The Perfect 20 Minute HIIT Workout Plan

In today’s episode of HIIT workouts, I’m going to be giving you the perfect 20 Minute HIIT workout plan

Here’s what we’re going to be covering…

I’m personally going to show you some of my favorite strength and conditioning HIIT workouts that will have you pouring out sweat and blood before the 20 minutes is over.

You’re gonna start crushing cardio workouts while gaining almost dangerous amounts of strength in the process.

Sound good?

Let’s get to it…

Related: 51 Addictive Workout Finishers For The Ultimate Afterburn

 

Structuring Your Workout

Now, this isn’t going to be one your standard follow along 20 minute HIIT workout plan that has you dancing around your living room floor like a headless chicken while trying to keep up with the half-naked women plastered all over YouTube.

You know the ones I mean.

No, this is going to be a structured, day by day, 20 minute HIIT workout plan that you can use to drastically increase both your conditioning and strength while at the same time carving out a physique you can be proud of.

We’re going to be breaking down your workouts into 2 categories…

• HIIT Strength
• HIIT Cardio

I’ll be giving a few structured workouts later on down the page, but for now, I just need you to understand how we’re going to lay this out.

You will be alternating your HIIT strength workouts and your HIIT cardio workouts every workout.

This can be done using either a 1-week cycle like this…

• Mon: HIIT Cardio
• Tues: HIIT Strength
• Wed: Rest
• Thur: HIIT Cardio
• Fri: HIIT Strength
• Sat: Rest
• Sun: Rest

Or a 2-week cycle like this…

• Mon: HIIT Cardio
• Tues: Rest
• Wed: HIIT Strength
• Thur: Rest
• Fri: HIIT Cardio
• Sat: Rest
• Sun: HIIT Strength
• Mon: Rest
• Tues: HIIT Cardio
• Wed: Rest
• Thur: HIIT Strength
• Fri: Rest
• Sat: HIIT Cardio
• Sun: Rest

The reason we structure a workout like this is to avoid overtraining and burning out your CNS (central nervous system)

Recovery time between workouts is not just advisory. It’s an essential part of the training process that is just as important, if not more important then the workout itself.

HIIT training is intense (when you do it right) and pushing the boundaries day in day out will do nothing for you other than make you weak, tired and susceptible to injury.

With me so far?

 

Creating Your 20 Minute HIIT Workout Plan

So now what we need to do is actually create our 20 minute HIIT workout plan.

Here’s how we’re going to do it…

I’m going to provide you with a separate list of HIIT strength workouts…

…and HIIT cardio workouts below.

Now, these workouts aren’t set in stone and if you need to, feel free to adjust the intervals provided based on your experience and current fitness level.

The idea behind these workouts is to simply pick from the list of HIIT Strength workouts on strength days…

…Or HIIT cardio workouts on your cardio days.

Let’s start with HIIT Strength…

 

20 Minute HIIT Workout Plan – HIIT Strength

The strength workouts are broken down into 3 separate workouts. I recommend you try and incorporate each and every one of these routines somewhere in your plan as it will give you the perfect combination of strength, strength endurance, and absolute core strength.

 

Workout 1: Pure Strength

Here’s how we’re going to break this one down…

• 30 Seconds: Pull-ups
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• 30 Seconds: Parallel Bar Dips
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• 30 Seconds: Inverted Rows
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• 30 Seconds: Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• 30 Seconds: Jump Squats
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x4

Some of these exercises may seem a little easy at first depending on your fitness level. But by the time sets 3-4 start to arrive, you’re going to find it hard to push the reps out.

And that my friend is the whole idea.

Pushing your body to the point of failure is what activates the fast twitch muscle fibers in your body, ultimately forcing your body to adapt and get stronger.

If your main goal is strength then I recommend adding this into your HIIT strength routine more frequently to experience the additional benefits.

 

Workout 2: No Equipment Workout

This workout is based more around strength endurance. And the great thing about it is it requires no equipment other than your hands, feet and a flat surface.

Here’s what you’re going to be doing…

• 30 Seconds: Jump Squats
• 30 Seconds: Wide Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Alternating Jumping Lunges
• 30 Seconds: Close Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x8

Now, there’s more than one way you can structure the workout.

The easier way, like the routine above, is still challenging but if you’re looking for the ultimate test of endurance then I recommend structuring the workout like this…

• 30 Seconds: Close Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Wide Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Jump Squats
• 30 Seconds: Alternating Lunges
• Repeat x8

In essence, it’s still the same workout, but by changing the order and performing two exercises for the same muscle group back to back you’re going to experience greater gains in strength endurance.

Hell, if you really wanted to push yourself, you even spend the first round focusing on just the upper half of your body, and the next round on the lower half.

So for instance…

• 30 Seconds: Close Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Wide Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Close Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Wide Grip Pushups
• 30 Seconds: Rest

Then continue to alternate between upper and lower body for the full 8 rounds.

 

Workout 3: Pure Abs

This last strength workout is a complete ab dominator.

Now I’ll be honest, It not going to get your heart beating out of your chest in true HIIT fashion, but I’ve included it into the 20 minute HIIT workout plan mainly because the core is often underused on most of the HIIT workouts you see online today.

