This functional strength training HIIT workout can burn fat and tone muscle

HIIT is an excellent way to burn fat, aid weight loss, and build strength. When you add functional training into the mix, you tick off this trio of benefits as well as improve things like your full-body coordination. Why not give it a go with this 30-minute functional strength training HIIT session.

Despite this being a slightly different style of workout from what you may be used to, you don't need to hunt high and low for the right pair of trainers. Some of the best cross-training shoes on the market are designed especially for HIIT workouts, providing a mixture of stability, support, and cushioning for the varied movements involved.

While functional strength training sounds a little complex, it's just a case of performing movements that work multiple muscle groups in one exercise. German sport and fitness instructors, FITSEVENELEVEN, will take you through this 30-minute functional training HIIT workout via one of their coaches, Rebecca Barthel.

To get the most out of this workout you will want to include a set of weights. Some of the best adjustable dumbbells are ideal for home workouts like this as the adjustability feature means you won't require a full rack of weights.

Barthel will have you perform a collection of mobility moves first as a warm-up, before leading you into the actual workout. She demonstrates each exercise, this way you can correct your form, optimize your results, and avoid injury. 

The workout itself consists of three sets targeting the lower body and glutes, with 12 to 15 repetitions. In between you will complete 30 seconds of core exercise, helping you to tone and define those abdominal muscles as you go.

Knowing how to do lunges and how to deadlift properly are essential multi-joint exercises and mastering these will help you pick up these moves easily in the FitSevenEleven workout.

If losing weight is a goal of yours then it's definitely worthwhile adding weighted functional strength training into your HIIT workouts. Functional training, also known as multi-joint exercises, engages and activates many muscles at once meaning your whole body must work harder, increasing the number of calories you are burning.

The strength gains can be just as impressive. In a study published in the Frontiers in Physiology journal, a group of researchers found that resistance training programs including multi-joint exercises proved to be better at improving muscle strength and performance endurance than programs using single-joint exercises.

Naturally, training at a higher intensity in a HIIT session with the addition of weights can lead to DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) occurring a day or two after your workout. But some of the best foam rollers are a great way to roll out any post-training tensions and aches.