If you’re in the fitness world, you know there is a new craze or method to the madness. Everywhere you look, there is a new study. Do this exercise this way, you are doing it wrong. UGH! It’s crazy but all worth it.
For the past 12 years, I’ve been dedicated to this world. I have done extensive research and tried it all. It has been a whirlwind but I love the results. I have more energy, discipline and confidence! Being able to survive 325 lift on the hip thrust was a proud accomplishment. When I got into strength training, I was determined to lift like the big boys. I had my eyes set on lifting heavier every week no matter what. I did and surpassed all my goals. That motivation was fire. It lit something within me. Yes, you may be exhausted after your lifting session but it’s rewarding. Why? The afterburn.
Side Disclaimer: Never Overdue Strength Training and Cardio
Massaging The Breast For Growth, You Bet
Get A Great Quality Sports Bra Ladies
Disclaimer If You Have Excess Hair Growth Issues
You are torching calories throughout the day and you can eat more with more muscle. I would say the latter was a key motivation to building muscles but didn’t make it the central. Hey, when you’re dieting and have been avoiding large pepperoni pizza for a year, you know. We are human, we all have our weaknesses, especially with food. When you have been neglecting them, you start to turn into a gremlin. If you ever had a nice slice of pizza loaded with pepperoni in your mouth, you don’t mind a little expansion to your waste. You can’t eat just one. Don’t get me started with the wings with blue cheese on the side, yikes!
Well, I had to put it all away. Psychologically, I had to change my mindset. Shift them onto my motivations and goals. I didn’t want to be stuck on weight loss forever. I have other focuses in life. I set my timetable and go! If you want to take a peek at my weight loss story, look no further.
Now before I ramble on, let my cycle to the cardio phase of my life. Now, when I came across this program, I lost my mind. A program that will torch fat and will keep you in that phase all day. Sign me up. Wait, before I move the ball. Nothing against the other forms of cardio. They all work and it’s about balance. With this one, we are talking about burning fat. In addition, keeps your body from entering the dreaded plateau. Stop teasing and lets us know. Drumroll…. HIIT. HIIT stands for high intensity Interval Training. HIIT gets your heart elevated and challenges your body to work in exceeding intensity. It’s not for the faint of heart.
I will let you on a little secret, I almost cried when I first started. My hair was a mess and laid on the floor for almost 2 hours. I am glad I tried on an off day. My legs were on fire and could barely walk. I was a mess. I was scared to try again but I am a determined person. I wasn’t going to let this stop me. I realize this was a first, I was unaware how intense this can be. I was use to regular cardio. It was all new. As with everything, I will adapt. I remember when I first drove a car, how crazy that was. I didn’t let that stop me from getting my license. I am so glad I continued. The next time I was prepared and exceeded expectations. I kept on HIIT for about a year. It paid off big time and became my top favorite to go to.
Now, you may be wondering, what’s the deal with HIIT. Well, let’s first start with your goals. In previous articles, I have talked about body composition. We all have different compositions. Some hold more body fat and others, more muscle. We can’t help how we are born and how our body will be made up. The key is to adapt and embrace your body composition. It does play a part in your exercise routine. You don’t to be disappointed if you don’t see results. It’s a matter of your genetics. You have to adapt to your composition.
For instance, you have been lifting for years and notice no muscle mass, you may be wondering why? You are lifting heavy every week, challenging your muscles, you know, all the right things. Still, you see no results. I know this can be frustrating. You may be an ectomorph. It’s not your fault. You can look at it this way. You have accomplished your goals and have remained disciplined to improve your body/health.
You have improved your health and now have more energy, stamina and confidence. Nothing goes to waste in life. What you can do is look at a lesson learned. Light the fire again and set forth your new goal. You realize your body composition, you now know what to do to achieve muscle mass. It may take time but, in the end, it will be rewarding. You already killed it with lifting; you can even go further. You have to stay optimistic. Nothing is a waste, but a lesson learned. As our girl Aaliyah says, “dust yourself off and try again.” That is what you have to do. Keep going. Set new goals and know you will kill it.
