HIIT It Hard with These 25 Workouts and Tips

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Think of high-intensity interval training (aka HIIT workouts) — where you alternate short bursts of intense exercise and active recovery time — as the workout gift that keeps on giving. First, it’s designed to burn more calories and fat in less time, giving you that excuse-squashing way to squeeze in a sweat. Then, it revs up your heart rate and alters metabolic pathways so much so that you keep torching calories even after you stop moving. So it’s basically the go-to for anyone looking to get fit, strong and slim without dedicating hours to doing so. (Can anyone say no to that?)

The catch: You have to learn how to do it, give it your all and switch up your approach every now and then. To get you doing just that, we rounded up top resources for making your HIIT workout super effective, fun — and speedy.

RELATED: 50 Running Resources for Speed, Strength and Nutrition

First Off, What Is HIIT?

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Before jumping into your first round of intervals, you’ll want a base of knowledge. After all knowing why exactly you’re busting your butt through those crazy-hard intervals will help to motivate you. Here, some expert insight on the benefits of this type of training, plus how to make it work for you.

HIIT: What It Is and Why It Works

No Time? How Much HIIT You Need to Reap Benefits

7 Ways to Get Fit in Half the Time

EPOC: The Secret to Faster Fat Loss?

Daily Burn’s Inferno HR: Heart Rate Training, Evolved

Meditation Meets HIIT in New Mindful Fitness Approach

Bodyweight HIIT Workouts: Anytime, Anywhere

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One of the awesome benefits of interval training is that you can do it anywhere. These killer bodyweight workouts will rev up your metabolism, whether you’re at the gym, in your hotel or on the beach. No equipment necessary!

10-Minute Indoor and Outdoor HIIT Workouts

3 HIIT Workouts to Take to the Beach

HIIT It Hard with BJ Gaddour’s Bodyweight Burners

5 HIIT Exercises to Boost Your VO2 Max

3 Quick HIIT Workouts for Beginners

Plyometric Planks You Need to Try ASAP

3 Plyometric Moves That Turn Up the Burn

Cardio Workouts: HIIT and Run

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Beat cardio machine boredom and put some pep to your step with these interval-inspired cardio-centric workouts. You’ll push it on the treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine, air bike and even with the help of a jump rope.

20-Minute HIIT Treadmill Workout to Get Fit, Fast

The 30-Minute HIIT Jump Rope Workout

Air Bike: The HIIT Workout That’ll Leave You Breathless

3 Elliptical HIIT Workouts That Won’t Bore You to Death

3 Rowing Machine Workouts for Cardio and Strength

20-Minute Treadmill HIIT Workout to Crush Calories

HIIT Strength Workouts: More Fit Every Day

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These short but effective workouts combine weights and cardio bursts, so you get the best of both workout worlds. You’ll finish feeling breathless but oh so strong, thanks to a med ball, yoga-inspired moves and more.

Design Your Own HIIT Workout with This Perfect Formula

The 15-Minute Medicine Ball HIIT Workout

10-Minute Yoga HIIT Workout

HIIT Exercises to Get You Ready for Ski Season

Game On! The Sweet 16 HIIT Workout

5 Stretches You Should Never Skip Post-HIIT

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Quick & easy breakfast ideas: Veggie scramble

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Got Tight Hip Flexors? How to Stretch and Strengthen Them

[caption id="attachment_57963" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

What’s the one thing that runners, cyclists and desk-bound office workers have in common? Tight hips.

While 27 muscles cross the hip joint — and tightness in any one of them can cause aches, pains and limited range of motion — one of the most common culprits of reduced hip mobility are short, tight hip flexors, explains W. Kelton Vasileff, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and hip preservation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

RELATED: The 5 Hip Stretches You Need to Relieve Tightness Now

All About Your Hip Flexors

“If one muscle isn’t working the right way, your body is going to adapt to it."

First, the facts. Your hip flexors are a group of muscles (mainly, your iliopsoas, sartorius, pectineus, tensor fasciae latae and quads) that run down the front of your hips and thigh, and attach to your spine, pelvis and femur. They allow you to lift your knees to your chest while maintaining a stable spine and pelvis. However, when they get tight, those muscles not only become less effective, they also cause the opposing muscle group — aka the hip extensors, made up of your glutes, hamstrings and other hip muscles — to slack off.

In fact, in one 2015 study in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, female athletes with tight hip flexors exhibited decreased activation in both the flexors and hip extensors when they performed a simple squat exercise. And the gluteus maximus (the biggest muscle in the butt) showed the most difficulty firing.

