Get Your Heart Pumping with This HIIT Holiday Workout

Disclaimer: The following post is sponsored by adidas. As always, all opinions expressed are genuinely my own. 

---

Happy December!

This month means lots of holiday fun, but between holiday parties, travel, and shopping for gifts, it tends to also equate to our schedules getting a bit more hectic. With all of the holiday excitement taking over, it’s easy to get thrown out of whack with your healthy living routine.

But there’s no need to panic! Eating some extra treats and having less time to exercise can be challenging for your waistline, but I truly believe it’s all about balance and moderation. One of the 10 ways I avoid weight gain during the holiday season is to treat my workouts like a meeting I can’t miss. I typically look ahead to see when I’m able to fit in workouts during a given week, and then I plan for it and make it a priority. I always think of the phrase When there’s a will, there’s a way. 

One of the ways I’m able to sneak in exercise is by doing at-home workouts some days. It cuts out the driving time to studios, which can make a difference if I’m time crunched.

Working out in my at-home gym sporting my new maroon adidas fleece hoodie with matching tights 

I recently moved into a new place where there’s a top floor loft that I’ve made my office + exercise room. The room is pretty spacious, which is nice because I have a good amount of room to keep all of my dumbbells and strength gear, yoga mat, and bike in an area separate from my work space.

One style of workout that I often do at home is a combo of cycling cardio + strength training in a HIIT/circuit type of format. I like it because it keeps me engaged, as the cardio bursts are short and I’m constantly moving onto the next thing.

If you’re looking for a new workout to switch up your fitness routine and challenge your body as you navigate through the busy holiday season, I’ve got just the routine for you! This HIIT cardio & strength workout focuses on combo moves to work the entire body: lunge and squat variations, upper body strength moves with a set of dumbbells, ab exercises, and cardio time to get that heart rate pumping.

I encourage you to customize the workout to whatever best works for you: I use my bike for the cardio portions of the workout, but you can do whatever cardio you prefer. No equipment available? No problem. Do jumping jacks, run around the block or jog in place. I use 15-lb dumbbells for this routine, but you can increase or decrease your weights depending on your strength level.

The routine is designed with 3 rounds that follow the format of 5 minutes of cardio, then 4 exercises done each for 2 rounds with 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off. The entire sequence can be done twice for an 60-minute workout, or once for a 30-minute routine. In case you aren’t familiar with some of these strength moves, I’m including demos to the exercises below.

A big thanks to adidas for sponsoring this post! If you have loved ones that live in activewear like I do, be sure to check out the adidas women’s line for holiday gift ideas. I know I always appreciate the gift of new athletic wear that I can constantly throw on for anything from working out and running errands, to hanging out at home!

Static lunge with single dumbbell overhead hold. Add upper body work to a typical static lunge by including an overhead press hold. Use the opposite arm for the dumbbell press from the leg lunging forward. Pictured is a left leg forward for the lunge, and the right arm straight above the head holding the dumbbell (switch sides in the second round).

Sumo squat jump with single dumbbell hold. This squat variation works the inner thighs by pointing the toe outwards, and we take it up a notch by including plyometric jumps and adding weight. Hold the dumbbell with both hands in front of your belly button.

Dumbbell bent-over row with bicep curl. This strength move simultaneously targets the back, biceps, and forearms. We switch up the traditional exercise by executing it with one palm facing down, and the other one facing up for a bicep curl (switch sides in the second round).

Lunge with overhead shoulder press. This up/down lunge fatigues the lower body, while the shoulder press works the shoulders at the same time. Keep on one leg for the first round, then switch sides in the second round.

Standing reverse chest fly. This move works the shoulders and back: With your feet shoulder-width apart, hinge forward at the hips and let the dumbbells hang straight down from your shoulders, with your palms facing each other and arms slightly bent. Raise your arms out to your sides, pause, then return to starting position.

Alternating curtsy lunge with overhead press. This lunge variation also targets the inner thighs and glute medius, a smaller booty muscle, and we take it up a notch by also including a narrow overhead press.

Sumo squat with tricep extension. We get those triceps working more with this exercise, where the dumbbells are brought down behind the head as we bend our legs into a sumo squat.

Weighted uppercuts. I love incorporating boxing moves into my strength workouts, and this move is a play on uppercuts: Hold your dumbbells with your palms facing your body and your legs slightly bent hips-width distance apart, and begin to perform alternate uppercut punches, quickly alternating with one dumbbell shoulder-width and the other overhead punching upwards.

Weighted opposite hand to toe crunch. This is one of my favorite ab moves, and it can be done with or without a dumbbell. Hold the weight in on hand. Lift your weighted hand and upper body off the ground towards your torso, while you lift your opposite leg as straight at you can to meet your hand. Stay on one side for the first round, then switch sides for the second round.

Tell me… What does your commitment to fitness look like during the holiday season?