If you want to torch a significant number of calories in quick time, you can do HIIT cardio machines and bodyweight workouts in the gym. In this article, I’m going to hand out the best high-intensity gym exercises and routines that you can incorporate into your workout regime to lose weight, strengthen and tone muscles and improve your overall physique.
A well-equipped gym is the best place to do high-intensity interval training because you’ll have not only access to several cardio machines but also has more space than a home.
You can use the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical cross trainer, and several other types of equipment to do HIIT workouts in the gym.
From enhancing cardiovascular health to reducing body fat percentage, high-intensity interval training has a plethora of health benefits.
So if you want to challenge yourself with some intense workouts, the exercises below can be great for you.
workouts To Do in a HIIT Gym Workout Plan For Men and Women
- Treadmill Run
- Stationary Bike
- Battle Rope
- Jumping Rope
- Elliptical Cross Trainer
- Rowing Machine
- Core Training
- Dumbbell HIIT
- Bodyweight HIIT
- Punching Bag Workout
Related: A Complete List Of HIIT Workout
Let’s find out how to do the above HIIT workouts at the gym.
1. HIIT Treadmill Gym Workout
The treadmill is one of the super valuable pieces of equipment you can use in the gym to improve your cardiovascular health and quality of life.
The HIIT treadmill workout boosts endurance, metabolism, VO2 max, running efficiency, and allows you to burn more calories, and helps you lose weight over time. 1Effect of high aerobic intensity interval treadmill walking in people with chronic stroke: a pilot study with one-year follow-up – PubMed Articles
Here’s a workout plan you can follow
15-minute Breakdown
Estimated Calories Burned: 170-200 Calories
| Running | Speed | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| 2 minute | 6-8 km/h | – |
| 2 minute | 8-10 km/h | 1-min |
| 2-min | 10-12 km/h | 1-min |
| 1-min | 12-14 kph | 2-min |
| 2-min | 10-12 km/h | 1-min |
| 1-min | 14-16 kph | – |
You can design a 20, 25, or 30-minutes HIIT treadmill workout schedule in the same way.
You can increase or decrease the speed and running time depending on your fitness level.
Save this: HIIT Treadmill Workout For Beginners And Fat Loss
2. Stationary Bike
A stationary bike is one of the essential gym machines that nearly all gyms have. It is suitable for all fitness levels, whether male or female, beginner or pro, younger or elder.
Stationary bicycling is one of the effective HIIT cardio workouts that can help you shed many calories and enhance heart health. 2Health Benefits of Indoor Cycling: A Systematic Review – PMC Articles
It can also help you scale up for more high-intensity workouts such as sprinting, jumping rope, and rowing.
You can break down biking exercise into several intervals.
For example, 15-min session
Calories likely to be burned: 130 to 150 calories
Maximum Heart Rate: MHR
| Activity Time | Intensity | Recovery Time/ Cycling at a slow pace |
|---|---|---|
| 2 minute | 65% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 2 minute | 75% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 1-min | 80% of your MHR | 2-min |
| 1-min | 85% of your MHR | 2-min |
| 90-sec | 95% of your MHR | 90-sec |
If you work out for more than 15 minutes, you can create a workout plan accordingly with the help of the above routine.
3. Battle Rope
Battling rope is one of the best workouts you can include in your HIIT gym workout routine at the gym.
Many of us couldn’t complete battling ropes for a minute at a fast speed.
You’ll get your heart pumped, muscles toned, and burn plenty of calories in a quick time with the battle rope workout.
The battle rope training enhances aerobic fitness, increases explosiveness, and boosts upper and lower body endurance in collegiate basketball players – shown in a study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 3Eight-Week Battle Rope Training Improves Multiple Physical Fitness Dimensions and Shooting Accuracy in Collegiate Basketball Players – Journal Strength and Conditioning Research
Here you can follow my 10-min battle rope circuit.
Calories likely to be burned: 130 to 150 calories
You can see how to do the myriads of battling moves in this video.
- 30 seconds alternating single arm waves, 1-minute rest
- 30-sec Stage Coach, 1-minute rest
- 30-sec Rainbows, 1-minute rest
- 30 seconds Rope Slams, 1-minute rest
- 30-sec Outward Circles, 1-minute rest
- 30 seconds Tsunamis, 1-minute rest
- 30-sec Unilateral Outward Circles, 1-minute rest
- 30-sec Unilateral Cross Body Waves, 1-minute rest
- 30 seconds Rope Hook, 1-minute rest
- 30 seconds Switch Stance Stage Coach, 1-minute rest
4. Jumping Rope
The jumping rope is effective and accessible equipment.
Jump rope workout decreases body mass, waist-hip ratio, fat mass, lower blood sugars, boost metabolism, and improve aerobic fitness in obese adolescent boys. 4Effects of Interval Jump Rope Exercise Combined with Dark Chocolate Supplementation on Inflammatory Adipokine, Cytokine Concentrations, and Body Composition in Obese Adolescent Boys – Nutrients
Jumping rope exercise burns as many calories as you burn by running, making it one of the best workouts you should include in a HIIT workout plan at the gym.
You can try out a 10-minute high-intense interval routine to boost your endurance.
Estimated Calories Burned: 120-130 calories
| Activity Time | Intensity | Recovery Time/ jumping at a slow pace |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 65% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 1 minute | 75% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 1-min | 80% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 1-min | 85% of your MHR | 1-min |
| 1-min | 95% of your MHR | 1-min |
5. HIIT Elliptical Cross Trainer Gym Workout
An elliptical cross trainer is one of the best workouts equipment you can use for HIIT cardio at the gym.
