The Best High-Intensity Interval Training(HIIT) Plan to Start with.

Posted by Anil Kumar G on December 16th, 2020

High-Intensity Interval Training, best known as HIIT, has taken the Internet by a storm of late. Wondering about what could be the most effective way to burn fat is the most common thought though.

People are turning more and more towards HIIT because of its time efficiency to lose weight. And no wonder people are more curious to know about it. So, before we highlight the benefits of HIIT to burn calories fast, let's dive deeper into HIIT.

What is HIIT?

You may have come across a colleague or a friend who has been raving about HIIT. This high-intensity interval training, is a high intensity work out plan and includes 30 to 60 seconds of intense and exhaustive exercises with 25-40 seconds of a rest period in between. As a beginner, understanding the process of each exercise is crucial to follow it correctly. Exercise if not followed in the right manner, affects the body negatively. 30 minutes of HIIT twice or Thrice a week is ideal, but as a beginner aiming for that is not a good decision because our body is not prone to accept such a sudden change. 

Why Is HIIT Good To Lose Weight?

HIIT is a hyperintense work out cycle following which you can burn calories and fat at speed. This plan is pretty exhausting, but it gives instant results than any other cardio routine. It improves your body's endurance level and repair cycle. All these benefits come in a 30 to 40 minutes package that we utilize otherwise on a steady pace of running or jogging.

Start by working out at first for 15 minutes, take one week to get into the process, and gradually you can increase the time every week by 5 to 10 minutes. Every exercise in this plan is highly exhausting so you may end up rushing it. That is a mistake again because rushing through any workout plan affects our muscles, and we may end up getting cramps and injuries. Taking 5 seconds longer breaks instead is a better idea than speeding up the process. 

Get a perfect beginner's guide to HIIT right here:

Start with 15 to 20 Minutes of HIIT Plan. If you do not like working out with weight or are scared to go to the gym in this pandemic time, here is a proper set of exercises that you would love to follow at home.

Key points to remember:

• Warm-up before starting, stretch your legs and body lying on a yoga mat. It makes your muscles more flexible and reduces the chances of injuries.

• Begin with an AMRAP (as many repetitions as possible) style for every exercise within 30 to 40 seconds and take 20 seconds of a break. This style helps in letting you know your progress and strength improvement as you gradually seem to do more repetitions than the beginning.

• Each exercise needs 30 to 40 seconds, depending on how long you can keep up with it. 

•  Take a compulsory break of 20 -30 seconds after each exercise. 

• Keep the repetitions in the count to follow the same in the next round. 

• Each circuit will contain 7 exercises that need to be repeated after one minute of a break. 

• You can repeat the entire circuit twice or thrice depending on your endurance level.

• Do not rush; take your time to complete each exercise and each circuit properly. 

• Challenge yourself to do more but do not push yourself overly beyond your limits. 

Exercise 1- Bodyweight Squats

• Stand tall with and keep 15 cm space in between the feet. 

• Find a focal point right next to you for balance, look straight at it, bend your knees forward and bend down the hips backwards. 

• Do not bend down your chest; keep it in 45- to 90- degree angle to your hips.

• Repeat it for 30-40 seconds. 

Exercise 2-High knees

• Stand tall, keep your hands in line with your hip, lift your left knees and try to touch your left-hand palm with your left leg by putting the entire weight on the right leg and place the leg down again. 

• Switch legs following the same process. 

• Switch it at a steady pace like jogging.

• Continue the process for 30 seconds. 

Exercise 3: Heel taps

• Get a yoga mat to give proper support to your back. Lie down on it and lift your head against the mat and bend your knees up. 

• Try reaching out to your right heel/ankle with the right hand and left heel with the left hand. 

• Repeat the set for 30-40 seconds. 

Exercise 4- Alternating Lunges

• Stand on the endpoint of the yoga mat and find a focal point on the wall next to you for balance. Bring both hands together near your chest.

• Bend down your left knee on the ground or try to take it down as much as you can and bend the right knee forward. 

• Try to extend both the knees to their respective directions. 

• Inhale and exhale gently as this exercise will be very tiring. 

• Repeat it for 30-40 seconds between both the legs. You will be able to feel the burn on your thigh muscles. 

Exercise 5- Glute Bridge

• Lie down on your back, keep your heels together, bend your knees up, and push your hips up and lower them down with the support of feet and upper back. 

• Keep it on loop for 30-40 seconds. 

Exercise 6- Plank in and out

• Start by a simple plank position and balance your body with your forearms and toes. 

• Move each toe inwards and outwards, each foot at a time, and try not to move your hips at all. 

• Repeat it for 30-40 seconds. 

Exercise 7-Bent leg raise

• Lie down straight, put your hands straight on the mat, and bend in the knees towards your chest and push it back. 

• Do not put the feet down on the mat. It must remain uplifted throughout the exercise. 

• Repeat it for 30 seconds. 

Once you have completed the entire circuit, take some rest and start from the beginning again. With time you can evolve this plan by adding more difficult exercises or by increasing the work time ratio. Make most of your work out time fruitful and burn calories faster with HIIT.