[Workout Wednesday] 20-Minute HIIT Strength & Power Circuit Workout

Get in a full workout in just 20 minutes with this quick HIIT strength & power circuit class!

Sometimes you want a workout that gets a lot done without taking up a huge chunk of your day. This quick total-body HIIT workout from Fitness Blender is designed for exactly those days!

The routine combines strength, power, cardio, balance, and core work in a fast-paced workout using light-to-medium dumbbells. It’s short, but don’t let the length fool you — Fitness Blender rates it as a Level 4 workout because of the combination of challenging movements, quick tempo, and added resistance.

If you’re looking for a workout that can help you build strength while getting your heart rate up, this is a fun one to add to your home fitness routine.

Watch it here:

What to Expect

This workout takes about 21 minutes and uses dumbbells and a mat. The main HIIT circuits use 30-second work intervals followed by 15 seconds of rest, allowing you to work at a challenging pace without the workout becoming overly long.

The workout includes:

• A brief dynamic warm-up
• Two total-body HIIT circuits
• A HIIT finisher
• A weighted core finisher
• A cool-down and stretches

The exercises combine movements such as reverse lunges, cleans, presses, squats, rows, deadlifts and high pulls. The result is a workout that asks your body to move in several different ways rather than simply repeating one type of exercise.

Strength + Cardio in One Workout

One thing I like about workouts like this is that you don’t necessarily have to choose between strength training and cardio.

The dumbbells add resistance to movements that work your major muscle groups, while the faster pace and HIIT intervals challenge your cardiovascular system. The workout also incorporates more explosive, power-oriented movements and exercises that require coordination and balance.

That combination can make a relatively short workout feel surprisingly comprehensive!

Fitness Blender notes that the short bursts of intense exercise are intended to challenge cardiovascular fitness and oxygen utilization, while the resistance component adds a strength and muscular-endurance challenge.

You Don’t Need Your Heaviest Weights

This isn’t the time to reach for the heaviest dumbbells you own.

Because many of the exercises are performed at a relatively quick tempo and involve combination movements, Fitness Blender recommends using light-to-medium resistance that you can control throughout the intervals. Their reference weight for the workout is 15 pounds, but that’s simply their example rather than a recommendation for everyone.

The goal is to maintain good form and control rather than simply lifting as much weight as possible.

If you’re new to this style of workout, there’s nothing wrong with going lighter.

Make the Workout Work for You

This is a fairly challenging routine, but you can adjust the intensity to your current fitness level.

Fitness Blender specifically suggests slowing down the movements, reducing or eliminating the weights, or breaking combination exercises into individual movements if you need to make the workout easier.

That’s an important reminder with HIIT: harder isn’t necessarily better if your form falls apart.

If a particular exercise doesn’t feel right for your body, modify it or take a break. You can still get a great workout without pushing through pain or trying to match someone else’s pace.

A Quick Core Finisher

After the HIIT circuits, the workout finishes with a short weighted core segment.

You’ll use a single weight for plank weight drags, focusing on core stabilization rather than simply racing through repetitions.

I like the idea of ending a fast-paced workout this way because it brings the emphasis back to control and stability after all of the quicker movements.

Is This Workout Right for You?

This Fitness Blender workout could be a good choice when you:

• Want a short but challenging total-body workout
• Enjoy HIIT-style training
• Want to combine strength and cardio
• Have a pair of dumbbells and a little space at home
• Prefer workouts that incorporate a variety of movement patterns
• Want to challenge your coordination, balance, and core along with your major muscle groups

It’s not necessarily a beginner workout, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with weighted combination or power movements. But the intensity can be adjusted by changing your weights, slowing the pace, or modifying individual exercises.

Give It a Try

If you’ve got about 20 minutes and want to make your workout time count, give this Fitness Blender weighted HIIT workout a try.

It’s a nice example of how you don’t necessarily need a long workout to challenge your entire body. A thoughtful combination of resistance, cardio, power, balance, and core work can pack quite a bit into a short session.

Just remember: work at a pace and resistance that’s appropriate for you, focus on good form, and don’t be afraid to modify.

And when you’re finished, take a few minutes to cool down and appreciate the fact that you made time to move your body. That’s always a win!

You can find more information about this workout through Fitness Blender.