A Quick HIIT Workout to Fire Up Your Metabolism

Consider HIIT workouts the "lather, rinse, repeat" of your fitness regimen. With these high-intensity workouts, you exert yourself at 80 to 95 percent of your maximum effort for a short period of time, recover for a specified amount of time and then repeat. No more arduous long-distance runs or endless hours spent on the StairMaster.

Why Choose a HIIT Workout?

Other than being a time-saver, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) can help you lose weight and belly fat, lower your blood pressure and improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

It's more efficient than a traditional workout, as you'll continue to burn calories after you finish working out, a process known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

HIIT is a fast, efficient workout to burn serious fat. (Image: Collette Stohler/LIVESTRONG.COM)

How Do You HIIT?

Since this workout is more intense than steady-state workouts, give yourself plenty of time to recover, and only do this workout a few times a week. If you're a beginner, you can split each minute into 45 to 50 seconds of work and 10 to 15 seconds of rest.

Whatever your fitness level, you can follow the workout below for a 20-minute, at-home HIIT workout that will burn major calories!

Get your body moving and your heart pumping! (Image: Collette Stohler/LIVESTRONG.COM)

First Set: The Warm-Up

Head outside for your warm-up! Get your muscles primed for the rest of your workout by starting out jogging. After your first minute build up to a higher speed. Focus on driving your knees and arms forward at a fast pace.

Minute 1: Jog

Minute 2: Run

Minute 3: Jog

Minute 4: Run

These burpees are brutal but they get results. (Image: Collette Stohler/LIVESTRONG.COM)

Second Set: Full-Body Cardio

Next you're ready to amp up your cardio with some full-body drills. Do two rounds, alternating between one minute of tuck jump burpees and one minute of jump rope. Remember to modify if needed.

Minute 5: Tuck Jump Burpees

Minute 6: Jump Rope

Minute 7: Tuck Jump Burpees

Minute 8: Jump Rope

Third Set: Upper Body and Core

Now it's time to focus on your upper body and core. Do two rounds, alternating between one minute of triceps dips and one minute of planking.

Minute 9: Triceps Dips

Minutes 10: Plank

Minute 11: Triceps Dips

Minute 12: Plank

Feeling the burn? You're almost done! (Image: Collette Stohler/LIVESTRONG.COM)

Fourth Set: Lower Body

On to your lower body! Perform two rounds, alternating between one minute of high knees and one minute of holding a squat.

Minute 13: High Knees

Minute 14: Squat Hold

Minute 15: High Knees

Minute 16: Squat Hold

Increase your speed, endurance and agility with this cardio drill. Then sculpt your six pack. (Image: Collette Stohler/LIVESTRONG.COM)

Fifth Set: Core and Cardio

Last set! You're almost done. Do two rounds, alternating between one minute of speed skaters and one minute of V-ups.

Minute 17: Speed Skaters

Minute 18: V-Ups

Minute 19: Speed Skaters

Minute 20: V-Ups

What Do YOU Think?

Have you tried this workout yet? Will you? What did you think? Can you commit to three 20-minute workouts a week? What are your favorite HIIT exercises? How else do you pump up the intensity on your workouts? Share your thoughts, suggestions and questions in the comments section below!