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If you’re short on time but want a workout that hits every major muscle group, boosts your metabolism, and leaves you feeling strong, energized, and accomplished, a 30-minute full body MetCon HIIT workout is exactly what you need. Metabolic Conditioning (MetCon) blends strength, cardio, and high-intensity intervals to push your body to burn more calories during and after your training session. In just half an hour, you can sculpt lean muscle, improve cardiovascular fitness, and elevate your overall athletic performance—right from home or at the gym.
This guide breaks down what MetCon is, why it’s so effective, and provides a complete 30-minute full body MetCon HIIT workout you can follow today. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced athlete, this routine will challenge you, elevate your heart rate, and help you achieve full-body results.
Metabolic conditioning (MetCon) is a style of training designed to improve how efficiently your body uses energy. It combines short, intense bursts of exercise with structured rest periods to push your cardiovascular and muscular systems simultaneously. This results in:
HIIT and MetCon share similarities, but MetCon typically emphasizes strength + speed + conditioning, giving you an all-in-one workout that transforms your fitness.
A 30-minute MetCon HIIT session is more than just a workout—it’s a metabolic accelerator. Here’s why it works:
MetCon builds strength through functional, compound movements that engage multiple muscles at once.
Because of the intensity, a 30-minute MetCon session burns more calories than a steady-state cardio workout of the same length.
The afterburn effect (EPOC) increases your body’s energy expenditure even after the workout is over.
You’ll move better, faster, and stronger by incorporating multi-joint exercises.
Perfect for busy women who want a complete session without spending hours at the gym.
The structure below ensures a powerful combination of:
Strength
Cardio
Core
Conditioning
You’ll work in 3 circuits, each containing 4 exercises, working for 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off. After each circuit, rest for 1 minute.
The workout is designed to be:
Before you jump into intense intervals, prime your muscles and joints.
Perform each warm-up exercise for 30 seconds:
This elevates your heart rate and prepares your body for performance.
Repeat the circuit once.
Work: 40 seconds
Rest: 20 seconds
After all 4 moves, rest 1 minute.
Engages quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core.
How to do it:
Drop into a squat, rise up, and drive your right knee toward your chest. Alternate each rep.
Benefits:
Improves power, balance, and stability.
Strengthens glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
How to do it:
Step back into a lunge, then explosively hop upward using your lead leg. Switch sides halfway through.
Modification:
Skip the hop and simply step forward.
This cardio burner elevates your heart rate fast.
How to do it:
Hop side to side over an imaginary line, keeping feet light and core tight.
Advanced: Hop on one leg.
Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, and core.
How to do it:
Hold a glute bridge and raise one knee at a time like a march while keeping hips elevated.
Repeat the circuit once.
Work: 40 seconds
Rest: 20 seconds
Then rest 1 minute.
Targets chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
How to do it:
Perform a push-up, then tap each shoulder while keeping hips steady.
Modification:
Drop to knees.
A full-body movement that challenges shoulders, abs, and hamstrings.
How to do it:
Walk hands out to a high plank, then back to standing. Keep your core engaged.
Isolates triceps and strengthens the upper body.
How to do it:
Dip your body down by bending elbows, keeping your back close to the chair or bench.
Modification:
Do floor triceps dips if you don’t have equipment.
A core and cardio exercise that lights up your abs, shoulders, and quads.
How to do it:
Drive knees toward chest in a fast but controlled motion.
Repeat the circuit once.
Work: 40 seconds
Rest: 20 seconds
Then cool down.
The ultimate MetCon move.
How to do it:
Squat → jump back → plank → push-up → jump forward → jump up.
Modification:
Step back to plank and skip the push-up or jump.
Strengthens deep core muscles.
How to do it:
Lie on your back, legs tabletop, arms extended. Lower opposite hand and foot to the floor while keeping your spine neutral.
Builds explosive lower body power.
How to do it:
Perform a squat and explode upward. Land softly and repeat.
Modification:
Do bodyweight squats.
A cardio finisher to spike your heart rate.
How to do it:
Pump arms and drive knees high as fast as possible.
Complete with:
This aids recovery and helps lower your heart rate.
For best results:
MetCon is intense, so listen to your body and allow enough recovery.
Safe and efficient movement prevents injuries.
Add:
Eat a balanced pre-workout meal with carbs and protein.
Long-term results come from routine.
Record weights, reps, or intervals to measure improvement.
This training style is perfect for:
With built-in modifications, this workout meets every fitness level.
This 30-minute full body MetCon HIIT workout blends intense interval training with functional strength movements that challenge every major muscle group. By combining cardio, power, strength, and core exercises, you get a strategic, full-body routine that builds endurance, torches calories, and supports healthy muscle development.
Whether you’re training at home or at the gym, this workout delivers maximum results in minimal time—perfect for women who want an efficient, powerful, and sustainable fitness routine.
Ready to supercharge your fitness routine? If you’re dialing in the 30-minute full body MetCon HIIT workout, you’ll love diving deeper into our other efficient routines like the “30-Minute Full Body At-Home HIIT Routine: Burn Fat Build Strength” for at-home convenience, the “The 30-Minute Dumbbell HIIT Workout for a Full Body Burn” when you have equipment, the “20-Minute Full Body HIIT Workout with Weight Plates” for time-crunched sessions, our “Best Body Weight Workouts For Women” when gear isn’t available, and the “30-Minute Dumbbell Glute Workout for Strength and Toning” to focus on lower-body sculpting while you recover from HIIT sessions. Each of these routines supports your full-body progress and keeps your training fresh and effective.
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