Quick Full-Body HIIT Workout For The Gym
What Is HIIT | Benefits Of Quick HIIT | Warm Up | Full Body Gym HIIT Workout
Page last updated: 18th July 2023
Sometimes ‘short and sweet’ workouts are all you need. If you've ever done a HIIT workout before, you’ll know it's a great way to get your pulse racing in a quick session that can target your whole body.
In this blog, we’ll run through some of the benefits of a speedy gym HIIT session and recommend some of our favourite exercises to try for a quick full body HIIT workout.
What Is A Full Body HIIT Workout?
'HIIT' stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It involves doing an exercise with as much intensity as possible, followed by short periods of low intensity exercise or complete rest. During the high-intensity phase, your heart rate should be at around 90-95% of your maximum heart rate.
Because a HIIT workout is giving your absolute all for short, effective bursts of time, the format can be applied to many workouts, from sprinting to weightlifting.
A full body workout is an exercise routine that targets multiple major muscle groups and movements throughout your whole body in just one session. Rather than splitting your workouts between, for example, upper body, lower body and core, HIIT is perfect for full body workouts because you can work through a range of different exercises in one session, including a wide variety of compound movements that target several muscles at once.
Will I Really See The Full Body Benefits Of HIIT In Just 25 Minutes?
HIIT workouts are often said to give the benefits of a longer length, full body workout, in just 20-25 minutes. While this might sound too good to be true, plenty of studies have shown that HIIT workouts improve cardiovascular fitness, burn fat, and improve overall health. It's no wonder HIIT style training is so popular!
One of the main benefits of full body HIIT is it allows people to get the same benefits of a longer, steady state cardio workout, in a much shorter HIIT session -- so it's ideal for busy, working people with little time to work out, or for parents trying to juggle multiple things at once but want to keep on top of their health.
Another benefit of HIIT is it allows you to burn some serious calories in a short space of time. The average person will burn around 36 calories per minute, which is great if you are trying to stay in a calorie deficit. For more info, we've covered the full range of health and lifestyle benefits of HIIT in this article.
The below HIIT training session is designed to take around 25 minutes so is perfect for squeezing in on your lunchbreak, before work, or during busy weekends. If you're even more pressed for time and can't get to the gym, head over to our HIIT You Can Do At Home page for equipment-free workouts that take between 5 and 20 minutes.
Pre-HIIT Workout Warm Up
Before any workout, you want to warm up. Warming up increase your heart rate and blood flow to deliver more oxygen to the muscles and raises the body temperature which means your muscles are more supple, helping to prevent injury and avoid the dreaded DOMS.
This warm up has been factored into the total 25 minute workout time, but you can discover more options over on our Warm Up Exercises & Stretches post.
Treadmill walk for 5 minutes
20 alternating backward arm circles and 20 forward
20-second static deep squat
10 alternating reverse lunges
20-second full plank
Perform one lighter round of your HIIT workout - make sure the weight is lower and the effort is minimal (you will be needing the energy)
Quick Full Body HIIT Workout Routine For The Gym
Now you've warmed up, you're ready to go. The workout has been split into three parts, and the exercises below have been selected to allow you to give maximum effort and really challenge yourself, without having to repeat the same single circuit multiple times.
The first two phases involve supersets, which involves two exercises being paired together without a rest. The first exercise is the true HIIT part, with the second exercise there to keep the calorie burn high.
Phase 1 --
Complete both exercises together followed by a 30 second rest. Repeat for 6 sets.
Ski-Erg – 15 seconds
With feet hip-width apart, face the machine and take hold of the two handles. Folding at the hip, and bending knees slightly, pull the handles down and past your hips until your hands are behind you (in a ski-type motion) and loosen your pull to return to the starting position. Your arms should never be fully extended, and make sure to put your main focus on the ‘pull’ action of driving the handles towards you.
Squat jump -- 10 reps
With feet hip-width apart, squat downwards by dropping your hips down and backwards until your thighs are level with the floor. Pushing your full power through your feet and throwing your arms upwards above your head, drive your body upwards into a jump. As you land, bend your knees straight back into a squat and repeat for all reps. This should be one, fluid motion.
Phase 2 --
Complete both exercises together followed by a 30 second rest. Repeat for 6 sets.
Rowing machine - 20 seconds
Sit at the front of the rowing machine with your knees bent and hands holding the handles. Simultaneously push backwards through your feet, straightening your legs, and pull your elbows backwards so the handle comes in towards your body. This should propel you backwards in a rowing motion. When your legs are full extended, bend your knees back and relax your arms so you return back to the from of the rowing machine
Depending on your fitness level, you can either move at full effort for 20 seconds and then stop for 30, or you can simply slow the row down to a very easy pace for that rest time.
Press up -- 10 reps
Start in a high plank with your hands stacked underneath your shoulders. Slowly lower your chest towards the floor whilst ensuring your abs are tight and your spine is in neutral position. Slowly push back up to the start position.
Phase 3 -
Complete 20 seconds at your max intensity followed by 10 seconds of slow movement. Repeat for 10 sets.
Elliptical or Cross trainer (set at resistance 10) -- 20 seconds
Stand on the machine with your feet on the pads and hands holding the handles. Start to circle your legs in a running motion, while alternating the handles back and forth with your arms.
Follow your full body workout with some of your favourite stretches to cool down -- here's 10 stretches to try if you need inspiration. If you're hoping to practise your HIIT but aren't signed up to a gym, why not become a PureGym member today? We have a huge number of gyms around the UK, so you'll be sure to find a gym near you.
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