you do push-ups for 30 seconds, you will recover for at least 60 seconds.
For beginners: 15 seconds high load, 30-45 seconds recovery. 8 intervals.
For trained: 30 seconds high load, 60 seconds recovery. 10 intervals.
That's how fast you can lose weight with HIIT!
What are the benefits of HIIT exercises?
High Intensity Interval Training originates from high performance sports. It leads to the fact that you bring your body and especially your metabolism to peak performance. Until nothing really works anymore.
While you are in the training phase, the body needs a lot of oxygen. It also boosts metabolic activity. Your body strives to normalize and balance both. To do this, it spends a lot of energy during the relief phase.
So, like a roller coaster, it goes up and down. The ramp-up of metabolism and the need for oxygen keep the body busy long after the workout. This is known as the afterburn effect.
So when you lie down on the sofa after the HIIT exercises, calories are still burned.
Three good reasons to give HIIT exercises a chance
1. high intensity interval training burns fat
And lots of it. HIIT helps you lose weight. Because the metabolism is still busy hours after the workout.
There are studies that speak of 48 hours afterburn effect, others of 24 hours. Whatever the case, the effect is there and makes the kilos fall. Fat pads melt away.
2. HIIT increases endurance
The very intensive training increases the maximum oxygen uptake of your body. So you can process more oxygen while exercising. This makes you faster and stronger.
If you are diligent about training, you will notice that you can run faster after about half a year of HIIT.
3. with HIIT you can save time
Probably the best reason for this training method. The intense intervals help you build muscle and melt fat. And that in a very short time. HIIT provides very good results after comparatively short intervals.
Is HIIT good for beginners?
Beginners should not do a HIIT workout. The intensity is too high and beginners lack the necessary body tension to perform the exercises cleanly from start to finish. Beginners need to slowly build up strength and endurance and can then venture into a high intensity workout.
The risk of getting injured as a novice athlete is very high during such intense sports sessions. Injuries set you far back in training, which also affects motivation.
If you already have sports experience and want to get started with HIIT exercises, 10-minute workouts are good. If you're comfortable with that, you can increase the intensity to 15 minutes for a long time.
Our conclusion
HIIT exercises (High Intensity Interval Training) is not for beginners! The workout is terribly strenuous and sweaty. However, this form of training really pays off.
After just a few sessions, you can feel noticeable improvements in strength and endurance. The first 5-6 times it's just survive and bite through. :)
And remember: It's better to do fewer repetitions and make sure you do them cleanly.
Have fun with your workout!
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