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25-Minute Dumbbell HIIT Workout

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | June 29, 2026

HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training) deliver maximum results in minimal time by alternating short bursts of all-out effort with short rest periods. This time-efficient full-body dumbbell workout is scalable for beginners to advanced athletes, with low-impact options available for every exercise. Raise your heart rate, build strength, burn fat and get fit at home with this effective 25-Minute Dumbbell HIIT workout.

Jump To Workout

Personally, I feel HIIT and strength training are the king of efficiency when combined. Together, they burn fat, improve cardiovascular health and build strength without spending hours on separate cardio workouts and strength-training routines. A HIIT dumbbell workout is perfect for the gym or a home workout. 

While HIIT exercises (like burpees and high knees) are extremely beneficial for improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, burning fat and increasing endurance, they can tend to fall short in the strength training arena. Strength training exercises (like squats and bicep curls) help with muscle building, increasing bone density, and improving metabolism in a way HIIT doesn’t.

Adding dumbbells to a HIIT workout is the perfect way to combine the 2 formats into an efficient cardio/strength workout, bringing the best of both worlds together. Combining HIIT exercises with dumbbell strength training allows you to keep your heart rate up while safely loading your muscles. 

This total-body HIIT workout will help you reach your fitness goals by increasing your anaerobic and aerobic capacity, as well as your baseline strength.

two women performing a dumbbell woodchop in a dumbbell hiit workout

Read A 5-Star Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“HIIT always gets me. Thanks for the great challenge. Love starting my morning with the hardest thing!”

— Micah G.

Workout Details

This workout introduces dumbbells into standard HIIT exercises you may already be familiar with. This full-body HIIT workout targets multiple muscle groups with high-intensity and medium-impact due to the dumbbells and can be completed 1-2 times a week.

Be sure to select the appropriate dumbbells for your fitness level to reduce the risk of injury, especially when just starting out. Option to use just your bodyweight at any time if needed.

Workout Equipment

Medium Pair of Dumbbells. I recommend between 5-25 lbs, depending on your fitness level. I’m using 15-25 lbs in this workout.

Workout Instructions

Follow along with the guided 25-Minute Dumbbell HIIT Workout Routine on YouTube, led by me – your certified personal trainer (CPT), Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • Guided Warm-Up and Cool-Down
  • 10 Dumbbell HIIT Exercises
  • Timed Intervals (perform each exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed by 20 seconds of rest)
  • Repeat All 10 Exercises x2 Sets

Note: I re-filmed this workout! You can find the original workout video here. If you try both, I’d love to know your favorite!

HIIT Workout Outline

  1. Squats
  2. Lunge Jumps
  3. Lateral Shoulder Raises
  4. Mountain Climbers
  5. Lateral Lunges
  6. Lateral Bounds
  7. Push-up and Back Row
  8. Dumbbell Burpees
  9. Dumbbell Snatches
  10. Woodchops

1. Squats

Targets: Lower body, glutes, hamstrings, quads, lower back and core muscles.

two women performing squats with dumbbells.

How to Do a Squat

  1. Begin in a neutral standing position, feet shoulder-width distance apart, holding dumbbells at your sides.
  2. With your chest up, lower into a squat, pushing your hips back and down until your hips align with your knees (forming a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees). Drive your knees out toward your pinky toes.
  3. Drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes as you stand tall. 

2. Lunge Jumps

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings, calves and core.

two women performing lunge jumps with dumbbells.

How to Do a Lunge Jump

  1. Start standing with your feet hip-distance apart, slight bend in your knees and core engaged.
  2. Jump your right foot back into a reverse lunge, aiming for 90-degree angles in each knee.
  3. Perform a “lunge jump” by exploding up from the split lunge position, jumping with enough force to propel both feet off the floor as you switch your stance mid-air (left leg back, right foot forward).
  4. Land softly in the reverse lunge position and power back up to continue this explosive movement.

Modification: Option to make this low impact by performing alternating reverse lunges or try these other alternatives.

3. Lateral Shoulder Raises

Targets: Upper body, primarily the lateral deltoids (or medial deltoids), while also engaging the anterior deltoid (front delts), posterior deltoid (rear delts), trapezius, rotator cuff and serratus anterior.

two women performing lateral shoulder raises with dumbbells.

How to Do a Lateral Shoulder Raise

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in your knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at hip level, palms facing in towards each other.
  2. Engage your core as you lift the dumbbells out towards your sides, keeping a slight bend in the elbows. Lift the dumbbells just to shoulder height.
  3. Hold at the top of the movement for a moment, then slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Modification: Option to perform alternating shoulder raises, lifting 1 dumbbell at a time.

4. Mountain Climbers

Targets: Arms, shoulders, back, legs, glutes, quads, abs, obliques and core.

two women performing mountain climbers.

How to Do a Mountain Climber

  1. Start in a high plank position, with your shoulders stacked over your wrists. Place your hands on a sturdy set of dumbbells if you have wrist pain.
  2. Hold this high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  3. Perform cross-body knee drives by pulling the right knee towards the left elbow and the left knee towards the right elbow. Repeat this motion at a rapid pace, as if ‘running’ in a plank position.

Modification: Perform alternating marches with a pair of dumbbells front-racked at shoulder height.

5. Lateral Lunges 

Targets: Gluteus medius (outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements), quads, inner thighs (or hip adductors), hamstrings and calves.

two women performing lateral lunges with dumbbells.

How to Do a Lateral Lunge

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and core engaged. Hold 1 dumbbell just in front of your hips.
  2. Step your right leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while keeping your left leg straight.
  3. Think of performing a single-leg squat in your right leg, keeping your chest lifted and knees and toes pointing forward.
  4. Lower into the lunge as far as your mobility allows, feeling the stretch through your inner thigh on the straight leg.
  5. Drive through your right heel to push back to center, returning to a standing position.