RELATED: 7 Glute Exercises for an Instant Butt Lift

So what happens when your hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings stop doing their duty? Other muscles that cross the hip have to pick up the slack, increasing the risk of lower-body injury. “If one muscle isn’t working the right way, your body is going to adapt to it. You’ll use different muscles, your gait and posture may change. And as a result, you put yourself at risk of aches, pains and potentially more serious injury,” Vasileff says.

What’s more, tightness in any of these muscles around the hip can pull like tension wires on the pelvis and the leg. Over time, if not corrected, this can add stress on the knee and alter movement patterns of the pelvis. This creates even more discomfort up the chain and into the low back.

RELATED: The 5 Best Stretches for Your Glutes

Hip Flexors Don’t Lie

So how come athletes and couch crashers alike often have tight hips? That’s mostly because everyone spends too much time sitting. (One study published in The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that gym nuts spend the same amount of time sitting per day compared to people who rarely work out.)

When you sit down in a chair, you place your hips into partial hip flexion. (Think: your legs are bent so that your knees are raised toward your chest, just not all of the way up). Eight hours later, they’ve done nothing but chill out in a semi-contracted, shortened position, becoming tighter and tighter, explains physical therapist Jaime Edelstein, PT, CSCS, senior director of regional onsite rehab facilities at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Plus, when you sit at your desk, planted like a petunia, you reduce the activation throughout your entire core. After all, your abs don’t have to work very hard to keep you upright when your desk chair has a back. Over time, this leads to a weakening of the core muscles. This then requires your already weak hip muscles to work harder than they should have to, Edelstein says.

RELATED: 5 Crazy-Effective Crunch Variations

"When you sit down in a chair, you place your hips into partial hip flexion...Eight hours later, they’ve done nothing but chill out."

If you think about your fitness routine, many exercises put your hips in this exact same partially bent position. For instance, when you’re cycling, your hips are slightly flexed for the majority of your ride. And when running, you’re moving each hip from full extension to partial flexion over and over again with every stride. This can result in muscle tightness, often from new use (ramping up mileage) or overuse, rather than lack of movement, Edelstein says.

Something else to think about: While these exercises strengthen the hip flexors (as well as extensors) they do so only through a partial range of motion. Without training your hips through their full range of motion — from a hip thrust all of the way out in front of your thighs to your knees tucked right against your chest — they won’t get strong through that full range.

This restricted range of motion explains why many people have the flexibility to pull their knee into their chest using both hands. But, if they let go, they don’t have the strength to hold that position with the knee raised. (Stand against a wall and try it now to test your hip mobility.)

RELATED: 5 Everyday Tasks That Reveal Low Mobility

Loosen (and Strengthen) Up

Step one for addressing those tight hips: stretch. It’s the key to breaking up all your time in a chair. “If you sit for work, make sure you get up every 30 minutes for 30 seconds just to quickly take your body out of the flexed position,” Edelstein says.

In those 30 seconds, try the half-kneeling hip flexor stretch with arms overhead. To do so, lower your body into a lunge until your back knee rests on the floor. From here, fully extend both arms over head. Lean back to extend your shoulders and arms toward your back foot, as you gently push your hips forward. Keep pushing until you feel a stretch in the hip and thigh of your back leg.

Of course, stretching isn’t the only to-do for making your hips more mobile. Vasileff and Edelstein both emphasize the importance of strengthening your hips flexors and extensors, as well as your core. Their advice: Start with these five exercises.

RELATED: The Dynamic Warm-Up You Aren’t Doing (But Should!)

5 Exercises for Stronger Hip Flexors and Extensors

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1. Against-the-Wall Hip-Flexor Contraction 

How to: Stand tall with your back against a wall (a). Use both hands to pull one knee all the way into your chest (b). Once you’ve established your balance, let go with both hands and try to keep your knee touching your chest for as long as possible (c). Then repeat of the opposite side.

2. Hip Thrust

How to: Sit on the floor with a flat bench directly behind you (a). Rise up so your upper back presses firmly against the bench. Keep your feet planted on the floor in front of you. Hold a dumbbell or barbell across your lap (b). Keep your gaze toward your knees and forcefully thrust your hips up toward the ceiling until your upper back is on top of the bench and your torso is flat from head to knees (c). Pause, then slowly lower back to start and repeat for at least eight reps.

RELATED: The 7 Best Mobility Exercises You Haven’t Tried Yet

3. Dead Bug

How to: Lie flat on your back with your arms and legs extended straight up toward the ceiling and stacked over your shoulders and hips, respectively (a). Engage your core to press your low back into the floor. Maintaining that torso position, extend one leg straight in front of you and the opposite arm toward the floor behind you (b). When they are just a few inches off of the floor, pause, then raise them to return to start (c). Repeat for at least eight reps, then repeat on the opposite side.

