Workout Wednesday HIIT Routine by

Short of time? For a quick blast try this 20 minute HIIT routine. What’s great about HIIT is it can be done using just your bodyweight, which means all you need is a little bit of space.

If your space is cramped why not take this circuit outside? It’s intense enough that it will soon warm you up if it’s cold!

Before commencing a HIIT workout, be sure to warm up for 3-5 minutes. This can involve anything from jumping on the spot to star jumps, anything that will raise your heart rate and warm your muscles up so they are limber and protected from injury.

Top Tip:​ A lot of HIIT bodyweight circuits contain lots of exercises which put strain on the wrists such as planks, pushups and mountain climbers. Be sure to prepare your joints by circling your wrists back and forth before you get stuck in.

For each of the following exercises try 40 seconds of work vs 20 seconds of rest and then repeat from the top:

Burpees

These badboy’s are often given a far less PG name for a reason, they’re tough. A great all over body exercise to elevate your heart rate and kick things off.

Mountain Climbers

This move fires up your abdominals whilst keeping your heart rate high. Assume a standard pushup position and run each leg in towards your chest as though you were running off the ground as fast as you can.

Push Ups

Another great all over exercise, push ups can be intensified by lifting a leg, or eased up by coming down to your knees. The trick with push ups is to make sure that despite doing as many as you can at speed, you still make the full range of motion – it should look like your nose is near touching the floor.

Jumping Lunges

Adding plyometrics to any move makes it far more of a challenge. Assume your lunge position sinking nice and low, then as you extend through the legs jumps as high as you can and switch legs, so you are alternating the leg you lunge off, land in a lunging position with the other leg now leading the way. These are sure to set your quads on fire, but keep pushing through and use your arms to help drive you up.

High Knees

Jog on the spot bringing your knees up as high as you can in front of you, tilt your pelvis forward and lean back slightly to get more abdominal activation.

Heel Flicks

Now reverse! Jog on the spot flicking your heels up to your bottom as fast as you can to keep that heart rate up.

Frog Jumps

Start with your legs together and feet facing out, squat down allowing your knees to turn out and then explode up straightening the legs before returning to start. Ribbit.Ribbet.

Skaters

Start in a slight squat, so your legs are loaded with power, then jump sideways to the left and land on your left leg, with your right leg lifted off the ground. Now jump leading with your right leg and land on the right leg, with your left leg away from the floor. Use your arms to propel you further, opposite arm to opposite leg.

Plank Up Downs

Start in a plank off your hands, keeping your bum down and shoulder blades squeezed together to ensure your spine stays in neutral alignment. Bring you right hand down to an elbow plank position and then follow it with the left, now bring the right arm back up to a hand plank and follow it with the left. Avoid looking up as it puts extra strain on the neck.

Shadow Boxing Sit Ups

Lie on you back with your knees bent ready for a sit up, but this time as you brace your abs and bring your upper body up, throw a jab and a cross, punching towards the opposite knee. This adds some extra oblique engagement and makes the exercise a little bit more of a challenge. Breathe out as you lift up and punch.

By Vicky Gardner, Sundried Personal Trainer.

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