Work your whole body in just 20 minutes with this full-body Pilates HIIT workout.
Created by Alo Moves and led by Pilates instructor and ex-dancer Bianca Wise, the workout requires one weight — Wise uses a Pilates ball, but you could use one of the best adjustable dumbbells, a medicine ball, kettlebells, or similar — and an exercise mat.
Part of the Alo Moves no-jumping HIIT Pilates series, the short routine is designed to bring high energy using boxing and Pilates principles alongside a light weight. Here’s how to do the workout yourself, the benefits and our verdict.
Watch the 20-minute full-body Pilates workout by Alo Moves:
Pilates is renowned for building a strong core, improving balance, stability, posture and coordination and strengthening muscles from head to toe.
It’s amazing what an hour of Pilates can do for your body when you practice consistently.
The Alo Moves series focuses on different areas of the body, and this session is a full-body workout. It’s moderate difficulty and level 3 intensity, which means you can expect to sweat and ramp up your heart rate, but it’s rated an intermediate-level class. It’s also low impact and kind on your joints without plyometric movements like jumping or burpees.
“Work yourself from your head to your toes in this 20-minute Pilates HIIT class — no jumping necessary,” the team says. “You’ll start with a timed circuit, add an EMOM in the middle and finish with another circuit moving fast and furious with a Pilates ball.” EMOM simply means you’ll perform exercises every minute on the minute, which is a great way to add intensity and keep you accountable.
If you don’t have a Pilates ball, pick up a dumbbell or similar instead. Even a filled water bottle could work if you have limited gym equipment, but be mindful of the slamming and tapping motions if you’re not using the ball.
Things get fiery fast and just because you’re not jumping around, that doesn’t mean the intensity doesn't skyrocket; Wise uses fast-paced Pilates exercises and brings them together with very little rest and some ballet-based work thrown in for good measure.
My verdict on the no-jumping HIIT Pilates routine
You’ll move through this class in stages: act one is a cardio-focused heart raiser and act two is strength and core-based, slowing things down to work through exercises like downward dog, bear planks, a take on lateral shoot-throughs and supermans, with control focusing on muscle contraction and activation. Act three repeats act one but on the other side of your body.
Wise is proof that although throwing heavy weights around in a gym can be fun, a high-tempo Pilates workout worth its salt can be just as challenging for your muscles, especially if you’re not used to training this way.
Programming is also a key factor; Wise works one side of the body at a time, dividing both the circuits by left and right sides. She sandwiches the strength session in the middle like a juicy filling, so while it’s a chance to get your breath back, you’ll feel every muscle group switching on as you work to keep your body stable, posture correct and breath under control.
If you don’t have much experience with Pilates, I recommend checking out some Pilates for beginners routines first. Working with a Pilates instructor will help you understand the main principles of the practice, work on alignment and get a feel for exercises you’re likely to encounter outside of the class setting.
It’s also crucial to learn how to engage your core properly before heading into any workout, not just Pilates or yoga. Proper core engagement is the powerhouse of all movement, including weightlifting and running, and often the difference between a functional, healthy body and picking up tons of injuries during your workouts.
If you haven't tried the series before, I recommend a light ball and slowly increase the weights as you get stronger.
More from Tom's Guide
- A Pilates instructor says these 6 exercises strengthen your abs without weights, so I tried them
- You don't need planks to build core muscle — try this 3-move kettlebell ab workout instead
- I’m a marathoner who doesn’t do enough strength training, so I asked an expert for this 6-move dumbbell workout for runners
