HIIT Workout Without Weights: 15 Minutes, No Equipment Required

HIIT workouts are great if you want to get fitter, stronger and leaner. If you're interested read HIIT Workout without weights,

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So you want a workout that gets you fitter, stronger and leaner. And what’s more you want it to be quick and something you can do in the comfort of your own living room.

A home workout that helps with weight loss, fat loss and body composition.

Does that sound good?

Does is sound too good to be true?

Well, it’s not.

Bodyweight HIIT workouts can be done in just 15 minutes. Don’t need any equipment or much space. And are very, very, very effective.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s do this….

Here are three HIIT workouts without weights. They take just 15 minutes

What Makes a Workout High-Intensity Interval Training?

HIIT training, or high intensity interval training, isn’t just about showing up and jumping on a cardio machine for 30 minutes.

It’s about pushing yourself.

Pushing yourself harder than you, probably, ever have.

It’s tough.

You have to get your heart rate up to 80-90% of it’s maximum. And for those of you who don’t know much about heart rate….imagine running for a bus, up hill. it’s going to be beating very quickly and you’re going to be gasping for breath.

But, it is only for a short period. At a maximum 45 seconds of work. Which is followed by a few seconds of rest.

Intense work followed by short rest periods. Rinse and repeat. For about an hour.

It’s that simple.

If you’re wondering why the f*****g hell you’d do that to yourself, it’s because HIIT workouts are effective.

They are amazing if you’re trying to lose weight. If you want your body to look leaner, maybe lose the baby weight once and for all, HIIT is the workout for you.

Not least because you don’t actually have to workout for that long. So it’s great for us mama’s who don’t have a great deal of time to play with.

Because let’s face it gone are the days of heading to the gym for an hour to workout. We’re struggling to fit in a workout after the kids go to bed.

HIIT Workouts Without Weights: Tips for HIIT Workouts

Tips for starting HIIT workouts

Don’t do HIIT Training Too Often.

HIIT is great, but it’s not a case of more is better. More is just more.

More tiredness. More exhaustion. Not what you’re hoping for.

It’s because HIIT is a tough workout. You’re are working to near exhaustion. You really don’t want to be doing that every day.

Make sure you have at least one day in between each workout. A day where you’re doing something called active rest.

Yes I know, active rest isn’t rest, it’s just working out and a low intensity.

I hear you.

But, I think active rest describes what you’ll be doing quite well.

Don’t think flopping on the sofa binge watching NetFlix, if only the opportunity would arise, think going for a gentle walk.

Doing a bit of yoga.

A gentle swim.

Movement, to get your limbs and your muscles moving. But gently.

Include some strength training

HIIT on it’s own isn’t enough.

You need to do some strength training as well.

The strength training can use a very similar format to HIIT, if you want it to, but you do need to build your muscles as well as burn fat.

So make sure you include some old fashioned weight training in your HIIT workout plan.

You don't need any equipment

There is lots and lots and lots, I’d go as far as say tons, of equipment out there that is great for HIIT workouts.

Battle ropes, kettlebells, jump ropes, rowing machines.

There are so many really great pieces of equipment you could use.

But, and yes there’s always a but, you don’t NEEN any.

You don’t need anything, just your own body weight.

Bodyweight exercises, are a natural pair to HIIT workouts. No equipment workout, you can do anywhere.

So, don’t think you need to go spending lots of money on fancy equipment. Because you don’t need it.

HIIT Workouts Without Weights: What Are you Going to Do?

HIIT exercises are very intense.

You’re going to be doing them very quickly, so please make sure you can do all of these exercises with good form.

If you’re not sure then please do consult a qualified personal trainer. If you can’t, or don’t want to see anyone locally then do get in touch. We can go through each movement together to make sure you’ve got them down.

How to Jump Squats in your HIIT Workout Without Weights

The set up for a jump squat is very similar to a regular squat.

Standing tall with your feet hip-width apart, engaging your core, bending your knees and hips so your bum sinks back and down.

As you come into the lower squat position, hold that position for a brief moment whilst you check your core is engaged, and then jump up explosively. Landing with soft knees back in the lower squat position.

Repeat for the required number of reps, or the specified time.

How To Air Squats In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

How to do a squat

Air squats are just regular squats without weights.

Standing tall with your feet hip-width apart, engage your core.

Bend your knees and your hips so that your bum sinks back and down. Keeping sinking until your knees are about 45 degrees and your thighs are parallel with the floor.

Return to the standing position by pushing through your heels.

Make sure your chest is lifted throughout the movement.

How To High Knees In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

High knees is like running on the spot. I want you to think of that motion.

Standing tall with your feet about hip-width apart, engage your core. Lift your right leg, bending your knee, until your thigh is roughly parallel to the floor, then place your right foot back on the floor.

