Pump up the jam and get ready to HIIT it!
For some people, running a mile or two on an elliptical or treadmill is their idea of a killer warm-up.
But for me, it’s HIIT.
As I began to really listen to my body and figure out what I truly loved to do in the gym, I found a love for High-Intensity Interval Training, aka, HIIT or tabata.
High-Intensity Interval Training gives your body the best of both worlds. It burns fat, increases your heart rate, and builds muscle.
Running may seem like the ideal way to warm-up before a workout, but running may be rough on those with weaker joints or knee injures. Simply by incorporating HIIT into your warm-up, you can modify exercises to work with your abilities, and you’ll start your workout sweating.
By fatiguing your muscles early, you are on the way to building more muscle and getting the most out of your workout. #gains
So what warm-ups actually get you the benefits of HIIT training?
I know most people have a love/hate relationship with this exercise, but bear with me — burpees are a perfect example.
This compact movement gets your heart rate up quickly while fatiguing your muscles in the best way possible. Ever since incorporating them into my warm-up, I have seen an improvement in my stamina and my muscle mass. And who doesn’t love leaving the gym drenched in sweat?
Here are some of my favorite HIIT warm-ups:
(tag us in your Instagram if you give them a try!)
Leg Day HIIT Warm-Up:
These exercises target your leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves) and are the perfect way to start a killer leg day. These can be done with weight, resistance bands, or just your body weight.
- 3 sets of squat jumps
- 3 sets of full range squats as active rest
- 3 sets of jumping lunges
- 3 sets of walking lunges
Squat jumps are my absolute favorite because they’re super fun. Blast your favorite gym tunes and feel like a bad a**.
StairMaster HIIT:
- 30 seconds of side steps each side
- 1 minute of a stair sprint
- Repeat 3 times
The HIIT possibilities are honestly endless. Pick any of the exercises from the list below, throw on your timer for 10 minutes, and go for it. And if you aren’t sure how to do a certain exercise, check out Bodybuilding.com.
- Butt kicks
- Jumping lunges
- High knees
- Kettlebell squat
- Kettlebell snatches
- Jump rope
- Mountain climbers
- Box jumps
By simply incorporating these high intensity workouts into your warm-up, you will begin to see your body get evolve before your eyes. Tabata comes in all different styles, so find the one that you love, and you will begin to fall in love with your warm-up. While I love going for a run still, HIIT training has revolutionized my gym days.
Push through and your body will thank you later.
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