4. Kettlebell Deadlift

How to: Stand tall with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart, a kettlebell placed between your feet (a). Hinge at your hips to send your butt back behind you and, allowing a slight bend in your knees, grab the kettlebell by the handle with both hands, palms facing you (b). Keeping a neutral spine, flat back and your arms fully extended, thrust your hips forward and stand to lift the kettlebell off of the floor so that it lands against your body (c). Squeeze your glutes to reach the top of the movement, pause, then slowly lower back down (d). Repeat for at least eight reps.

RELATED: 7 Impressive Kettlebell Exercises for a Total-Body Workout

5. Plank

How to: Get into a push-up position, shoulders stacked over your hands, feet together, and body forming a straight line from head to heels (a). Work on increasing the tension throughout your body: Brace your abs, pull your shoulder blades down and away from your ears, and squeeze your glutes together. Maintain this contraction for the entirety of the exercise. Try holding for at least 30 seconds.

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Mass Building Lower Body Workout - All Strength Workout

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8 Yoga Poses to Help Ease Lower Back Pain

[caption id="attachment_57934" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

Herniated disks, pinched nerves, strained muscles, poor posture — lower back pain can stem from many places.

In fact, roughly 80 percent of adults will experience back aches at some point in their lives and roughly one-third of adults have complained of lower back pain in the past three months. Considering back pain is also the leading cause of disability, it’s no wonder we’re constantly searching for relief for our spine.

RELATED: 5 Exercise Modifications to Ease Lower Back Pain

Go With the Flow to Help Ease Lower Back Pain

One remedy that might soothe a cranky back? Yoga. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a 12-week yoga program led to greater improvements in function in adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain, compared to usual care. Another study found that yoga helped reduce pain and anxiety associated with low back pain.

“Yoga can help address some of the structural and muscular imbalances that may lead to low back pain,” says Amy Quinn Suplina, yoga teacher and owner of Bend & Bloom Yoga in Brooklyn, NY. Yoga can help you lengthen short and tight muscles and build strength to help stabilize your pelvis and spine. Not to mention perfecting your flow can also improve your posture.

Keep in mind not all forms of yoga are appropriate for those with low back pain, warns Quinn Suplina. Many yoga classes tend to focus on forward folds, which may exacerbate discomfort.

Her advice? Skip the open vinyasa class, especially if you have acute pain, or opt for a few one-on-one sessions with a teacher who has a strong therapeutic background. Or, (with your doc’s OK) try these eight yoga poses, recommended by Quinn Suplina, at home.

RELATED: Are You Doing These Yoga Poses All Wrong?

8 Yoga Stretches to Soothe Lower Back Pain

[caption id="attachment_57925" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

1. Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)

How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the ground. Hold a strap with both hands and place it around the ball of your right foot. Extend your right leg into the air directly over your hip. Press your foot into the strap and keep your left foot firm on the ground. Hold for six to eight full breaths. Gently release and switch sides. If you don’t have a strap, you can use a belt or long scarf.

Instructor insight: When the back of your legs are tight, it can lead to lower back pain, says Quinn Suplina. “Tight hamstrings can pull your pelvis into a posterior tilt and flatten your lumbar curve,” she says. “Then you don’t have the architecture in your spine to distribute weight evenly through the body.” Maintain a neutral pelvis and lumbar curve in this pose. In other words, don’t flatten your lower back against the floor.

[caption id="attachment_57926" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

2. Gentle Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

How to: From reclining hand-to-big-toe pose, bring your knees into your chest. Extend your left leg out on the ground and draw your right knee across your body, letting your knee rest on top of a block (or book). Bring your arms out to the sides in a T. Allow gravity to draw your right shoulder towards the ground. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: Supine spinal twists help increase mobility in the spine, especially between the vertebrae, says Quinn Suplina. This is a gentler twist, compared to the version with both knees stacked, making it good for those with lower back pain.

RELATED: 5 Lower Back Stretches to Relieve Stress Now

[caption id="attachment_57927" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

3. Hip Flexor Stretch

How to: Lie on your back and lift your hips up. Slip a block under your sacrum (the flat, bony part of your lower back) on its lowest or medium height. Draw your right knee in towards your chest and extend your left leg, placing your heel on the mat. Flex your left foot, toes pointing up towards the ceiling. Let the lower back rest into the block and draw your tailbone down towards the block. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: Our love for running, biking and exercising may be good for our health, but it can cause our psoas (aka hip flexors) to shorten. Sitting for longer periods of time doesn’t help either. “Shortened hip flexors can pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt, which can compress the lumbar vertebrae,” says Quinn Suplina. If your hips need some extra love, this pose will do the trick.

