Can’t seem to find the time to exercise? Well, this HIIT Workout Routine for Women doesn’t require you to work out for hours and hours a week to lose weight, build strength, and improve your overall health.
You can complete a calorie-torching HIIT workout in just 15 minutes—and you don’t even need to go to the gym to do it. The key: compound exercises, which are double-duty moves that fire up multiple muscle groups at once, allowing you to maximize your limited workout time.
Compound exercises are some of the best ways to get a body-transforming workout fast. These efficient movements require the use of multiple muscle groups at once. The best compound exercises help you build strength, tone your abs, arms, and legs while also getting your heart rate up—all in a single, super fun sweat session.
The following HIIT workout routine for women consists of eight highly effective compound exercises that strengthen your arms, legs, and core muscles and challenge your balance and coordination.
Equipment you’ll need for this HIIT Workout Routine.
You’ll need one light set of dumbbells (3, 5, or 8 pounds) as well as one heavy set (10, 12, or 15 pounds) and an exercise mat.
Move 1: Squat to Press
A squat to press is a great total-body, low-impact exercise. You’ll get your heart rate up quickly without putting excessive pressure on your joints. Plus, you’re engaging your lower body with the squat, your upper body on the press, and your core to stabilize the whole movement together.
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Hold a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders, palms facing in. (You can typically choose a weight that’s a little heavier than what you might usually do for a standard shoulder press because you’re using the momentum of your squat to lift the weights.)
- Sit down into a squat and press the dumbbells overhead as you stand up.
- Complete 12 reps.
Move 2: Rotating Plank
Your core is one of the most important muscle groups in your body, supporting you through day-to-day movement. Rotating planks are one of the better core-strengthening exercises because they don’t just isolate the core; you’re also engaging your shoulders, back, glutes, and quads.
- Begin in a straight-arm plank, shoulders above elbows, elbows above wrists. Your body should be a straight line from your head to your feet.
- Engage your core and shift your weight to your left palm, rotating your right arm toward the ceiling. Your heels will pivot to the floor, and your body will form a “T.”
- Pause before returning to the start and repeating on the other side.
- Do ten reps on each side.
Move 3: Double Crunch
This exercise strengthens your lower abs, stressing the importance of keeping your lower back glued to the floor throughout.
- Lie on your back with your legs straight and your hands behind your head, elbows wide.
- Press your lower back into the ground to engage your core.
- Lift your head, neck, and chest off the ground while bringing your knees up to your chest.
- Pause and return to the start.
- Don’t let your feet or head touch the ground between reps. Do 15 to 20.
Move 4: Flutter Kicks
This one works your full abdominals — and can be super difficult. The feeling you’ll get — especially in those lower abs that women are often trying to target — is brutal. This is a great go-to movement to add to your at-home routine.
- Lie on your back and extend your legs.
- Place your hands under your hips and press your lower back into the ground to engage your core.
- Lift your legs about five inches off the ground and kick your feet up one at a time.
- Complete 25 kicks on each side.
Sure, getting a killer workout at the gym is excellent, but grabbing a quick total-body workout at home is surprisingly easy and requires nothing but a plan and a little motivation. Perform each of these exercises for 30 seconds, alternating legs where necessary, and building to 60 seconds overtime—complete three rounds with minimal rest between moves.
Move 5: Inchworms
- From standing, fold at the hips until your hands reach the floor in front of you.
- Walk forward on your hands until you reach the plank position, keeping your legs straight.
- Walk your hands back in and return to standing.
Move 6: Mountain Climbers
- Start in a plank.
- Alternate bringing your right and left knee toward your chest.
- Keep switching legs as you pick up the pace.
Move 7: Lunges
- From standing, step one foot forward, and lower down as you bend both knees to 90 degrees.
- Step back to standing and repeat on the other side.
- Step the first foot backward for a reverse lunge, then repeat on the other side.
Move 8: Single-Leg Deadlifts
- Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee.
- Hinge at the hip as you extend the other leg behind you and reach your arms toward the ground. Keep your back flat and hips square.
- Continue lowering until you feel like you need to curve your back, then return to the upright position.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
- After you’ve perfected your form, start holding 3 lb dumbells in both of your hands. Increase the weight of the dumbells as you gain strength.
HIIT Workout Routine for Women Summary
Many online resources, both free and premium, provide hundreds of different full-body home workouts to try. Once you have more experience and knowledge, you can modify the routines to adjust them to your preferences. As your fitness level increases, you’ll be able to perform more repetitions and more intense exercise routines.
If you’re interested in performing a full-body workout at home, remember to take breaks as needed, stay hydrated, and fit your workouts into your schedule. Keep in mind that you should also combine regular exercise with a healthy, balanced diet and proper sleep to reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Stay consistent, and you’ll soon be getting fitter and healthier than ever! After all, now you know that needing a gym or expensive equipment to work out is just a myth!
I hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have anything you’d like to share or any opinions about my website, please speak up. I look forward to your comments, questions, and the sharing of ideas.
Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer or a healthcare professional. The workouts I post about work best for me and might not be the correct type of exercise for you. I always recommend consulting a doctor or health professional before making changes to your diet and fitness routine.
This is a great program. High-intensity-interval-training. This will help in burning fat and building lean muscle. Your post describes it and makes it so easy to understand. And your included videos make it easier to replicate the movements. I like the time it takes to complete a workout. 15 minutes a workout. I can make time for that.
Wow! This is a great exercise program to embark on; fifteen minutes is not too much to spare for an incredible body balance and health status. The steps incorporated in this exercise are easy and pretty much a cool way to workout at home. Thanks for playing the role of a gym instructor; this information you have shared with us is win-win. Thanks.