Just to get this out of the way for those who haven’t heard of HIIT workouts, the title was not to question whether or not to strike someone!
The popularity of the HIIT approach – which stands for High Intensity Interval Training – has become increasingly popular the past few years. You’ve probably heard it mentioned or read a social media post from someone who is a huge proponent of this methodology. So, let’s take a look at exactly what the concept is, and whether or not it’s a good approach for you.
Why switch my current routine to HIIT?
An effective HIIT workout is vigorous, with little rest in a short time. The cardiovascular training to your body caused by this approach can create positive, dramatic results. This is due to the approach of raising and maintaining your heart rate and blood flow, which in turn burns more fat in less time. A HIIT workout typically lasts between 10-30 minutes, and studies have shown it can provide health advantages compared to standard workouts1. The article that is footnoted here is great if you want to learn about the biological science of why HIIT works.
Furthermore, many of the exercises do not require gym equipment. In that way – and obviously the short length of the workout itself – HIIT is ideal for many of us who are pressed for time.
What are the downsides to the HIIT approach?
We have heard of situations where someone had not built their own cardio up to the point where they cannot sustain the intensity of HIIT. This can lead to serious, immediate health issues because your body (the heart especially) is simply not ready. Basically, if you’re just starting out, we’d suggest building up your cardio to the point where HIIT isn’t a shock to the system.
The other disadvantage: if you DO have the time for a conventional, say, 90 minute workout, you have time to do multiple sets of the exercises that provide you enjoyment and results. Also, you can truly focus on your technique because you don’t want to feel rushed. If this is your mentality, HIIT may not be right for you.
I’ll try HIIT – What are some of the best workouts?
Glad you asked! Here are a few we recommend – the technique to do each exercise listed is on Allwell’s Video on Demand section on the app. For whichever workout you choose, complete the circuit 4 times, with your only rest being for 1 minute between the last exercise and starting the circuit over again.
Resistance Band Finisher:
Jump Rope – 30 times
Arm Dips – AMAYCD – we’ll be using that acronym often here, which stands for, as many as you can do. Try to bump the number up by 1 each time you do the workout.
High Knees – 30 reps for each knee
Curls with Resistance Bandes – AMAYCD
Burpee Interval Workout:
Pull Ups – AMAYCD in 30 seconds
Jumping Jacks – 60
Burpees – 20
Lower Body Interval Workout
Sprint for 30 seconds, briskly jog to return where you started.
Squat Jumps for 45 seconds
Lunges – 20 for each leg
Calf Raises – 50
Abs Interval Workout. Note from author — this is HARD but doable, and the results are terrific! I started it recently and wasn’t able to do the amount of suggested reps. Don’t be discouraged by that – just note the amount of reps you did afterward and try to bump it up each time:
Stomach Crunches – 50
Bicycle Crunches for 1 minute
Sit-ups – 15. TIP: use a small pillow for lower back support.
Hanging Knee Raises – 15
Oblique Crunches – 20 for each side
Half Burpees – AMAYCD
If it would help you to visualize all of this, a great HIIT workout posted by IG/Twitter influencer @kendalf_ can be found here
– Johnny Premier, COO of Allwell
Footnotes
1 National Library of Medicine, “High intensity interval training for health benefits,” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6763680/
