Tuesday, August 14, 2018

HIIT me up!




I've been HIIT'ing a lot this summer.

In an effort to keep improving on my running , I have been stepping outside my comfort zone and adding HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts to my weekly routine. Although I was in decent shape before I ever did any of these types of workouts, I have noticed a pretty dramatic improvement in my overall fitness since HIIT'ing on a weekly basis.

An article that caught my attention, cited numerous benefits of doing HIIT workouts, several of which I have experienced myself. Some of these benefits include increased metabolism (during and after the workouts), loss of weight, reduction in fat, and increased energy. For me, all of these have happened with only doing one HIIT workout a week (in addition to my usual running, daily walking, planking, etc.), and my HIIT workouts seldom go past 30 minutes.

That said, here are some of the recent HIIT workouts I have created:

Abs & Arms 20's X 4
20 Burpees
20 Push-ups
20 Mountain Climbers
20 reps of arms/shoulder strength work
20 Bird Dogs (on toes)
**repeating the circuit four times netted me 80 reps of everything (and a whole lotta sweat).


Arms & Legs 20's-15's-10's
*push-ups
*squats
*biceps curls
*mountain climbers (each leg)
*triceps dips
*walking lunges (each leg)
*push-ups
*plank jacks
*hammer curls
*burpees
*triceps extensions
*jump squats
***three complete sets of the circuit
***the first set had 20 reps for each move, the second set had 15 reps, and the third set had 10 reps

Hill Sprint HIIT (6 sets)
*20 arm reps
*15 push-ups
*10 burpees
*run 1 lap around the hilly block (1/3 mile)

6 sets of the circuit netted me: 
-120 arm reps
-90 push-ups
-60 burpees
-2 total miles of hill sprints with negative splits

**for the arm reps I did bicep curls, hammer curls, triceps dips, triceps extensions, shoulder presses and upright rows
**for the running portion, I ran a quick lap (at a fast pace) around a nearby city block, but you could substitute a similar interval on a treadmill

Full Body HIIT
30 jumping jacks
20 burpees
20 push-ups
30 squats
20 reps of arm work (biceps curls/hammer curls)
20 reps of shoulder work (shoulder presses)
30 plank jacks
20 burpees
20 push-ups
30 sumo squats
20 reps of arm work (lawnmowers/cross-body curls)
20 reps of shoulder work (upright rows)
**two full sets of each circuit netted me a whole lot of sweating and a night of very sound sleep

Arms and Shoulders and Stairs, oh my!
15 biceps curls/hammer curls (on second circuit)
15 push-ups
10 burpees
10 stair flights (inside the house)
15 triceps dips/extensions (on second circuit)
15 push-ups
10 burpees
10 stair flights (inside)
15 shoulder presses/upright rows (on second circuit)
15 push-ups
10 burpees
10 stair flights (inside)
**I did this workout on a hot summer night on my front porch, so the stairs offered some "heat" relief. I did two full sets of the complete circuit and added a few extra arm reps when I was finished.

 20's X 10 HIIT Circuit
-20 squats
-20 push-ups
-20 burpees
-20 bicep curls
-20 sumo squats
-20 push-ups
-20 plank jacks
-20 triceps dips
-20 walking lunges (each leg)
-20 jumping jacks
**two complete sets of this circuit netted me several days of DOMS in the tush and hamstrings (#fairwarning)

So there you have a sampling of what I have been doing to up my fitness game; the increased endurance has been a bonus. I have really been having fun with these! I love the challenge of mixing intense cardio drills (that also have strengthening and toning capabilities) with intervals of less intense free weight moves. As mentioned, my muscle tone has become more defined and my waist has lost a couple of inches! And those oddball five pounds, that have been taking up residence in the past year, are gone.

Have you ever tried HIIT workouts? If so, have you done them at home or in a gym? On your own or with a coach/trainer?

**Disclaimer** I am not a fitness coach (nor do I play one on TV). These are workouts that I have designed for me based on my own personal goals and abilities.

**I'm linking up with Marcia and Patty and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

**I'm also linking this with Debbie and Rachel and Marc and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner

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28 comments:

  1. I've done some HIIT workouts in the past and they are hard! They usually leave me feeling tired or sore for my runs. These look like great workouts, and I'm glad they have helped you so much!

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    1. I just have to be careful with the squats/lunges...those feel so easy at the time, but almost always come back to bite my buttocks (LITERALLY) the next day

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  2. Love your HIIT workouts. I did a real HIIT workout last week. It was only 15 minutes but I was dying! It made me remember that I need to do true HIIT workouts more often. I'll be incorporating your HIIT workouts into my training!

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  3. You are quite dedicated. I would never do a HIIT workout at home. I would have to be in a gym setting and getting pushed by someone. Great job getting those done!

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    1. Somehow, I can do these without the need for "enforcement." Now, if we were talking treadmill runs...ha! Totally different story LOL

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  4. I love mixing up my workouts each week as well. Keeps me from getting bored and my body from getting used to things too much.

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    1. Exactly! I think the body (at least mine) needs to constantly be doing different stuff or it becomes stagnant

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  5. HIIT is a great way to mix up your workouts and challenge the body in different ways! Glad you discovered them and their many benefits.

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  6. Swear I'm going to print off your post & take it to the gym with me on my next strength day now that (I think) I can lift the kettlebell again after my fall. I love the idea of strength training but never know where to start.

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    1. Strength training is quite personal, too-->not everyone loves working their arms or doing squats. You have to find what works for you, with your goals and lifestyle and personality.

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    2. Good to know, thanks. I love mountain climbers and wall squats. Learning to love kettlebells. I hate burpees, or rather my knees do

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  7. Good job designing your own HIIT workouts! Sounds like you've got something good going that works well for you.

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    1. Knock on wood, this has been a fun little discovery. The workouts are easy to switch out some of the moves to keep things always changing/evolving.

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  8. I do do HIIT, at home -- following along with an instructor. Otherwise I'd probably never do it!

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    1. So far, I have had been pretty dedicated. The key for me is to keep them relatively short and the circuits interesting.

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  9. These are great! I used to teach a HIIT class, but since I work at country clubs where the average age was 72 I didn’t get enough attendance to keep the class going. 😃 I don’t have space at home but I will occasionally do a workout at the gym where I work (or have one of my clients do one).

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    1. Well, I guess technically I do have space at home, but I have been doing most of these workouts outside. It's gonna be weird taking them inside when our weather turns cold LOL

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  10. These are really great ideas! I really need to get in on HIIT training, especially on days where I have a super hectic/busy schedule!!

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    1. It's amazing the burn you can get in such a short time commitment

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  11. I've done/sometimes do HIIT, but for some reason I really hate the "interval" part of that acronym. I prefer the boring ol' sets and reps workout scheme.

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    1. Maybe substitute the "Interval" I for "I'm-a-badass" ;-)

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  12. Those are some intense workouts! I do HITT workouts but sometimes don't always see them as HITT.

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    1. The more I read up on HIIT, I realized it's a pretty broad definition. The main thing is keeping the heart rate elevated and taking brief breaks (not more than 20-30 seconds, at least for me) in between circuits. A lot of times, I use the arm strength moves as my "rest" period because although my arms are working, I don't consider it intense cardio

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  13. I can feel the burn from your HITT workouts just from reading them. Thanks for sharing! Once I’m done with the marathon in a couple of weeks I’ll have to remember to come back to this post when I’ll be more than ready to take a break from as many miles as I’m currently running.

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    1. I have the post included in the #notjustarunner workouts tab at the top, so it should be easy to find ;-)

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  14. I have never done them. I should. Keep posting your workouts. I may get inspired.

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