This is going to get your core firing on all 4 cylinders and burning hotter than pouring gasoline onto an open fire.

Here’s how to do it…

• 30 Seconds: Flutter Kicks
• 30 Seconds: Scissor Kicks
• 30 Seconds: Sliding Knee Touch
• 30 Seconds: Alternating Heel Touch
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• 30 Seconds: Side Plank Raises (Left Side)
• 30 Seconds: Side Plank Raises (Right Side)
• 30 Seconds: Russian Twists
• 30 Seconds: Plank Hold
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x4

This is core conditioning at it’s absolute best.

There are gonna be multiple times throughout this workout that you’ll just wanna stop. It’s important to always try and push beyond your capabilities so if you do need to rest during the work phases, then try to keep it to a maximum of 1-2 seconds.

 

20 Minute HIIT Workout Plan – HIIT Cardio

This is where your true test of will is challenged.

I’m going to be giving you 4 of the very best HIIT conditioning workouts that have personally helped me torch major calories while massively improving my conditioning and overall work capacity.

They aren’t easy, but then again nothing that gets great results ever is…

 

Workout 1: Burpees Of Hell

Yes, it’s the exercise we all love to hate… BURPEES (Yay!)

If you thought a few measly sets of burpees where bad, wait until you try this tough mother

It’s 20 minutes, 20 rounds and this is how it’s going to play out…

• 30 Seconds: Burpees
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x20

Again, you do not have to follow these workouts to the absolute letter.

If 30 seconds is impossible for you at this stage then have a play around with the intervals to suit your current fitness level.

Just remember that it should still be very challenging or you’re simply not going to feel the benefit.

 

Workout 2: Sprint Baby Sprint

Next up on the list of oh so difficult HIIT workouts you’re going to be running some lovely sprints.

Here’s the breakdown of the workout…

• 20 Seconds: Sprint
• 40 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x20

You can do these on a track, an open field but for convenience, I usually try to perform these on a treadmill whenever possible.

The reason being is that I find it easier to keep track of the intervals when I’m performing sprints on a treadmill.

Ultimately though, the choice is yours…

 

Workout 3: The Rope Spinner

Next up on our awesome list of HIIT cardio workouts, we’ve got the jump rope (hooray!)

Now instead of the usual work to rest periods that you see with most HIIT workouts.

We’re going to structure this one a little differently.

What we are going to do is have phases of intense intervals, followed by active rest intervals.

You see, jumping rope less about stopping and starting and more about finding a consistent flow and rhythm.

I’ve found that performing strict all out work followed by non-active rest periods makes it a hell of a lot more difficult to jump straight back into an intense jump rope interval at full intensity.

So here’s what you’re going to do…

• 20 Seconds: Jump Rope Sprint In Place or Double Unders
• 40 Seconds: Active rest (Keep the rope spinning at a light to moderate pace)
• Repeat x20

This not only keeps your heart rate higher but you’re going to burn more calories during your workout as a result.

It’s a win, win situation.

 

Workout 4: Punch Out Drills

And last on our leisurely list of HIIT cardio workouts we’re doing punch out drills.

So strap your gloves and get ready to start smashing away at the heavy bag because this one is gonna be a battle.

Here’s what you’re going to do…

• 30 Seconds: Non-stop 1-2 punch combinations
• 30 Seconds: Rest
• Repeat x20

It’s important to note that during the working intervals, you should be aiming to punch as hard and as fast as possible.

So no slacking off boys and girls…

And again, I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again…

…feel free to adjust the work to rest intervals based on your fitness level and goals.

 

Sample Workout

So now we know the moves let’s see how we can apply them to create our awesome 20 Minute HIIT workout plan.

As I stated earlier in this post, the great thing about this workout is that fact that you get to pick and choose your own workout depending on your own individual capabilities and goals.

But remember, variety is key so before we wrap things up here’s a quick sample of how you can structure your workouts

Week 1…

• Mon: HIIT Cardio – Burpee Workout
• Tues: HIIT Strength – Pure Strength Workout
• Wed: Rest
• Thur: HIIT Cardio – Punch Out Drill
• Fri: HIIT Strength – Pure Abs Workout
• Sat: Rest
• Sun: Rest

Then on to week 2…

• Mon: HIIT Cardio – Sprints
• Tues: HIIT Strength – No-Equipment Workout
• Wed: Rest
• Thur: HIIT Cardio – Jump Rope Workout
• Fri: HIIT Strength – Pure Strength Workout
• Sat: Rest
• Sun: Rest

The possibilities are endless but workout out this way will cover all bases to make you strong, lean and fitter than you ever thought.

 

Wrapping Things Up

As long as you continue to progress and push yourself then YOU WILL GET FITTER & STRONGER there’s no doubt about it.

And if there’s only one thing that you take away from this post then it’s this…

…consistency gets results.

It doesn’t matter if it’s health, wealth or anything else for that matter, as long as you stay consistent and continue to focus on your mission and the end result, you will get to where you want to be…

…I GUARANTEE IT.

Anyway, what do you think of this 20 minute HIIT workout plan? If you have anything to add or would like to share your thoughts, please feel free to do so in the comments below…