Rest-Based HIIT
| Exercise | Reps |
| Squat-to-Press | 12 reps |
| Lunge-to-Curl | 12 reps |
| Pushup-to-Row | 12 reps |
| Burpee-to-Press | 12 reps |
Choose a weight you can curl with good form for about 15 reps, and use the same set of dumbbells for the entire workout.
⊕ Perform the four moves in a continuous circuit, completing 12 reps of each exercise before moving to the next one.
⊕ Rest as often as necessary (even in the middle of a set) for as long as you need until you feel ready to continue the workout.
⊕ Pick up exactly where you left off.
⊗ Complete as many rounds as possible, aiming for about 3, in 20 minutes.
To determine when and how long to rest, “monitor the levels of your Bs and Hs — burning, breathlessness, heaviness, and heat — on a 1-to-4 scale,” advises workout designer Jade Teta — 1 being fully rested and 4 being unable to continue.
For best results, and for a beneficial release of the hormones that trigger fat loss, muscle growth, and mood elevation, Teta suggests working until those fatigue indicators accumulate to a full-on level 4, then rest until they subside entirely.
Squat-to-Press
Perform 12 reps.
Full Instructions
- Assume a shoulder-width stance, holding the dumbbells at shoulder height (under- or overhanded).
- Squat as deeply as you comfortably can, allowing your knees to spread wide, keeping your chest up and your lower back in its natural arch.
- Without letting your knees collapse inward, reverse the movement, standing fully upright.
- Press the dumbbells to arm’s length overhead.
- Lower the weights to shoulder height and repeat.
Rest as often as necessary, and for as long as you need, and then pick up exactly where you left off.
Lunge-to-Curl
Alternate sides and perform 12 reps per side.
Full Instructions
- Assume a shoulder-width stance, holding the dumbbells by your sides.
- Lunge forward with your right foot, bending both knees to about 90 degrees, left knee close to the floor.
- Reverse the movement to stand upright, then rotate your hands so your palms face forward. Slowly curl the dumbbells to shoulder height.
- Lower the dumbbells back to your sides.
- Repeat the movement, this time stepping forward with your left foot.
Rest as often as necessary, and for as long as you need, and then pick up exactly where you left off.
Pushup-to-Row
Perform 12 reps.
Full Instructions
- Holding the dumbbells, assume a pushup position with the dumbbells on the floor: core engaged, glutes squeezed, feet shoulder width apart, and body straight from head to heels.
- Maintaining a straight body, bend your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and lower your chest as close as possible to the floor
- Reverse the movement, straightening your arms.
- With your left arm fully extended, lift the dumbbell in your right hand as high as possible, keeping your right elbow close to your side.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell and repeat the movement with your left hand.
- You can modify this move by performing a renegade row: Hold the plank position and row the dumbbells, but remove the pushup portion of the exercise.
Rest as often as necessary, and for as long as you need, and then pick up exactly where you left off.
Burpee-to-Press
Perform 12 reps.
Full Instructions
- Assume a shoulder-width stance, holding the dumbbells by your sides.
- Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend at the hips and knees until the dumbbells make contact with the floor.
- Jump your feet backward into the plank position.
- Jump your feet forward to a squat position, then stand upright with dumbbells once again at your sides.
- Curl the dumbbells to shoulder height, and then press the dumbbells to arm’s length overhead.
- Lower the dumbbells to your sides and repeat the entire sequence.
Rest as often as necessary, and for as long as you need, and then pick up exactly where you left off.
Complete as many rounds as possible, aiming for about 3, in 20 minutes.