If you’re looking for an HIIT workout program to kick your body into gear, look no further than Hannah Eden’s FYR 2.0.
Hannah’s eight-week HIIT workout plan will not only make you feel like you’re a badass (or at least a badass-in-training), but you’ll get strong and fit like one, too.
Who is Hannah Eden?
If you know Hannah Eden, then I don’t need to sell you on her. If you don’t, she’s hard to miss. She’s physically statuesque and beautiful, with panther-like musculature and fire-red hair (well, it used to be red). And it gets better from there. While her personality is warm and down-to-earth, she drives you like a drill sergeant. And you will LIKE it. Blame it on the charming husky London accent and occasional f-bombs.
She also has her own gym in Miami, Florida. It’s called PumpFit, and if you follow her on social media, you’ll see it frequently. She also has online membership options on her website.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that I get a small profit from anything you purchase from my links, at no cost to you. Please see my full disclosure here.
What is the FYR 2.0 HIIT workout plan?
The first FYR.
To know what FYR 2.0 is, you have to know what the first FYR is. Hannah Eden’s FYR is a four-week (28 days) HIIT workout plan available on bodybuilding.com with high-octane workouts of 20 to 30 minutes, five times a week. Every workout is different, but a similar structure is used on the same day of the week. For instance, Mondays are “Monster Mondays” with an HIIT protocol of 30/60/90, Tuesdays are “Tabata Tuesdays,” and so on.
Most of the workouts are HIIT, or high intensity interval training, and all are a form of metabolic resistance training (which is what I do here on Fitwitchery) that mixes weight lifting, bodyweight, cardio and animal flow into a high intensity whirlwind of a workout. The result is one that builds your strength and works your cardiovascular system at the same time. It tends to be shorter in time than traditional strength training or moderate cardio, and if you’re a real sadist like me, it’s nice to leave the gym drenched in sweat, feeling like you did something today.
Oh—and “FYR?” Hannah’s all about finding the motivation to work out, or as she puts it, “Find your reason.” Hence, “FYR.”
My personal experience with Hannah Eden’s FYR.
When I embarked on the first FYR, I was in a real workout rut. I had been loving bodyweight only workouts (calisthenics workouts), but following my own style had gotten stale. I wasn’t excited to work out anymore.
So, I watched a promo and fell in love with Hannah (I have a weakness for British accents and bad language). I said, “What the heck?” and delved into her 28-day HIIT whirlwind, and was so sad it ended that I started right up at the beginning again.
It was a real game-changer for me. I not only got stronger and leaner, but I was excited to work out again. You can read my full review of Hannah Eden’s FYR here, and—spoiler alert!—it’s a rave.
Enter FYR 2.0.
So when Hannah announced on her Instagram that she was releasing FYR 2.0 in November 2019, I was ecstatic. Even better is that this workout plan is not 30 days but eight weeks long, so it’s twice the amount of amazing Hannah workouts (or so I thought).
I did all eight weeks. Then I took a break and decided to do the whole kit and caboodle over once again (yup, again, just like the first FYR).
So yes, it’s a fantastic HIIT workout plan. Is it perfect? No. Is it effective? Yes, in my opinion. Is it better than the first? Mmm, yes and no.
Let’s dive in.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure here.
What’s the same as the first FYR HIIT workout plan?
FYR 2.0 is the same basic structure as FYR: five workouts a week, and the same workout structure plan weekly, with the 30/60/90 protocol for Monster Mondays, then Tabata Tuesdays, 45s for Wednesday, Thursday is off, then Open Format Friday, and ending the week with Mash-Up Saturdays (Sundays are off).
Of course, this program is eight weeks instead of four, but it’s really only three weeks of workouts that you repeat. More on that later.
Also, for the most part, the types of exercises and equipment are similar, with a nice mix of bodyweight and strength training moves with dumbbells or kettlebells. Like the first, I suggest doing this program with access to a gym, unless you happen to have a lot of equipment at home. The weights vary, and you want to make sure you have minibands, kettlebells, dumbells and soft medicine balls.
Of course, if you don’t have the equipment, you can always modify. However, there would probably be too much modifying to make it worthwhile. If you don’t have the equipment, I suggest finding a different program. Even the first FYR is more easily adjustable.
