{"id":57716,"date":"2017-04-18T07:15:04","date_gmt":"2017-04-18T11:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=57716"},"modified":"2022-04-27T07:29:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T11:29:12","slug":"hiit-workout-perfect-formula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/hiit-workout-perfect-formula\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Your Own HIIT Workout Adventure with This Perfect Formula"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Design
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Science and experts alike say high-intensity interval workouts<\/a> reign as fitness royalty. Touted as a top-notch method for weight loss<\/a>, improving your VO2 max<\/a> and even helping you run faster, it\u2019s no wonder this approach to exercise holds such high wellness honors.<\/p>\n

Of course, just like any workout you do over and over, the routine can get stale. That is, until you learn the foundation of HIIT workouts<\/a> and then switch it up every time you go to break a sweat. Allow trainer Adam Rosante, creator of Two Week Transformation and author of Super Smoothie Revolution,<\/em>\u00a0to break down the basics so you can turn up the benefits.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>No Time? This is How Much HIIT You Really Need<\/a><\/p>\n

HIIT Workout: What You Need to Make It Work<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe foundation [of HIIT] is a series of intervals of intense activity, coupled with intervals of less-intense activity or complete rest,\u201d says Rosante. \u201cBeyond buzz, it’s popularity can largely be attributed to its efficiency. HIIT’s a great way to get fit in a short amount of time. But the key is to ensure that the high-intensity intervals are truly performed at your highest intensity.\u201d<\/p>\n

How do you know if you\u2019re HIIT-ing it hard enough? Rosante says to go at 80 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate<\/a> during the work intervals, and 60 to 65 percent during your rest periods.\u00a0(To find your max heart rate, just subtract your age from 220. Then take the percentages from there.) If you don\u2019t have a heart rate monitor, push hard enough through the work intervals that you\u2019re sucking wind. You shouldn\u2019t be able to hold a convo, Rosante says.<\/p>\n

“The key is to ensure that the high-intensity intervals are truly performed at your highest intensity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can do a HIIT workout with almost any exercise, from plank hip dips to jumping jacks<\/a> to everyone\u2019s favorite: burpees<\/a>. That\u2019s because it\u2019s more about intensity than the specific movements, Rosante explains. But to help you narrow down what to do, Rosante says he prefers a mix of moves that force the glutes, quads and hamstrings (the body\u2019s biggest muscles) to work explosively. Some of his go-to\u2019s include jump squats<\/a>, plyo lunges and sprints.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t stop there. Rosante often alternates between a lower body and upper body move, or a lower body and total body exercise. \u201cThe alternation forces your heart to pump blood out to the muscles in a much higher volume, which, naturally, means your heart rate<\/a> is significantly elevated,\u201d Rosante explains. \u201cWhen you boost your heart rate like this, you disrupt your metabolic pathways in such a way that they’re scrambling to return to normal long after the workout has ended.\u201d This concept of burning calories even after you stop busting a move \u2014 known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption<\/a> or EPOC \u2014 will blast fat and calories, fast.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Beast Box Jumps and Other Plyometric Exercises<\/a><\/p>\n

Choose Your Own HIIT Workout Adventure<\/h2>\n

Spike your heart rate, tone your body and break through plateaus with this HIIT formula from Rosante. Start with a goal intensity, then pick an option from each layer. No two workouts have to be the same \u2014 but you\u2019ll get sweaty and fit with each round. We\u2019ll call this one smash HIIT.<\/p>\n

\"Design
Infographic: Mallory Creveling \/ Life by Daily Burn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To warm up before you dive in, do a series of dynamic stretches<\/a> and a few high jumps. After you HIIT it, cool down with a solid stretch<\/a> of all major muscle groups. Rosante suggests holding each one for at least 3 to 5 deep breathes.<\/p>\n

Standing Mountain Climbers<\/h3>\n

Start standing, arms bent at your chest, palms facing away from your body. Drive your right knee up toward your chest as you straighten your left arm toward the ceiling. Quickly switch to bring your left knee toward your chest and right hand toward the ceiling. Continue alternating.<\/p>\n

Push-Ups<\/h3>\n

Start in a high plank position. Without piking or dropping your hips, bend your elbows\u00a0and lower your chest to the ground. Then push back up to a plank.<\/p>\n

Speed Squats<\/h3>\n

Start with feet a little wider than hip-distance apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Drive your hips back and butt toward the ground to perform a low squat. Jump back up and bring your feet together. Then jump back into a wide squat position<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4-Point Plankers<\/h3>\n

Start in a high plank position<\/a> with feet together. Jump your feet to the left side of your left hand, then hop them back to\u00a0the plank position. Next, jump your feet to the right side of your right hand, then back\u00a0to the plank position. Hop\u00a0your feet between your hands, then back\u00a0to the plank position. Finally, jump your feet wide, placing\u00a0one on either side of your hands. Then return to the plank position. Continue jumping to each point, keeping your hands on the ground the whole time.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Plyometric Planks You Need to Try ASAP<\/a><\/p>\n

Burpees<\/h3>\n

Start standing. Place your hands on the ground, wrists underneath shoulders and jump your feet back to high plank position. Drop your chest to the ground. Then, without arching your back, push yourself back up and jump\u00a0your feet back up to your hands. Explode off the ground to perform a hop\u00a0at the top.<\/p>\n

High Plank Punches<\/h3>\n

Start in a high plank position. Keeping your hips still, punch your right arm out straight in front of you. Then your left. Continue alternating.<\/p>\n

Sprints<\/h3>\n

Run in place (or on a treadmill<\/a> or track) as fast as you can, pumping your arms for more power.<\/p>\n

Y-W-T Holds<\/h3>\n

Lie on your stomach, arms straight out in front of you. Lift your legs and arms off the ground, with\u00a0your arms to a Y position. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down. Lift your legs and arms off the ground again. This time pull your elbows back and shoulder blades together so your arms form a W. Hold for a few seconds then extend your arms again and lower back down. Lift your legs and arms off the ground another time, this time moving your\u00a0arms into a T position with elbows straight and arms out to the sides. Lower back down and repeat from the Y.<\/p>\n

Not a Daily Burn member? Sign up at\u00a0dailyburn.com<\/a>\u00a0and start your free 30-day trial today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A killer high-intensity interval training workout only requires a few key components. Nail the basics, then choose your own HIIT workout adventure. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":57738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[288,289,60,139,61,281,341,343,100],"class_list":["post-57716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-cardio","tag-exercise","tag-high-intensity-interval-training","tag-hiit","tag-infographic","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}