Incorporating elliptical machine workouts into a gym HIIT program increases VO2 max. It slightly reduces body mass index (BMI) in overweight people – shown in the analysis published by the Obesity Science and Practice. 5High-intensity training in obesity: a Meta‐analysis – Obesity Science and Practice
Well, an elliptical cross trainer is suitable for all fitness levels. So whether you’re a man or woman, newbie or amateur, overweight or regular weighted, you can include the elliptical cross trainer workout into your HIIT gym workout routines.
Here you can see an example of a 10-minute Elliptical Cross-training
Estimated Calories Burned: 80-100
| Work | Recovery Time/ work at a slow speed |
|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 30-sec |
| 30 seconds | 1-minute |
| 30 seconds | 90-sec |
| 30-sec | 1-minute |
| 30-sec | 90-sec |
| 30-sec | 1-minute |
| 30-sec | 1-minute |
6. Rowing Machine
Rowing is one of the best cardio workouts you can do in the gym to shed plenty of calories in a quick time.
Like Elliptical Trainer, the rowing machine is also suitable for all fitness levels.
It works on various muscles of the upper and lower body, especially the back and arms.
Rowing exercise also builds up aerobic and anaerobic fitness, improves fitness and body shape, and supports weight loss like other HIIT gym workouts mentioned above.
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, male or female, you can include it in your HIIT program at the gym to enhance your fitness level.
Let’s take an example of a 15-min high-intensity rowing exercise
Calories likely to be burned: 130 to 150 calories
You’ll do three circuits of 5 minutes each.
| Circuit 1 | Circuit 2 | Circuit 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds activity | 30-sec work | 20-sec work |
| 30-sec rest | 45-sec work | 40-sec work |
| Five rounds | Four rounds | Five rounds |
Related: This is why the HIIT rowing machine is the best workout
7. Core Training
High-intensity core exercises are great for burning more calories and strengthening abdominal muscles.
You can do plenty of exercises with and without weights in your HIIT to strengthen and tone your core muscles.
For example, hanging knee raises, dumbbell side bends, leg raises, crunches, and mountain climbing are some of the essential workouts you can incorporate into your HIIT gym workout routines.
Doing core exercises in intervals can also help you lose weight. Several studies demonstrated doing HIIT exercises for a long duration, typically 20 to 24 weeks, can reduce subcutaneous fats and abdominal fats. 6High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss – Journal of Obesity
I’ve already created a 15-min HIIT core workout plan that you can use – in the gym or at home.
You can also check out the best abs workout to do at the gym.
8. Bodyweight HIIT
Bodyweight exercises are adaptable and efficient that you can do anywhere you want.
You can also combine other cardio machines workouts with bodyweight exercises into your HIIT workout plan for the gym.
Burpee, high-knees, jumping jacks, lunges, squat jump, shuttle runs, man makers, pushups, and box jumps are some of the best body exercises you can incorporate into your HIIT workout schedule.
I’ve already designed a 30-min HIIT workout program that you can save to use at home or gym.
If you’re someone who doesn’t feel motivated at home or you don’t work out in your house, you can do this bodyweight HIIT workout program at the gym.
9. Dumbbell HIIT
Bodyweight high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is excellent for overall fitness. However, adding resistance to your HIIT will help you burn plenty of calories and build muscles and strength over time.
So, if you want to challenge your strength and endurance, incorporate dumbbell compound workouts into your HIIT gym workout plan.
I’ve recently published a couple of dumbbell high-intensity interval programs for gym-goers and those who work out at home with dumbbells.
You can also download the PDF of that plans so you can use it whenever you like.
Also, Read: 10 Best Weighted HIIT Workouts
10. HIIT Punching Bag Gym Workout
To make your HIIT gym workouts jolly up, you can incorporate punching bag exercises.
You can enjoy throwing some quick jabs, crosses, and hooks for a few minutes at the gym to build great endurance.
Hitting punches at a heavy bag simultaneously strengthens various muscles of the upper and lower body, especially arms.
The punching workout builds up strength, endurance, and explosiveness and burns plenty of calories in a quick time. It also reduces body fat percentage and BMI over time – suggested in a study published by BMC Sports Science. 7The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with obesity: a pilot study – BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation
I’ve already written a comprehensive article on HIIT Boxing Training that you can do in the gym. So you can check it out. I hope you’ll like it.
Who should Avoid or Take Precautions
As many of us know, High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the most effective programs for improving overall fitness. However, it has some downsides which you should know.
- HIIT workouts are highly intense in nature, so if you have a problem with high blood pressure, consult your doctor before starting out a HIIT program.
- The most of researches have been done for a shorter duration, so people with cardiac issue should take proper guidance before adopting a HIIT. 8Benefits and Risks of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease – The American Journal of Cardiology
HIIT Gym Workouts with Workout Plan PDF
Final Words
You can combine various machines exercises with bodyweight workouts into your HIIT workout plan at the gym. For example, you can mix treadmill run, stationary bicycling, and core workout together to build a suitable workout plan for yourself, depending on your fitness level.
Related Articles:
References
- 1
- 2Health Benefits of Indoor Cycling: A Systematic Review – PMC Articles
- 3Eight-Week Battle Rope Training Improves Multiple Physical Fitness Dimensions and Shooting Accuracy in Collegiate Basketball Players – Journal Strength and Conditioning Research
- 4
- 5High-intensity training in obesity: a Meta‐analysis – Obesity Science and Practice
- 6High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss – Journal of Obesity
- 7The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with obesity: a pilot study – BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation
- 8Benefits and Risks of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease – The American Journal of Cardiology
