Strength and HIIT Workouts

40-Minute HIIT Workout At Home (Full Body Pyramid)

The BEST HIIT Workout At Home if you want to burn calories and build total body strength! This at home dumbbell workout combines six full body exercises in a “stack on” pyramid format that will test your strength and endurance. Modifications are offered for all fitness levels.

What makes this the best HIIT Workout At Home?

The combination of full body dumbbell strength training exercises AND HIIT cardio exercises. 

In my opinion, the best HIIT workout at home is one that not only raises your heart rate and burns calories (which HIIT is known for), but ALSO builds strength.

Why? Because although you burn more calories during a sweaty HIIT workout, you CONTINUE to burn calories for hours after a weight training workout.

Is HIIT with weights better than cardio?

Strength training builds muscles and maximizes your cardio routine. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body is going to burn, including during your HIIT workouts! (Mayo Clinic).

Of course, we work out for so many more reasons than just burning calories. This full body dumbbell routine is designed to increase your cardiovascular endurance, move you through all planes of motion, and make you feel like an athlete in your own home.

This 40-minute dumbbell HIIT pyramid workout is brought to you in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board (MPB). Learn more about the nutritional benefits of pork below. 

40-Minute HIIT Workout At Home (Full Body Pyramid Workout)

Try this 40-minute HIIT workout at home for a total body burn that: 

• Builds strength and boosts your cardio at the same time (strengthen your legs, arms, core AND heart).
• Increases your metabolism and burns calories for hours after your workout.

Get all these benefits of a high intensity interval training (HIIT), without leaving your living room. 

I suggest doing HIIT workouts one to two times per week. For a more structured training plan, follow one of my free home workout plans.

This full body HIIT workout with weights is scalable for ALL FITNESS LEVELS:

• Follow Rachel (on the left) for low impact modifications; beginner HIIT workout.
• Follow me, Lindsey (on the right), for intermediate to advanced options; advanced HIIT workout.

Workout Equipment:

Set of dumbbells.

I recommend 8-25 lbs depending on your fitness level and goals. We are using 15 lb dumbbells in this HIIT workout.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided HIIT Workout At Home on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

I’ll coach you through the six full body HIIT exercises, providing form cues, motivation and modifications along the way. 

This is a pyramid workout, which means we’ll add on moves as we work “up” the pyramid, and then drop off moves as we work our way back “down” the pyramid.

So it will look like this: 

• Set 1: Perform move 1 for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
• Set 2: Perform move 1 for 30 seconds and then move 2 for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
• Set 3: Perform move 1 for 30 seconds, and then move 2 for 30 seconds, and then  move 3 for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.

Continue this stack-on, pyramid format until you complete moves 1 through 6. Then you have the option to go back down the pyramid in reverse order, dropping off move 1, then move 2, then move 3 and so on.

40-Minute Full Body Pyramid Workout

1. Squat Thruster + Alternating Arnold Press (Modification: Single Dumbbell Squat Thruster)
2. Half Kneeling Bicep Curl + Lunge Hold
3. Lateral Bound + Dumbbell Squat Pick Up (Modification: Lateral Squat Step)
4. Half Burpee + Push Up + Single Arm Row (Modification: Kneeling Push Up + Single Arm Back Row)
5. Half Kneeling Dumbbell Chop (Modification: Standing Dumbbell Chop)
6. Weighted Lunge Jumps (Modification: Bodyweight Lunges)

6 Best Full Body HIIT Exercises with Weights

1. Squat Thruster + Alternating Arnold Press 

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, shoulders, chest and core.

How to do a Squat Thruster with Alternating Arnold Press:

1. Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, knees bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders, front racked squat position (palms facing in towards your shoulders).
2. Sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90 degree angle between your hips and knees.
3. Then, drive through your heels to stand tall (legs straight).
4. As you stand, alternate pressing one dumbbell overhead; performing a single arm Arnold Press. Press your right arm overhead, rotating your palm out away from your body as your arm straightens.
5. Lower the dumbbell in your right hand back to the starting position and repeat (on the next squat perform a single arm Arnold Press on your left arm).

Modification: Hold one dumbbell at your chest horizontally and perform a single dumbbell squat thruster (pictured on the left).

2. Half Kneeling Bicep Curl + Lunge Hold

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, core, arms and bicep muscles.

How to do a Half Kneeling Bicep Curl + Lunge Hold:

1. Start standing in a neutral position, feet shoulder width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing.
2. Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lower your left knee all the way to the yoga mat; creating 90 degree angles in both knees.
3. From this half kneeling position, perform a bicep curl, pulling the dumbbells all the way up towards your shoulders; palms facing out.
4. Lower the dumbbells with control back to your sides.
5. Then lift your back, left knee about 1 inch off the yoga mat, holding a low lunge for about 3 seconds.
6. Return your left knee to the mat and repeat this sequence.

