A 10-minute HIIT workout is ideal for anyone who is short on time, looking to burn calories or get in some essential daily exercise.
HIIT workouts are just as effective as traditional fitness regimes, they also require less space and time, work different muscle groups, and offer surprising health benefits.
The theory is using intense yet short bursts of energy with little rest in between sets to raise your heart rate and push your body to its limits. This is why HIIT, high-intensity interval training, is done for a short period of time. Your body is working to its maximum capacity.
This 10-minute HIIT workout will burn a good chunk of calories during the workout to meet the energy demands.
You’ll also be burning calories post-workout too. The after-burn will keep on consuming calories in order to repair muscles. Plus, HIIT workouts raise metabolism, resulting in more calories being burned. A trifecta effect that really helps you lose weight.
The perks of doing a 10-minute HIIT workout go beyond weight loss. In a short time, this workout will work your entire lower body.
This helps build functional strength allowing you to lift more in your other workouts. You’ll also boost your endurance by training your body to go harder.
What Is A HIIT Workout?
Even though HIIT workouts take less time, they get the job done – more than done. HIIT focuses on pushing your muscles to their limits, maximizing their use. Average HIIT workouts range from 4 to 15 minutes.
HIIT has become popular with all kinds of athletes and fitness enthusiasts because of its versatility. The circuits can be customized according to an individual’s strength level and goals.
HIIT workouts can be done with just bodyweight, or cardio, or weights. Some workouts have combinations of body weight and weight exercises, this 10-minute HIIT workout combines both bodyweight and dumbbells.
When compared to moderate-to-vigorous continuous training, HIIT workouts showed similar benefits and, in some cases, twice as much. A study showed that compared to moderate training, HIIT maximizes the outcomes in less time.
Simply, the goal of HIIT workouts is to engage muscles vigorously and get your body to burn a lot of calories in a short period.
Apart from giving similar results as working out in the gym, HIIT workouts have also been shown to provide cardiorespiratory and metabolic benefits as well.
A 10-minute HIIT workout is done with rounds that are the same as sets. Some workouts have varying exercises while others have repeating exercises. The set can either be for a few seconds or repetitions.
10 Minute HIIT Workout
This 10-minute HIIT workout has 4 exercises. Each exercise has 4 sets of 12 repetitions each. The rest period depends on you, it can range from 1:1 ratio to 1:4. Meaning, you rest as long as your intense round lasts for or you rest for a longer period.
To really get the most out of your 10-minute HIIT workout, muster as much intensity during your intervals. By the end, you should be exhausted.
Before you start your workout, get in a good stretch so your muscles are ready to go. This also prevents any nasty strains or injuries.
Lastly, start this 10-minute HIIT workout with one exercise followed by a short rest and then the next. Your goal is to complete 128 repetitions in 10 minutes with your rest periods. While you are going fast, keep your form in check.
Using momentum to complete repetition is just counterproductive. Don’t compromise on form despite your blazing intensity.
Jumping Lunges
- Sets: 4
- Repetitions: 12
- Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and calves.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Stand shoulder-width apart
- Step forward with your right leg
- Now, lunge down as you normally would
- Your right knee should make a 90-degree angle, as well your left knee which should be just above the floor
- Next, jump up and switch the position of your feet while in the air, with your right going back and left coming to the front
- As soon as you land, transition back into a forward lunge
Pop Squats
- Sets: 4
- Repetitions: 12
- Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Stand straight with your feet close to each other
- Slightly jump up and land with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart
- Now, squat down until your knees are parallel with the floor
- Next, jump back up to the starting position
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
- Sets: 4
- Repetitions: 12
- Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and calves.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand
- Step backward with your right leg
- Lower your right knee till it's just off the ground
- Both your knees should make a 90-degree angle
- Now, come back to starting position and repeat with the other leg
Single Dumbbell Rack Squat
- Sets: 4
- Repetitions: 12
- Muscles worked: Gluteus maximus and quadriceps
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Hold a dumbbell in your hand and rest the upper half on your shoulder
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your feet pointed slightly outwards
- Now, squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor
- Do half of the set with the dumbbell on your right side and the other half with the dumbbell on the left
Benefits Of HIIT Workouts
Burns More Calories Than Traditional Workouts
After you are done with this 10-minute HIIT workout, you’ll notice how much energy you spent and how sore you now are. Even though 10 minutes sounds like less time, with HIIT workouts, they equal just as much as normal workouts in the gym.
