HIIT It Hard For 7 Days With These Sweat-Tastic Workouts
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Whether you are in a workout slump, smack dab in the middle of the holi-daze, or wanting to blast into the new year on a high note, amping up your routine with some high-intensity interval training may be the answer to your fitness prayers. Alternating between periods of high- and lower-intensity work has been shown to increase both strength and aerobic capacity. It's also efficient, so no excuses about not having enough time. Not sure where to start? Here you will find seven workouts ready to go; all you have to do is click and sweat. Because this is some heavy-duty work, we're including a few days of recovery to ensure your body gets the right balance of training and rest.
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Day 1: HIIT for newbies
If you are new to HIIT, don't overcomplicate your first foray with a bunch of equipment. Just your bodyweight is more than sufficient for this intro round. The key is working at least at 65-70 percent of your max output. Once your body gets the hang of this level of work, you can work harder and rest less.
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Day 2: Your basic run just got HIIT hard
All you runners out there are getting it done, mile after mile. But what if you added some strength training AND speed differentials into your routine? Changing it up will result in some noticeable differences in your overall fitness and help fight off boredom with those (sometimes) monotonous miles.
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Day 3: Break up HIIT with core work
Ever heard of "too much of a good thing is still too much"? It applies in many areas, including our workouts. Working your body at high intensities for even short periods of time means your body needs time to recover. That doesn't mean you should lounge on the couch. How about letting your cardio system reboot for a day and take a shot at tightening your core? Resting every few days means you can HIIT it again the next day.
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Day 4: Jump into HIIT with both feet!
Not used to jumping around? Adding some explosive power into your workout challenges your muscles and your energy systems. Fire up your HIIT week with this plyometric circuit and you'll be blasting calories and building strength in no time.
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Day 5: Tabata time!
If HIIT had a best friend, it would be Tabata. Tabata is a workout protocol requiring 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds. Sound simple enough? The concept may be easy to understand, but working at maximum output for 20 seconds should get you gasping and dragging booty by the end! If you string multiple Tabatas together like in one of these workouts, you'll be well on your way to HIIT success.
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Day 6: Jump HIIT up!
Want to channel your inner Rocky Balboa? Grab a jump rope and use this intense workout to challenge your coordination AND your fitness. Even if you haven't picked up a rope since elementary school, it'll come back to you and you'll be surprised at how fun (and hard) a little rope work can be!
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Day 7: Rest as hard as you can!
If you are HIITing it right, by day seven, you should be spent and your body will be looking for some TLC. Yoga, meditation, light cardio, or brunching may be the ticket for your rest day. Or maybe you'll feel better taking 15-20 minutes with this stretching sequence to loosen tight tendons and ligaments while promoting blood flow to recovering muscles. Whatever you do, make sure it's low impact and low intensity. Rest is smart, not lazy; don't forget that. And remember, HIIT only works if you can make it to the next workout!