MY 20 MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), also referred to as High Intensity Intermittent Exercise (HIIE) is an enhanced form of interval training, an exercise strategy alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. Basically it's a quick (ranging from 6-20 minutes) but effective cardio exercise which improves athletic condition and capacity, glucose metabolism and fat burning. I find it to be the most efficient form of cardio and is my exercise of choice!Also, I have created a video on this to make it a little bit easier to understand so it would be beneficial to watch that as well :)

Similar to but not to be confused with HIT (High Intensity Training) which is a form of strength training and focuses on performing quality training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure. However, this exercise focuses more on the use of weights and I haven't gotten into that yet so we might come back to it another time. 

So I'm going to be sharing with you my 20 minute HIIT/HIIE workout that has currently been my main exercise in my routine. This is what I have found works for me and is something that I can keep up with and stick to which is extremely important as exercise goals have to be realistic.

To kind of explain my routine a little bit, it's a minute alternation between work and rest. 6.0 is the standard rest speed and that is every other minute while the working minutes range between 9.0-10.0, starting with 9.0, working up to 10.0 with 9.5 then reversing the order going 10.0, 9.5 then 9.0 (did that make any sense haha maybe just look at the graph).

Please note that Speed is in km/hr. Also keep in mind that this doesn't include warm up and cool down time but I usually spend 5 minutes before starting my HIIT workout warming up (1 minute on 3.0 on 4 minutes on 5.0) and 5 minutes cooling down after completing my HIIT workout (4 minutes on 5.0 then 1 minute on 3.0). So in total, the whole routine should take you 30 minutes while only 20 for the HIIT workout itself.

The main reason I absolutely love HIIT workouts is because they are much more efficient than most other routines. As an example, walking and occasionally running on the treadmill for an hour burns less calories than a 20 minute HIIT workout. Therefore, this is perfect if you have a busy schedule or is someone with the constant excuse of not having time (check out how I find time to workout here).

More reasons to love a HIIT workout also include; 

* You burn more fat as it kicks your body's repair cycle into hyper drive resulting in more calories burnt over a longer period after the workout.

* Results in a healthier heart from anaerobically pushing yourself.

* You loose weight but not muscle.

* Your metabolism increases due to the stimulation of production of human growth hormone (HGH).

* It's challenging so you will be busy the whole time= definitely not bored.

Let me know if you try this out and if you do, what you think of it! You can also use the hashtag on instagram and twitter #jordysfitness to show me your progress, recipes of mine you have created or pretty much anything that this blog has inspired you to do! I would love to see where you girls are at!

Posted in: Exercise, Routine