30-Minute HIIT Circuit

How to Do a Squat

1. Start standing feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer toes.
3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.

How to Do a Squat and Calf Raise

1. Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand outside your thighs.
2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
3. Then, squeeze your glutes as you drive through your heels to stand tall.
4. As you stand, perform a calf raise by lifting your heels off the ground.
5. With control, lower your heels to the ground, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Squat Jump

1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and arms at your sides.
2. Lower down into a squat position, bringing your hips back and down until they’re about parallel with your knees. Keep your chest lifted and core engaged.
3. Drive through your heels to explode upward into a jump, swinging your arms up for momentum.
4. Land softly back into a squat position, knees bent to absorb impact.

Modification: Option to reduce the impact of this exercise by skipping the jump and rising onto your toes instead.

How to Do a Dumbbell Back Row

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other.
2. Hinge forward at the hips until your body is in a straight line, neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button pulled back towards your spine. 
3. As you pull the weights back towards your hips in a rowing movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your elbows are in line with your hips.
4. With control, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Think up on a one-count, down slow and controlled on a two-count.

How to Do a Back Row, Clean and Overhead Press

1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a set of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in towards each other.
2. Hinge forward at the hips until your body is in a straight line, neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button pulled back towards your spine. 
3. Squeeze your back to pull your elbows towards your hips, performing a dumbbell row. Then, with control, lower the dumbbells to starting position.
4. Then, press through your heels to stand tall. As you stand, clean the dumbbell ups, catching them at shoulder height.
5. Press the weights straight overhead, wrists stacked over shoulders and elbows staying narrow near your ears.
6. Slowly and with control, lower the weights, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Press Jack

1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, knees bent, core engaged. Hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest. Tuck your tailbone to engage your core.
2. Then, “jack” your feet out wider than your shoulders (as if you are performing jumping jacks) as you press your arms straight overhead, locking out your biceps by your ears.
3. “Jack” the feet back in as you lower the weight to your chest, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Keep it low impact by alternating toe tap outs versus “jacking” your feet.

How to Do a Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

1. Start standing feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs (overhand grip, palms face your body).
2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement (straight line from head to tailbone). Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
3. Then, drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes as you drive your hips forward to return to standing.

How to Do a Deadlift, Clean and Reverse Lunge

1. Start standing feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body.
3. Press through your heels to stand tall, driving the dumbbells up and catching them at your shoulders as you stand.
4. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge position.
5. Hold this lunge position as you drop your back right knee towards the ground. Lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front left thigh parallel to the floor. Shoulders remain stacked over hips throughout the entire exercise.
6. Press into your front left heel, squeezing your glutes to stand tall and return to the starting position.

Modification: If lunges hurt your knees, substitute one of these lunge alternatives.

How to Do Lunge Jumps

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
3. Then perform a “lunge jump” by exploding up from your reverse lunge position. Switch your legs by landing softly in a reverse lunge with the left leg back, right leg forward.
4. Perform a lunge jump again, exploding up from your reverse lunge position, this time landing softly in a reverse lunge with the right leg back, left leg forward.

Modification: Perform knee slams instead of jump lunges.

How to Do a Skull Crusher

1. Lie flat on the ground or on a bench or stability ball; knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms, dumbbells stacked over shoulders.
3. Bending at the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head (just bending at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells towards your temples).
4. Pause at the bottom, then squeeze through the back of your arms to straighten your elbows, press the dumbbells back overhead and return to the starting position.

How to Do a Chest Fly and Knee Tuck

1. Lie on your back, knees bent at 90 degrees and stacked over your hips. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other, and arms extended above your shoulders.
2. Inhale to brace your core, pressing your lower back into the mat as you slowly open your arms (slight bend in the elbows), lowering the dumbbells in a wide arc until they reach shoulder level (or the ground). Your elbows should remain soft and not overextended. As you perform the chest fly, simultaneously straighten your legs, kicking your heels out away from your body. The lower your heels, the more difficult this exercise will be.
3. Exhale as you pull the dumbbells back to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles together. As you pull the dumbbells back, simultaneously pull your knees in, performing a knee tuck.

Modification: Option to omit the leg extension, keeping the knees tucked in at 90 degrees as you perform the chest fly.

How to Do a Burpee

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart or a little wider.
2. Engage your core and lower your hips down to the bottom of a squat as you plant your hands on the ground in front of your toes.
3. Step or jump both feet back to a high plank position. Make a straight line with your body from head to feet.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your chest to the ground, then press up, performing a push-up.
5. Jump both feet forward, landing softly in a deep squat with feet outside your hands.
6. Press through your heels to drive up, jumping into the air.

Modification: Option to sub towel slams. Or, make the dumbbell burpee low impact by stepping back to plank and walking your feet back into the bottom of the low squat instead of jumping back and jumping in.