HIIT at Home

HIIT or high intensity interval training is doing short bursts of incredibly intense training followed by a rest for a similar length of time. You then repeat this process until you are a wreck from all the hard work!!

This style of workout can be done anywhere. In the gym it's commonly used on cardio equipment like spin bikes or treadmills. However, this article is aimed at training in your home and unless you're lucky, it's unlikely you have a piece of cardio equipment at home. However, HIIT can be done simply with just body weight exercises!

What Timings to Follow

When I train using HIIT I tend to prefer the Tabata style timings. This is just personal preference as there are tons of different timings. The Tabata training method is when you train at maximum intensity for only 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest. You then repeat this eight times per exercise. The joy of this training method is that you complete each exercise in just four minutes, making it very convenient on time.

There are some other timing ratios. Common ones include 1:1 ratio where you would train for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. If you're just starting out then maybe an easier ratio, for example a 1:2, which will allow you for a longer rest, may be more appropriate.

Workout Plans

Next, I'm going to give you three different HIIT workouts to follow. You can use any of the timing methods above with these workout plans. Or if there's one you know already works great for you, then use that! All these workouts use only bodyweight so the exercises can easily be done at home if you clear a little room!!

Workout One: Beginner Full Body (Estimated Tabata Time: 16 mins)

1. Squats

2. Push Ups

3. Sit Ups

4. Mountain Climbers

Workout Two: Advanced Full Body (Estimated Tabata Time: 24 Mins)

1. Burpees
2. Russian Twists
3. Push Ups (If you want a real challenge, you can change this to push up waves!)
4. Flutter Licks
5. Squat Jumps
6. Plyometric Lunges

Workout Three: Core Blast (Estimated Tabata Time: 20 mins)

1. Front Plank
2. Sit Ups
3. Leg Raises
4. Toe Taps
5. Bicycle Crunch

If you are not too sure about how to do any of the exercises shown above, then search them up online. There is plenty of information online that will walk you through the steps of each exercise. If you want a more visual method then Youtube is great as you can actually see the exercise being done. However if you are unsure you have the right exercise or are doing it correctly I am happy to help. Just drop me an email at [email protected] and I'll make sure to help you as best I can.

Why HIIT?

One of the most popular reasons to do HIIT is because it burns so many calories. Because of the short yet intense burst of training you can get an after burn effect which means your body will burn calories during your rest and after the workouts done!! A study showed that compared to weights, running and biking, HIIT used 25-30 percent more calories.

It's also a fun way to work out. The short intense burst means you don't get bored quickly and everything is fast paced. It's a great way to mix up your workout. And by using just bodyweight exercises you can easily train at home with little space and no equipment!!

If you enjoyed this article, please check out all the others I've posted and if you have any questions please contact me at [email protected] or send me an email through my website, www.joshpt.co.uk

Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed

Joshua Herbert