Sweat It All Out with This 30-Minute HIIT Cardio Workout

If you look up HIIT (high-intensity interval training) in the dictionary, you'll be surprised to see Kayla Itsines' face is not there on the page, basically staring at you asking why you aren't doing mountain climbers right now.

Jokes aside, Itsines has built a reputation for being the queen of bodyweight HIIT workouts — though her fitness empire and workout programs have certainly expanded throughout to years — and that's because they work.

HIIT (whether from Itsines or otherwise) asks for maximal effort with minimal rest, but the concept is meant to be efficient so you aren't left drained but rather energized and feeling like you got an insanely good workout in half the time of your usual moderate-intensity routine. (

This HIIT cardio workout from Itsines is a total-body routine that will work to strengthen your quads, glutes, hamstrings, chest, arms, shoulders, and core while also improving your stability and muscular endurance. See, efficient! Complete each exercise in order, quickly transitioning between exercises to keep your heart rate elevated throughout.

HIIT Cardio and Strength Workout

How it works: Get warm with 3-5 minutes of light cardio such as jumping rope. Then, run through each of the nine HIIT exercises for the allotted time, resting as little as possible between each move. Repeat the entire circuit for a total of four rounds, resting for 60 seconds between each round. Finish with a 3- to 5-minute cool down and/or dynamic stretching to lower your heart rate.

You'll need: Nada. That's the beauty of bodyweight routines. (Though, you'll probs want a workout mat for comfort.)

Alternating Lateral Lunge

1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale to take a big step to left with the left foot, bending the left knee and sending hips back to lower into a lateral squat, ensuring right leg remains straight.
3. Exhale to step left foot next to right to return to start.
4. Switch sides; repeat. Continue alternating sides.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Mountain Climbers

1. Start in a high plank position, hands under shoulders and feet together. Gently draw ribs to hips to engage core.
2. Bend right knee and bring it in toward chest. Extend right leg to return to start.
3. Bend left knee and bring it in toward chest. Extend left leg to return to start.
4. Continue alternating sides as quickly as possible, remembering to breathe.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Kneeling Side Plank

1. Start by lying on left side lengthways along a mat, legs stacked on top of one another. Place left forearm firmly on the floor, ensuring elbow is directly below shoulder and forearm is parallel to the short edge of the mat.
2. Keeping legs together, bend both knees to a 90-degree angle, so knees are in line with hips and shins are behind body. Gently draw ribs to hips to engage core. Using obliques, gently raise hips off the mat, ensuring body is in straight line from head to knees.

Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

Pop Squat

1. Start standing with feet roughly shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale. Exhale to jump, landing softly with legs wider than shoulder-width apart, lowering into a sumo squat.
3. Inhale to jump feet back to shoulder-width apart, landing softly with knees slightly bent.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Ab Bikes

1. Start by lying face-up on the mat with legs extended. Bend elbows and place hands behind earlobes. Gently raise both legs, head, and shoulders off the mat to start.
2. Keeping right leg extended, bend left knee and draw it in toward chest. At same time, rotate torso to left to bring right elbow to left knee.
3. Untwist torso and extend left knee to return to start. Immediately bend right knee and draw it in toward chest and rotate torso to right to bring left elbow to knee.
4. Untwist torso and extend right knee to return to start. Continue alternating sides.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

1. Start by lying face-up on the mat with left knee bent, pointing toward the ceiling, and left foot on the floor. Extend right leg either directly forward or up to the ceiling, ensuring spine is neutral. Allow arms to rest by sides on the mat to start.
2. Inhale. Exhale to gently draw ribs to hips to engage core. Press left heel into the mat, activate glutes, and raise pelvis off the floor until body forms one straight line from chin to knee.
3. Inhale to lower pelvis to return to start.

Repeat for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

Double-Pulse Sumo Squat

1. Begin standing with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Gently draw pubic bone to belly button to engage pelvic floor to start.
2. Inhale to bend at hips and knees (ensuring knees remain in line with toes) to lower into a sumo squat. Stop when quads are parallel to the floor. Ensure torso remains as upright as possible.
3. Exhale to press through heels and lift hips up a few inches. Inhale to lower hips to full squat position.
4. Exhale to press through heels and stand and return to start.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Kneeling Commandos

1. Start in a forearm plank with knees on the floor. Gently draw ribs to hips to engage core to start.
2. Inhale. Exhale to to place right hand firmly on the mat directly below right shoulder and push up onto right hand. Place left hand firmly on the mat directly below left shoulder and push up onto left hand. Keep core activated to prevent hips from swaying.
3. Inhale to lower right forearm to the mat, then left forearm to the mat to return to start. Repeat, this time starting with left forearm. Continue alternating sides.

Repeat for 30 seconds.

Reverse Lunge to Knee-Up

1. Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale to carefully take big step backward with right foot. As right foot lands on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees, ensuring weight is evenly distributed between legs. Front knee should be aligned with ankle and back knee should be hovering just off the floor.
3. Exhale to press off the right foot and stand balancing on the left foot, bringing right knee in toward chest.
4. Inhale to step right foot back into lunge to begin the next rep.

Repeat for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

Repeat the entire circuit for a total of four rounds, resting for 60 seconds between each round.