HIIT Core Workout: 50 Best Exercises & 5 Routines w/PDF

Achieving a firm, toned, and defined midsection requires proper training and diet.

There are multiple workout programs you can do to forge your abs, including strength training, low-impact cardio, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

And here, I’ll hand out an ultimate guide on the HIIT Core Workout.

High-intensity interval training is a workout program where exercises are performed at maximum intensity for a specific time, followed by a short interval period.

Exercises in HIIT are fast, challenging, and heart-pumping, and they help enhance aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

In this article, I’ve shared the 50 best abs exercises you can integrate into your core HIIT workout routine.

I’ve also shared a few HIIT core workout programs with PDF. Depending on your fitness level, you can follow one of the plans to level up your fitness.

These exercises and workout routines will help you bolster your abdominal muscles and build ripped abs. And having strong abs provide stability to the upper body, reduces back pain and risk of injuries, improves posture, and enhances athletic and lifting performance.¹ Kline JB, Krauss JR, Maher SF, Qu X. Core strength training using a combination of home exercises and a dynamic sling system for the management of low back pain in pre-professional ballet dancers: a case series. J Dance Med Sci. 2013;17(1):24-33, ² Tong TK, Wu S, Nie J, Baker JS, Lin H. The occurrence of core muscle fatigue during high-intensity running exercise and its limitation to performance: the role of respiratory work. J Sports Sci Med. 2014 May 1;13(2):244-51. PMID: 24790475, ³Cavaggioni L, Ongaro L, Zannin E, Iaia FM, Alberti G. Effects of different core exercises on respiratory parameters and abdominal strength. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Oct;27(10):3249-53, ⁴Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Sep;25(9):2559-64.

50 Best High Intensity Core Exercises to Do at Home with No Equipment

How to Design a HIIT Core Workout Routine?

A well-crafted abs workout routine must include a combination of upper ab, lower ab, obliques, and full body exercises. And these exercises must be performed in order to hit your entire core without getting burned out.

To help you understand, here is a 4-minute abs workout sample:

• Mountain Climber: 30-sec work, 30-sec rest
• Crunches: 20-sec work, 40-sec rest
• Reverse Crunches: 40-sec work, 20-sec
• Russian Twist: 20-sec work, 40-sec rest

In the same way, you can design multiple rounds of four to eight exercises and train your abs in an organized manner.

The 5 Best Examples of High Intensity Core Workout Plans

From beginner to pro, I’ve shared a few samples of weekly HIIT abs workout routines. Depending on your fitness level and time availability, you can follow one of them.

Example #1 – The 5-Minute HIIT for Abs

This 5-minute high-intensity abs workout is for busy people who want to work on their core for as little as five minutes daily.

Those who perform Yoga can also do this workout after or before their stretching session.

How-to: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds at your maximum heart rate, followed by 10 seconds of rest, then repeat.

Monday, Thursday, and Sunday

• Mt. Climber
• High Knees
• Crunches
• Flutter Kicks
• Russian Twist

Tuesday and Friday

• Mt. Climber
• Plank Jacks
• Alternate Heel Taps
• Leg Lifts
• Seated Knee Tuck

Wednesday and Saturday

• Jumping Jack
• High Knees
• Bicycle Crunches
• Plank Tucks
• Reverse Crunches

Example #2 – 10 Minute HIIT Core Workout for Beginners

A 10-min HIIT core workout session will be excellent for a beginner to start with.

It will be effective and help you scale up for a 15 to 20 minutes session.

There will be ten exercises in this 10-min session, and each exercise will be done at a higher intensity.

Perform two rounds.

You can perform this workout five to six times a week.

Example #3 – The Ultimate 15 Minute HIIT Ab Workout

If you want to bolster your core, improve the six-pack abs appearance, and burn significant calories in a short time, this 15-minute abs workout routine is for you.

Perform this workout three to four times a week to achieve the best results.

Monday and Thursday

• Mountain Climbers– 20 seconds, 15 seconds rest
• High Knees – 15 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
• Crunches – 15 seconds activity, 15 seconds rest
• Leg Lifts– 20 seconds, 15 seconds rest
• Russian Twist– 20 seconds, 20 seconds rest
• Burpees – 20 seconds, 30-sec rest
• Seated Knee Tucks– 15 seconds activity, 15-sec rest
• Crossbody Mountain Climber – 20 seconds, 30-sec rest
• Lunge Front Kick – 10 seconds on each side, 10-sec rest
• V-ups Crunches– 20 seconds, 20 seconds rest
• Spider Plank – 15 seconds activity, 20-sec rest
• Perform two rounds with 1-2 minutes of rest in between them.

Tuesday and Friday

• Mountain Climbers– 20 seconds, 15 seconds rest
• Plank Jacks with Knee Tuck– 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• Bicycle Crunches – 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• High Knees – 20 seconds activity, 15-sec rest
• Leg Raise – 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• Russian Twist– 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• Standing Bicycle Crunch – 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• Plank Tucks – 20 seconds, 20-sec rest
• V-ups Crunches– 20 Seconds, 20 seconds rest
• Flutter Kicks – 20 Seconds
• Side Plank Hip Dips: 10-sec work on each side, 10-sec rest
• Single-Leg Tuck-up: 10-sec work on each side, 10-sec rest
• Perform two rounds with 1-2 minutes of rest in between them.

Example #4 – 20 Minute High-Intensity Interval Core Training for Intermediates

This 20-min high-intensity workout will forge your core, tone abdominal muscles, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and help you develop six-pack abs.

You’ll do four circuits of five exercises each to complete the twenty minutes session.

Activity time for each exercise: 20-40 sec

The interval between exercises: 40-20 sec

Follow this routine for two to three sessions per week.

Example #5 – 30 Minute Advanced HIIT Program to Sculpt Your Core

This program will be challenging but will help you burn many calories, build a sturdy core, improve the appearance of rectus abdominis muscles, improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and speed up weight loss.

In this routine, you’ll do a total of five rounds of six exercises each. And each workout will be of 20-sec followed by 40-sec rest.

HIIT Abs Workout Routine PDF

How Often Should You Perform HIIT for Core?

If you’re a beginner, one time a week is sufficient; if you want to thicken abs muscles and build six-pack abs, you can do two to three times weekly days a week, and if you want to burn more calories, speed up weight loss, and increase core strength at the same time, you can do three to four times weekly.

Related Articles:

• The Best Dumbbell HIIT Workout Plan with PDF

• Best Weekly HIIT Workout Plan For Newbie & Pro

References

• 1
  Kline JB, Krauss JR, Maher SF, Qu X. Core strength training using a combination of home exercises and a dynamic sling system for the management of low back pain in pre-professional ballet dancers: a case series. J Dance Med Sci. 2013;17(1):24-33
• 2
  Tong TK, Wu S, Nie J, Baker JS, Lin H. The occurrence of core muscle fatigue during high-intensity running exercise and its limitation to performance: the role of respiratory work. J Sports Sci Med. 2014 May 1;13(2):244-51. PMID: 24790475
• 3
  Cavaggioni L, Ongaro L, Zannin E, Iaia FM, Alberti G. Effects of different core exercises on respiratory parameters and abdominal strength. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Oct;27(10):3249-53
• 4
  Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Sep;25(9):2559-64