(If you haven’t read it, I suggest checking out my earlier post on Hannah Eden’s FYR for more in-depth look at her first HIIT fitness plan.)
What’s different from the first FYR?
Being FYR 2.0, you assume it will be the next step—bigger, heavier, bolder, faster. And you’d be right.
There are more additional parts to the workouts. For instance, there is sometimes an added AMRAP on a Wednesday, before or after the 45s. And Tabata Tuesdays, which had five Tabata sections in FYR, now have six. This was a welcome change for me, since I always added a Tabata or two anyway. On top of that, things get a little longer, a little more complicated, a little more advanced, and sometimes, a little more fun.
Read on for a list of ways that FYR 2.0 differs from FYR, mostly for good, but sometimes with mixed results.
Added finishers after the workout.
The biggest change from the first FYR is the addition of Bonus Workouts. There are a total of five: Core Blaster, Cardio Burner, Upper Body Complex, Lower Body Complex, and Anything Goes. These are great finishers to give you a little extra edge in your calorie-burning or strength training.
While I welcomed the finishers, I got bored of some of them, and fast. Core Blaster and Cardio Burner she repeats quite a bit (five and six times, respectively, over the eight weeks). The good news is that they’re easily replaceable. Throw one of my 10-minute workouts in there, or find another one on the web (check out Zuzka Light’s old workouts here, Tatianna’s LovingFit finishers or Kyla Gagnon’s quick workouts—or make up your own) or just go for a quick jog/bike/stair climb/gazellewhateverthehellitis.
The Anything Goes bonus has weights, but it’s a full-bodied kettlebell affair, giving you a great metabolic lil’ workout. The structure I found a bit confusing and ineffective, but when in doubt, do what I did: Forget the intervals and just do the circuit for 10 minutes.
The Upper Body and Lower Body Complexes, though, are great. I not only do them every time she adds them, I get excited for them.
They both follow an HIIT format but aren’t overwhelming on the metabolic front. They’re 30 seconds for 4 intervals right after one another, 4 times, with a one-minute break between sections (most online interval timers allow for this, and I use this one on my iPhone).
The upper body bonus nicely balances bodyweight moves that require more balance and agility with more isolated weight-lifting exercises. And the lower body one, which is my personal favorite, really highlights something I’ve been super excited about lately: the glutes.
More booty love throughout.
The Lower Body Complex makes use of resistance bands to hit the glutes from all (well, many) angles: walking side steps, hip abductions, bridges and banded squats.
In fact, I found the entire program to be a lot more glute-inclusive, which was a welcome change, since I personally have been making it a goal to concentrate more on this body part.
Why? Well, it looks effing sexy. And it’s maybe the only body part that you can bulk up on as a woman and have no qualms about it giving you a “masculine” physique. (That’s a BS argument, but those thoughts still linger in our heads.)
Plus, building and activating your glutes improves your form on lower body exercises (like squats), reduces the risk of injury and improves posture. It’s been getting love in recent years, especially from glute expert (“glutexpert?” “glutologist?” “gluxpert?”) Bret Contreras, but it’s a hard muscle group to target.
But really, it’s looks good, and personally, I need a little help. So. Lower Body Complex for the win!
More adventurous weighted moves.
Hannah also ups the difficulty overall. This IS 2.0, after all, and the first one was appropriately tame, while still giving a great burn. These exercises were harder and required more strength and coordination, and while I haven’t done the math, I believe there are more weighted moves and more kettlebell moves.
The adventurous exercises add variety, and I am HERE for it. Superhero lunge squat and press is a favorite of mine that I grabbed from one of her Instagram workouts. It’s the best kind of kettlebell combination move that has agility, strength, and craploads of cardio all in one. She introduced me to the dumbbell snatch with FYR, so I was glad to see that returning in different forms, and cross-body swing and catch was a fun move. She also has a knack for combining exercises well in an interval that might be too long otherwise. For instance, cycling between 4 double kettlebell front squats, presses and deadlifts for 1:30.
Watch yo’ form.
For these advanced moves, especially those with kettlebells, which are intrinsically more difficult, be OCD with your form. Go Rain Main on that sh*t. If you’re in doubt, drop the weight and move up later. The superhero lunge squat and press, kettlebell hike, cross-body catch, kettlebell swing and pull, and plenty of combination moves require some experience and impeccable form. Without attention to form, you could be looking at injury. (In fact, as I write this, I’m a tad injured myself, but I can’t say it’s Hannah’s fault.)