3. Lateral Bound + Dumbbell Squat Pick Up

Targets: Legs, glutes, outer glutes, quads, hamstring, calves and core.

How to do a Lateral Bound and Dumbbell Squat Pick Up:

1. Start by placing two dumbbells horizontally on the mat in front of you; about two feet apart.
2. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, one foot on each side of the dumbbell on the right side of the mat.
3. Sit your hips down and back into a loaded squat position as you reach your right hand down to pick up the dumbbell on the mat between your legs.
4. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell between your legs up towards your hips. Then perform another squat to return the dumbbell back to the mat.
5. Hold the loaded squat position as you drive off your outside, right leg to bound laterally to the dumbbell on the left side of the mat. Performing a lateral jump squat and landing softly with one foot on each side of the dumbbell.
6. Again reach down to pick up the dumbbell, this time with your left hand. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell between your legs up towards your hips. Then perform another squat to return the dumbbell back to the mat.
7. Repeat this side to side pattern.

Modification: Perform a loaded squat step versus hop or bound.

4. Half Burpee + Push Up + Single Arm Row

Targets: Arms, chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs and core.

How to do a Half Burpee with a Push Up and Single Arm Row: 

1. Start in a high plank position with your right hand on a dumbbell and left hand on the mat (option to have both hands on the floor if that’s more comfortable). 
2. Lower your chest towards the ground to perform a push up; elbows fall back towards your body.
3. Exhale as you push back up into a high plank position.
4. From a high plank, jump your feet up towards your hands and perform a half lift so you are hinged forward at your hips with a neutral spine (in a bent over row position).
5. Perform a single arm dumbbell row by pulling your right elbow up to meet your rib cage.
6. Then, with control, lower the dumbbell back to the mat and jump your feet back to high plank, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Hold a modified plank from your knees and perform both the push up and row from your knees (omitting the burpee).

5. Half Kneeling Dumbbell Chop

Targets: TheGlutes, hips, shoulders, back and ABS (deep transverse abdominis muscles and oblique muscles).

How to do a Half Kneeling Dumbbell Chop:

1. Start in a half kneeling position, right knee on the mat and left leg bent at 90 degrees with your left foot in front of you.
2. Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands at your right hip.
3. Squeeze your glutes to stabilize your hips and core.
4. Then exhale as you use your core to drive the dumbbell crossbody and overhead, extending both arms up overhead towards the left side. Think right hip to left shoulder.
5. Lower the dumbbell with control back towards your right hip. Return to the starting position, and repeat this movement.

Modification: If you have knee pain you can perform the dumbbell chop from a standing position rather than kneeling.

6. Weighted Lunge Jumps 

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, calves, core, abs and obliques.

How to do Weighted Lunge Jumps:

1. Start standing with feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in your right hand at your side (palm facing in towards your body).
2. Jump or hop your right leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90 degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
3. Keeping your torso upright, explosively jump with enough force to hop both feet back to the starting position (feet hip-distance apart).
4. At the top of the movement, transfer the dumbbell from your right hand into your left hand.
5. Then, jump or hop your left leg back into a reverse lunge.
6. Repeat this alternating lunge drop pattern, landing softly in the reverse lunge position each time.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell and perform bodyweight step back lunges or high knees.

Refuel with Lean, High-Protein Pork Recipes

This full body HIIT workout with weights is sure to take a toll on your muscles. So you want to refuel your body with high quality sources of protein to support muscle growth.

Enter these delicious, family-friendly recipes from the Minnesota Pork Board!

For all my lean protein-lovers out there, did you know a pork tenderloin is as lean as a chicken breast?

In fact, eight cuts of pork meet the USDA guidelines for “lean”.

NUTRITION TIP: One of the easiest ways to choose lean cuts of pork is to look for “loin” or “chop” in the name.

Pork is healthy, versatile and simple to cook!

Learn how to perfectly cook pork in four easy steps (watch the video below).

The secret to tender, delicious pork is to not overcook it. 145 degrees Fahrenheit is the number to shoot for. A little pink in the middle is okay!

Three reasons I love sharing pork recipes from the Minnesota Pork Board (MPB):

1. Pork is simple to cook.
2. It has a big flavor profile (that goes well with Hispanic, Asian, and Mediterranean dishes alike).
3. Pork is full of nutrients (like protein, selenium, b-vitamins and zinc).

Get more family-friendly pork recipes from the Minnesota Pork Board here!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Nourish Move Love, making the content you see on this blog possible.

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