I learned this big time as I am endomorph. I hold body fat like no other and it’s hard for me to lose weight. Let’s not get into how hard it was to get to my goal weight. The smaller you get, the slower the weight comes off. When your endomorph, it may seem like an eternity. You have to have tremendous patience and willpower. I never gave up. I didn’t give up. Most importantly, I try to keep stress away. Why? With stress, comes weight gain. You think it’s just food, no. Stress can be a killer to your waistline. Your body is more willing to hold on to weight and your more prone to turn to food when stress. A recipe for disaster. There are so many factors to weight loss and muscle building. You have to know. You have to know your composition. Let’s get into them. The first Ectomorphic.
Body Composition
- Ectomorphic- Lean and Depend
Now, for our ectomorph friends, your makeup goes a little something like this. You generally have a lean, tall and thin structure. You generally have smaller limbs, joint structures, and little muscle mass. Now, for those expecting to have Arnold Schwarzenegger physique, you may have to work a little differently. Your muscles may not become as beefy but longer and stretch out. That is ok, it supports your body structure. You will look just as good because it supports your structure. You don’t want to have an overbalanced structure that will look weird. Every body type is unique. Embrace it! Just think, work to your ideal physique not someone else. You will be satisfied and sure to receive those compliments.
In a future article, I will present some tips for my friends. Now, some more of your traits… You have a fast metabolism, which for those on diet, envy. It’s harder for you to put on the pounds but it’s also harder to put on the muscle as well. Your body wants to stay skinny. It’s set to burn those calories. It’s also set to burn fat. I admire you, lol. It has to support your smaller frame. Your body has a survival mechanism. It adjusts to your structure. Just like your house has a survival mechanism. It has gutters, roof, doors, windows and siding to protect your structure from intruders, infestations, deterioration, and nature. We have to adjust. You also have to adjust when you’re doing cardio activities as well. Here we are talking about HIIT. You have an advantage with faster metabolism.
When performing HIIT, you have to account for your composition. You may not have to worry about longer durations. Your body has an advantage in burning fat over the other 2 compositions. If you see the scale going down faster than normal, your composition is a factor. So before you try HIIT, account for your composition.
Side Disclaimer: Never Overdue Strength Training and Cardio
Now, I always stress balance. You should be doing a balance of both cardio and strength training. You have to know what you’re accomplishing. Is it weight loss, maintenance or muscle building? If you are looking to build muscle, you will cut back on the cardio. Your body wants to adapt to one or the other. If you’re looking to gain muscle, you don’t want to be burning it off. With cardio, your body is looking to burn fat and weight. That includes water and muscle. If you’re doing more cardio than muscle, you will be burning more muscle. I know, what if you want to burn both fat and gain muscle. This was my goal. Well, perform the right type of cardio. I will repeat the right type of cardio. Now, I am not trying to scare you. You can do cardio and strength training, even on the same day. I would say don’t do it too frequently during the week. I would say not more than 3 times a week. You want to space out. You first want to know what your goal is. If you want to gain muscle, do more strength or hypertrophy training sessions. 3-5 times a week.
Of Course your sessions are spaced out during the week. You want your body to recover. That is how your muscles grow! On those days off, you can do some light cardio like walking. You can also do stretches (promote flexibility). Never overdue on the cardio. 30 minutes to -1 hour should do. You can also completely rest, performing general activities. The key is to stay active but not too active. You don’t want to burn muscle! The general rule is to weight lift first then conduct cardio. Why? Well, we want to promote muscle growth. Your sessions should involve intensity, taxing and challenging the muscles. You’re focused with slow and controlled movements that work your muscles. Guess what, you’re tired by the end of your session. Your body is in fat burning mode and muscle growth mode. With cardio, you can make the muscles tired and take away your energy. You won’t be in the prime mood to conduct a proper lift. It will be focus on fat burning, not muscle growth. That’s not what you want. You want to be energized, not taxed out. You also increase the risk of energy and not performing the movements at optimal levels. Just wasting your time. Rule of thumb, just space it out.
Now, if you want to do HIIT on the same day as strength training, please space the time out. Put your lifting first and then HIIT later. HIIT takes all your energy. It’s the right cardio exercise to
Plus if you lift first and cardio second, you can increase your momentum of burning fat faster. It’s all up to your goals. Once you figure out what you desire (muscles or fat loss) then adjust accordingly. I am bringing forth the points so you don’t end up disappointed. My goal is to help you to achieve your goals. Learn from my mistakes I encountered from my journey. We only have so much time during the day, I don’t want them to go to waste.
