Looking for Hiit tips? Anyone who is a regular at the gym or follows a fit and a healthy lifestyle in their daily life would be familiar with the term HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training.
Well, for the uninitiated, HIIT involves a combination of high-intensity cardio bursts and strength exercises with brief recovery breaks. It is not only a great way to utilize minimum time for major training benefits but also gives impeccable results.
This type of workout requires a lot of hard work with speed and stamina. So, it is imperative that you make sure that you’re absolutely ready to implement it into your daily exercise regimen. It’s extremely important to increase hip flexibility, so you can do all the exercises without problems and potential injuries.
Be it the specific skills to get your body into form beforehand, choosing the level of workouts, to begin with, to the appropriate athleisure; you would have a lot to learn.
Some tips that will help you prep for your first HIIT workout:
#1. It never hurts to do your research in advance:
Like with most workouts, there are different types of HIIT as well. Plus, given the fact that every gym or studio has different trainers and classes, it pays to do extensive research before you sign up. It’s best if you hire a certified professional and take personal training for a customized workout and maximum results.
#2. Be comfortable with basic bodyweight exercises beforehand:
You don’t need to be a hard-core gym freak to attempt HIIT, however, it will be safer if your body is at ease with basic moves before getting into it.
Having a good squat form, an easy push-up, balancing on one leg with eyes closed for a minimum of 30 seconds without wobbling and indulging in core-engaging workouts are the kind of drills that will train you for the real deal.
#3. Overtraining is a common risk with HIIT
Any exercise when not practised in the right form can lead to injuries and body pain, same is the case with HIIT. When done right, it can maximise your workout effects, however, managed poorly, the same can lead to a constant state of exhaustion, lower body injuries ultimately resulting in loss of motivation.
Make sure that your body can only do so much when it comes to intense training per week. To avoid a complete system crash, sit down with your trainer and design a plan where you can take proper rest between HIIT sessions. Even the fittest individuals are recommended no more than four in a week.
#4. Schedule your lower body strength training with respect to your HIIT sessions
The lower body muscles are involved in most of the HIIT exercises, so you need to be wary of the amount of stress you put on them while doing strength training. For instance, if you do weighted squats, deadlifts and lunges on a single day your body will be apprehensive to attempt HIIT just the next day. This is because your body demands rest to recover from the strength training. So, you can take day’s break and do your HIIT workout on the following one.
#5. It’s okay if you don’t like it
No…no, we are far from demotivating you from pursuing HIIT, but the real joy of any workout is to be able to enjoy it. It is okay to give it a try, and not like it at all. No two personalities are the same, nor are two bodies; so know that it isn’t for everyone. There are a plethora of options you can try if you want to sweat it out.
Lastly, make sure that you are not intimidated or discouraged by whatever you read about HIIT. It is an intense form of workout which has ample of benefits and can be customized from a professional to a beginner due to its versatility. Happy training!
