The concept of HIIT wasn’t originally meant for the average fitness enthusiast joe at the time of its conception.

Over the years, there has been a lot of development and innovation along with research that shows how effective High-intensity interval training can be, especially for people trying to achieve weight loss goals.

A lot of people ask:

Do you have to use weights for HIIT? Or can HIIT be done without weights?

If you take a look at the definition and history of HIIT, you’ll see that it’s basically doing highly intense cardio with intervals.

That is why, similar to cardio, HIIT can be performed using weights and machines as well as without them.

What should your heart rate be while lifting weights?

HIIT involves increasing your heart rate to about 85% of your maximum capacity.

Whether you’re trying to build a summer body with strength, mass, endurance or flexibility, there’s a HIIT workout for everything.

For absolute beginners, here’s a comprehensive approach to forming the best 10-minute HIIT workout at home.

Should I lift weights or do cardio/HIIT on the day I plan to go out?

If you’re thinking it will make your physique stand out, one day of HIIT won’t be enough.

However, if you’re planning on drinking while on a regimen, you should do the training you need to do before you go out for drinks.

Although it’s best that you avoid too much alcohol to mess up your body’s digestive system, doing HIIT or strength training on the day you plan to go out and drink is better than doing it afterward.

You can’t do HIIT on a daily basis because your muscles require sufficient recovery time.

And since recovery requires your body to be in its best condition, it’s best that you let the alcohol sink in before you let the muscles begin the recovery process.

Should I do cardio/HIIT for 1-2 months then weights?

A full-body workout regimen will involve starting off with basic training that will work all the muscles of your body in a week.

Every fitness program you enroll in or a regimen that you start off with will have you lifting weights after warming up with easy cardio exercises.

Obviously, in the beginning, you’ll have lighter weights and plain cardio but eventually, this will turn to heavier weights and mixed exercises as well as HIIT sessions spanning over weeks,

As stated above, you can’t do HIIT on a daily basis and that’s why you’ll have a much better time dividing days for various types of training that fit your fitness goals.

In this post, we’ll cover HIIT workouts with simple dumbbells. You can have a mat if you don’t have a smooth floor.

Benefits of this 10 Minute HIIT Workout at Home

Though the benefits of HIIT are unrivaled and unchallenged, this 10-minute workout will certainly help you on your way to reaching every fitness goal.

This 10 minutes HIIT cardio workout is specially designed for all those who just don’t have the availability of a gym or their workout equipment.

People with blood pressure problems as well as heart disease are encouraged to choose low impact exercises but keep up the pace.

The same is the case with people with diabetes.

You can rest assured that HIIT will inevitably help you keep your blood sugar, cholesterol and hemoglobin levels stable.

For fitness freaks or bodybuilders, HIIT workouts with weights are incredibly effective to increase muscle hypertrophy, endurance, strength and flexibility.

Professional athletes use this workout as a warm-up for their everyday workout regime.

The exercises mentioned below will work all major muscles of your body and burn a substantial amount of calories.

You can up your game after a week or two when you think you’re not getting easily tired with these 10-minute HIIT workouts with weights.

All you’ll have to do is increase the duration of your total workouts. Take the next step by switching to 20- and 30-minute HIIT workout routines.

10 Minute HIIT Cardio Workouts with Weights and Equipment

This 10-minute HIIT cardio workout can be done with equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes, etc.

For example, the following 10-minute HIIT workout with weights will require you to have a pair or even a single dumbbell.

You will need to do each exercise for at least 45 seconds and allow yourself 15 seconds of rest in between exercises.

There’s no limit to the number of reps you perform in the given time as long as you do as much as you possibly can without losing control or your posture.

1.      Bicep Curl with Squat

How to Do it?

Very similar to the front dumbbell squat, you start by holding both the dumbbells in your hands and standing with feet a little more than shoulder-width apart.

Squat down till your thighs are almost parallel to the floor.

From next to your thighs, bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders as you would in a regular bicep curl.

Slowly get back up and repeat the process.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

You can modify this workout by applying more force on the curls and use the momentum to bring the dumbbell up faster with your limbs extended.

Using heavier or lighter dumbbells will make a lot of difference in the exercise. You can even use variations such as squatting and performing the curl before coming up, or squatting and curling as you go, etc.

2.      Plie with Rotation Press

How to Do it?

A plie is a standard dancing position that involves standing with your feet far apart and getting down like the squat, except that your knees are facing the opposite directions and your legs are consequently further apart.

The added rotation press will require you to hold a single dumbbell in both your hands and getting up from the squat, turning to one side and raising the dumbbell up to the extent of your arms.

You should turn your feet to the side you’re turning in and stand on your toe on the backfoot.

After that, you straighten up and get down in the squat again to repeat the process, turning on each side evenly.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

You can lose the rotation and get up to raise your arms straight up in the air. 

