Lately I have stepped back from concentrating so much on making myself get a tough workout in everyday - it became a chore & was making me a little miserable! I have less stress on my body & more focus on living life! Physically & mentally I have improved! But - I love my tough workouts & crave them all the time since starting this high carb lifestyle! I have always LOVED doing HIIT workouts - especially because they are easy to do no matter where you are and there are so many options and variations. They keep my core tight & work every part of my body!
My go to HIIT right now is one I made up & can't get enough of! You can vary this as much as you want - make it harder by adding more reps or adding weight or lighten it by shortening the time & reps - either way I guarantee you'll feel good!!
Start by warming up - I usually stretch - go for a 5 min walk/run or go up & down my steps for 5-10min - whatever gets you warmed up & gets ur heart pumpin!
You will be doing each exercise for 30 -45 seconds at your highest intensity followed by a 10 second rest. Getting an interval timer app on your phone can help you keep up with the timing!
• JUMPING JACKS •
- remember you are trying to do these at your highest intensity - as fast as you can ... Not raising your arms all the way above your head helps when trying to speed up ur jacks! Keep your fists closed & limit the movement of your arms to a shorter raise & you can double the speed of your jacks!
• KNEES TO ELBOW •
- in a push up position - palms flat - wrist right under your shoulders .. Take your left knee & bring it to your left elbow - hold for two seconds and repeat on the right side - switching back and forth for the 30 seconds. Keep your core tight & don't hunch your back!
• JUMP SQUATS •
- starting in a squat position - squat down and jump lightly at the top of the squat.
• PLANK •
• JUMP ROPE •
- you don't need an actual jump rope for this! Make an imaginary one and either so short, really fast jumps or jump big and high! Or switch it up. Just make sure you are stable & bouncing for the full 30 seconds!!
• MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS •
• SQUATS •
- make these count! Keep your core tight, chest out, & no wobbly knees! Concentrate on squeezing those glutes at the top of your squat & getting as low as you can without hunching! Good form is key !
• PLANK til failure •
Try for at least a minute but this will be the end of our round of HIIT so make it count!! Another option would be a wall sit which focuses less on core and arms and more on your legs!
Repeat 3-4x or as many as you want!
I have been ending my workouts with a very long cool down by going on a long walk! The weather has been gorgeous here & I can't get enough of it. Plus you benefit from HIIT long after your workout has ended.. so why not amp that up & properly cool down with a nice, long walk!