In some instances though, you should always modify. For instance, why do the American kettlebell swing? It’s not only inefficient, but dangerous. Stick to the Russian one, where your arms only swing to horizontal. Your glutes with thank you. And don’t do sit-ups. Substitute with another ab exercise.
I wish that Eden had added more advanced bodyweight strength moves. I would love to see one-legged squats (pistol squats) or pull-ups, but I also understand that those are harder to modify without making an entire workout about them. But I mean, throw a girl a bone. How about some push-ups variations, dive bombers, step-ups, or plyometric lunges? To be fair, she includes breakdancers and step-throughs a lot, which were two bodyweight cardio full-body moves she introduced in FYR that are real keepers, especially if you’re tired of burpees. And she does have one workout where she cycles through push-up variations, but the result feels rushed.
More workout structure variety with FYR 2.0.
While Hannah sticks to the basic program above, she introduces a few more mini-workouts that weren’t in the last program. She also includes more AMRAPS (As Many Rounds As Possible, so you basically set a countdown timer and go) and circuits, and a whole new workout structure: the EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute).
The EMOM workout structure: Sometimes a success, sometimes not.
I applaud the change, as I think there’s too much HIIT in in this workout plan in general, but sometimes these sections are more successful than others. The EMOM, or something like it, appears in three workouts (some of which get repeated), including a bonus workout. The way it works is this: Every minute or two minutes (or however long the interval), you perform either one exercise in all reps or the entire circuit. Every interval, however, the reps go up.
I love ladders, pyramids and reverse ladders, as they mess with your brain’s ability to calculate how much time you have left, which is a good thing. However, reverse ladders work much better with your body in general, as it allows you to go maximum effort at the top, tapering off as you lose steam.
I altered just about all of these EMOM ladder workouts in different ways. Some had too few reps of an exercise, like on Day 12/26/47 where she starts you out with only six total lunges per round. You work up to 12, but still. It wasn’t enough, so I doubled it. Some had exercises that were irritating in massive repetition, like plank up downs, which chafed my forearms.
And sometimes I felt the interval wasn’t challenging enough and just kept going, treating it instead like a typical HIIT or an AMRAP.
But when it works, it works really well, like in Day 5/19/40, with three exercises gradually increasing over 10 minutes. It starts off with 10 air balls, 10 clean and squats, and 10 plank up downs (I subbed in cowboy squats and v-plank jumps) and goes up to 14 reps in the last round. You get a good amount of rest, but you’re barely hanging on in the last round.
Some overcomplicated moves or ideas turn out to be ineffective.
With adventure comes risk. It also means there’s more room for variety among results. For me, not all the adventurous ideas pan out. There are several workouts in this HIIT fitness plan that I feel are overly complicated, or where a cute idea falls short. Where in the first FYR I usually modified for intensity, in 2.0 I usually modified for effectiveness and simplicity.
For instance, one workout (Day 12, repeated on Days 26 and 47) has a part where all the exercises are performed with one dumbbell instead of two, including bicep curls.
In order to do the exercise and have it be challenging, the bells are too damn big for my hands to grab. This resulted in a muscle strain and mini-injury in my forearm from gripping the large bell at a weird angle.
But again, it’s easily modifiable. When repeating that workout, I just use two dumbbells. It ruins the neatness of using one dumbbell for a series of exercises, but I’ll live.
Because of this, I strongly advise taking notes in a workout journal and modifying anything that you would rather see changed. She repeats the workouts, which means that you have the opportunity to tailor the workout how you see fit.
Repetitions of workouts.
One of the biggest changes is a repetition of workouts. While FYR 2.0 seems twice as long as FYR, it actually has less full workouts. There are only three weeks of workouts that get recycled throughout the program: week 1, 2 and 5. Weeks 3 and 4 repeat 1 and 2, as do weeks 6 and 7, and week 8 repeats week 5.
This in itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s great to repeat workouts and track progress. And as I mentioned above, it allows you the time to change anything you don’t like. But don’t be fooled that you’re getting a longer program. You’re getting a shorter one, and, if you pay Bodybuilding.com for the subscription the whole time, it’s twice as expensive.
