Have you been searching the web for exercises that you can squeeze into your everyday routine even when you are running super late but want to get that quick workout in? We’ve done the research for you and come up with a list of the Best HIIT leg and glute workouts that you can give a try.
Can we have some brownie points for exercises that are noise-free and also require no equipment?
With these best HIIT leg and glute workouts, let us get you closer to the summer body you’ve wanted for a while now.
What is High-Intensity Interval Training?
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a cardiovascular exercise that is an effective way to burn calories. You’ll have an alternate period of anaerobic exercise with a recovery period that is less intense, with the aim that you don’t become too exhausted to continue.
Generally, a HIIT workout is under 30 minutes, but may extend to 45 minutes, depending on your fitness levels. You’ll do about 20 seconds of intense exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest, but these intervals will also depend on your session’s length.
Don’t have the motivation to hit the gym? Check out ways to motivate yourself to go to the gym!
These HIIT leg and glute workouts are beginner-friendly and can be started without equipment.
You’ll be able to build muscle, lose weight, and boost your metabolism. Plus, there’s a bonus, your body can burn calories for two hours even after your workout.
You’ll find that it helps you build a healthier and stronger heart, and you’ll soon notice an improvement in your general fitness levels. It reduces blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat. HIIT is believed to offer the same benefits as other types of training but in a much shorter duration.
You’ll need to complete these workouts alongside maintaining a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet to see the expected results. A fit, strong lower body helps you move through your day more easily.
Doing a regular lower body workout can help shape your legs, hips, and glutes by building lean muscle mass in those areas. You’ll strengthen muscles in the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Whether you work out at home or the gym, these HIIT leg and glute workouts will surely leave your legs shaking.
ALWAYS WARM UP BEFORE A WORKOUT!!!
Doing a warm-up increases body temperature and blood flow, which helps increase the rate of energy production to all those active muscles.
Suppose you do a HIIT leg and glute workout without warming up, this places potentially dangerous stress on the heart. Warming up reduces the stress on the heart. Dynamic warm-ups are the most effective way to avoid injuries.
What Do You Gain By Incorporating a HIIT Leg and Glute Workout?
You can gain a number of advantages by adding High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and glute exercises into your fitness regimen. Short bursts of vigorous activity are interspersed with quick rest intervals in HIIT. It has been shown to increase calorie burn, improve overall endurance, and improve cardiovascular fitness. HIIT exercises can also improve metabolism, which promotes continued fat-burning after the session is over.
However, glute workouts, which are created to target and strengthen them particularly, are concentrated on the gluteal muscles, which include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. The strength, shape, and tone of the buttocks’ muscles can all be improved with these exercises. In addition to adding to a well-rounded body, strong glutes also stabilize and support the lower back and hips, lowering the chance of injury and enhancing overall performance.
Additionally, HIIT and glute exercises can both have a favorable effect on total body composition. HIIT contributes to a more toned and defined figure by encouraging the formation of lean muscle while reducing extra body fat. By focusing on a single muscle group, glute exercises can assist improve muscle definition and shape in the buttocks region, giving the area a more sculpted appearance.
6 Best HIIT leg and glute workouts:
1. SQUATS
Squats are a full-body compound movement exercise that works most joints and muscle groups, like the hips, glutes, quads, and hamstrings, and benefits the core. Squats are pretty good for the knees if done correctly, as good muscle structure around the knee helps in the knee’s supporting functions, and therefore is an excellent HIIT leg and glute workout. Excess weight harms knee health, so maintaining an ideal weight is vital.
How To Do a Squat
- Place your feet slightly wider than your hips and take a deep breath.
- Your toes should be pointed slightly outward – the more comprehensive your stance, the more outward you want to rotate your feet.
- Look straight ahead and pick a spot on the wall before you.
- Look at this spot the entire time you squat, not looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling.
Challenge yourself with Bodyweight squats which is a great way to kick start this week.
Here are a few squat variations that you can try to spice things up during your next HIIT leg and glute workout:
- Air Squat
- Side Squat
- Split Squat
- Sumo Squat
2. LUNGES
Lunges are a single-leg bodyweight exercise. Similar to squats, this is also a multi-joint and muscle exercise. Lunges help you develop mobility, balance, and core strength focusing on one side of the body at a time.
It engages the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles. The abs and lower back are engaged for better stability.
How To Do a Lunge
- Place your feet hip-width apart.
- Take a big step forward on one leg.
- As you lower your hips, keep most of your weight on your front foot with the back heel lifted.
