Last month I introduced a way to approach the gym setting with little intimidation. I shared some straight forward explanation and personal trainer tips around beginning that journey by using the machines. This month I’d like to explain how to exercise easily without machines or a gym and improve body composition and metabolism. With the change of season upon us I know it is tempting to hibernate, but with as little commitment as 20 minutes three times a week, health benefits are attainable.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to give the same health benefits as regular exercise in a shorter amount of time. It reduces heart rate which means you have a more efficient heart, can improve blood sugar levels, and insulin sensitivity. It can also boost your metabolic rate for hours after exercise.
Yes, that means burning more calories than usual for hours afterwards. HIIT is great because you can do these workouts regardless of how fit you are, you can opt for no equipment, and it’s simple to modify the movement or resistance based on your needs. The idea is to push yourself as hard as possible while doing the exercise, rest when needed for an interval of time and not longer than a minute, then begin again when the same all out efforts can be resumed. Don’t get me wrong, even if it’s short, it is intense. So, join me this month and try some!
A few things to keep in mind before hand: Prevent injury by priming the body for exercise with proper warm up. Take at least five minutes walking or performing some body-weight moves until you feel warm. If your fall sweater needs to come off because you feel warm, you’re warmed up. This is what I tell my clients. All you need for a HIIT workout is some floor space and a pair of dumbbells. Then choose the correct weight. Use the front shoulder raise as a test for weight selection. Perform a front shoulder raise with a little difficulty, but can still be repeated many times. (Front shoulder raise is done standing, holding a pair of weights, palms resting on your thighs. From there, lift the arms in-front of you and slightly wider than the shoulders. Bring them back to your starting position) This is the right intensity. The below workout includes 6 moves and a bonus sprint.
Doing this with no weight at all is also a fine place to start. The bonus section in the workout is suppose to spike your heart rate further for about 30 seconds and is optional. The bonus requires about 1/10th of a mile or 200 meters of space. Use a treadmill, or anything you can come up with to raise your heart rate if these aren’t options for you. (Jumping jacks, jogging in place etc)
Complete the circuit as many times as possible in 20 minutes doing 20 reps of each move. For more of a challenge only allow rest periods to be as long as 30 seconds. If this is too difficult, drop the weights, reduce repetitions to 10 of each move or both! Remember your intensity is important so gauge it by the RPE scale. Rate of perceived exertion. 1 = rest 10 = sprint Be sure to be working at about an 8.
The Moves
1. Squat over-head
2. Push-up Row
3. Mountain Climbers
4. Lunge with Bicep Curl
5. Plank Front Raise
6. Burpees With Push-up (Not pictured. It is a multiple step move not easily photographed. Do a push up, jump or walk the feet towards the hands and stand up. Repeat.)
Bonus Move Sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat until you reach 20 minutes. Likely 5 rounds.
