Time to HIIT That
How the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout is rocking my world.
In April of this year, I began my journey toward fitness and better self-care. My husband and I purchased a treadmill in hopes to get more active and fit during quarantine.
Anyone who knows me knows I love cookies and other sweet treats — I basically crave anything with flour or sugar in it — and quarantining was a timely opportunity to perfect my tasty confections. Trouble was, my middle was getting a little too thick, I was getting a little too slow, and I just felt dumpy and unhealthy. And the gym was closed because of our state’s stay-at-home order.
In late April, after my first workout on the new treadmill, I realized I had unlocked something powerful — something that would change my life forever: The ability to exercise every day. Read my article, 7 Things I Learned from Working Out 120 Days in a Row to learn more about my fitness journey.
Let me be clear: When I say I work out every day, I mean I work out every day. I’m active and moving every day. But every day is different, from the length to the intensity, to the type of exercise. Some days I do sprints, other days I hike or walk. Sometimes a workout is less than 20 minutes and excruciating, sometimes it’s longer, easier, and I don’t break a sweat.
And I always look forward to the days where I do a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.
What’s HIIT?
HIIT is a cardio-based workout. There’s a short, intense burst of activity followed by a short recovery period. This is one interval or round. Then you repeat multiple intervals until you’re done. The intent of a HIIT workout is to increase your heart rate — and of course — get your sweat on. It’s a quick way to burn some calories, get fit, and may help you lose weight.
How HIIT is rocking my world, and how it can rock yours
1. It’s quick and effective.
I don’t have a lot of time for a workout, so I love how quickly I can complete a HIIT workout and still feel like I’ve sweat my ass off. Usually, these workouts are around 20ish minutes. That’s it. And I’m working every second of those 20 minutes.
A bonus is that I always feel my workout the next day, which tells me I’m building muscle and getting stronger and more physically fit.
2. HIIT requires little to no equipment.
For most HIIT workouts, I’m doing bodyweight exercises. That means the only thing I use is my body (and the weight on my body). Jumping jacks, knee highs, planks, sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, and squats are examples of bodyweight exercises.
Sometimes I use a yoga mat, kettlebell, other free weights, a stability ball, or a resistance band. It all depends on what exercises you want to do, and what part of the body you want to focus on.
3. You can do HIIT anywhere.
Since most of the exercises are bodyweight-focused, you can do a HIIT workout at home, while on vacation, or at the gym. (Well actually, I quit the gym after getting that treadmill, and I have zero regrets.)
4. It adds variety and spice to your workout.
If you’re anything like me, you get bored easily by doing the same old routine. Adding HIIT changes things up — for your body and your mind. It’s remarkable — and frustrating — how quickly your body catches on to a routine, which can become less effective. HIIT mixes things up and keeps your body guessing.
5. You probably know a lot of HIIT exercises already.
Running, jumping, skipping (yep, skipping can be used in a HIIT workout), the exercises I listed above…many of us learned how to do those things in grade school or earlier. And many HIIT exercises can be modifications to the exercises we already know.
Take the traditional push-up, for example. Instead of letting your chest go all the way down, go down just an inch or two, then come back to your starting position. Repeat. Try for 30 seconds or longer without stopping.
You can also try ‘pulsing’ lunges or squats, where you remain in the lunge or squat position and push up an inch or two, then return to your starting position. (This gives the impression your body is ‘pulsing’.) Repeat. Try pulsing for 30 seconds or longer without stopping.
Be forewarned: A pulsing lunge or squat will burn. Oh, and ladies, you may pee a little while doing a pulsing squat if you’ve had a kid or two.
Some examples of a HIIT workout
HIIT is incredibly versatile — the sky’s the limit with the kinds of activities you can do — and you never have to do the same workout twice. Below are three workouts to get your heart pumping and the sweat pouring!
Tip: When doing an exercise for a period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) rather than a set amount (e.g., 10 lunges), do as many as you can during that time for maximum benefit.
Note: Depending on your fitness ability (and a multitude of other factors), these workouts may be easy, you may have great difficulty and curse me vehemently, or be somewhere in between. Every person is different, including how they exercise and their fitness goals and routine. Consult with your health care provider or a professional fitness trainer to determine the best and healthiest plan for you.
I am not a professional fitness trainer, so I won’t cover technique or form. If you’re unfamiliar with some of these exercises, I encourage you to watch an instructional video online to ensure you’re using proper form, or consult with a professional fitness trainer.
30-minute HIIT workout
No equipment needed.
Take a brisk 3-minute walk to get your body moving. Move into a light jog for 5 minutes. Then:
Part A
- Jumping jacks for 20 seconds.
- Knee-highs for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 20 seconds.
- Repeat the interval 3 more times.
Rest for 60 seconds. Then:
Part B
- Squats for 20 seconds.
- Reverse lunges for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 20 seconds.
- Repeat the interval 3 more times.
Rest for 60 seconds. Then:
Part C
- Mountain climbers for 20 seconds.
- Forearm plank for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 20 seconds.
- Repeat the interval 3 more times.
Rest for 60 seconds. Then:
Part D
- Crunches for 20 seconds.
- Ankle grabbers for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 20 seconds.
- Repeat the interval 3 more times.
Rest for 60 seconds.
Take a brisk 2-minute walk to cool down.
15-minute HIIT workout
No equipment needed.
Take a 2-minute walk to get your body moving, then move into a power walk for 3 minutes. Then:
- Run in place for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Air punches for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Squats for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Curtesy lunges for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Donkey kicks for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Push-ups for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Scissor kicks for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Russian twists for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Burpees for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Forearm plank for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Wall sit for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds. - Jumping jacks for 30 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds.
Take a brisk 2-minute walk to cool down.
At-your-own-pace HIIT workout
No equipment needed.
Take a 3-minute walk to get your body moving. Then do:
- 10 jumping jacks.
- 10 push-ups.
- 10 sit-ups.
- 10 mountain climbers.
- 10 lunges.
- 10 squats.
Rest for 60 seconds.
Repeat this interval as many times as you like. You can also alter each interval to change things up. For example, after the first interval of 10, decrease to 9 jumping jacks, 9 push-ups, and so on. In the next interval do 8. You get the idea. You can increase the interval as well.
Take a brisk 2-minute walk to cool down.
Closing thoughts
HIIT has completely changed the way I work out. And I’m also seeing some physical results. My muscles are more toned, I can run harder, hike higher and longer, and I just feel stronger overall.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, look up different HIIT workouts online or on a fitness app. Regardless of what you do, HIIT is versatile, doesn’t take a lot of time, and packs a lot of punch. It’s a refreshing way to burn calories, get fit, and maybe lose some weight, too.
Try HIIT for your next workout and see what you think. It’s time to HIIT that!
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