This Intense Bodyweight HIIT Workout Will Get You Fit In 60-Second Intervals

If you’re looking for a down and dirty workout that punches way above its weight when it comes to fat-burning, muscle-strengthening results, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is where the buck stops. Designed to get your heart rate up to 85% to 95% of its max effort for 15 to 20-minute spurts, HIIT is what you need when you want results but don’t have an hour a day to devote to the gym.

The beauty of HIIT is that it’s over (almost) before you know it began — yet the payoff is equivalent to workouts twice as long. In fact, a study by exercise physiologists at the University of New South Wales found that HIIT was just as effective as moderate-intensity aerobic training for weight loss and reducing waist circumference, but required only 40% as much time to complete. And researchers at the University of North Carolina found that HIIT workouts also boost metabolic burn for hours after your workout is over — significantly more than, say, going for a run.

“There’s a reason so many gyms and trainers have added HIIT programming to their rotation,” says Jayson Lee, a physical trainer in New York City. “If you’re looking for a workout that burns calories and fat, it’s probably the best all-around routine you can do that hits most major muscle groups in the shortest period of time.”

There are variations for how to do a HIIT workout, mostly having to do how long you go hard versus how long you rest. The workout here is designed for a 1:1 ratio of sweat and active rest (that’s code for jogging in place slowly or walking around the room). But if you find it impossible to finish the 20-minute routine with that arrangement, it’s better to swap in two minutes rest for every one minute of exercise, in order to get the most from your session.

Ready to give it a try? Start here, with the bodyweight HIIT workout every man should be doing this week.

Intense 20-Minute Bodyweight HIIT Workout

2-minute warm up: Jog in place, walk up and down your stairs.

1-minute on: Burpees

How to: Get in an extended pushup position, arms straight, legs straight, straight line from head to toe. Push through your toes, bend your knees, and jump your feet forward, landing them between your hands. Spring explosively off the floor, straightening your body as you jump vertically in the air, arms raised high. Land with soft knees, then bend at the waist, place your hands on the floor, and jump your feet back into and extended pushups position. Repeat.

1-minute off: Jog in place

1-minute on: Squat Jumps

How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Bend at the knees and drop your seat toward the floor, tucking your elbows as you lower. With one explosive movement, push through your heels and jump vertically in the air, extending your arms out to the side. Land softly, and immediately return to the squat position. Repeat.

1-minute off: Walk it off

1-minute on: Marine Crawl

How to: Get down on all fours. Lower yourself onto your elbows and extend your legs behind you so knees are slightly bent, but not touching the floor. (Your weight should be distributed between your elbows and knees.) Begin to crawl marine-style are the room, shifting your weight from side to side to allow your arms and feet to move.

1-minute off: Shallow lunges

1-minute on: High Knees

How to: Stand with feet together. As fast as you can, begin running in place, hiking your knees as high as you can get them (aim to hit your chest).

1-minute off: Jog in place

1-minute on: Butt Kickers

How to: Stand with feet together. As fast as you can, begin running in place, kicking your heels back and up behind you (aim to hit your butt with the kick).

1-minute off: Jog in place

1-minute on: Squat/Walk/Pushup

How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and drop into a low squat. Reach your hands forward until they touch the floor, then shift your weight to your hands as you “walk” them forward until your body is in an extended pushup position. Do a pushup. Walk your hands back until you are in a squat again. Stand up. Repeat.

1-minute off: Walk it off

1-minute on: Plank Walks

How to: Get into a low plank position, weight on your forearms and balls of your feet, back straight. Shift your weight momentarily to your left side as you lift your right elbow and right foot off the ground and move them farther to the right. Rest your weight on your right side as you lift your left elbow and left foot off the ground and bring them closer to your right side. Continue “walking” 10 “steps” to the right, then reverse and plank-walk to the left.

1-minute off: Shallow lunges

1-minute on: Box Hops

How to: Find a stool or low bench about a foot off the ground. Stand facing it, two feet away, feet staggered, right in front of left. Lift your back left leg off the floor, bend your right knee, and jump up onto the stool in front of you, landing on your right foot and swinging left foot through the air until it is in front of you, left knee bent. Hop back down on your right leg. Repeat right side jumps 5 times, then switch to the left. Alternate for one minute.

1-minute off: Slowly grapevine to the right, then left. (Crisscross your legs to walk sideways to the right, then left.)

1-minute on: Box Hurdles

How to: Face the same bench, feet together. Bend your knees, swing your arms behind you, and lean your chest forward. Swinging your arms forward, push through your heels and propel yourself off the ground, tucking your knees and clearing the stool so that you land on the other side. Immediately turn around and hurdle back in the opposite direction.

1-minute off: Gentle stretch: Touch your toes, lean against a wall and stretch your calves, grab your foot and pull it towards your butt to stretch your quads.