[caption id="attachment_57928" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

4. Cat and Cow Pose

How to: Begin in a tabletop position. Engage your core by pulling your belly button up towards your spine. Starting at your tailbone, slowly move into cat pose by letting your tailbone roll underneath you and rounding your upper back toward the ceiling. Move sequentially from lower to mid to upper spine. Lastly, let your gaze and head release toward the ground. Then, starting with your tailbone again, gently roll your tailbone up and slowly move into cow pose. Allow your belly to sink and chest to open toward the front of the room. Your head and gaze are the last to lift towards the ceiling. Move through a few rounds of this version of cat-cow. Then, begin the movement from your skull, letting the movement ripple through your upper spine to your tailbone.

Instructor insight: “When you have acute pain in your lower back, your spine wants to move in a big block instead of segment by segment,” says Quinn Suplina. “This version of cat-cow assists with creating mobility in each segment of the spine.”

RELATED: 35 Resources to Step Up Your Yoga Game

[caption id="attachment_57929" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

5. Bird-Dog

How to: Begin in a tabletop position and find a neutral pelvis. Extend your right arm forward. Straighten and lift your left leg behind you to hip height. Engage the abdominal muscles, pulling your belly button up toward your spine. Reach out from your right hand all the way back through the left heel. Hold for three to five full breaths. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: According to Quinn Suplina, this pose is a great way to build spinal stability. “It helps to bring tone and support to the deeper layers of the spinal muscles,” she says. “You’re building responsive abdominal muscles, not just a six-pack.”

[caption id="attachment_57930" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

6. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to: From a tabletop position, bring with your knees wide and your big toes to touch. Press your hips back towards your heels and bring your belly to your thighs. Stretch your arms long in front of you on the mat. Let your forehead rest on the mat.

Instructor insight: Actively press your palms into the mat and reach away from you to help sink your hips down further. This will help stretch your back, providing gentle traction for your spine.

RELATED: 15 Stretches You Should Do Every Damn Day

[caption id="attachment_57931" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

7. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to: From child’s pose, extend long and lower to the ground so you’re lying on your belly. Bring your hands by your lower ribs. Press your palms and tops of the feet into the mat as you hug your elbows in towards your back. You should feel your shoulder blades come towards each other on your back. Gently lift your chest forward and slightly up. If you feel stable here, lift your hands off the ground.

Instructor insight: Quinn Suplina says this baby cobra pose is great for strengthening the lower back, especially the muscles used for respiration that integrate into the lumbar spine. Extending the spine in this pose also lengthens the ab muscles. If you feel acute back pain while doing this, skip it!

[caption id="attachment_57932" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

8. Side Bending Mountain Pose

How to: Stand with your feet together. Interlace your fingers and flip the palms to face forward. Lift your arms up and press your palms toward the ceiling. Gently side bend to the right while you stay rooted in your left foot and hip. Hold for six to eight breaths. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: One cause of lower back pain could be your quadratus lumborum muscle aka your QL, says Quinn Suplina. It’s a deep abdominal muscle that’s located on either side of your spine. One side can be tighter or shorter than the other and this pose helps to stretch it out.

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Got 30 Minutes? The Ultimate HIIT Jump Rope Workout

[caption id="attachment_57879" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of Justin Patterson[/caption]

When was the last time you jump roped? If it was as a kid during class recess, now’s a good time to get back into the rhythm of things. The jump rope is not only a fun workout to turn up the sweat, it’s also a key conditioning tool for athletes and boxers, like Laila Ali, to build endurance, coordination and agility.

And now, it’s the basis for the new interval-based total-body workout, The Rope, from celeb trainer Amanda Kloots. “The jump rope is one of the most underrated pieces of fitness equipment. When you’re jump roping, you’re engaging all the muscles in your body, including your heart,” Kloots says. “Each jump involves tightening your core, toning your arms and powering your legs.”

RELATED: 3 Cardio Workouts Under 20 Minutes — No Treadmill Required

Whether you’re crunched for time or traveling (it packs light, too), just a few minutes of jump roping can leave you breathless. Kloots’s signature jump rope workout is divided into four sections: warm-up, coordination, stamina and sprints. But before you jump in, it’s important to have the right length rope. Check by standing on top of the jump rope hip-distance apart with both hands holding each end. Bring the jump rope handles toward your shoulders. If the rope goes beyond your shoulders, it’s too long, Kloots says. Now grab your rope and hop to it!

The 30-Minute HIIT Jump Rope Workout to Build Endurance

THE WARM-UP

First, it’s time to re-familiarize yourself with the basic jump. According to Kloots, proper jump rope technique starts with the feet together, shoulders pulled back and arms down by your sides with your hands the same distance away from your body. You’ll want to jump and land on the balls or midsoles of your feet (heels not touching the ground), catching at least one inch of hang time on each jump. Be sure to use your wrists to power the rope and not your elbows or shoulders. If you get tired, “Keep your shoulders over your hips, hips over your knees, and knees over your toes,” Kloots says.

