When it comes to working out, the amount of time and effort you exert is precious. Unless you're addicted to long distance running, do know that there are more efficient ways to lose fat and get shredded. High Intensity Interval Training is going to be the best cardio you're ever going to do.
HIIT, for short, includes balls-out interval workouts with periods of rest. Your work outs are so hardcore that even when you're in the rest stage, your heart is beating so fast, and working so hard, that you're still burning calories. And not only that, these fast-twitch muscle movement workouts will help you build muscle during your session. Research shows that HIIT is able to increase 24-hour mitochondrial biogenesis, and increase testosterone levels, which is so necessary to build muscle.
HIIT is also very flexible-- you can change up your workout sequence and try out new routines. One of the biggest mistakes I've made this year is stick to the same routine for a WHOLE year. This made my body get used to the movements, and that promoted very little growth. I then slipped into a plateaued state where I basically wasn't building muscle and shredding fat as much as I'd like. I highly suggest changing up your HIIT workouts every two weeks to a month for variety and to "shock" your body.
Here is a sample work out I started doing for this month. I got this routine from Anne Phung's Instagram. Make sure you have a timer on:
30 Second BURPEES30 Second Mountain Climbers
30 Second Ham String Walk Outs
30 Second Jumping Lunges
REST
Now do this 4 times, with only 1 minute rest in between each circuit. DO NOT rest between those individual 30 second sets-- it'll defeat the purpose of intensity.
LOL DEAD. I know.
On top of my HIIT, I also like to add other smart workouts. My inspiration comes from another Insta-famous Coach, BFITLIKEVANE
She calls these two routines the "Bulgarian split squat/ clean/ press/ one legged RDL" and "Bridge with weighted leg lift and tricep extension." Whew, what a mouthful. Whew, this workout freakin' killed me. Please check out my attempt in the video below.
I'm hoping to create my own routines next month. This month I'm only borrowing from others because I couldn't find the inspiration to do my own workouts since I've been hitting them hard for one year straight. Keep in mind that with any kind of workout, it's key to change it up once in a while to give your muscles a pleasant surprise.
As a recap, let's REVIEW THE BENEFITS OF HIIT!
- TIME EFFICIENT
- MORE VARIETY
- BUILDS MUSCLE
- BURNS FAT
- BURNS FAT WHILE RESTING
- INCREASES METABOLISM
Cheers to you and enjoy your workout!
