[Workout Plans] Get Your Heart Pumping Anywhere With The 12 Minute HIIT Workout

Image: Details

With all of the recent studies confirming the effectiveness of high intensity interval training (HIIT), it’s becoming more and more clear that you don’t need to carve hours out of your day to workout. All you need is a quick 10 to 20 minutes of intense, full body exercise and you’re good to go.

This intense workout will get your heart pumping, sweat pouring, and muscles burning — and it only takes a quick 12 minutes to complete. The key to making it effective is to work as hard as you possibly can during every interval.

If you’re not exhausted by the end of the workout, you’re not working hard enough.

What You’ll Need:

• An interval timer
• Your own body

Rules of the Workout:

To do this workout, you’ll need to set an interval timer to 18 rounds of 10 second and 30 second intervals. In other words, you’ll be resting on the :10 intervals, and then going all out during the 30 second intervals.

You’ll end up going through the following circuit three times:

• (1) Burpees (work :30, rest :10)
• (2) Side Lunges
• (3) Burpee Tuck Jumps
• (4) Reptile Push Ups
• (5) Jump Lunges
• (6) V Ups

Give it everything you’ve got. The harder you work, the more effective the workout will be. Here goes.

Exercise #1: Burpees

Video Demo — Burpees

To do a burpee, get into a squat position and put your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back quickly and land so that your chest hits the floor. Bow your chest up slightly, then jump your feet back toward your hands and immediately jump up and get some air, adding a clap at the top position for pizazz.

You can also do burpees with a full push up if you want even more of a challenge.

Exercise #2: Side Lunges

Video Demo — Side Lunges

Stand with your legs wider than hip width apart so that you’re in a standing straddle position. Lean toward your left leg, bending down as far as possible. Eventually, your goal should be to get your hamstring to hit your calf, but don’t worry if you’re not there yet.

Squeeze your butt as you stand halfway up into a squat position, then lean down toward the right leg. Try and keep your torso upright and abs tight the entire time.

If you’re having trouble balancing with this exercise, hold onto a sturdy surface in front of you or use a band until you’re used to the movement.

Exercise #3: Burpee Tuck Jumps

Video Demo — Burpee Tuck Jumps

Stand up straight, then squat down and kick your legs back so that you’re in a push up position on the floor. Do a push up, then immediately jump up and tuck your knees in towards your chest.

Exercise #4: Reptile Push Ups

Video Demo — Reptile Push Ups

Start in a push up position with your shoulders directly over your hands. Tighten your abs, glutes and thighs as you lower your chest to the floor. At the same time, bring one knee toward your elbow on the same side of the body, then push yourself back up and repeat on the opposite side.

If you’re a beginner, you can do reptile push ups on your knees or with your hands on an elevated surface to make the exercise easier.

Exercise # 5: Jump Lunges

Video Demo — Jump Lunges

Get into a lunge position with one leg bent out in front at a 90-degree angle and the other bent behind you. Jump up explosively with your front leg, switch positions in the air, and land with the opposite leg forward.

Although at first you should focus on form and make sure you don’t fall over from lack of balance, eventually you should try and do these as quickly as possible.

Exercise # 6: V Ups

Video Demo — V Ups

Lie on your back with your arms stretched overhead and legs straight. Simultaneously raise your arms and legs as high as you can, keeping them as straight as possible while trying to touch your feet to your hands before lowering back down.

If this is too tough to start, try doing the exercise with bent knees instead.

• About
• Latest Posts

Krista Stryker

Founder at 12 Minute Athlete

Krista Stryker is the founder of 12 Minute Athlete, a website providing free, incredibly effective high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts and awesome fitness motivation for athletes of all levels.

Check out the the 12 Minute HIIT Workouts iPhone app or follow Krista on Twitter or Instagram (@12minuteathlete) for more workout and fitness inspiration.

Latest posts by Krista Stryker (see all)

• [Workout Plans] Get Your Heart Pumping Anywhere With The 12 Minute HIIT Workout - September 8, 2014

Follow @LeanItUP