Hit up a HIIT workout

Whilst most of us have goals and plans of balancing our work, friends and family with a healthy lifestyle, sometimes it can be hard to fit it all in, causing exercise to be left out. However, this can all be changed with a simple change in exercising routine. Performing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions can provide numerous health benefits, whilst not impacting on time constraints at all. Here at SportsPower Geelong, we’ve got you sorted with the time effective, yet beneficial session for you. Better yet, you’ll be able to perform such as a session from the confines of your own home or backyard! However, before we get into it, let’s look at what this HIIT fuss is all about!

 High intensity interval training is a form of training in which exercise is performed at extremely high intensities for a short period, before periods of rest and then attacking an exercise again. The training looks to target the cardiovascular system, however muscular strength, power and endurance can also be improved through a variety of exercises performed throughout HIIT sessions. In addition, a range of muscle groups can be targeted. HIIT training is preferred by many compared to a longer, less intense session. This is because it requires a greater output from the heart when performing exercises due to the high intensity demands. Studies have shown that a 20-minute HIIT can have the same – and sometime even greater – impacts in terms of burning calories. Furthermore, HIIT has an increased ability to produce an “afterburn” of calories post exercise. This meaning that an individual will have a higher metabolism directly after performing the session, allowing for more calories to be burnt in the hours following exercise. Above all, the time effective aspect of HIIT training is what makes it so popular, allowing people to fit in a session around their busy schedules.

 (runtastic.com)

Right, enough background information, let’s get cracking! The aim of our session is to elevate the heart rate, cause fatigue and knock over a timely session, obtaining the fitness gains reflective of a full hour session. This session will last for 26 minutes in total, allowing you to squeeze that quick session in before the day’s work.

The session will be set out into performing 8 different exercises, completing each exercise 3 times each. In total, it will be 24 efforts over the course of the session. Each exercise will be performed for 40 seconds, before a 20-second rest period. Once a set of the 8 exercises has been performed, there will be 1 minute of rest allowed before getting stuck into the next set. It’s important to use the rest periods as complete rest, because the 40-second efforts must be performed to maximal effort. The exercises chosen for this session have been utilised in a way which allows for numerous muscle groups to be targeted. Moreover, these exercises will not only challenge cardiovascular endurance, but also muscular endurance. The 8 exercises to be performed, in this order, are:

• Squat jumps (ensure to explode when jumping, ensure knees flex to at least 90 degrees when squatting)
• Crunches (hands placed behind ears, legs crossed in the air, try to have elbows reach level with knees when performing exercise)
• Push-ups (hands places at approximately shoulder width, try to get chest to ground)
• Calf raises (both legs performed at the same time, hold onto wall for balance if needed)
• Russian twists (sitting on ground with legs crossed in the air, use dumbbell or medicine ball for weight if required)
• Burpees (ensure stomach hits ground on the way down, explode off ground when jumping into air)
• Star jumps (aim for good height and speed in movement)
• Mountain climbers (engage core, have feet come towards chest)

Across the 8 exercises, the upper body, lower body and core are made to work. A good way of ensuring accountability is to count the repetitions you can get in for each exercise in the first set. That way, you will have a number to aim for in future sets. Clearly fatigue will become a factor in your ability to reach previous repetitions, however you should have the aim of achieving results similar to the first set.

(popsugar.com.au)

It’s also important to note that this session is reasonably broad, with numerous muscle groups targeted as well as different fitness components incorporated. If focusing on a specific fitness component such as cardiovascular endurance, the session can easily be changed. A more running based session could be performed whilst still using these time limits. For example, an individual could look at running for 40 seconds at 80% before completing a walk for 20 seconds. A session focusing on speed training could also involve HIIT. Speed training would more likely incorporate much shorter periods of work and higher periods of rest. However, to start things off, give our broad HIIT session a try before moving into more specific sessions.

Bang! Start your day right with our SportsPower Geelong HIIT session, leaving yourself feeling on top of the world for the rest of the day. Make sure to get the right foods in throughout the day as well as drinking plenty of water to ensure adequate recovery. Head to our “Recovery” article in order to find out more about this topic!