[caption id="attachment_57865" align="alignnone" width="620"]GIFs: Tiffany Ayuda / Life by Daily Burn[/caption]

1. Jump Rope (60 sec)

2. Plank (60 sec)

Repeat for 3 rounds.

RELATED: How to Master CrossFit Double Unders

COORDINATION

Next, we layer on some footwork. The goal: improving agility and drawing a stronger connection between your body and brain. To keep you from getting tripped up, “I like to remind people of different ways to think of jumps to take the pressure off the fancy footwork. For instance, when you take your legs in and out of the jump rope, I’ll say outer thighs and inner thighs. It helps people focus on the muscle groups,” Kloots says. Cue up a three-minute song and you’ll hit approximately 360 jumps — with a whole bunch of strength and core work mixed in (sequence below). Do eight reps on each side and repeat for three rounds.

1. Oblique Crunch

How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart. Fold the jump rope in half twice so it’s shoulder-distance apart when you hold each end and lift it up overhead. Pull each end of the rope to create resistance in your arms (a). Engaging your core, crunch to your left side, while dynamically pressing the rope up overhead (b).

2. Single-Leg Forward Hinge

How to: Stand with your feet together. Lift your left leg up so your left knee is bent. Fold your jump rope in half and hold each end of the rope with your hands, pulling it tightly (a). Balancing your weight on your right leg, hinge your torso forward and bring the jump rope over your left knee to touch your shin (b). Bring the jump rope back overhead (c).

RELATED: 10 Resistance Band Exercises to Build Total-Body Strength

 3. In and Out Jumps

 How to: Stand over the jump rope with your feet a little wider than hip-distance apart (a). When you take your next jump, land with your feet together (b). Take another jump and bring your feet back out so they’re a little wider than hip distance (c). This is one rep. Repeat for seven more reps (d).

4. Scissor Jumps

How to: Stand over the jump rope with your feet together (a). When you take your next jump, scissor your feet, stepping with one foot forward and the other back (b). This is one rep. Repeat for seven more reps (c).

RELATED: 5 Power Lunges for Killer Glutes

5. Single-Leg Hops

How to: Stand over the jump rope with your feet together. Raise your right foot off the ground and bend your right knee (a). Balance your weight on your left leg. When you jump over the rope, turn it over your left foot and land on the ball of your foot (b). Repeat for seven more reps before switching sides (c).

STAMINA

Now that you’ve mastered a few coordination moves, it’s time to go the distance. “The stamina sequence challenges you to match the beat of the music and build the endurance to jump for a longer period of time,” Kloots says. Here, choose a song that’s four to five minutes, or so you hit around 700 jumps. Strength work is mixed in here too — again eight reps each for three rounds.

RELATED: Get Sculpted Shoulders With These 5 Moves

1. Shoulder Fly

How to: Stand on top of the jump rope with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold onto each handle tightly with your hands close together in front of you (a). Engaging your arms and your scapula, bring your arms out into a “T” and pinch your shoulder blades together. Imagine that there’s something in between your shoulder blades and squeeze in tightly (b).

2. Upright Row

How to: Stand on top of the jump rope with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold onto each handle tightly with your arms straight out in front of you (a). Using your biceps, pull the handles to your sides as you flex your elbows. You should feel the retraction in your shoulder blades and engage your traps and lats. (b).

RELATED: The Only Arm Workout You Need This Summer

3. Tricep Fly

How to: Stand with your feet about hip-distance apart with a slight bend in your knees (a). Fold your jump rope twice and hold onto each end behind you, palms facing away from you. Pull rope taut to create resistance (b). Keeping arms straight, pulse your arms up and back down, engaging your triceps (c).

4. Stationary Lunges

How to: Place your jump rope on the floor. Standing with your feet hip-distance apart, step your right foot over the jump rope (a). Lower until both knees form 90-degree angles and your left knee hovers just above the ground (b). Rise back up and repeat (c).

5. Agility Hops

How to: Place your jump rope on the floor. Standing with your feet together and hands on your hips, hop forward and back over the rope (a). Staying light on the balls of your feet, you’re aiming for quickness on this one (b).

RELATED: 7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Squat

6. Basic Jump Rope

How to: Choose a four- to five-minute song, and get those feet jumping. Aim to match the beat of the song, and don’t let up (a).

SPRINTS

Have more gas in the tank? Good! We saved the best for last. You’ll jump at a regular speed for 20 seconds and then jump as fast as you can for another 20 seconds — five times through. “Sprints challenge your heart rate and build on your stamina — whether you are a beginner or [more] advanced,” Kloots says. And it’s not just your lungs and legs. “For the sprint, I tighten my whole body and feel a burn in my abs.” When you’re going for speed, the key is making yourself as compact as possible and barely jumping your feet off the floor.

