This equipment-free HIIT workout builds strength, blasts fat

Just 30 minutes of intense exercise can torch calories, develop lean muscle, and keep your heart healthy

Woman doing a HIIT workout
(Image credit: Getty Images)

With our calendars blocked up as the end of the year approaches, it can be hard to carve out dedicated gym time. But if you want to stay active over the holiday period, all you need is this 30-minute HIIT routine. 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is an effective way to exercise, especially when coupled with the best cross training shoes. This footwear style offers extra support around your ankles, making them ideal for high-speed moves like your HIIT workout. 

With most routines, you'll work hard for 30-40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, then start the next move. Sustaining this intensity level keeps your heart rate up and works your muscles hard for an impressive workout.

And you continue to burn calories for hours after, making it a great way to lose fat too. Fortunately, Nobadaddiction's 30-minute sweaty HIIT workout is a great way to train if you want to stay active, fit in a cardio session, or burn fat. 

Watch Nobadaddiction's 30-minute HIIT workout

It's a long session—many HIIT workouts last 15-20 minutes—but that's what makes it so effective. According to the trainers, it should burn 300 calories, which means you'll be torching 10 calories per minute! 

Each move lasts 45 seconds with a 15-second break after. The routine is broken into two 15-minute rounds with a 40-second rest in between. By the end, you'll have done a range of cardio-focused and bodyweight-based moves. 

Although the aim is to keep the intensity up throughout the session, don't risk overtraining. If you're struggling to maintain good form, it's essential to take short breaks to avoid injuring yourself. 

It isn't all about weight loss, though. Many routines also incorporate bodyweight moves for building muscle, and you can always add a set of the best adjustable dumbbells if you want an extra challenge.

It's worth investing in a set of these space-saving weights, as you can add them to HIIT routines, but you have the option of at-home strength training, too, like this 15-minute dumbbell routine for building bigger arms

That said, you don't need equipment for many of the best exercises for weight loss. Moves like step-ups and burpees give you a full-body, fat-burning workout that you can do anywhere. 

James Frew
Fitness Editor

James is a London-based journalist and Fitness Editor at Fit&Well. He has over five years experience in fitness tech, including time spent as the Buyer’s Guide Editor and Staff Writer at technology publication MakeUseOf. In 2014 he was diagnosed with a chronic health condition, which spurred his interest in health, fitness, and lifestyle management.

In the years since, he has become a devoted meditator, experimented with workout styles and exercises, and used various gadgets to monitor his health. In recent times, James has been absorbed by the intersection between mental health, fitness, sustainability, and environmentalism. When not concerning himself with health and technology, James can be found excitedly checking out each week’s New Music Friday releases.