Overall pros and cons of FYR 2.0: Hannah Eden’s HIIT workout plan.
Whether you did the first FYR or not, are a rookie or gym rat, there are definite benefits to following this fitness program.
FYR 2.0 gives you full, real-time workout videos.
A huge bonus to this workout plan is there are full videos you can follow along with for every workout. You don’t have to follow along, of course. What I do is write it down and take it to the gym.
But if you like a trainer showing you the workout and motivating you in real time, you can’t do better.
Eden also demonstrates how to do workouts on her Instagram and Facebook, but it’s a real treat to listen to her foul-mouthed enthusiasm. And for the record, the first FYR has these amazing full-length videos as well.
This workout program is ridiculously affordable.
Yeah, it technically costs money. But it’s super cheap. We’re talking $6.99 a month for two months. And there’s even a workaround if you want it for free, which you can read about on my last review.
Bodybuilding.com has a paid month-to-month subscription, which gives you access to not just FYR 2.0, but the first FYR and gazillions of other programs. And hey—you can just sign up for a free week, if you want. Check it out.
Options for beginner, intermediate and advanced workout enthusiasts.
One of my favorite things that FYR and FYR 2.0 do is include modifications for all fitness levels. Hannah’s workouts can be intimidating even to someone experienced, and if you get excited by her energy and drive but can’t do the moves, it’s disheartening.
She has the same helpers in 2.0 as she does in the first, and they’re wonderful. And I can speak from experience working out with friends and clients of all experience levels: Her workouts are amazing and tough, but also extremely modifiable. This builds confidence and direction for beginners to fitness.
However, this HIIT workout plan is NOT for newbs.
This is all very encouraging, but should be approached with caution if you’re a beginner to fitness and working out. And actually, if you are a beginner, I would highly suggest putting this program on the back burner. If you’re more than a beginner, start with the original FYR. It’s a bit less ambitious and if it’s too easy, you can easily modify for more difficulty, like I did. Add finishers, weight, jumps, or substitute exercises. I also reduced the rest time on 30/60/90 workouts to 10 or 15 seconds.
There are loads of beginner programs you can benefit from. Bodybuilding.com has tons of programs for all levels, including beginners. For HIIT workouts and workout plans, I’ve always loved Zuzka Light, and I know she has a beginner program. Check out a list of online workout programs, which you can also easily find with a search online. The only problem is too many results rather than too few, so choose someone with experience and knowledge that you connect to.
HIIT: Too much of a good thing.
I said this with the last workout program, and I’ll say it again here: The program is, ultimately, too much HIIT. HIIT is awesome and efficient and addictive, but it stresses your nervous system. While the first program had too much HIIT, the workouts were shorter, and the program was only 28 days.
If your body feels achy and twitchy, take a few days off. Seriously. I did.
I had HIIT overload several times during this program, though I will say this: I came back much stronger.
Hannah Eden’s FYR 2.0: The bottom line.
All in all, this is another outstanding, effective and fun HIIT workout plan from Hannah Eden. The biggest selling point she has after the workout is her personality and ability to motivate.
Do the FYR 2.0 program if…
- You did Hannah Eden’s FYR, loved it, and are looking for more.
- You’re looking for a program that will both burn fat and build or maintain lean muscle.
- You want a ridiculously cheap (possibly even free) workout program to follow.
- You need some get-up in your gettyup (i.e., you need motivation).
- You work well with intense programs.
- You are an intermediate to advanced fitness enthusiast.
- You don’t mind full-body workouts every day.
- You like someone walking you through the workout.
Don’t do the FYR 2.0 program if…
- You are looking for more of a strength-building program.
- You want specific body sculpting.
- You don’t have access to equipment.
- You are a beginner.
- You haven’t done the first FYR program. (I mean, you can, but like Deadwood or Downton, start with season 1, and enjoy the ride.)
Related HIIT workout plan posts:
- Metabolism on FYR: Hannah Eden’s 30-Day Fitness Plan
- The Ultimate Postpartum Workout Plan You Can Do at Home
- What Is HIIT and Why You Should Be Doing It
- How to Do HIIT: The Complete Guide