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Backyard HIIT Workout
Yesterday morning, my backyard was transformed into an outdoor gym with 6 HIIT stations. We had country music, coffee and water bottles…all before 5am!
After discontinuing the LiveFit Trainer and re-committing to daily running, I set up a workout schedule for the first week of summer vacation that looked like this:
Monday: Cardio Carnival (35 min. run; 15 min. bike; 30 min. walk with incline)
Tuesday: Morning run on treadmill (5 miles); Evening run on treadmill (5 miles)
Wednesday: Morning at-home HIIT workout; Evening jog around park (5 miles)
Thursday: Morning run with Matt (5.5 miles); Evening run on treadmill (5 miles)
Friday: Morning run on treadmill (5 miles); Evening run around the park (5 miles)
Saturday: Strength workout at the gym followed by 7 mile run outside
Sunday: Long Run (8 miles)
Notice a lot of “Run” in that schedule? That’s because running is my FAVORITE activity. I don’t look at it as pure exercise or a chore. My mom said my enjoyment and enthusiasm for going to the gym and working out is “disturbing.” ;)
Yes there is a whole lot of cardio on that workout schedule, but I have tried a strength-dominant routine. It’s not for me. This is how I like it :)
So on to the HIIT sesh!
***HIIT is widely popular right now as many health and fitness enthusiasts have recognized interval training as one of the most effective cardio strategies. If you are unfamiliar, it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It incorporates short intervals/fast and intense exercises followed by a short rest period, repeated for a pre-determined duration.****
At 4:55am, my parents and I headed into the backyard with some country music and coffee. I wrote out six exercises. Downloaded a HIIT Timer app. Set it to beep after 35-second intervals and 25-second rest periods. We did a light 5 minute warm up jogging across the yard and jump roping.
Circuit –> Move from one exercise to the next. Complete 5 total rounds of each. (30 minutes total)
My favorite station was jumprope and least favorite was mountain climbers. My mom and I modified the “push-ups with a clap” on our knees. We’ll repeat this circuit every Wednesday for 4 weeks before mixing it up.
We were way sweaty by then end. Even in the cool morning air, our shirts were soaked with SUCCESS ;)
This workout is easy to fit in at home or in your backyard. Should take 30 minutes & all you need is a jumprope! (Bonus if you get to watch the sunrise.)
Are you pumped yet? GO HIIT IT!
Hardcore Cardio – Intervals!
Up until this point, my workout posts have been pretty mild. But guess what?! I have been cleared by my surgeon, athletic trainers, and the NCAA to return to normal training so get ready for some more intense workouts and fitness variety :D
Any fitness trainer, coach, athlete will tell you that INTERVALS are by far one of the best ways to increase your speed/strength. An hour on the treadmill, steady-state, will no doubt burn calories. BUT if you want to see improvement and work up to faster speeds, you’ve got to add in some intervals one or two times a week.
Intervals combine shorter, faster bursts of energy with a moderate rest period in between. It kind of seems like “cheating” because you get to rest so much, but that’s because the sprints should be faster than comfortable pace! Also, to make sure this workout is effective, try your best to maintain the same pace during the sprints from the first one to the last one. There is no point if you slow down as you get tired, because your body’s break through happens as you push past fatigue!
Here is a moderate interval workout on a track, using the straights and curves as your guides:
I loved this workout in high school. I remember we did this on the first day of junior year, when the temperatures had to have been in the high 90s. I had my pink water bottle on the track with me, and pounded out the laps. Workouts like these will get you in shape quicker than just adding mileage!
Pin in here! :) 