6. Lateral Bounds

Targets: Quads, outer glutes (gluteus medius), inner thighs, calves and core.

two women performing lateral bounds

How to Do a Lateral Bound

  1. Start standing on the right side of your mat with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower down into an athletic stance, knees bent, ready to move.
  3. Then drive off your right leg to bound laterally to the left.
  4. Reverse the movement, bounding laterally to the right.

7. Push-Up and Back Row

Targets: Back, lats, chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders and core.

two women performing push up back rows.

How to Do a Push-Up and Back Row

  1. Start in a high plank position, both hands on your dumbbells, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged.
  2. Perform a push-up by lowering your chest to the ground, letting your elbows fall back towards your hips, then exhale, pushing back up to the starting position.
  3. Then, perform a single-arm plank row (or renegade row) on the right side, pulling your right elbow to your right hip. 
  4. Plant the dumbbell back on the ground with control.
  5. Start the next rep by repeating the push-up, then perform a renegade row on the left arm.

Modification: Perform a standing dumbbell back row to dumbbell press out. If you are struggling with push-ups, try these modifications to help get you off your knees or this progression to increase your push-up capacity.

8. Dumbbell Burpees

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, calves, low back, shoulders, abs and core.

two women performing burpees with dumbbells.

How to Do a Dumbbell Burpee

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold a set of dumbbells between your legs, palms facing in towards each other.
  2. Bend your knees as you lower your hips towards the ground, performing a wide squat. As you lower your hips, lower the dumbbells towards the floor, placing them on the ground between your feet.
  3. Keep your hands on your dumbbells as you step or jump your feet back, finding a high plank position. Shoulders are stacked over wrists, core engaged.
  4. Jump your feet in, landing softly outside the dumbbells in a low squat position.
  5. Press through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbells up your body as you stand.

Modification: Perform a dumbbell squat and overhead press.

9. Dumbbell Snatches

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, shoulders and deep transverse abdomen (core muscles).

two women dumbbell snatches.

How to Do a Dumbbell Snatch

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Place a dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
  2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you lower down, reaching for the dumbbell with your right hand.
  3. Then, drive your hips forward as you ‘snatch’ the weight overhead, pulling the weight up with your right arm. Use the power and momentum created by your legs and hips, driving the weight overhead. You should finish standing tall with your right arm straight overhead, right bicep near your right ear.
  4. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to the ground, returning to the starting position.
  5. Repeat, this time performing a dumbbell snatch with your left hand.

Modification: Perform a dumbbell clean instead of a full snatch, catching the dumbbell at shoulder height.

10. Woodchop

Targets: The entire midsection — deep transverse abdominis muscle, oblique muscles, legs, hips, glutes, back and shoulders.

two women performing a woodchops with dumbbells.

How to Do a Woodchop

  1. Start standing in a stable, hip-width stance. Soft bend in your knees, core engaged. Hold 1 dumbbell horizontally between your hands (holding 1 head of the dumbbell in each hand).
  2. Bend your knees as you bring the dumbbell to the outside of your left knee.
  3. Exhale as you use your legs, hips and glutes to drive the dumbbell crossbody, extending your arms up overhead on the right side. Think left knee to right shoulder.
  4. Lower the dumbbell with control back towards your left knee, returning to the starting position, and repeat this movement.
  5. Switch sides on the next set and perform a dumbbell wood chop on the left side of the body.

FAQs

Is 20 minutes of HIIT per day enough?

20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) per day significantly improves full-body strength and cardiovascular fitness, boosts metabolism and aids weight loss. 20-minute workouts deliver results similar to those of longer, lower-intensity endurance training because of the sustained maximum effort.

Is it effective to do HIIT after strength training?

Yes, HIIT after strength training is highly effective for maximizing fat loss, improving cardiovascular fitness and increasing calorie burn. HIIT training at the end of a strength training session helps you build muscle and create an afterburn effect, keeping your body burning calories long after the workout is finished.

How can beginners start a dumbbell HIIT workout routine?

HIIT can be scaled for varying fitness levels, including beginners. Beginners can start a dumbbell HIIT workout by starting with weights at the lower end of the scale. HIIT is beneficial for beginners because it can improve your cardio health, boost your metabolism and improve muscular strength and endurance. Keep in mind that a beginner HIIT workout with no equipment might be lower impact, with exercises that are more joint-friendly and reduce the risk of injury.

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dumbbell HIIT workout with high knees, woodchop and power bicep curl.

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6 comments

  1. Hi Lindsey,
    I am a mother of 8, living in Israel, who has been working out with you for over 3 years 5 days a week! I love all of your workouts, your great positive attitude and comments.
    I find myself using your words of wisdom in my own life with my kids ( “we can do hard things”, “we can do anything for 30 seconds”). I find them so true and inspiring.
    Thanks for all you do and you should continue to have the strength to inspire and strengthen women around the world.
    Jordana Staiman

    Reply

    • Jordana! That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that the workouts and messages resonate with you. Thanks for following along! -Lindsey

      Reply

  2. Hi Lindsey,
    Its really great and well stuffed article on HIIT. I like the fact that HIIT works because of the High Intensity. Usually, people want potions, magic pills, etc. while there is no such shortcuts. If we need the results, we have to spend time and best effort to get the appropriate results. Thanks for such up to the mark information in your post.

    Reply

  3. Lindsey!
    Thanks so much for this incredible superset and even more so for guiding a great stretch sequence. Will definitely be back (hopefully with heavier weights)! Keep up the awesome work!

    Reply
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