The same applies to cardio. You don’t want to overdo it on the lifting. Yes, you burn fat with strength training but you won’t have as much endurance with cardio. Cardio is connected to the heart and vascular is connected to blood vessels. Both are connected to the respiratory system, you know, how we breathe. If you are looking for more energy, stamina and endurance, cardio is your friend. It’s focused on managing your weight and improving your overall well being. Strength training is focused on building muscle mass. To help support your body, prevent injuries, raise your metabolism and to torch fat. If you’re looking to lose weight over muscles, then you will do more cardio. Now… I want to put in a disclaimer. If you are losing weight, you want to be lifting. Why? You don’t want to have loose skin. If you just stick to cardio without lifting the iron, you will have no definition. You want a balance. You don’t have to be gritting your teeth, trying to bench 350. No, you can incorporate 2-3 lifting sessions. They don’t have to be intense but atleast challenge your muscles. You want to have definition, plus, as previously mentioned, helps torch the fat faster.
As I pointed out, you need muscles to prevent injuries to your bone. If your performing jumping jacks, you are wearing down your bones. You need muscles to help support your body and bone health. You don’t want to be frail or brittle. Plus, with muscle, you can eat more.
Believe it or, especially for the ladies, you become leaner, more shapely and defined. I can’t stress enough, lift heavy. The smaller you get. Our body composition won’t put on beefy muscles. Only if you desire. It’s cool. You gain an amazing shape and don’t have to worry about the calories as much. A Win!
Now back to body compositions.
2. Mesomorphic
For my broad shoulders and well defined muscles friend, welcome. This is you. You have a strong athletic build. Medium-rare? Indeed. You have medium bone structure and naturally lean. Like Ectomorphs, you also have a fast metabolism. You are the V shape. You know, Chris Evans. The human Dorito. As Chris Evans number one fan (not a debate), his physique is always subject of talk. He has classic V and has been teased in a number of interviews about it.
So, let’s describe. You have broad shoulders, narrow waist-hip ratio. You are naturally lean and muscular, can we not envy you! You are the prototype for an athlete. You dominate sports. Why? You hold muscle mass well, have low body fat and have a fast metabolism. You don’t require as much physical activity to maintain your physique. An athlete’s dream! We know you guys spend almost your entire day on diet and maintaining your physique. Let alone, the pep talk from the coach, goals and focus on the play. It’s a lot of work. Not having to worry about your physique so much, sign me up.
Next up, my friend endomorph.
3.Endomorphic
As you can guess from the others, you are interesting. Why? You love to hold onto body fat. Yeah… We have a larger body structure. Larger bones and more rounder physiques. If you have relatives from the south, they call you everything but your name, lol. They have so many nicknames, where do I count. Big bones are what we are called. We have wider hips, narrow shoulders and midsections. Yes, the pear shape is what you call us. Curves galore. Fat loves us to death. What is worse, a slower metabolism. Yes, it’s harder for us to burn calories and put on muscle mass.
In comparison to the other 2 types, we have to work harder. We are pleasantly plump and require more energy to get to our goals. Don’t be discouraged. The key is recognizing your body type and adjusting to it. That is key. That is how you will see fat coming off and muscles forming. Knowing your type, tracking, changing it up and making it challenge every time. Now, I am not asking you to be totally after every session, but you should be feeling a little out of breath. You should feel that you accomplished a great feat. You should be better than you were before. We want to avoid plateauing… we never want to stall! Believe it or not, this improves your confidence also, you are gaining more endurance.
Also, becoming stronger. You will be more rev up to go for your next session. What you did before should be a breeze. You’re improving your health, your overall wellbeing. You are also becoming a role model, an inspiration to someone else. I am pretty sure someone is noticing you becoming more energized, alert, and smaller. Pondering on what you’re doing. Fitness is fun, it’s life. Put on some fun jams and go!
Storytime So You Can Relate
Now, a little more story time, when I found this out. I was so discouraged. I noticed my weight stall and wasn’t coming off. This was for about a month. I was tracking. I have the body weight scale that measures the percentage. I noticed this was a mother, hardly ever budging. It was a duel between water loss and fat. Keep the water and lose fat, why can’t it be the opposite. I researched, adapted and changed routines. Once I did, that scale was heading in the direction I wanted. Fat was coming off.