- Descend until your back knee nearly touches the floor, resulting in a 90° bend in both knees.
- Push yourself back up to your starting position by driving through the heel of your front foot.
Here is a set of challenging variations that you can also try
- Alternating lunge jumps
- Reverse lunges
- Walking lunges
- Overhead lunges
3. GLUTE BRIDGE HOLD
The glute bridge hold tightens your glutes, strengthens your core, and helps build power. The glute bridge burns the fat around your hips and belly and strengthens your lower back, making it a must-do HIIT leg and glute workout.
How To Do a glute bridge hold
- Start by lying down on your back on the floor.
- Then, place your arms beside your body and walk your legs toward your butt. Keep your legs at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
- Now, by pushing your upper back and feet towards the floor, lift your hips towards the ceiling till your body is straight from shoulder to knees.
- Engaging the core and glute muscles to hold that position as long as you can, then slowly lowering your hips back to the start position.
- For beginners, aim for a 30-second to 1-minute hold.
4. PLANK, SQUAT, AND JUMP
Plank jacks help to stabilize the hips and spine while moving the lower body. They develop strength and stability while also building cardio capacity. Plank jacks help activate the muscles of the posterior chain – hamstrings, glutes, rear delts, and lats.
You may target your core with a plank jack, but it is, in fact, more than a HIIT leg and glute workout, and is a whole-body exercise.
5 – minute plank workout to elevate your plank game.
How To Do Plank, Squat And Jump
- Kneel on the floor and place your hands on the floor. Bend your elbows so that your forearms rest on the floor. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders.
- Extend your legs behind you and tuck your tailbone slightly, so your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core. Your body should be in a straight line, your back flat. Focus your eyes on the floor.
- Keeping your body in a straight line, slightly bend at the knees and hop both feet out to the sides as if doing a jumping jack.
- Land on your toes, allowing your knees to bend slightly again, and then hop your legs back to the starting position.
5. BURPEES
Burpees, a squat thrust with an additional stand between repetitions, is a full-body exercise for strength training.
How To Do Burpees
- Start by squatting with your knees bent, back straight, and feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your hands to the floor in front of you, just inside your feet.
- Kick your feet back, so you’re on your hands and toes in a pushup position.
- Keeping your body straight from head to heels, do one pushup.
- Do a frog kick by jumping your feet back to their starting position.
- Stand and reach your arms over your head.
- As soon as you land with your knees bent, get into a squat position and do another repetition.
We know burpees can be exhausting. What makes them tiring and challenging is also what makes them a highly effective exercise that can help build strength, endurance, and cardio fitness. So, include it in your HIIT leg and glute workout.
6. HIGH KNEES
High knees might seem simple, but cranking out a few sets of this high-energy move engages your heart. They activate your lower body and core muscles. Moreover, high knees can serve as a warmup, cardio burst between resistance training exercises or part of High-Intensity Interval Training.
How To Do high knees
- Stand with your feet hip-to-shoulder width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Looking straight ahead, open your chest, and engage your core muscles.
- Begin by bringing your right knee toward your chest, slightly above waist level. Simultaneously, move your left hand up in a pumping motion.
- Quickly lower your right leg and left hand.
- Repeat the same with your left leg and right hand.
- Alternate your right and left leg for the desired time.
FAQs
What are the best high-impact HIIT workouts for women?
If you have some stubborn areas that hold fat in your lower body, HIIT leg and glute workouts are phenomenal at burning fat, and are a great addition to your fitness routine. For women, lateral lunges, planks, and cardio moves, like jumping jacks and glute bridges are great HIIT exercises.
What exactly is HIIT?
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of cardiovascular exercise that effectively burns calories. You’ll have an alternate period of anaerobic exercise with a recovery period that is less intense.
What are the benefits of having a stronger glute?
Strong glutes improve your overall health, strengthen your spine, improve posture, reduce the risk of injury, and help prevent knee, hip, and lower back pain. This is especially important if you work at a desk all day.
Check out more of our fitness articles like Quick Hits: Standing legs and booty workouts.
Wrapping Up
If you’re bored of your regular monotonic workout routine, you’ve come to the right place, stumbling upon this cherry-picked list of HIIT leg and glute workouts that can help you attain maximum results. We’ve kept the list apartment-friendly for those of you with strict landlords, and have also included exercises requiring jumping for all of you who are passionate about jumping.
We hope this list has brought some clarity to the people who always associate HIIT workouts with jumping, which in reality, is not the case.
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