How many jumps should you average? Kloots says to just focus on going as fast as you can, gaining speed each time. “Sprinting is about challenging speed and heart rate so it isn’t about the jump count,” she explains. Think of it like quick feet in running, Kloots says. If you have trouble getting through, say the alphabet or count as you’re jumping. “It will force you to breathe and not hold your breath,” Kloots says.

RELATED: 3 Sprint Workouts That’ll Torch Calories Fast

1. Sprint

How to: Stand over the rope with your feet together. Do basic jumps at a moderate speed for 20 seconds (a). As you approach 20 seconds, speed up your pace before you start jumping as fast as you can for another 20 seconds (b).

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Design Your Own HIIT Workout with This Perfect Formula

[caption id="attachment_57737" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

Science and experts alike say high-intensity interval workouts reign as fitness royalty. Touted as a top-notch method for weight loss, improving your VO2 max and even helping you run faster, it’s no wonder this approach to exercise holds such high wellness honors.

Of course, just like any workout you do over and over, the routine can get stale. That is, until you learn the foundation of HIIT workouts and then switch it up every time you go to break a sweat. Allow trainer Adam Rosante, creator of Two Week Transformation and author of Super Smoothie Revolution, to break down the basics so you can turn up the benefits.

RELATED: No Time? This is How Much HIIT You Really Need

HIIT Workout: What You Need to Make It Work

“The foundation [of HIIT] is a series of intervals of intense activity, coupled with intervals of less-intense activity or complete rest,” says Rosante. “Beyond buzz, it's popularity can largely be attributed to its efficiency. HIIT's a great way to get fit in a short amount of time. But the key is to ensure that the high-intensity intervals are truly performed at your highest intensity.”

How do you know if you’re HIIT-ing it hard enough? Rosante says to go at 80 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate during the work intervals, and 60 to 65 percent during your rest periods. (To find your max heart rate, just subtract your age from 220. Then take the percentages from there.) If you don’t have a heart rate monitor, push hard enough through the work intervals that you’re sucking wind. You shouldn’t be able to hold a convo, Rosante says.

"The key is to ensure that the high-intensity intervals are truly performed at your highest intensity."

You can do a HIIT workout with almost any exercise, from plank hip dips to jumping jacks to everyone’s favorite: burpees. That’s because it’s more about intensity than the specific movements, Rosante explains. But to help you narrow down what to do, Rosante says he prefers a mix of moves that force the glutes, quads and hamstrings (the body’s biggest muscles) to work explosively. Some of his go-to’s include jump squats, plyo lunges and sprints.

But don’t stop there. Rosante often alternates between a lower body and upper body move, or a lower body and total body exercise. “The alternation forces your heart to pump blood out to the muscles in a much higher volume, which, naturally, means your heart rate is significantly elevated,” Rosante explains. “When you boost your heart rate like this, you disrupt your metabolic pathways in such a way that they're scrambling to return to normal long after the workout has ended.” This concept of burning calories even after you stop busting a move — known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC — will blast fat and calories, fast.

RELATED: How to Beast Box Jumps and Other Plyometric Exercises

Choose Your Own HIIT Workout Adventure

Spike your heart rate, tone your body and break through plateaus with this HIIT formula from Rosante. Start with a goal intensity, then pick an option from each layer. No two workouts have to be the same — but you’ll get sweaty and fit with each round. We’ll call this one smash HIIT.

[caption id="attachment_57741" align="alignnone" width="620"] Infographic: Mallory Creveling / Life by Daily Burn[/caption]

To warm up before you dive in, do a series of dynamic stretches and a few high jumps. After you HIIT it, cool down with a solid stretch of all major muscle groups. Rosante suggests holding each one for at least 3 to 5 deep breathes.

Standing Mountain Climbers

Start standing, arms bent at your chest, palms facing away from your body. Drive your right knee up toward your chest as you straighten your left arm toward the ceiling. Quickly switch to bring your left knee toward your chest and right hand toward the ceiling. Continue alternating.

Push-Ups

Start in a high plank position. Without piking or dropping your hips, bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground. Then push back up to a plank.

Speed Squats

Start with feet a little wider than hip-distance apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Drive your hips back and butt toward the ground to perform a low squat. Jump back up and bring your feet together. Then jump back into a wide squat position.

4-Point Plankers

Start in a high plank position with feet together. Jump your feet to the left side of your left hand, then hop them back to the plank position. Next, jump your feet to the right side of your right hand, then back to the plank position. Hop your feet between your hands, then back to the plank position. Finally, jump your feet wide, placing one on either side of your hands. Then return to the plank position. Continue jumping to each point, keeping your hands on the ground the whole time.