Now, being me, I was a little afraid of losing my boobs. Can we lose fat everywhere but here, lol. I got rid of that little vanity piece. Your body is meant to be in balance. You lose weight, your body shrinks to the appropriate size. I didn’t lose too much and still around my original cup size, just a tiny bit smaller. It’s ok. I am smaller and even proportioned. I have a remedy to get these bad boys back to their original size. It’s all good. I will segway into the secret for my lady friends. Massaging the breast.
Massaging The Breast For Growth, You Bet
As I shared my story, I don’t know if this is a fear for other ladies. Losing weight means losing some of our breast meat, how can I run away. Our girls, friends, get you out of trouble, whatever you call them, they are a prize glory. I don’t want to get into the butt. That is something for another day. Thankfully we have a kazillion exercises that will keep it nice and round. We have become friends with the hip thrust, squats, glute bridges and frog pumps with weights. I can go on but these exercises have been a lifesaver. Now, back to our friends. For those on their weight loss journey, don’t fret. We have our hands and time to thank. All we have to do is set up a time and massage them each day. We stimulate blood vessels and fat tissue in this area. The key is patience. It will take time.
So how to do it. Set aside 30 minutes. If you want to go longer, go for it. 30 minutes is the minimum. What you will do is massage your breast in circles. Slowly in a circular pattern, concentrating around the nipple area. This is the area that needs stimulating growth. Take your time. Massage around the area closest to the nipple. You can do it while watching t.v. or lounging around. You can even do it while walking around. It’s all up to you. You can use some lotion to help reduce friction. Also, you will make this area more soft and subtle.
It may take up to 9 months to a year to see a change. It is well worth it. I have been doing this and notice some amazing results. They are a little softer and notice some growth. I had my days where I forgot but got on track. I am thinking of increasing the time, just to experiment. I don’t want anything to be a deterrent. Just know, there is a remedy for everything. You don’t have to jump the gun and go under the knife. Here is a natural remedy where you can remain confident.
Get A Great Quality Sports Bra Ladies
Just one more point. Invest in a good sports bra for your workout. Especially as this article is focused on HIIT. You don’t want things bouncing everywhere, causing tension. Our friends are sensitive. They need support. They also need to breathe, don’t want to promote excessive sweating. So, look for a bra that has breathable mesh, provides lift and comfort. Your friends aren’t squished and tight. They feel comfortable and aren’t moving all over the place. You want one that feels you don’t have anything on. They have many stylish options, pick one that catches your eye. Psychologically, you will feel more confident and ready to workout. I am sorry but, looking a little cute while working out, it puts more pep in your step. Not only are you exercising for health but to look better. Having style accomplishes this. You can’t wait to throw on your favorite shirt, why not the same for your support bra. It depends on the person.
Trust me, having a good support bra makes a whirl of a difference. Why? When you’re jumping, running, or sprinting, you’re not feeling any discomfort in this area. If you feel more uncomfortable, you’re more prone to slow down or quit. You’re focusing on the discomfort more than fun of the exercises you’re performing. We have to keep our motivation up. If you’re like me, I can’t wait to take the bra off. Even though I have good support bras, it’s my nature. I just like to feel free.
Wal-Mart, Boscos, Target, and Fabletics have some amazing assortments. I picked up one (on clearance) from Wal-Mart. I got it for $5.99. Not bad in my eyes. Great quality and great support, has never failed. You don’t always have to rush to the high end retailers for great quality. These retailers have great quality options as well. Just look out for the clearance. I am a spendthrift and always looking for clearance.
Being in business and marketing, I know the game. Retailers have to get rid of stock for prepare for new stock. The birth of clearances and discounts. They extend them before they ship them to thrift stores or for donations. It’s a cost but they’re helping those in need. Before they do, they might as well try to make a profit. Hence why we have clearance, discounts and coupons. Take advantage. On your off time, scout the stores, you will be amazed at what you find. Will have a future article on this topic. Happy support bra shopping!
