HIIT exercises

swaring125

Hey all! I was wondering what you're favorite HIIT exercises are. A workout plan I am following calls for 20-45 minutes of HIIT and other than running sprints, I'm at a loss and can't find good info out there.

Also I know there's this whole TABATA is not HIIT, and it's confusing...I have the Turbofire DVDs and there are some HIIT workouts, so between that and running that's all I have. I would like to mix it up much more!

I have access to Gold's Gym and even though it's getting colder I don't mind running outside still. Let me know what you guys like!

Thanks so much!

psuLemon

Generally for hiit, I use les mills combat, tapout xt or p90x stuff.

lemmie177

IME, HIIT is any workout where you alternate high intensity activity with active or passive recovery, so I'm not sure why tabata wouldn't qualify. Also, I don't know that someone could be doing true HIIT for 45 minutes. I'd think you'd end up pacing yourself instead of going all out during work intervals. I know I would!

I sometimes do HIIT on a spin bike with 40s work:60s rest, but I don't really enjoy it. You can use any cardio machine where you can quickly transition between going all out and recovering, or you can do it without a machine using burpees, squat jumps, jumping lunges, mountain climbers etc. or preferably some combo to make it interesting. Start out with modest intervals (30s:90s) and work your way up.

I get pretty bored with the spin bike, so I've taken to doing hiit with weights. By far, my FAVORITE hiit workout is a barbell complex (+burpees). You can customize it with whatever exercises or equipment you like. I use an empty Oly bar, but it could be done with dumbbells too.
stiff-legged deadlift 8x
clean 8x
front squat 8x
push press 4x (i have weak shoulders)
back squat 8x
burpees 8x

I actually added dips and kettlebell swings before burpees, but it makes the work intervals pretty long. I do the exercises quickly with no rest in between and then rest at the end. I don't time it, just rest until I can go again. I generally do 5 rounds which takes ~20 min. Sometimes, I'll do ladders where I do a round of 6x everything, then 7x, 8x... and so on until I can't do anymore. Love it! It's the only workout I do that makes my legs sweat as much as the rest of me (sorry if that's tmi ).

Yi5hedr3

20 mins is plenty. Elipticle great!