Whether you're hoping to lose weight or just get fit, any type of movement can help you reach your goals. However, there's one type of exercise that's proven to be especially effective in a short amount of time: high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
David Chesworth, an ACSM-certified personal trainer and wellness coach at Hilton Head Health, tells POPSUGAR that a combination of HIIT and the right nutrition plan is a great way to approach weight loss, specifically. You can use either bodyweight or dumbbell moves in a HIIT workout: you just need to focus on working hard for a certain amount of time, followed by a period of rest, and then repeat.
Not sure how to start? If you're sweating it out at home, here are 20 HIIT exercises and a basic HIIT workout plan you can use. Just modify it based on the moves you prefer and the body parts you want to target (example moves are listed below). ACE-certified fitness instructor John Kersbergen suggests doing HIIT workouts that combine strength-training moves three to four times a week.
40-Minute HIIT Workout
Equipment needed: One pair of light dumbbells and one pair of heavy dumbbells
Directions: Choose what four exercises you want to do (two bodyweight moves and two dumbbell moves). Perform each exercise for 40 seconds followed by a 20-second rest. Repeat the four-minute circuit 10 times for a total of 40 minutes.
Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
Do one basic push-up, bending your elbows and then straightening back to a plank.
Jump your feet forward to your hands, and come into a squat.
Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
This counts as one rep.
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Squat Jump
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Start in a squat with your arms by your sides.
Swing your arms to the ceiling, and jump.
Land quietly as you return to the squat position.
This completes one rep.
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High Knees
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Run in place while lifting your knees high to the level of your waist. Engage your abs as your knee comes up.
Pump your arms to warm up your upper body.
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Lateral Bunny Hop
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Make small jumps side to side as if you are jumping over an invisible line.
Keep your legs as close together as possible, and swing your arms to help you jump.
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Mountain Climbers
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Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight in your toes.
With your core engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with your toes just off the ground. Return to your basic plank. Switch legs, bringing your left knee forward.
Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
Continue "running" in your plank.
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Alternating Forward Lunges With Bicep Curl
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Stand tall with your feet hip-width distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
Step forward with your right foot as you bend your elbows in a bicep curl. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Keep your front knee directly above your ankle, and lower your left knee to just tap the floor.
Keep the weight in your heels as you push back to the starting position, completing one rep.
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Seated Russian Twist
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Holding a dumbbell in both hands, sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight.
Pull your navel to your spine, and twist slowly to the left, bringing the weight to your left side. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging.
Inhale through center, and rotate to the right.
This completes one rep.
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Dumbbell (Kettlebell) Swing
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Stand with your legs shoulder-width distance apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding the dumbbell (or a kettlebell if you have it) in both hands.
Bend your knees slightly, pushing your hips back, lowering the weight between your legs with your forearms pressing against your inner thighs. Keep your chest open with shoulder blades sliding down your back.
Forcefully squeeze your glutes and drive your heels down to thrust the weight forward as you straighten your legs. All the work is done by your lower body and core in this exercise, and your arms will naturally swing forward to around chest height or above your head.
Allow the weight to fall between your legs, bending your knees, ready for the next rep.
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Sumo Squat With Bicep Curls
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Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight and your palms facing away from you. Step your feet apart so there's about 20 inches between your heels. Point your toes out slightly.
When you're ready, bend your knees and elbows at the same time. Keep your shoulders over your hips, and lower down so your weight is back in your heels. Then straighten your legs and arms.
This is one rep.
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Plank Dumbbell Row
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Start in a plank position with your legs wider than hip-width distance; the wider stance makes you more stable. Hold onto your dumbbells, keeping your wrists locked to protect the joint.
With your core tight and your glutes engaged, exhale, stabilizing your torso as you lift your right elbow to row; feel your right scapula sliding toward your spine as you bend your elbow up toward the ceiling.
Keeping your neck long and energized, return the weight to the ground to complete the rep.
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Chaturanga Push-Up
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Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
Keeping your upper arms parallel, bend your elbows, lowering your chest until your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Your elbows should touch your ribcage. Inhale to straighten your arms.
This counts as one rep.
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Air Squat
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Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, feet parallel or toes slightly turned out.
Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply. Bring your thighs parallel to the floor, and bend your elbows, keeping weight back in your heels.
Rise back up, straightening your legs completely, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement to get the most out of the exercise.
This counts as one rep.
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Side Elbow Plank With Leg Lift
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Start in a side elbow on the right side.
Without letting your pelvis drop, lift your left leg up so your foot is higher than your hip.
Lower your left leg down with control, and activate your right inner thigh to help keep you stable.
This completes one rep.
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Diamond Sit-Up
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Lie on your back, and open your legs into a diamond shape (aka butterfly legs) with the soles of your feet pressed together and knees out wide. Extend your arms overhead.
Inhale to curl your torso up, and tap the floor in front of your feet to stretch your glutes a bit.
Slowly lower back to the starting position.
This counts as one rep.
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Elbow Plank With Hip Dips
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Start in elbow plank.
Slowly rotate your spine to lower your right hip to just above the floor. Come back to elbow plank.
Now lower your left hip toward the floor.
This counts as one rep.
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Romanian Deadlifts
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Stand holding a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at your hip joint (not your waist), and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
Squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up (don't use your back).
This completes one rep.
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Dumbbell Thrusters
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Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
This counts as one rep.
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Overhead Shoulder Press
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Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above your shoulders, palms facing in.
Straighten your arms above you.
Bend your elbows, coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.
Grab a set of dumbbells, and sit on a flat workout bench.
With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the bench.
Hold the dumbbells above your chest, shoulder-width apart, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Palms should be facing forward.
Exhale as you push the dumbbells up, fully extending your arms. Hold for one second.
Inhale and lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with control.
This counts as one rep.
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Dumbbell Squat
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Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
Slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping all the weight in your heels. Don't let your knees move beyond your toes, and don't let your knees roll out or in. Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long, and your shoulders relaxed.
Press through your heels, and slowly straighten your legs to stand up.
