3 Barre HIIT Workouts

I get it. Life is busy and sometimes it can be hard to squeeze in a workout. So when that precious window of time comes, it’s got to be worth it. Enter the barre, HIIT combo workout which combines basic barre moves with high intensity interval training to strengthen and tone while increasing your metabolism and endurance. The super-efficient HIIT method of training is the ideal workout for a quick burn and barre is incredibly effective for transforming the so-called ‘problem areas’ for women. Meld these two training methods together and you have the perfect HIIT barre workout at home for the modern day, busy women.

Whether you want to squeeze in a workout during your lunch break or tone up for a fast-approaching event, this 6-exercise circuit workout has you covered. Each exercise requires total body engagement, but the workout is designed to emphasize the burn in the lower body.

Below are 3 circuits that require just your bodyweight. Plus, you can easily do this HIIT barre workout at home. Each circuit consists of one barre exercise and one HIIT exercise, for a total of 6 exercises. Perform each exercise for 20 repetitions. Once you’ve completed all three circuits, take a 1-minute break and utilize the AMRAP Method: repeating the entire workout sequence for ‘as many rounds as possible’.

Related: A Beginner’s Guide To Barre

Circuit One:

Pliè Squats with Heel Lifts

1. Step into a wide second position or pliè squat with heels turned slightly in and toes turned slightly out.
2. Act as if you are sliding your back down a wall and lower into a wide second position, pliè squat. Keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips, core and butt tucked in.
3. Perform an isometric hold in the legs while you lift your arms overhead.
4. Option to also lift your heels up off the ground, transferring the weight to the balls of your feet, as you lift your arms overhead.
5. Repeat this motion for 20 repetitions.

Crisscross Squat Jacks

1. Start at the bottom of your wide second position, pliè squat.
2. Explode up, squeezing the glutes and hamstrings while drawing the inner thighs together, to land at the top of your jack with legs crossed.
3. You are crossing the legs for inner thigh engagement. Alternate crossing the right foot in front of the left foot and vice versa.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for 20 repetitions.

Circuit Two:

Arabesque Oblique Crunch

1. Balance on standing leg with a small, micro-bend in your standing leg. Option to use a chair for additional balance support.
2. Float your working leg to side. Option to rest the working leg on the ground or challenge your balance and float the working leg.
3. Pull the knee of your working leg toward your elbow performing a standing, side oblique crunch.
4. Extend your working leg back to the starting position, engaging your outer glutes and rear.
5. Perform 20 repetitions on the right leg and the repeat on the left leg.

Twisting Knee Drives

1. Again, balance on standing leg with a small bend in your standing leg.
2. With your standing leg firmly planted on the ground, float your other leg to side. Again, you have the option to rest your floating leg on the ground or keep it lifted up off the ground.
3. Explosively, pull the knee of your floating leg toward your chest as you twist your upper body to the outside of your floating leg to engage the core.
4. Quickly return to your starting position and rapidly repeat this exercise for 20 repetitions.
5. Complete 20 repetitions on the right leg and the repeat on the left leg.

Circuit Three:

Reverse Lunge with Lat Pull

1. Take a large step backward and lower your body toward the floor into a reverse lunge.
2. Both legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge. Keeping your front knee behind your front toes.
3. You have the option to intensify the lunge by rising up onto your front toe while in the lunge position.
4. Push up from the low lunge into a standing position. As you stand up, lift your arms straight overhead, biceps by ears.
5. Lower your body toward the floor into a reverse lunge. As you lower toward the ground, pull your arms down into a goal-posted position, engaging your back.
6. Repeat this movement engaging both the legs and arms.
7. Complete 20 repetitions on the right leg and the repeat on the left leg.

Lunge Hops

1. Again, take a large step backward and lower your body toward the floor into a reverse lunge.
2. Both legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge. Keeping your front knee behind your front toes.
3. From the low lunge position, explode up through the legs, leaving the ground.
4. Land back in your starting position and repeat this explosive movement for 20 repetitions.
5. Complete 20 repetitions on the right leg and the repeat on the left leg.

Workout Summary:

Perfo rm each exercise for 20 repetitions. Once you’ve completed all three circuits, take a 1-minute break and repeat the entire workout sequence for as many rounds as possible.

Circuit One:

Pliè Squats with Heel Lifts
Crisscross Squat Jacks

Circuit Two:

Arabesque Oblique Crunch
Twisting Knee Drives

Circuit Three:

Reverse Lunge with Lat Pull
Lunge Hops

With benefits like thinner thighs, lifted glutes, flat abs, increased metabolism and endurance why not give this hard HIITing barre workout a try.

*For more HIIT and barre workouts, visit www.nourishmovelove.com or follow @nourishmovelove on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

 

 

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