Disclaimer If You Have Excess Hair Growth Issues
If hormone balance is an issue, pay attention to the ingredients. Also, if you have an issue, you don’t want to cause any hair growth. You know, massaging can stimulate hair growth. Consult your doctor before doing. You don’t want to end up with any stray hairs growing in this region.
Why Should I Get Into HIIT?
Now that we have gone through the body composition and your goals, we can get into HIIT. Primarily, the reason I got into HIIT was because of my body composition. I didn’t want to lose water or muscle mass; I wanted to get rid of the fat. Primarily around the good old belly. As I am an endomorph, I know this would be a challenge. That was until I discovered HIIT. I wanted to challenge myself and get rid of the fat. Yes, I was walking, jogging and running but I needed to level it up.
If you’re like me and looking to lose fat, HIIT is an amazing alternative. It torches fat, elevates your heart, burns calories and promotes a faster metabolism. The greatest fact is, it promotes fat loss and burning calories throughout the day. Not when you stop your cardio session. If you are on the go, HIIT is your friend. It’s much shorter than the traditional cardio session 45-1 hour. You get quicker results in a shorter amount of time. The key, it is intensive. Hence the emphasis on the name. High intensity should let you know, we aren’t playing around.
As this involves high intensity, you have to be prepared. If you have any cardiovascular or respiratory issues, consult your doctor. We don’t want any issues happening. Even if you don’t, you should consult.
A typical session lasts up to 30 minutes. The shortest, being Tabata, lasts up to 4.
With Tabata, you are performing exercises in intervals for 4 minutes. You perform 20 seconds of really intense exercises followed by 10 seconds of rest. You do it for 8 cycles.
It involves warm up, periods of high intensity followed by a period of lower intensity. You will repeat the pattern in intervals, perhaps up until 20 times. It depends upon your timings. Some are 20 seconds (high intensity) followed by 10 seconds (lower intensity Then you repeat the cycle. Some have 30-40 seconds (high intensity) followed by 20 seconds (lower intensity). It is all up to you. I followed the higher. 30 seconds was my normal and as I got better, lowered the lower intensity (10 seconds). I wanted to challenge myself and increase my endurance. It’s all up to you.
The key, make sure your higher intensity is greater than the lower intensity. The lower is meant for your cool down and to help elevate your heart rate back up (when you start the higher intensity portion). If you stay at the same intensity, you’re not challenging your heart. By going up and then down, then up and then down, you’re challenging your heart. You are getting it to pump. You’re also not remaining stagnant, performing different actions. This gets your body going.
You never want to adapt but change. Your body will get used to it. By performing different exercises at different intensity, your body is saying, wtf. I don’t know what to do but keep your heart going, let’s raise this mug. This is the goal. So keep to this attitude, you will have successful HIIT sessions.
Before we jump into the exercises, I want to talk about prep and accessories you will need.
1) Activity Tracker/ Smart Watch
You will need an activity tracker. A smart watch. One that monitors your heart rate, calories, steps, and time. You can pick up one from Amazon. I have had my tracker for about 8 years and it’s still going strong. I love this thing to death. When I hear the beep, I get excited. It feels rewarding to see how many steps and calories you’re burning. Plus monitoring the heart rate. You want to keep tabs of this monitor during HIIT. You want your heart elevated. Track your beginning rate. Then track during and after. All you have to do is place your index finger on the monitor. It will read your rate. Have a notebook handy and track everyday. It will show if you’re digressing or progressing. You want to monitor your progress as this is what HIIT is all about. Elevating your heart which raises your metabolism for fat loss. Without monitoring, you don’t if anything is working.
Sometimes I get so addicted, I feel like I am in an episode of Scrubs or ER. It’s amazing during your sessions. It is a great gauge to make sure your heart is elevating. Also, staying elevated throughout the day. Pick up one today. If you have an Apple Watch, you should be good. Also, for our iphone cores, we have our Health app dandy. Use, use and did I say, use!
2. Body Weight Scale
In my weight loss article, I talked about this gem. It’s an amazing staple. I also got this off Amazon. Want to invest in stock, head on over to Amazon, lol. It measures everything and gives you the right breakdown of your weight. From your weight it tells how much is made up of water, muscle mass, bone mass and fat. Mine comes with the bonus of visceral fat (the dangerous fat you want to avoid).
