The Top 15-Minute HIIT Workout For Beginners That Can Be Tailored to Suit Your Needs
When exercising at home, you have complete control over your movements. You can adjust and intensify your workout as you see fit, and if you need a break, you can hit “pause” until you’re ready to continue. Each time you step onto your mat, you are the creator of your fitness journey. This is the concept behind the flexible HIIT workout brought to you by the Well+Good Trainer of the Month Club. For this month, we have two trainers—Amber Rees and Lindsey Clayton, senior instructors at Barry’s, co-founders of Brave Body Project, and real-life best friends—guiding you through a series of customized moves to elevate your heart rate and cater to your body’s needs each day.
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This workout incorporates both high and low-impact exercises that you can combine in a way that suits you best. You will go through 15 moves in just 15 minutes, and no equipment is required. According to Clayton, “We’re alternating between a body weight strength exercise and then a HIIT plyo exercise. It’s going to be intense.” After a warm-up, you follow a routine that includes 50 seconds of low-impact exercise, a 10-second rest, and then 50 seconds of the high-impact version of the same exercise. For instance, 50 seconds of basic body weight squats followed by 10 seconds of rest and 50 seconds of squat jumps.
“The beauty of this workout is that we always provide you with the modified version of your plyo move first,” Clayton explains. This means that if jumping doesn’t feel right for you on a particular day, you can stick to the strength training move but increase the pace for more challenge. You have the freedom to choose the speed at which you perform the movements: speed up when you’re feeling good, or slow down to suit your needs. No matter your choice, you’ll definitely feel invigorated and strong by the end of the session.
Let’s take a look at a selection of the high and low-intensity mix of moves, then you can begin the full workout by watching the video below.
1. Squat: Start with the fundamental squat, ensuring that your feet are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and keeping your chest up as you bend your knees and lower yourself down. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and rise back up slowly.
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2. Jump squat: After squatting, jump up and land back in a squat position with soft knees. To modify this move for a lower impact, you can stay in the squat, increase the pace, or add a pulse. Now, proceed with the rest of the workout by playing the video above.
3. Alternating side lunges: This exercise targets the outer glutes and inner thighs. Step one foot out to the side, bend your knee into a lunge, touching the floor in front of you with the opposite hand. Maintain good posture and ensure your knee is above your ankle.
4. Skater lunges: For a plyometric version, perform skaters for 50 seconds. Hop from one foot to the other, landing softly with fluid knees and your other foot lightly touching the floor behind you. Focus on moving side-to-side, and if this is not suitable for you, stick to step-style alternating side lunges.
5. Alternating curtsy lunges: Similar to side lunges but crossing one leg behind the other to work the glutes, inner and outer thighs. Cross your leg, sink hips vertically, and keep your upper body straight.
6. Jumping jacks to 3-step touch: After doing two jumping jacks, take three quick steps to one side, lift one knee toward your chest, repeat on the other side, then resume your jacks.
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