RELATED: 3 Plyometric Planks You Need to Try ASAP

Burpees

Start standing. Place your hands on the ground, wrists underneath shoulders and jump your feet back to high plank position. Drop your chest to the ground. Then, without arching your back, push yourself back up and jump your feet back up to your hands. Explode off the ground to perform a hop at the top.

High Plank Punches

Start in a high plank position. Keeping your hips still, punch your right arm out straight in front of you. Then your left. Continue alternating.

Sprints

Run in place (or on a treadmill or track) as fast as you can, pumping your arms for more power.

Y-W-T Holds

Lie on your stomach, arms straight out in front of you. Lift your legs and arms off the ground, with your arms to a Y position. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down. Lift your legs and arms off the ground again. This time pull your elbows back and shoulder blades together so your arms form a W. Hold for a few seconds then extend your arms again and lower back down. Lift your legs and arms off the ground another time, this time moving your arms into a T position with elbows straight and arms out to the sides. Lower back down and repeat from the Y.

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6 Easy Ways to Add Cardio to Your Strength Workout

[caption id="attachment_57650" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

Resistance training and cardio exercise can indeed co-exist. In fact, blending them together creates the ideal time-saving gym session. All you have to do is make a few intensity-amplifying tweaks to your existing strength workout and it can drive up your heart rate, burn more calories and improve your cardiovascular health, says New York City-based trainer Laura Miranda, DPT, CSCS, exercise physiologist. Get started on getting more from your workout by following these six strategies that marry weights and cardio. You just might find you’re having more fun, too.

RELATED: 6 Killer Cardio Workouts That Don’t Involve Running

6 Tips for Turning Up the Cardio on Your Strength Workout

1. Vary your rest.

The first way to spike your heart rate while strength training: Perform each move back to back with as little rest as possible — that is, while still maintaining good form. Miranda prefers a ladder approach to accomplish this goal. After the first round of resistance exercises, rest for 20 seconds. On the second set, rest for 15 seconds; and the third, pause for a 10-second break. As your body gets less and less time to recover, it taxes your aerobic system, she explains. Keep in mind, because you can’t lift at max weight with this many sets, it’s a good goal for fat loss, rather than strictly strength gains.

2. Hold weights in both hands.

Rather than putting all your effort into single-arm movements for exercises like curls, rows or extensions, pick up two dumbbells or kettlebells. Then, go to town. Doing upper-body bilateral movements — like bicep curls with both hands moving at the same time — increases your heart rate more than when focusing on one arm at a time, according to a 2017 study in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.

RELATED: 5 Sports-Inspired Drills That Totally Count as Cardio

3. Pepper in plyometrics.

Explosive movements — think squat jumps and jumping lunges — are super effective and efficient for cranking up your cardio, while still building muscle. To maximize the payoff of these powerful moves, perform at least 15 reps of each exercise. This can keep your heart rate elevated for up to 50 minutes post-exercise, according to one study.

Miranda also recommends combining plyos with a strength and coordination move to lessen some of the jarring impact on your body. For example: Do a dumbbell lateral lunge, followed by a bear crawl, then end with broad jumps. Take a brief rest before cycling through those three exercises again.

RELATED: 3 Plyometric Moves That Turn Up the Burn

4. Lighten your load.

"Explosive movements are super effective and efficient for cranking up your cardio."

In a traditional strength workout, you’d pick up a weight heavy enough that you could only do a few reps for up to 45 seconds, says Miranda. But to hit the sweet spot where lifting turns more aerobic, opt for lighter weights that allow you to perform a set for one to two minutes. You might even drop the weight altogether and work for longer periods (i.e. go from a weighted squat to simply bodyweight squats). Or, grab a set of five- to eight-pound weights and perform a move like dumbbell uppercuts for one minute. Trust us, it will burn.

5. Try a two-fer.

Why do a squat or a bicep curl or an overhead press when you can be super efficient and do all three at once? Compound movements like this one require you to use more muscle groups, which gives you a greater metabolic boost, says Miranda. Even better, these multi-move exercises test your coordination. Some others to add to your exercise repertoire: a push-up with row, reverse lunge with triceps extensions, curtsy lunge with bicep curl or a glute bridge with chest press.

RELATED: 3 Exercises to Sculpt Your Entire Body

6. Go beyond everyday exercises.

No doubt you’ve done a burpee or 10. After all, they’re used in many workouts because they’re an efficient way to get your heart rate up between strength sets. “When you choose movements that your body is not used to doing — like getting on and off the floor, as you do for a burpee — it enhances the difficulty of your workout,” says Miranda. (Typically, we’re used to simply sitting, standing and walking.) A burpee requires you to use all major muscle groups at once, which is probably why research shows this move is nearly as good as bicycle sprints in terms of gaining cardiovascular benefits.