In pairing with your activity tracker, your scale is your friend. It will help you on your way. You want to pay attention to what you’re losing, particularly the fat. The name of the game is to get rid of the fat. More than the water and muscle. We need these for our survival and to balance our body.
The fat, not so much. Yes, we need some fat but not too much. Out of the weight, we want to get rid of the fat the most. Fat is the road to health complications. It’s toxic, can clog your arteries, cause high blood pressure and other health complications. We want to live long and healthy lives, not complicated.
With HIIT, it sets out to accomplish this. Torch the fat around your body. Get your heart pumping and healthy. Improve your endurance, energy and stamina. All that and more. As you’re performing your HIIT sessions, monitor your weight on your body weight scale. Pay attention to the scale. You should be seeing a reduction to the fat levels on your scale. If not, then let’s look at your composition. If you are an endomorph, then don’t panic. If you’re the other two body compositions, then something is off. Let’s look at the diet. What are you eating?
Now, for some of those who just started a diet, it’s recommended to gradually give up on the things you enjoy. Not eliminate them all together in the beginning. If you’re still hitting the fast food joints and our unhealthy options, then fat may stick around. These options are loaded with fat and calories.
Let’s face it, fat is filling and tasty. Your favorite hamburger, loaded with fat. Unless, you scrape it off when cooking. George Foreman grill yall, with the knock out! If you are still filling up on fatty items or sugar laden (which turns to fat), you have a battle. You may be performing HIIT, but you have to perform on the diet. Our diet makes up 70% of our weightloss. It will do you no justice unless your diet is on point. We have to give up unhealthy fat and things laden to sugar. We don’t want to store fat. We also have to steer away from the pasta. I know, pasta. The language of love. You ever had a steaming pan of lasagna sitting in front of you, see if you can put the fork down. We have to slow down on them. Carbohydrates (outside of whole grains) aren’t our friends. Carbs turn to sugar, then to fat. If you’re an endomorph, we have to steer away. We are the most sensitive. If you want the fat to come off, then vegetables and protein is your friend. You have to cut back on the carbs.
Now, there is a diet that promotes fat for weight loss. It’s the keto diet. I’ve tried this for a while and it was an experience. You’re eating high (healthy fat) and low carbs. The fat (healthy) is the domination. You are pouring coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil on your foods. You’re filling up on chicken breast, fish, tuna and cheeses (moderation). You are filling the rest with vegetables (low carb), the greens, cauliflower, broccoli, and salad.
I know what you’re thinking, how can I lose fat while digesting fat? Well, your body uses carbohydrates to keep the engine going. With carbs gone, the body turns to fat for fuel. As this healthy fat is coming into your body, it becomes the prime fuel. Your body uses it to burn fat. After being ketosis for a while, your body gets used to burning fat. It’s been using fat to burn fat. That is what is coming in. A win for fat loss.
There are also some drawbacks. You’re not getting a balance. With keto, you may develop keto breath. An usual fruity or odor similar to nail polish remover. When you’re burning fat through ketosis, it produces acetone. This translates through your breath. Your body isn’t getting the balance from carbs.
You really have to step up your oral hygiene, so prepare. Get into a good regime, sugar free gum and drink plenty of water to keep the odor away.
As we move away from this diet, just want to raise the point that what you eat matters. I want you to succeed while doing HIIT. I cover all bases involved. Your scale will tell you the real deal. What you need to adjust. Your diet is a major point, your composition the other. Know these and you will be good.
3) Interval Timer- Get The App
Yes, our phones are our friends. We have a number of Apps to help us out. Seek out the free ones. I use the Interval Timer. It has a warm up, interval cycle, high intensity, low intensity, repeat and cool down setting. Here, you can set your times and go. As you see, when you start, it comes with preset time. You can adjust. I have been using it for years. It keeps you going. Before you start, make sure your phone is charged or is charging. You don’t want to stop while performing HIIT. The name of the game is to keep your heart rate elevated. No cool downs. You have to keep to the time frame or you will have to start all over. You are performing specific exercises in a specific time frame. You only have a limited time to get your heart rate going. It has to be during the duration not space out. No room for stopping and cooling down. Keep this in mind and you will have great sessions. Here is an example of the app (on the right).