Repeat with your left leg.

Do this quickly. As I said, this is like running on the spot.

How To Side Lunge In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

how to do a side lunge

These are also known as a lateral lunge, just in case you come across them elsewhere.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and engage your core.

Step your right foot out to the side taking a wide stance. Bend your right knee and hips and sink your bum back.

Keep your left leg straight.

Return to the starting position by pushing through your right heel.

Repeat on the other side.

How To Mountain Climbers In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

How to do mountain climbers

Start in a high plank position on the balls of your feet, hands under your shoulders and core engaged.

Bring your right knee up to your torso between your arms. Return your foot to the floor and repeat with your left knee.

This should be a really quick movement.

Think high knees, running on the spot, but in a plank position.

How To Push Ups In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

how to do a push up

Starting in a high plank position, similar to mountain climbers, on the balls of your feet, hands under your shoulders and core engaged.

Bend your elbows back keeping them close to your body.

Keep bending until your upper body is close to the floor, but not touching it.

Push back up by straightening your elbows.

Push ups are really hard. Focus on getting your torso as close to the floor as you can. If you need to put your knees down then do that. It’s better to do that than a full push up but only lowering slightly.

How To Crab Walk In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

Sitting on the floor and extend your legs out in front of you. Make sure your heels are touching the floor and there’s a slight bend in your knees.

Put your hands behind you with your fingers facing your hips.

Engage your core and lift your bum off the floor. Start walking forward by stepping your left hand and right foot, then your right hand and left foot.

Keep going for the required time.

How To Tricep Dips In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

Sit on the edge of a chair, step, table or park bench.

Place your hands either side of your hips with your fingers pointing towards your feet.

Slide forward so that your bum and back are clear of whatever you’re sitting on.

Breathe in, engage your core and lower yourself until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.

Breathe out and push yourself back up until your arms are almost straight.

Repeat.

How To Bear Crawl In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

Come to the floor on your hands and knees. Hands under your shoulders and knees about hip-width apart.

Engage your core and raise your knees slightly off the floor.

Move forward by stepping your right foot and left hand, and then left hand and right foot.

Make sure your knees stay off the floor.

How To Forearm Plank In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

how to do a forearm plank

This is also known as a low plank.

Laying face down on the floor, feet together, bring your elbows under your shoulders, hands flat on the floor.

Engage your core, glutes and lower back and raise up onto the balls of your feet.

Hold this position for the required amount of time.

How To Burpees In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

how to do burpees

Ah burpees, the exercise everybody loves to hate.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and engage your core.

Lower into a squat position and place your hands on the floor. Jump your legs back, you’re now in a high plank position. Lower your upper body to the floor as you would in a push up.

Push yourself back up to high plank, jump your feet forward and take your hands of the floor. You’re now in a low squat position.

From here jump up, landing with soft knees back in the low squat position and repeat.

How To Side Plank In Your HIIT Workout Without Weights

The classic plank but turned on it’s side.

Lie on your right side with your feet together, one on top of the other.

Raise up onto your right forearm or hand, engage your core and then raise your hips off the floor. Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet.

Hold this position before repeating on the left side.

HIIT Workout Without Weights: The Workouts

For ease, I’ve kept the structure of this workout the same but I’ve broken it down into a lower body set, an upper body set and an abdominal set. Doing all three together will give you a great full-body workout.

Each set is 15 minutes, including the rest, so if that’s all you have time for do one set and come back and do the others later in the week.

If you’ve got a bit longer then do more sets. Simple.

Each set is two exercises, a cardio and a strength one. The amount of time for the cardio changes while the strength stays the same.

So it will look like:

  • 30 seconds exercise one/30 seconds exercise 2
  • 60 seconds exercise one/30 seconds exercise 2
  • 90 seconds exercise one/30 seconds exercise 2
  • 60 seconds exercise one/30 seconds exercise 2
  • 30 seconds exercise one/30 seconds exercise 2

Rest for 1 minute.

If you want to make it tougher, increase the timing of the strength exercise as well as the cardio. Or add in some weight for the strength.

Rest for 1 minute before moving on to the next pair.

Lower Body

Set one

  • Jump squats
  • air squats

Set two

  • high knees
  • side lunge

Upper Body

Set one

  • Mountain Climbers
  • Push Ups

Set two

  • Crab Walk
  • Tricep Dips

Ab Workout

Set one

  • Bear crawl
  • forearm plank

Set two

  • burpees
  • side plank

HIIT Workout Without Weights: How Did You Get On

HIIT workouts are amazing. There’s no getting away from it.

They’re challenging. They’re fun. They’re effective.

If you have body composition goals, then including a HIIT workout in your plan is going to get you there that much faster.

So why not give this full-body workout a go?

Let me know how you get on…

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