Another similar way to enhance the cardio challenge: Do moves that work your body in different planes of motion, says Miranda. For instance, a forward lunge, followed by a side lunge, then wrap it up with a backward lunge. “Our bodies are not used to moving in those sequences,” she says. Wood chops or 180 squat jumps will also do the trick. So not only will you feel your muscles getting fatigue, but you’ll breath heavy while you’re at it. A single workout for strength and cardio...you’re welcome.

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5 Dance-Inspired Yoga Moves to Turn Up the Burn

[caption id="attachment_57598" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of 305 Fitness[/caption]

You’ve heard of yoga flows — but this Vinyasa sequence will get you moving like never before. Thanks to the rock stars behind the dance club-style workout studio 305 Fitness, your same-old yoga routine is about to get hit with some serious swagger.

That’s because the new 305 FLOW class bakes dance into each sequence of yoga poses by connecting each move. Yoga instructor Kirra Michel explains, “Yoga and dance separately do a great job at increasing your flexibility and overall range of motion. Yoga allows us to hold the poses longer (about 30 seconds to a minute), which is recommended to increase flexibility. On the other hand, dance allows exploration and creativity of the body in the poses.”

The dynamic, dance-like flows of the practice link movement and breath, challenging your body and mind in new ways. And because of its faster pace and unique sequences — from Eagle to Warrior III — you’ll reap cardio and strength benefits.

Michel says, “305 FLOW has major benefits to cardiovascular health. These yoga poses are sequenced intelligently and safely to help with losing weight, reducing your BMI, lowering your blood pressure and more.”

Want to add an energy shot to your downward dog? Try these five dance-inspired yoga poses.

RELATED: How to Maximize Your Yoga Calorie Burn

Turn Up the Burn: 5 Dance-Inspired Yoga Moves

[caption id="attachment_57584" align="alignnone" width="620"]GIFs: Tiffany Ayuda / Life by Daily Burn[/caption]

1. Rockstar to Fallen Triangle

The graceful form of these two artistic poses is a great intro to a dance-inspired yoga practice. Rockstar — also known as Wild Thing or Flip the Dog — is the ultimate heart-opener, while fallen triangle brings fluidity to a standard side plank. Together, they create a modern dance flow that allows you to be creative with your arms. Michel says, “This pose takes full-body work and strengthens your quadriceps and shoulders, as well as your obliques.” Her pro tip: “Raise your hips higher when you do the backbend to help keep your body in alignment and keep your front foot pointed to challenge your balance.”

2. Warrior II to Reverse Warrior

Warriors symbolize strength and steadiness, and this Eagle-wrapped variation of Warrior II shows us just that. The position of your feet creates a strong foundation for this flow that targets your upper-body mobility. “Your second and third toes need to be directly under your front knee,” Michel says, to ensure you have proper alignment. She recommends focusing on a point in front of and behind you to keep your arms in a straight line. This should also set your arms up to move into an eagle-wrapped bind in Reverse Warrior. “The most important thing to keep in mind with Reverse Warrior is that it’s a side stretch and not a back bend,” Michel says.

RELATED: 5 Yoga-Inspired Shoulder Openers

3. Eagle Pose to Warrior III

In addition to improving your balance, you’ll strengthen your inner thighs and stretch your upper back with this moving variation of Eagle pose. If you’re not able to stand on one foot, Michel says your toes of the lifted foot can hover over the floor. Keeping your arms in a bind in reverse warrior also gives you the momentum you need to move into Warrior III seamlessly. “The most important part of this movement is to keep your hips square. This will help keep you grounded as your upper body takes a forward motion,” Michel notes. Once you’re in Warrior III, flex your foot behind you and focus on a point in front of you to help you maintain balance.

4. Dancer’s Pose

Show off your ballet skills with this artful pose. Dancer’s pose is as much of a shoulder opener as it is a balance exercise. Michel says, “Start by hugging your knee to your chest and then holding the inside edge of your foot as you sweep your right arm back. This will help open your chest and give you a slight back bend.” To avoid compressing your lower back, lift your pelvis up as you press your tailbone to the floor. When you hinge forward at the end of the pose, bring your left arm down to help you maintain stability.

RELATED: How to Do the Perfect Down Dog

5. Downward Dog Dance

You’ll get double the benefits of building core strength, while stretching you calves and hamstrings in this happy dance. As you move into plank position, alternate crossing your knees to opposite elbows. Keep your toes pointed when you’re in plank, but flex them in downward dog to feel the stretch. As for breathing: “Inhale during the extension and exhale during the contraction. When you exhale, you should feel the contraction in your core,” Michel says.

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