4) Quick More Accessories
Some accessories to have are gloves, pads (for knees), pillow and great quality/comfortable sneakers. You want to protect your hands, knees and feet during these exercises. As they are intense, having these accessories will help alleviate the pressure to your joints. Making it easier to perform these exercises. They work wonders, give them a whirl.
5) Pay Attention To Your Surface
You also want to perform on a sturdy surface. Not too hard. Preferably if you can be hopping and jumping on a rug (secured area rug). This helps alleviate any pressure than performing on concrete or hard surfaces. It also lessens the chance of injury. If you fall or slip on a hard surface, yikes. Invest in a mat (non slip mat). You can even use a light/soft blanket to perform some exercises. The aim is to get you away from hard surfaces. It’s rough and can make you soar. Protect your joints!
Now that we got the setup out the way, we can get into the fun part. The HIIT exercises.
If you never perform HIIT before, you are in for a treat. You will be using all parts of your body. Nothing is off kilter here. They are at high intensity and you may need to practice some of them before performing. The key is to perform these exercises as quickly as you can. I want you gasping for breath. Have your heart beating profusely. Once again, as quickly and intensely as you can. Let’s roll off some of these exercises.
- Star Jumps
- Battle Rope
- High Knees
- Jumping Lunges
- Jump Squat
- Mountain Climbers
- Renegade Rows
- Lateral Lunges
- Push Up
- Burpees
- Jumping Jacks
- Tricep Dips
- Side Lunge
- Side Plank
- Reverse Lunge
- Star Jumps
- Kettlebell Swing
- Box Jumps
- Dumbbell Thruster
- Dumbbell Snatch
- Cycling Sprints
- Rowing Sprints
- Russian Twists
- Sprints
- Plank
- Squat Thrust
- Chest Press
- Flutter Kicks
Now that we have our exercises, we can put it all together into a program.
Warmup
Once again, you can set up a HIIT routine of setting intervals. First, you want to warm up for 1-5 minutes. You always want to warm up to get your blood flowing, muscles become flexible, increasing heart rate and limbs flexible to perform the exercises. Also to prevent injuries. Some good warm up exercises include walking, marching in place or jogging. If you are a little bold, you can do some light sprints.
After you warm up, you will begin your routine. You will set up your intervals. The first alternative includes setting up 20 seconds (high intensity) followed by 10 seconds (low intensity). 2nd alternative 30 seconds (high intensity) followed by 10 seconds (low intensity). 3rd alternative 30-45 seconds (high intensity) followed by 20 seconds (low intensity).
Tip: I would start off with the first alternative and work your way up. Never jump into something too quickly. You want to set your bearing slow at first, don’t want to shock the body. We want to prevent injury. As you get used to it, you can push a little more.
After you set up your intervals, you will determine your cycles. If you are doing the first alternative (30 seconds altogether), then you can divide your time by .50 (which is 30 seconds/60 seconds = .5). For example, I want to do 10 minutes of HIIT, I would do 20 cycles. That should give 10 minutes of work. If you want to go longer, increase the cycles. You are doing two cycles per minute. Just divide 2 by the number of minutes you want to complete. A HIIT session lasts up to 8-20 minutes. Sometimes 30 minutes. It’s up to you.
For the second alternative, you are doing 40 seconds of work. What you would do is figure out how long you want to do your HIIT session. Divide your time by .67 (which is 40 seconds/60 seconds=.67). For example, I want to complete 20 minutes of HIIT, I would do 30 cycles. (20/.67=29.9, round up to 30.)
For the third alternative, you are doing 50 seconds of work. What you would do is figure out how long you want to do your HIIT session. Divide your time by .83 (which is 50 seconds/60 seconds=.83). For example, I want to complete 15 minutes of HIIT, I would do 18 cycles. (15/.83=18)
Hope this helps when you prepare your cycles. Now we can’t forget the low intensity exercises you can perform.
Low Intensity Exercises
Jogging In Place
Brisk Walking
Running in place
Skipping in place
Jumping jacks
Setting Up Your HIIT Routine
Once you set your routine time frame, cycle time, number of cycles, you want to plan what exercises you want to perform. I recommend mixing at least 5 different ones. This really gets your heart rate going. Also, it prevents boredom. You don’t want to stick to 1 or 2. Can get repetitive. My goal is to try and know all the exercises. You will improve your motor flexes, your creativity, your brain power and flexibility. You also want to pick exercises that focus on each of your body parts. One that focuses on legs, one that target’s your stomach, you get the gist. For example, the plank works the core and high knees work your butt/ legs. They are all mostly total body but each has a focus. You want to have a variety.