This will make it a shoulder press, working your shoulders, arms, core and legs.

Like with the exercise above, you can hold two instead of a single dumbbell to up the difficulty.

3.      Lateral Shuffle Touches

How to Do it?

Putting the dumbbells down, it’s time to work your legs and heart up by doing lateral shuffles with touchdowns.

Lateral shuffles involve being quick on your feet and side stepping to the edges of your workout space and touching the ground (or getting in a squat position to almost touching the ground).

Tips to Modify the 10-minute workout:

This exercise can be modified by increasing the pace at which you move. However, don’t go too fast and lose your balance in the process.

4.      Side Lunge Dumbbell Rows

How to Do It?

A side lunge involves standing on your feet shoulder-width apart and getting down on one leg while extending the other to the very end, crouching down.

As you enter the lowest point of your lunge, raise the dumbbells up while keeping your elbows at the same angle, with the dumbbells hanging down.

Slowly drop the dumbbells to the same level they were at before and stand on your two feet again.

Lunge to the other side and repeat the same process for the designated time period.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

You can increase or decrease the intensity of this HIIT workout by adding heavier or removing a dumbbell from the equation.

This HIIT cardio low impact exercise will work your chest, core, arms, legs, glutes and hamstrings while pumping your heart rate.

5.      Dumbbell Renegade Row

How to Do it?

Dumbbell Renegade Rows require you to have a pair of dumbbells in your hand as you get into a push up position.

Maintaining the same position, lift one dumbbell up with your elbow coming at a perfect 90-degree angle, having the dumbbell at the same angle as it was on the ground.

As soon as the dumbbell is at the same level as your chest, hold for half a second and feel the stretch before letting your hand come back down.

Make sure not to hasten the process as there’s a lot of chances to mess up the posture, the quality of the workout and with rolling dumbbells, chances of injury.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

Same as before, you can increase the weight of the dumbbells if you feel like it’s too easy.

Having an inclined surface to rest your legs on can provide added resistance.

Though, again, be mindful of the risks of injury and don’t do anything you can’t easily repeat.

6.      Deadlift / Swing with Triceps Dip

How to Do it?

From a squat position, have the dumbbells hang close to the ground. As you get up to stand, bring the weights up and over your head.

Bring the dumbbells behind your head and take your hands down until you feel the stretch in the backside of your arms (your triceps).

Gently bring the weights over the head in front of you again and get down to the squat position again.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

People who have experience with working on their arms can use heavier dumbbells as long as it doesn’t compromise their workout quality.

7.      Transverse Side Lunge with Shoulder Press

How to Do it?

A transverse side lunge involves stretching your leg out like a normal lunge, except your foot is pointing away rather than straight ahead.

The difference between a side and transverse lunge is that the latter involves making a diagonal angle with your legs rather than a straight line.

Once in a transverse lunge position, have the dumbbells go down with both your hands on the side of your leg upon which you base your stance.

When they’re down, wait for a second before raising them back along with your stance to come back up and stand straight and raise your hands above to do a shoulder press.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

Increasing the pace of this HIIT workout can exponentially increase its effectiveness. Similarly, you can use heavier weights to raise the stakes.

8.      Up Down Plank to Squat

How to Do it?

Planks are a staple to HIIT cardio workouts as they work a series of important muscles while elevating your heartbeat and raising your body temperature to make muscles function smoothly.

Start by getting into a simple pushup position, then take one hand and rest your elbow down on the ground, with your fist present straight ahead.

Do the same with the other hand and get into a plank position.

With the same principle, get back into the push-up position and jump into the air to bring your feet right behind your hands for a squat.

Explode your legs back and land on your feet to get into the same push-up position again and redo the exercise.

Tips to Modify the 10-minute HIIT workout:

Since this workout doesn’t involve weights, you can increase the duration of the workout or the intensity at which you perform to modify it.

9.      Dumbbell Bench Press Straight Leg Raise

How to Do it?

With a dumbbell in each hand, lie down on the floor and raise your legs from the ground.

Raise your hands for a press and as you bring your elbows to the ground, raise your legs straight to make a 90-degree angle with your body.

Tips to Modify

Mixing lateral splits with this exercise along with the addition of heavier weights is a good modification as long as you can retain the posture.

10. Standing Cross Crunches and Squats

How to Do it?

Standing crunches follow the same principle as a lying crunch.

You bring your core and knees close with each rep and go for a squat whenever both legs are on the ground.

Tips to Modify the 10 minute HIIT workout:

Change the intensity of your 10-minute HIIT workout by performing this workout faster and for longer durations if you think it’s not doing enough.

More HIIT Workouts:

While this is one circuit, there are a plethora of other HIIT workouts that can be spread across various time lengths depending upon the duration you have for your workout.

Similarly, there are other exercises that may or may not require equipment and thus, should be categorized as do-it anywhere or strictly gym exercises.