The year 2020 has been a roller coaster shoved into a blender that was set on fire and tossed off a cliff. Whether you’ve spent the past eight months drowning in your own sweat as you strive for the coveted quarantine bod, or you’ve been drowning in pastry recipes you found on TikTok, you’ve been through the ups and downs of 2020. These five HIIT workouts are meant to encompass those ups and downs, from the very beginning of the year to the current challenge of online learning. Gather your motivation, grab some water and enjoy!

1. Hindsight is 2020

Beginning HIIT for Weight Loss + Glutes & Calves Strength – 20/20 30/20 Intervals

Do you remember New Year’s Day of 2020? All the over-the-top sparkly glasses? All the hindsight quotes? All the jokes about good vision? Do you remember how it all went wrong so quickly? 

To take you back to the time when the only thing significant about the year 2020 was its number, check out this workout with intervals of 20 second workouts followed by 20 seconds of rest. The video, just as we thought 2020 would be, is fairly simple. There’s no overarching theme outside of the intervals and a sleek videography, which is almost enough to make us forget about an overarching theme of “terrible things” that has emerged for 2020.

The workout itself is also simple to the point of being endearing. None of the exercises are difficult, but they are challenging after a while. Nevertheless, this video is medium difficulty and lasts for just under — you guessed it — 20 minutes. Give it a try if you’re looking for something simple and straightforward, which is something that 2020 has not been.

2. Shrek is work

SHREK HIIT WORKOUT-SHREK IS LOVE. SHREK IS LIFE. SHREK IS WORK.

What feels like a decade ago, COVID-19 had yet to make its way to Clemson and the students were far more concerned with topics such as Valentine’s Day, spring break and student government elections. During the election that eventually landed Jonathan Gundana, a senior mechanical engineering student, as the undergraduate student body president, there was another notable candidate.

Shrek Strickland, a senior computer science major, made many waves on campus with his campaign for student body president. With a banner on Library Bridge that simply read #Shrek4Prez, stickers promoting his Snapchat account and a determination to wear his full Shrek costume to every important event, Strickland was an unforgettable candidate. So, if you want to go back to the days before COVID-19 had a place in every email from university administration and when you used to see classmates’ chins in-person, check out this Shrek-themed workout. 

Overall, it’s fairly medium difficulty and has some genuinely fun moves. Take a break from school and COVID-19 while you jam out to “All Star” and look for Fiona in the most athletic way possible in this 25 minute video. 

3. Become the true Tiger King

JOE EXOTICS TIGER KING WORKOUT!

April was an exciting month for Clemson students since they were able to watch a viral documentary dealing with crazy incidents surrounding all sorts of tigers. Like every other person quarantining, you were able to watch the excitable Joe Exotic and the questionable Carol Baskin strut across your Netflix screen. However, you (and every other Clemson student) are unique in that your wardrobe for football games has left you with a tiger print collection that might even rival Joe Exotic’s.

“Tiger King” was a show unrivalled in its popularity during the early stages of quarantine. While many developments about COVID-19, politics and the nation at large have happened since its release, the craziness that this story encompasses remains constant. This video takes some of that crazy and sprinkles it throughout the HIIT workout, and it’s a good summation of Joe Exotic’s ridiculousness, which drew us to the show in the first place.

Unfortunately, this workout is criminally short at just over three minutes, and none of the exercises do much to produce any degree of sweating. All in all, it’s a bit of a ripoff, but that’s just what makes it a true Joe Exotic workout, right? If you want a workout that’s easy, spirited and full of offensive references to your favorite tiger-print-wearing convict, give this video a shot. 

4. Gym rat or professional chef?

10 MIN FAT BURNING AT HOME HIIT WORKOUT + POST WORKOUT MEAL RECIPE | WORKOUT WITH ME

Everyone learned within the first couple of weeks of quarantine that there are limited things to do in your home. Once the spring semester ended and schoolwork died down, you were likely on the hunt for things to keep you busy. While you continued social distancing and doing your part to keep yourself and others safe, maybe you fiddled with a few different hobbies.

Many people took to new workout routines and found a new appreciation for physical activities such as running, dancing or working out. As a result, the quarantine bod has become a physique nearly as famed as the beach bod. Others, however, found a far more delicious way to pass the time. From muffins to stir fry to cakes, all types of food-based creativity reigned supreme for many quarantiners. Whether you were focused on working out or dining in during quarantine, this video is still a good way to remind you of the times between the spring and fall semesters.

While admittedly lowtech, the workout is decently intense and a medium difficulty for the 13 minutes that the actual exercises last. There are no sleek production additions, but it does serve to bring a bit of connectedness into your workout. The meal itself appears to be a vegan medley that is also medium difficulty but undeniably appetizing. Check out this video if you’re interested in a workout or just interested in cooking a delicious meal!

5. Return to online learning

Full Body HIIT Workout | Fit Class Live

As you Zoom through the last month of the fall semester, online learning continues to persist. All too often in these online classrooms, there are professors who teach Zoom classes full of blank screens, and it definitely tugs on the soul to see the patented awkward silences of online learning happen when the professor asks a question. If you want to see an alternative for the online learning currently happening at Clemson, this fit class brings some energy and positivity to the online lessons that dominate your day.

Maybe it’s the instructor asking for questions to be inputted into the equivalent of a chat. Maybe it’s the squad being reminiscent of the small group that most people allow themselves to see without a mask on. Regardless, this video simply oozes the energy that Zoom classes possess. 

The workout is medium to hard difficulty, but it only lasts 20 minutes and is definitely doable. None of the exercises are too ridiculous, and there’s a good mix of targeted body areas. Also, the creators are Canadian, and I’m sure we’re all in need of a small break from American television at this point. The workout is high energy and encouraging, so it’s a good video to follow along with for a rejuvenating time.