HIIT (high intensity interval training) is one of the most effective ways to burn fat, and it's easy to do at home.
HIIT workouts are short, intense intervals of cardio exercise that raise heart rate and get the body burning calories for hours after you're finished exercising. In this article, we'll go over a few HIIT workouts for fat loss at home you can try out today:
HIIT Workouts for Fat Loss at Home
Here's a look at a five such workouts:
Exercise 1: Burpee
Burpees are a great, full body cardio exercise. They're also one of the most effective ways to burn fat and build muscle.
How to do them:
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, and drop into a squat position, placing both hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders.
- Kick back both legs so that you're in a plank position, and hop up as high as possible while keeping your arms straight till you reach a standing position again to complete one rep.
- Perform 12 reps. For an easier version or if you're not quite fit enough, do half burpees — that is, don't hop back up after each rep.
Exercise 2: High Knee
High knees are a great way to work the lower body and skyrocket your heart rate. Here's how you do this exercise:
- Stand up with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Quickly bring your knees as high as possible while keeping your core tight and shoulders back (it should look like you're trying to reach the ceiling).
- Rest 60 seconds between sets.
- Do the exercise for two minutes without resting between sets.
- Rest two minutes after each two-minute segment of the workout.
Exercise 3: Jumping Jack
This exercise is great, as it can get your heart rate up very quickly, which is an important part of HIIT training.
Jumping jacks are also very easy to do and don’t require any equipment at all. You can even do them in a small space at home or outside if you want to get moving.
How to do it:
- Start with your feet together, and jump outwards, spreading your legs apart as far as they can go while raising both hands above your head.
- Bring it back in place by crossing your arms over your head and jumping back together again (like clapping).
- Repeat for 30-60 seconds as quickly as possible without stopping or breaking form.
Exercise 4: Mountain Climber
If you like full body training, this is the workout for you. Mountain climbers are a great cardio workout and also a full body exercise. They're excellent for strengthening the core as well as the glutes and quads, making them an ideal HIIT workout for fat loss at home.
Here's how it's done:
- Start out by getting into a push-up position and lifting yourself up till your arms are extended.
- Bring a bent knee inwards to your torso.
- Amp up the pace, and alternate between your knees.
- Start with 20 seconds of mountain climber kicks followed by ten seconds of rest (alternating legs). Do three sets of that, increasing the time slightly each time. For example:20-sec climbers/10-sec rest and 30-sec climbers/15-sec rest.
Exercise 5: Squat Jump
It's done as follows:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward.
- Squat down till your thighs are parallel to the floor, and explode upward as high as possible in one swift motion.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet, with your knees slightly bent and core engaged so that you don't land too hard or awkwardly.
Do three sets of 20 repetitions per leg for a total of 60 jumps (20 x 3). That's more than enough to get an effective workout in less than ten minutes. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, try doing 50 squat jumps instead — it will take another three minutes but will earn some bragging rights among friends at home or at work.
What's more important, though, is how many calories you burn during the HIIT workout. It's estimated at around 400 calories per minute, which means if you do 50 squat jumps every day for an hour (60 minutes), you will burn more than six pounds of fat over six months.
Takeaway
Based on research, the best HIIT workout for fat loss at home is one that includes a combination of high intensity cardio and strength training exercises. That will help you burn more calories while improving your health and fitness.