Boost Your Bottom Half With This Lower Body & Legs HIIT Workout

• Builds muscle and strength: many common HIIT exercises, such as squats, lunges, burpees and jump squats, heavily involve leg muscles like the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. These compound movements engage and build several muscle groups at the same time, helping to increase strength, tone and bulk your legs.

• Improves endurance: targeting the lower body in your HIIT workout will make you less likely to suffer from the 'jelly legs' sensation that can be common after leg days. Challenging the muscles to perform at high intensity for a short duration can lead to improved muscular stamina over time.

• Boosts cardio fitness: HIIT is not just about strength, but also cardiovascular fitness. The cardio benefits of HIIT improve blood flow to the lower body, which can enhance overall leg health.

• Allows for variety: The HIIT format can be applied to various exercises, which helps to keep workouts interesting and prevents plateaus. You can incorporate exercises that specifically target the lower body and legs or create a full-body HIIT workout that includes lower-body movements.

• What muscle groups you want to target. Do you want to work all the lower body muscles or split them up into different workouts like this hamstring and glute workout or these glutes exercises for women.

• What goal you want to achieve. Are you trying to build strength, increase endurance, improve body composition, or something else? Different goals will have different ideal workouts.

• How much time you have to work out. If you only have a short amount of time to work out, you'll need to prioritise compound exercises and shorter rest times.

• What equipment you have. What do you prefer to use, and what will help you reach your goals. You might even base your workout around specific equipment, like this barbell lower body workout or this free weights leg workout.

• It allows you to get an effective workout in a short amount of time, thanks to the interval training format and focus on compound exercises.

• It helps to build muscle and strength while burning fat, ideal for improving body composition.

• It can use minimal (and even no) equipment, so can be done at home as well as the gym.

• It works the cardiovascular system and helps to improve overall fitness.

1. Bodyweight Squats:

   • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Keep your chest up and your back straight.
   • Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, as if you are sitting back into an imaginary chair.
   • Go as low as you can while keeping your heels on the ground and your knees in line with your toes.
   • Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
   • Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

2. Plyo (Jumping) Lunges:

   • Start in a lunge position with one foot forward and the other foot back.
   • Lower your body by bending both knees to about a 90-degree angle.
   • Explosively jump into the air and switch the position of your feet, bringing the rear foot forward and the front foot back.
   • Land softly in a lunge position and immediately repeat the jump, alternating your legs in a continuous motion.
   • Maintain proper form and engage your core throughout the exercise.

3. Kettlebell Swings:

   • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a light kettlebell with both hands in front of you.
   • Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight, and swing the kettlebell backwards between your legs.
   • Quickly reverse the direction by forcefully thrusting your hips forward, swinging the kettlebell up to chest level.
   • Let the kettlebell swing back down between your legs and repeat the motion in a fluid, controlled manner.
   • Maintain a strong core and use the power generated from your hips to perform the exercise.

4. Kettlebell Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs):

   • Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell in both hands in front of your thighs.
   • Keeping your back straight, bend at your hips, pushing your hips backwards while lowering the kettlebell towards the ground.
   • Lower the kettlebell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings while maintaining a straight back.
   • Return to the upright position by thrusting your hips forward and extending your hips.
   • Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and maintain a slight bend in your knees.

5. Fast Feet:

   • Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Begin by rapidly moving your feet up and down, as if you're running in place.
   • Keep your movements quick and light, staying on the balls of your feet.
   • You can perform this exercise at different tempos and for various durations to work on agility and foot speed.

6. Squat Jumps:

   • Start with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Perform a regular bodyweight squat, then explosively jump into the air as high as you can.
   • Land softly and immediately go into the next squat jump.
   • Maintain good form and use your leg muscles to generate power for the jumps.

7. Pulse Squats:

   • Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Perform a regular squat by lowering your body and stopping at the midpoint of the squat, around a 45-degree angle.
   • Hold this position for a brief moment, then return to the starting position.
   • Repeat the squat, pulsing at the midpoint, to work your leg muscles more intensively.

8. Wall Sits:

   • Stand with your back against a wall and your feet hip-width apart.
   • Slide your back down the wall while bending your knees until they are at a 90-degree angle.
   • Hold this position as long as you can, maintaining a straight back and keeping your thighs parallel to the ground.
   • It's an isometric exercise that helps build strength and endurance in your leg muscles.

9. Rest for 60s between rounds.