25 Min Sweaty HIIT Workout is an intense cardio workout from Michelle Briehler. Although the title says “low impact”, this is not true. Unlike most of Michelle’s other workouts, there is no talking. This is set to music and you just follow along with Michelle. There is nothing complicated but a few of the moves do require some balance. The workout is split into two parts. The first half is all low impact and for every move you are holding light dumbbells. The second half of the workout does have some impact and is all bodyweight–no dumbbells. There are 3 punching moves in the second half and I used 2 pound dumbbells for those two moves. The two parts of the workout are separated by a water break. The intensity does build in this workout. I burned a 257 calories and spent a total of 8 minutes in Zone 5 of my heart rate.
This workout is done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down the intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Michelle previews the next move. There is a progress bar above the timer counting down the workout time as a percentage.
25 Min Sweaty HIIT Workout is 32:25 minutes; one minute intro, 3 minute warm up and 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: one set of light dumbbells. Michelle is using 5 pound dumbbells. I also used 5 pound dumbbells for the first half of the workout. In the second half, when no dumbbells are used, I used 2 pound handweights for 3 of the moves that have punching.
- Squat + knee (holding one DB in each hand, do one squat + one knee raise, alternate legs when raising knee, lower hands/DBs to calves when squatting then arc them out to the side and overhead when raising knee)
- Lunge + staggered squat (hold both of the DBs together in front of face, do one step back lunge then bring back foot in until you are in a staggered stance then lower into a squat, never raise completely out of lunge or squat so there is constant tension on legs)
- Repeat #2 on other leg
- Ground punches (lower into partial squat with torso hinged forward slightly, DB in each hand, hold this position while doing alternating punches aimed at the ground)
- Swing chest opener (hold DBs together with arms straight, swing them down between legs kettlebell style, when you swing them up, open arms out to sides in goalpost when standing upright)
- Squat walk (holding DBs together in front of chest, squat walk forward several steps (Michelle walks the length of her fitness mat), then lower into a deeper squat and tap DBs to floor, squat walk backwards several step then lower into a deeper squat and tap DBs to floor)
- Curtsy + squat (hold both DBs at shoulder of working leg, alternate one reverse cross-back lunge with one squat)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- Overhead march (extend arms/DBs overhead and hold them there isometrically while doing high knee marches)
- Swing + press knee (stand with legs wider than shoulder width, hold both DBs in one hand, swing arm/DBs down between legs in a kettlebell swing then stand upright raising arm straight overhead then raise opposite knee and bring elbow of arm holding DBs to knee)
- Repeat #10 on other side of body
- Kick figure 8 (hold DBs together, do alternating front leg kicks, arms/DBs draw a small figure 8 w/ DBs, bringing DBs to hip when kicking)
- Sumo reach up + down (stand with legs wide holding a DB in each hand, lower into a sumo squat reaching DBs to floor, stand and do an overhead double arm shoulder press)
- 30 second water break (set DBs aside–you are done w/ them)
- Bob-n-weave + knee (stand with legs wide, lower into a squat while shifting body to one side and doing a knee raise, alternate legs, each time you do a knee raise do a single arm cross punch with opposite arm)
- Drop squat (squat jacks, raise both arms overhead when legs are together, one hand touches the ground when in squat)
- Lunge combo (alternating reverse lunges, when in lunge raise both arms overhead, when you raise out of lunge bring back leg forward into a front knee raise while also chopping both arms down to hip)
- Run touch down (butt kick jog forward (Michelle jogs the length of her mat) then jump feet out into a squat touching one hand to floor, butt kick jog backwards then jump legs out into squat touching one hand down to floor)
- Lat walk 2x + knee (two wide hop steps to side + knee raise w/ inside leg, when hop stepping do jumping jack arms, when raising knee twist opposite arm towards knee)
- Squat + leg lift (do one squat and when you raise out of squat, do one single leg raise to side, when squatting hands are together in prayer, when doing leg lift raise one arm straight overhead and other out to side toward leg as it raises)
- Repeat #20 on other leg
- Forward back lunge (pendulum lunges, front lunge into reverse lunge with same leg)
- Repeat #22 on other leg
- Punch 3x + knee (stand with legs wide, do alternating wide leg knee raises, do 3 alternating punches–2 punches between knee raises and one cross punch with opposite arm when knee raises, it is a tempo pattern)
- Warrior 3 + knee (balance on one leg in Warrior 3 pose, pull back leg/knee in under body while bringing arms to sides, return to Warrior 3–balancing one one leg the entire time)
- Repeat #25 on other leg
- Sumo pulse + turn lunge (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, lower into sumo squat and pulse 3x then pivot turn into a side lunge while punching one arm down, alternate sides when lunging)
For more info on Michelle Briehler’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