A study compared the number of calories burned during HIIT, weight training, running and biking. HIIT workouts burned 30% more calories than the other forms of exercise.
The story doesn’t end here. With HIIT workouts you are also burning calories post-workout.
This after burn is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This happens when your body requires calories to help your muscles recover. HIIT pushes your muscles to the extreme which then requires just as much healing.
Lastly, HIIT also raises your metabolism. In fact, a study showed that HIIT raises your metabolism more than running or weight training. Furthermore, the same study suggested that this increase in metabolism targeted fat vs. carbs for energy.
These three reasons make HIIT optimal for weight loss while not consuming so much of our precious time.
Works Different Muscle Groups
This 10-minute HIIT workout targets all the major muscle groups in your lower body. Almost all HIIT tend to engage different muscle groups depending on the exercises. The more diverse your HIIT is, the more muscles will be used.
This helps build functional strength and coordination between muscle groups. All of which help you live a healthier and stronger life. Functional strength and muscle coordination play a pivotal role in strength building and athletics.
A study in 2017 observed that after a six-week HIIT program, the participants noticed an increase in muscle power.
This is measured by PPO or peak power output. The average PPO before the six-week program was 799 watts and after the program, it went up to 865 watts.
Boosts Endurance
A 10-minute HIIT workout can boost your endurance. A study showed that even a minute of HIIT can increase mitochondria or the powerhouse of cells. This is fuel for your body, the richer your cells are in mitochondria, the more ATP you’ll be producing.
A boost in endurance can be just the thing for those feeling low on energy or chronic fatigue. Endurance is also important to stay proactive throughout the day and to excel in strength training workouts.
Improves The Flow Of Oxygen
As mentioned above, HIIT improves endurance in the body. This increase in endurance improves oxygen consumption in muscles.
Endurance training is associated with long runs or hardcore training, but recent studies show that HIIT produces the same benefits in a shorter time.
Doing a HIIT workout for 20 minutes 4 days a week over a duration of 5 weeks can increase oxygen consumption by 9%.
Lowers Blood Pressure
While a 10-minute HIIT workout has numerous benefits to be covered, the last on the list is related to heart health.
This next fact should be eye-opening. In the US, 1 in 4 deaths is due to heart disease.
This is why exercise has become so important in the last decade. HIIT has shown tremendous results in boosting heart health.
A study in Science and Sport documented two groups of children. The first group had a traditional exercise routine while the others did HIIT.
The study showed the HIIT groups had increased cardiorespiratory functions. Other studies have shown that HIIT decreases blood pressure when done 5 days a week.
While all exercise is good, HIIT is better for the heart. Especially for overweight individuals, HIIT has shown to be even more effective.
So, if you’re looking for the right workout to get back into shape and to boost your heart health, then this 10-minute HIIT workout is just what you need.
Check Out More HIIT Workouts On YouTube
Key Takeaway
A 10-minute HIIT workout has a plethora of benefits. It helps to burn calories, lose weight, increase oxygen consumption, boost heart health and improves endurance.
While it may sound too good to be true, recent studies have shown that HIIT workouts are just as effective as normal workouts.
But, effective for the benefits mentioned above. Conventional strength training is still the best option when it comes to building muscle mass.
Apart from that, HIIT workouts are optimal for anyone crunched on time. Try this 10-minute HIIT workout and tell us how it worked out for you in the comments below.
