A 15-Minute Beginner HIIT Workout for Better Heart Health and Endurance — No Equipment Needed

By Jul 4, 2023
Do more work in less time with HIIT workouts to improve your heart health, endurance and strength.
Image Credit: Prostock-Studio/iStock/GettyImages

Want maximal benefits in minimal time? Look no further than high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

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HIIT workouts are an efficient way to improve your heart health, according to a September 2015 study in ‌PLOS One‌, and they boost your endurance with the added component of strength. Not to mention, you can do a HIIT workout anywhere without any equipment in a short period of time, making them perfect for beginners or those with busy schedules.

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Adding any HIIT workout to your training routine, like this 15-minute one below, will offer variety and give you a little extra time in your day to do the other things in life that you value.

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How to Do This Workout

For this workout, you'll alternate between a body-weight exercise for 60 seconds immediately followed by a plyometric exercise (aka a powerful, explosive movement like a jump squat) utilizing the same muscle groups for 30 seconds. Rest for 20 to 30 seconds in between each block of work before moving on to the next block of work.

Tip

If you need to modify any of the plyometric exercises, a great option is to stick with the body-weight exercise but pick up the speed at which you perform it.

The Workout

1. Air Squat

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and brace your core. Focus on keeping your feet rooted into the ground and your core tight the entire time.
  2. Clasp your hands in front of your chest and slowly bend your knees as you push your hips back to lower toward the floor. Focus on lowering your body as if you were going to sit on a chair.
  3. Lower down as far as comfortable, or until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom of your squat.
  5. On an exhale, reverse the motion by pressing through your heels to return to standing. As you stand, lower your arms back to your sides.

2. Pop Squat

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, feet turned out at 45 degrees. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
  2. Bend your knees and lower into a squat, keeping your chest up and back flat.
  3. Press through your heels and jump up into the air.
  4. Land with your feet together.
  5. Rebound quickly and jump back up, landing with your feet wider than hip-width distance, feet turned out at 45 degrees. This is 1 rep.
  6. Go right into the squat for your next rep, continuing to alternate between feet together and feet wide with each jump.

3. Reverse Lunge

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
  2. Move your right leg back behind your body while simultaneously bending your left knee and lowering your hips. Keep your torso straight.
  3. Stop when your left knee is at a 90-degree angle and your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
  4. Pause slightly and press into your left heel, squeezing your glutes to stand up, while bringing your right leg back to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
  5. Next, alternate legs, bringing your left leg back next.
  6. Repeat.

4. Jumping Lunge

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
  2. Bend both knees slightly, then jump both feet apart, landing softly into a lunge with your right foot forward and left foot back.
  3. Press off both feet and hop back to standing position with knees slightly bent.
  4. Jump both feet apart, landing softly into a lunge with your left foot forward and right foot back.
  5. Repeat.

5. Lateral Lunge

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
  2. Step your right foot out to the the side. Keeping your left leg straight, bend your right knee and sit your butt back like you're trying to sit in a chair behind you.
  3. Keep your arms hanging on either side of the bent leg.
  4. Push off your right foot and return to standing.
  5. Repeat on the opposite side and continue alternating legs.

6. Speed Skater

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Legs, Butt and Abs
  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
  2. Start by taking a small leap to one side with your right leg, while your left leg travels behind the body and the foot is placed behind the body (slightly crossing the mid-line of the body like a curtsy). Your right leg in the front is kept bent.
  3. Immediately take a leap to the left with your left leg, placing the right foot at the back this time.
  4. Keep alternating between left and right.

7. Plank Walk-Out With Shoulder Tap

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Abs, Arms and Shoulders
  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Hinge forward at your hips, carefully walking your hands forward until you are in a high plank position.
  3. Your shoulders should be stacked over your elbows and wrists and your core should be tight. Squeeze your glutes and quads to keep your body in a straight line from your head to your toes.
  4. Tap your left shoulder with your right hand, then return your hand back to the floor.
  5. Tap your right shoulder with your left hand, then return your hand back to the floor.
  6. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, walk your hands back toward your feet to stand up.
  7. Repeat.

8. Mountain Climber

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Full Body
  1. Press up into a high plank position like you're about to do a push-up, with hands beneath the shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  2. Feet should be shoulder-width apart and anchored to the floor on the balls of your feet.
  3. Keep your hips level and don't let your lower back sag.
  4. Bring your right knee into your chest, engaging your abs at the same time.
  5. Return your right knee to starting position.
  6. Bring your left knee into your chest, then shoot it back, switching legs at your desired pace.
  7. Keep your breath steady throughout the exercise, breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth.

9. Modified Push-Up to Child's Pose

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Body Part Chest, Shoulders, Arms and Abs
  1. Start in a plank position on your knees.
  2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest all the way to the floor (or as far as you can go).
  3. Push back up, keeping your back straight and your hips level the entire time.
  4. Press your butt back to your heels and reach your fingertips out as far as you can in front of you into child's pose.
  5. Return to modified plank position and repeat.

10. Sprawl

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Full Body
  1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart.
  2. Place your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, then hop your feet back into a high plank. Your body should make a straight line from your heels through your hips to the top of your head.
  3. Hop your feet forward, then stand back up.
  4. Repeat.

11. Bear Plank With Row

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Full Body
  1. Start kneeling on all fours in a tabletop position with wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
  2. Flex your toes, tuck your pelvis, lift your knees and hover approximately 3 to 6 inches off the ground.
  3. Keep your back flat and core engaged and avoid sinking your shoulders or arching your lower back by continually pressing your palms into the floor.
  4. Pull your right elbow up to your side until it touches your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blades to your spine.
  5. Return your right arm back down to starting position.
  6. Pull your left elbow up to your side until it touches your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blades to your spine.
  7. Return your right arm back down to starting position.
  8. Repeat.

12. Bear Plank to High Plank Hop

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Full Body
  1. Start kneeling on all fours in a tabletop position with wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
  2. Flex your toes, tuck your pelvis, lift your knees and hover approximately 3 to 6 inches off the ground.
  3. Keep your back flat and core engaged and avoid sinking your shoulders or arching your lower back by continually pressing your palms into the floor.
  4. Hop your feet back to high plank position.
  5. Return to bear plank position.
  6. Repeat.
Save this beginner HIIT workout so you can do it anywhere, anytime.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative

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