4 Things to Know Before Doing High-Intensity Workouts
If you’re entering the fitness world, you’ll find yourself bombarded from all sides by different workout regimes. And each promises faster results than the last. Of course, it’s only natural to want results as fast as possible and get that lean, sculpted body you’ve always desired. However, fitness trends come and go, and it’s essential to find one that offers consistent, long-lasting results and allows you to build endurance and strength.
HIIT or high-intensity interval training is one of the most popular trends in fitness right now. However, HIIT workouts do more than making lofty claims. Using a combination of high-intensity exercises and short breaks allows you to push your limits, get your heart rate racing, and burn calories. If you hate spending more than 10 minutes on the treadmill, you’ll love HIIT for sure. However, there are some things to know before you start. Below, we have listed the top four pointers to keep in mind before starting HIIT.
All HIIT workouts don’t have the same length
Typical workout sessions often extend to an hour minimum and can get incredibly repetitive. If you’re used to working out for an hour at length, you might be pleasantly surprised by HIIT workouts. These workouts can range anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour if you want a more intense session. However, even shorter HIIT workouts can burn plenty of calories.
Additionally, getting expert guidance is the best way to get the most from your HIIT session. Although you should approach trainers to know which workout is appropriate for you, you must also determine your physical condition. With a healthcare professional’s guidance, you can understand your body better and know how far you need to push it. You don’t have to approach a full-fledged doctor; instead, you can seek guidance from professional nurses. Nurses who have completed online DNP programs have immense knowledge regarding physical well-being and appropriate practices for the body. With professional advice, you’ll know just how far you need to push your body, and you’ll be able to put together a personalized workout.
Never skip warmups
While warmups are essential for any exercise, they’re even more critical when you’re starting a HIIT workout. High-intensity interval training is incredibly fast-paced and forces you to use all of your major muscle groups. If you aren’t warmed up and ready, you may end up injuring yourself. Warmups increase the amount of blood flowing to your muscles to prep them for intensive activity and reduce any chance of injury.
Furthermore, warming up can help you immensely in boosting performance. You have a much greater range of motion and can execute each exercise flawlessly. Moreover, you have a lesser chance of DOMS post-workout and can make a much faster recovery. When warming up, it’s best to skip the static exercises. Instead, you can do dynamic routines that involve squats, pushups, high knees, burpees, lunges, and planks.
Bodyweight is your friend
HIIT workouts are some of the easiest to complete, anywhere, anytime. That’s because these workouts don’t involve any equipment and only use your body weight. You may think that this isn’t enough to achieve results, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Bodyweight exercises are an incredibly effective way to work out without spending hundreds of dollars on gym equipment.
These exercises can boost your heart rate immensely and make you sweat, so you burn off those extra calories. Of course, you can add weights if you feel you want to increase the intensity. Ankle weights are an excellent addition to your bodyweight exercises. Furthermore, you can add resistance bands to your leg workouts to get a deeper stretch and make your workouts more effective.
Be prepared to sweat
Many wrongfully assume that just because HIIT workouts are shorter in duration and don’t involve any weights, they’re easy. However, this couldn’t be further from reality. HIIT workouts are, as the name suggests, incredibly intense. Even a short session can push you to your limit, increase your heart rate, and make you sweat.
If you aren’t used to working out, you might find HIIT pretty intense in the first few sessions. It’s okay to take breaks between reps, as long as you don’t stop pushing yourself. It can take a lot of dedication to make it through a HIIT session successfully. However, the results can be well worth it, as HIIT workouts help you burn much more fat than traditional forms of exercise. Furthermore, HIIT sessions can be intense, but they’re easier to practice. You can keep adding variations to engage your body and mind and keep the workouts interesting. You can also incorporate kettlebells and skipping ropes for greater intensity.
Conclusion
Burning fat can often seem impossible, but if you consistently stick to a HIIT routine, you’ll have the sculpted body you desire in no time. Of course, HIIT workouts aren’t just for the aesthetics of a fit body. They’ll help boost your stamina and strength with time and increase agility, flexibility, and endurance. The cherry on top is that they’re easy to execute, and you can do them anywhere, anytime.
