Author: Chelsea Dellinger
High intensity exercise can strengthen your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improve your physical fitness, build muscular strength, endurance, and power, increase your energy, and burn more calories in less time. Along with low intensity cardio and strength workouts, a balanced workout routine that includes high intensity training can help you reach your fitness and health goals.
Here we’re going to review 5 at-home high intensity exercises that can be done at home.
As always, before starting a new exercise routine, it’s best to consult a doctor or healthcare professional!
Best at-home high intensity exercises
- Burpees
- Jump squats
- High knees
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climbers
1. Burpees
- What is a burpee? A burpee is a full bodyweight exercise that combines squats, push-ups, and jumps into one compound movement.
- What does it target? The burpee exercise primarily targets the pectoralis major, quadriceps, and triceps. The secondary muscles it targets are the glutes, hamstrings, deltoids, and abdominals.
- How do you perform it? Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat and place your hands flat on the ground under your chest. With your arms extended, jump or walk your feet and legs backward into a plank. Jump your feet to your hands to return to a squat. Jump up or stand with your hands over your head.
2. Jump Squats
- What is a jump squat? A jump squat is an explosive lower body movement.
- What does it target? The jump squat exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The secondary muscles it targets are the lower back, abdominals, and obliques.
- How do you perform it? Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms out in front of you. Bend at the knees to drop your hips back with a slight tilt forward in your upper body. Drop your thighs until a quarter or parallel to the ground. Jump up and straighten arms above your head. Land on the ball of your foot and roll back to the heels. Modification: bodyweight squats.
3. High Knees
- What are high knees? High knees are a lower body strength and endurance movement.
- What do they target? High knees primarily target the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. The secondary muscles it targets are the abdominals, hamstrings, adductors, and abductors.
- How do you perform them? Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart. Lift one knee up until the thigh is parallel to the ground. Raise the opposite arm to the opposite knee. Jump or march from one foot to the other foot.
4. Jumping Jacks
- What are jumping jacks? Jumping jacks are a total body cardio movement.
- What do they target? Jumping jacks primarily target the quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, and calves. The secondary muscles they target are the trapezius, deltoids, and glutes.
- How do you perform them? Begin standing with your feet together. Jump or walk into a wide stance with legs wider than shoulder-width. Bring arms overhead with hands side-by-side.
5. Mountain Climbers
- What are mountain climbers? Mountain climbers are a lower body strength and cardio movement.
- What do they target? Mountain climbers primarily target the abdominals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. The secondary muscles they target are the triceps, lower back, and obliques.
- How do you perform them? Begin in a plank with your hands under your chest. Lift one leg backwards off the floor, bring the knee toward your chest, and return to the plank. Repeat with the other leg.
At-home high intensity exercise circuit
If you’re looking for inspiration, the following circuit incorporates the 5 exercises we’ve reviewed. Set your timer to 10 minutes and try completing as many rounds as possible:
- Burpee (10 reps)
- Jump Squat (10 reps)
- High Knees (10 reps each)
- Jumping Jacks (10 reps)
- Mountain Climbers (10 reps each)
If you’re looking for even more inspiration, sign up for your 14-day Noom trial today!
