HIIT Workout for Any Fitness Level

I don't know about y'all, but I don't always have time to spend an hour or so at the gym.  Sometimes 30 mins is all I have so I have to make the most out of my time. 

HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts are perfect if you're in a time crunch.  You can get a great sweat in 20-30 minutes with or without equipment.  *If you don't like to read (rolls eyes) click here to see a video with a HIIT workout.*  HIIT consist of alternating short intervals of anaerobic exercise (usually no longer than a min) with short breaks.  Anaerobic exercise means your muscles aren't getting oxygen fast enough because of the intensity of the exercise.  Your muscles can only go so long under these conditions, so anaerobic exercise can only last for a short period of time before your body is like...

This allows you to burn more fat in less time.  HIIT is also great for those of us who are working to build muscle.  When you want to gain muscle, you're also unavoidably going to gain some fat as well.  A lot of time bulking means bye bye toned tummy.  HIIT can help you avoid some of the extra fluff on your tummy while still maintaining those gains you worked oh so hard for.  Jogging on a treadmill for long periods of time (or any form of long duration cardio) is not conducive to muscle building.  Think sprinters versus distance runners.  Sprinters usually have a more muscular frame than distance runners.

HIIT is quite simple pick around 5-8 exercises that will incorporate multiple multiple muscle groups.  Here are some examples:

Upper Body Exercises

Push ups

Dips

Shoulder press

Curls  

Lateral raises

Flys

Rows

Lower Body Exercises

Sumo squats

Lunges

Alternating jump lunges

Kettlebell swings

Side leg raises

Pulsing squats

Donkey kicks

Core

Plank

Bicycle crunches

Reverse crunches

Sit ups

V-ups

Cardio

Burpees

Mountain climbers

Jumping jacks

High knees

Sprints

Speed skaters

Next, set your timer.  I use the Intervals app so I don't have to keep resetting or watch the clock.  It allows you to set the time for your intervals and breaks.  Set your exercise time from 20-60 seconds and your break time from 10-30 seconds.  After that, set your number of intervals (how many exercises you'll be doing).  Then, set your number of cycles (reps) and cycle recovery (30-60 seconds).  The app will show you how long your total workout is.  Aim for 20-30 minutes. 

The shorter your rest time and the longer your exercise times are, the more intense your workout will be.  If you don't have a gym membership or any equipment, no problem.  Just use body weight.  Trust me, you don't need weight to get in a good workout.  If you are using weight, pick lighter weights or use bands.  

Click here for one of my workouts.  Try it out and let me know how it goes!