This 20-minute HIIT workout for beginners is a fast, equipment-free way to burn fat, boost energy, and build strength from home. It targets your entire body in just one session, perfect for anyone short on time but ready to get results. No gym needed, just a little effort and a lot of sweat!
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, which means this 20-minute HIIT workout for beginners brings the heat. It's a fast-paced way to torch calories, rev your metabolism, and start building lean muscle, all without needing a single piece of equipment. And while it’s beginner-friendly, don’t confuse that with easy. These intervals will have your heart pumping and your body working.
What makes this workout truly approachable is how it’s structured: short bursts of movement, followed by intentional rest. No endless burpees or confusing choreography here. The only high-impact move is skipping, which you can easily swap for low-impact high knees. If you’re looking for an option without any jumping at all, check out this no-equipment circuit workout. And if even 20 minutes feels like a stretch, start smaller with my 5-Day Fitness Challenge: just 5 minutes a day to build momentum and confidence.
Bonus: If you’re pairing your workouts with fueling snacks, this dairy-free chocolate protein pudding or coffee protein brownies make amazing snacks!
Jump To
Beginner 20 Minute HIIT Workout
| Walking Lunges | 10 reps per leg |
| Mountain Climbers | 20 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds x3 sets |
| In & Out Squats | 40 seconds |
| Skips | 100 |
| Rest | 15 seconds x3 sets |
| Bear Crawl Tabata | 20 seconds work : 10 seconds rest |
| 6 sets |
How to perform the workout:
- Perform the first two exercises back to back.
- Rest for 15-30 seconds after the mountain climbers.
- Repeat for a total of three rounds.
- Move on to the next group and perform the exercises back to back.
- Rest for 15-30 seconds after the skips. Repeat for a total of three rounds.
- Finally, perform bear crawls for twenty seconds.
- Rest for ten seconds. Repeat for a total of six rounds.
Workout PDF
Below is a free PDF to download with the HIIT workout. Use this workout printable to take notes about when you performed the workout and how it felt.
Then, progress and get better each and every time!
Tips For Performing The Workout
One of the crucial elements when working out at home is learning how to properly engage your muscles and tweak your own form- especially with HIIT exercises!
In particular, simply going through the motions as fast as you can, will become ineffective quickly. Instead, learn to slow it down and focus on engaging the muscles versus just doing.
Walking Lunges
Perform ten repetitions on each leg
- Begin standing upright
- Step forward with one leg and pause while you drop the back knee to the ground in a lunge position
- Make sure the weight is evenly distributed in the front foot and the knee tracks over the foot (not caves in and no leaning forwards)
- Pull up through the front foot and step forward with the back leg to the starting position and repeat the movement
Mountain Climbers
Perform this exercise for twenty seconds
- Begin in a plank position on your hands
- Alternating legs, bring one knee up towards your chest in an abdominal crunch
- Be sure to keep the hands under the shoulders and not to drop the low back
Squats With Bottom Pause
Perform ten repetitions
- Take your feet hip width or more apart
- Drive the hips back and bend at the knees to lower into your squat
- Drive the knees out
- Keep the weight in the back of the foot, chest up and pause at the bottom for three seconds
- Contract the glutes, drive the knees out and return to standing position
Skips
Perform 100 skips
- Holding onto the rope with both hands have the rope start behind you
- Turn the handles with momentum and hop over the rope when it comes
Note: you can mimic skips if you don’t have the room or a rope. Or, using standing knee taps for a low-impact option.
Bear Crawls
Perform this exercise for twenty seconds, rest for ten seconds and repeat.
- come onto all fours lifting the knees so that they hover above the ground
- keeping the hips low move one hand and the opposite leg forward
- repeat on the other side and begin to crawl forward
- perform the crawls forward and backwards
HIIT Workouts Versus Strength Training
Both HIIT workouts and traditional strength workouts can be used to lose weight and build muscle, so long as they revolve around functional training... and I use both in the SMASH home workout program.
However, HIIT workouts will give more of a cardio challenge and target muscle endurance in addition to strength. This makes them a great choice for anyone short on time- though this 20 minute dumbbell workout is perfect for those looking to start basic strength training at home.
The best HIIT exercises are also often combo exercises or compound exercises that target the most muscle groups possible in an intense way.
Using HIIT Training For Weight Loss?
Any workout can be used effectively for weight loss. However, given the intensity of HIIT workouts, it’s very effective when losing weight.
Part of weight loss is learning how to scale or progress workouts in intensity to get the biggest bang for your buck. Which means that you always want to be pushing yourself a bit more every session.
High intensity interval training is naturally intense but you can make exercises harder as you progress. Learn more about the pillars of weight loss.
Don't Forget To Pin This HIIT Workout For Beginners
Beginner HIIT Training FAQs
HIIT workouts can range from 2 minutes to 30 minutes. There is no perfect duration. You can get a great workout with just 15-20 minutes of interval training. However, if you’re brand new, start small and scale up. Each week (or every other) see if you can add an extra minute or set to your workout.
20 minutes of HIIT training per day is a great place to start and definitely enough to see results. It’s not the length of the workouts as much as the effort and intensity. So long as you’re engaging the muscles and consistently scaling your effort, results will come. All of this can easily be done in twenty minutes (or less!)
Beginners can start a HIIT program anytime, but they should ease in gradually. Focus on form over intensity and avoid jumping exercises until you have a base amount of strength.
Other Home Workouts and Tips
Below are a few resources to help you on your journey. if you want a more supported approach, check out my signature monthly workout plan SMASH Fit For Life. Or, if you just want to test the waters, my 6-Weeks to STRONG might be a better hit (it's made for those just getting back to it!).
Have you tried this 20-Minute At Home HIIT Workout For Beginners? Leave a comment below and let me know how it went for you!
Leave a Reply