Whether your goal is to improve your overall health or to lose weight, adding 2-3 HIIT workouts to your weekly workout schedule can make a huge difference for your endurance and strength. High-intensity interval training is very challenging but brings great results (enhanced fat loss and improved cardiovascular health). If you’re a beginner and struggling to lose weight, you need to start with HIIT workouts that are suitable for your fitness level, so here we are. I’m rounding up 5 free HIIT workouts for beginners that you can do at home, at the gym or even outdoors.
Why I Decided To Start Doing HIIT
I’m getting on the HIIT train as well! At least 2 times a week. My weight has been pretty consistent lately, pretty safe to say I’ve plateaued. So I need to start incorporating different types of exercise to start seeing progress again.
Don’t get me wrong, I really hate high-intensity interval training, okay? I’m not a fan. But I’ve tried it in the past, like way, way back and even though I did not enjoy it one bit, it was magical when it came to fat loss.
Sometimes you’ve got to get over yourself and do things you don’t enjoy to get where you want to be. And right now what I’m doing doesn’t seem to be enough for me anymore. So I’ll be including 2 sessions of high-intensity interval training per week while doing yoga and Pilates on the other days.
What Are HIIT Workouts?
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It means that during your workout you alternate between short intervals of high intensity (e.g. 30 seconds jogging) and short intervals of lower intensity (e.g. 30 sec walking) exercise.
Why are HIIT workouts good for weight loss?
It might be old news to many, but here’s the thing: HIIT workouts can burn up to 9 times more fat than moderate intensity exercise. So if your goal is to lose weight, to reduce belly fat or the overall fat percentage in your body – HIIT workouts + eating healthy is the way to go.
HIIT routines are usually shorter than regular cardio workouts (10-30min). But that’s enough because they are very effective, as they do both: help you burn fat and build strength and endurance.
How many times per week should you exercise?
You can exercise every day by switching up your workouts. So if one day you do yoga or Pilates, the next day you can do HIIT or cardio. You need around 150 minutes of exercise per week, so 20-30 minutes of exercise daily should be more than enough.
5 HIIT Workouts For Beginners To Do At Home
Now, if you’re a beginner and new to HIIT, these types of workouts would seem really tough and intimidating. I was in pretty good shape when I started doing HIIT workouts years ago and was out of breath within probably a minute.
What you need to do is, start at the right level and go at your own pace. Pushing yourself hard, but not going overboard. Or going for workouts that are far too intense and you can’t possibly keep up with. This would make you want to give up on HIIT altogether. The following are some good workouts I found on Youtube that should be suitable even if you’re a beginner, you can do them at home or at the gym.
1. Walking Interval Cardio Workout
This 25-minute HIIT walk from jessicasmithtv is simply perfect if you’re a beginner, so you can ease into high-intensity interval training.
2. HIIT For Weight Loss, Glutes & Calves
This routine by Group HIIT is definitely more intense than the HIIT walk, as it combines some jumping with bodyweight exercises. It’s beginner/intermediate level. If you’re ready to take the challenge, play your favorite music and start the video!
3. Body Firming HIIT Workout
This 21-minute HIIT routine by FitnessBlender starts with a short warm up and then transitions into the more intense part of the workout. This video is great for intermediate beginners, or people who are new to HIIT.
4. Total Body Burn HIIT Workout
For this 25-minute by BeFiT you can grab some weights, but if you don’t have any, you will still feel it without them. This full body routine combines cardio and strength moves to make you sweat and make the most out of your time.
5. Full-Body HIIT Workout
This 20-minute workout by POPSUGAR Fitness is not exactly a beginner workout, but definitely something to work towards.
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