When it comes to time-effective workouts, high-intensity interval training [1] (HIIT) is one of the best choices: it revs up your heart rate and works your muscles in short, intense intervals, and you can get in a full workout in 30 minutes or less. HIIT workouts on YouTube are even more efficient. Skip the gym drive, throw on a sports bra and some shoes, grab some dumbbells, and get going. We pulled our favourite full-body YouTube HIIT workouts to make it even easier for you to get sweating while saving time (and money). Happy HIIT-ing!
10 Minute HIIT Cardio Workout for Home
If you're new to HIIT [3], this workout is the way to go. It's just 10 minutes and each move is demonstrated a few times before the interval so you can really get the hang of it. It's four moves: burpees, X-jumps, mountain climbers, and pencil jacks, 30 seconds each, repeated in three rounds with rests in between each move. There's no music, so cue up your own playlist [4] and hit play.
30-Minute Les Mills Grit Cardio Workout
Oh hey, it's Nina Dobrev [5], featured in the hardest HIIT workout I've ever done. Seriously — I've followed this video at least five times now, and I still can't complete every circuit. The hardest interval alternates push-ups [6] and burpees [7]; you do two of each, then four, then six, all the way up to 10. And then back down. Good thing the soundtrack is on point, because you're going to feel the burn everywhere.
30-Minute Calorie-Burning, Tabata-Style HIIT Workout
This tough Tabata-style workout uses weights to work muscle groups that some HIIT workouts don't get to, like your chest [8], back [9], and triceps [10]. Of course, it starts with a quad-killing leg interval and includes a cardio set in the middle, so don't worry; you're hitting all your bases here.
15-Minute Full-Body Cardio
I love this workout because you can personalize it to your fitness level. During your rest intervals, you can either take a quick break or go into another exercise, like squat jumps [11] or mountain climbers [12]. The "on" intervals are challenging no matter what. Best part: it's only 15 minutes.
30-Minute Calorie-Torching HIIT Workout With Weights
This workout is full of hybrid moves, like lunge-squat jumps and donkey kick-burpees, and the added weights (which are optional) make it even more challenging. This is a more advanced video, so don't hesitate to take a break or go with modifications [13] if you need to.
20-Minute HIIT Workout
This is a short, effective workout you can do just about anywhere, and the core focus [14] is amazing. It's just five moves, 40 seconds each, for five rounds total. Simple enough, but so challenging.