It never hurts to try. If I can master them, you can. So grab your notes, set them on your plan. Knowing what you will be doing beforehand is key. You don’t want to be stopping. You want to elevate to keep your heart rate elevated. Here is an example.
| High Intensity | Low Intensity | ||
| High Knees | Running in Place | ||
| Burpees | Jogging In Place | ||
| Star Jumps | Running In Place | ||
| Mountain Climbers | Jogging In Place | ||
| Plank | Running In Place | ||
Cool Down
Then after you complete your session, you will head to the cool down. You will gradually slow down. We want to keep the heart rate elevated. A light jog that transitions to walking is great. Also, you want to do some stretches. You want to loosen up your muscles, get your limbs flexible, improve movement and recover. This is key because we have to make it to our next workout. We don’t want to be limping to it, we want to be fully mobile and energized. Also, do some deep breathing exercises. Breathe through your diaphragm. Take 2 minutes. Your body will thank you. You will feel much better. Thank you energy.
Some good cool down exercises include child pose, downward dog pose, standing calf stretch, knee to chest stretch and standing quad stretch. Take 5 minutes to cool down.
There you have it. You completed your HIIT session. You did it. Examine how you feel. Do you feel rejuvenated is anything soar or hurting. If so, take a few days or the rest of the week off. Perform your usual strength or cardio routines. Give it a whirl next week. Try to stick to 8 minutes. Don’t exert yourself. I don’t want any injuries happening. The next time around should be great. Your body will be adapted. You don’t want to do no more than 2-3 sessions. You don’t want any injuries and give your body 24 hours.
Please do this. I made the foolish mistake and tried to do it 2 days in a row. My legs were out of commission the rest of the week. I was press for time and was growing impatient with fat loss. It was a foolish mistake that I would never do again. I learn to never rush the process. Your body will fight you. You won’t win. Never rush the process. Give your body rest. You can still be active. Try walking, yoga, stretches, lift, so much to do.
Conclusion
If this is your introduction to HIIT, welcome. In addition to lifting, HIIT has played so much in my weight loss. I felt like I was going through the summer Olympics, encountering every trial. It was all worth it. I stuck to this program and grew addicted to it. I was a little sloppy with some of the exercises in the beginning but eventually mastered them. My favorites are the burpees, plank, star jumps, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, jump squat, sprints and squat thrust. These were my cores, generally mixing them in all my routines. They made me more agile and my endurance went through the roof. I felt so accomplished once I made it to 30 minutes. My confidence thrived like no other. I began talking to everyone about HIIT. You couldn’t tell me anything. I still perform HIIT from time to time. It’s fun. It fit my competitiveness with myself. I loved the exercises and the challenge. Plus, who doesn’t like knowing your burning calories all day. No need to worry about going through a rigorous hour session. I love that and took the worries away from my diet. If I slipped, I didn’t spiral into a pity party. Sure, I got on myself. I didn’t want bad habits to creep in. I felt more relaxed knowing I was burning calories but not so relaxed. I also didn’t want all the hard work going to waste.
If you’re on your journey, please give HIIT a try. Don’t be intimidated. It doesn’t matter your size, you can do it. Work according to your style. You will fall in love with the exercises. You will work your total body. You will burn the fat. You will increase your health. You will become more flexible. You will become more creative and won’t become bored. Most importantly, during your routines, please stay hydrated, keep your air circulated and have a positive spirit. Also, I can’t forget the tunes. Throw on your favorite songs, it gets you going. I love my African House Music. Julian Gomes I see you. It lights fire for every session. I will admit, sometimes, I was looking forward to hearing my songs. I am a music junkie. It helped me through my weightloss. Music makes you feel good and takes away the boredom. Throw on your headphones and get those feet going. Good luck my friends.
Have you tried HIIT before? What are your thoughts about HIIT? What are some of your favorite HIIT exercises? Have you ever tried HIIT with strength training? Sound off in the comments!
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