When you think of an exercise step HIIT workout, chances are you’re imagining 1980s music and a lot of Lycra. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with that, you don’t need to wear Spandex to do a step workout. 

We’ve put together a short and snappy exercise step HIIT workout that you can incorporate into your current training regime to improve performance and general health.

Benefits of a Step Workout

This Exercise Step workout has been designed to get the maximum amount of work done in a short amount of time. If you’ve only got 15-20 minutes to move before work or on your lunch break, you can still get the job done. Another thing, all you need is a step. If you haven’t got the space available for a home gym, you can still workout at home with minimal equipment. 

We’ve included a lot of high intensity exercises throughout the workout to increase your heart rate, get the blood pumping and improve your cardiovascular health. On top of this, explosive movements can also benefit athletic performance.

Up and Downs

Start standing, then squat down and place both hands on the step. Jump both feet back so that you’re in a plank position. Jump your feet forwards and lift back up to standing.

If you want to make this exercise easier, you can step your feet backwards and forwards instead of jumping as this places less stress on the joints.

Jump Squats

Squat down and jump explosively onto the box. Pause and then jump back down. Keep your chest up throughout the movement and try to land in a deep squat with your thighs parallel to the floor. You can also step back down instead of jumping if it's more comfortable.

Jump Toe Taps

Start standing on the step, jump up high, bend your right knee and tap your left hand with your right foot and land behind the step. Repeat this process before moving onto the opposite side. To mix up this exercise, you can do a tuck jump at the top of the movement, bringing both knees towards your chest.

Exercise Step HIIT Workout Routine

Now we’re going to combine all of the movements into one flow. Start standing, squat down and place both hands on the step. Hop your feet backward into a plank and then back towards the bench. Staying low in the squat, next jump up onto the step. Once on the step, twist and jump so that both feet land either side of the step.

Finally, jump back onto the step, twisting to face the opposite direction and incorporating the last movement, jump up, bend one knee and tap the foot with the opposite hand before landing behind the step. Repeat this flow in the opposite direction.

To maintain good cardiovascular health and make progress, you should aim to complete this workout 2-3 times per week. However, even if you’ve only got time for one session it’ll still improve your overall health.

Additional Step Exercises

If you want to spice up your training then you can add other exercises or swap them out for the ones above. Other exercises include -

• Mountain climbers

• High knees

• Burpee step jump overs

• Low jacks

Got 15 minutes? Grab your exercise step (and your leg warmers if you want) and give this HIIT workout a go. Or take a look at our HIIT beginner guide for more inspiration.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Equipment > Step ; Exercise Type > Cardio ; Misc > Workout