8 Reasons to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

I used to work out with a personal trainer who was a big advocate of HIIT. I broke my leg in August and have to ease into high-impact activities but I'm hoping to get back into HIIT soon. I joined a group on Facebook that posts a new HIIT workout 6 days per week, one for people with access to a gym and one for people who work out at home with limited or no equipment.

Here are some examples. You can do all of these at home, no equipment needed. If you're not sure how to perform an exercise (like a Burpee), there are examples posted on YouTube.

You can also Google "plyometrics exercises" to get some additional ideas.

Workout #1:
On the minute for 20 mins complete the following:
10 pushups
15 situps
20 squats
Your rest cycle is the time that you have left before the start of the next minute. The faster you complete the reps the longer your rest!

Workout #2:
Tabata (20 seconds of work 10 seconds of rest repeating for 4 minutes)
Complete each of the following exercises in Tabata fashion (4 mins each for a total of 16 mins):
Chair dips
Crunches
Side Lunges
Decline push-ups

Workout #3:
5 rounds for time:
5 Burpees
10 Squat jacks
15 Mountain climbers
20 Scissor kicks

Workout #4;
For time:
46 bicycle crunches
46 chair dips
46 crossfit situps
46 Spiderman pushups
46 Reverse crunches

Workout #5:
Each of the 4 exercises will be done for 50 sec followed by 10 sec rest. Complete the cycle 3 times for a total workout time of 12 mins.
Sumo Squat Knee Up
Dive Bombers
Step Up - Left leg
Step Up - Right leg

I love tabata!

I can only manage 2 1/2 minutes at the moment, but I hope to be able to do the full 4 minutes in the next couple of months.

Agreed, need to do this more!!

One of the reasons I LOVE Turbo Fire! I work harder and burn more calories. I am averaging a 2lb a week loss doing HIIT. :bigsmile:

Here are some examples. You can do all of these at home, no equipment needed. If you're not sure how to perform an exercise (like a Burpee), there are examples posted on YouTube.

You can also Google "plyometrics exercises" to get some additional ideas.

Workout #1:
On the minute for 20 mins complete the following:
10 pushups
15 situps
20 squats
Your rest cycle is the time that you have left before the start of the next minute. The faster you complete the reps the longer your rest!

Workout #2:
Tabata (20 seconds of work 10 seconds of rest repeating for 4 minutes)
Complete each of the following exercises in Tabata fashion (4 mins each for a total of 16 mins):
Chair dips
Crunches
Side Lunges
Decline push-ups

Workout #3:
5 rounds for time:
5 Burpees
10 Squat jacks
15 Mountain climbers
20 Scissor kicks

Workout #4;
For time:
46 bicycle crunches
46 chair dips
46 crossfit situps
46 Spiderman pushups
46 Reverse crunches

Workout #5:
Each of the 4 exercises will be done for 50 sec followed by 10 sec rest. Complete the cycle 3 times for a total workout time of 12 mins.
Sumo Squat Knee Up
Dive Bombers
Step Up - Left leg
Step Up - Right leg

awesome thanks for posting these, I'll try them!!

HIIT is all I do with my trainer. I do no cardio at all, zero nada zilch. People are always so confused when i tell them. The two main reasons I do it is to burn fat but also to build lean body mass to increase my basal metabolic rate, meaning I will burn more calories just living on a daily basis.

My trainer deemed this important for me cause I'll never ever be one of those ppl who hit the gym 5-6 days a week, so we have to be as effective as possible. Also during midterms and finals, which is basically my life, I can't waste study time at the gym i'll be way too stressed (yes yes i know it's supposed to relieve stress, doesn't work for me). So in periods where I'm not exercising as much as usual i won't pack on the pounds at a fast rate as would be if i were a runner who just stopped running.

My trainer uses cross fit a lot as an inspiration for my workouts. I do the "girls sets" a lot. Hope you'll get some ideas.

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/13_03_Benchmark_Workouts.pdf

This so true. If people want to and enjoy spending hours in the gym doing steady state then fine but I like to get in there get my HIIT done and get out. I'd rather do others things than steady state cardio.

I have the same policy for my weights too. My workouts don't last more than 40 mins 3x per week. I work with maximum intensity with good form incorporating progression.

Not eating the calories is far easier than slogging for hours in the gym!

Bump

Also, tibata? Did I even remember to spell that correctly? Screw it.

Thanks for the reminder! I used to do this at least once a week, but things got busy and I haven't done it for a while. Will make it a priority again!

mp