Hyrox is a growing global fitness competition that combines endurance, strength, and functional fitness in a unique race format. Founded in Germany in 2017, it has quickly gained international popularity, with events hosted worldwide. Think of it as a blend of CrossFit-style functional training and endurance races, but with a structure that’s accessible for both seasoned athletes and fitness newcomers.

What Is Hyrox?

Hyrox is an indoor competition that consists of eight functional workout stations, each separated by a 1 km run. Participants complete the workouts and runs in succession, with the entire event clocked as a single race. The challenge is designed to test a wide range of physical abilities, including strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, making it a comprehensive test of overall fitness levels​.

What Makes Hyrox Popular?

Hyrox’s rapid rise in popularity can be attributed to several factors:

• Accessibility: Unlike CrossFit, which often features highly technical movements, Hyrox’s workouts are relatively straightforward and scalable, making them more approachable for the general public. This opens the door to beginners as well as advanced athletes.
• Standardized Format: Each Hyrox event follows the exact same format, no matter where in the world it’s held. This allows participants to track their progress and compare their results to others globally, fostering a sense of community and competition.
• Cross-Disciplinary Appeal: Hyrox attracts a wide variety of fitness enthusiasts—runners, weightlifters, functional fitness fans, and endurance athletes—by blending elements from all of these disciplines​.

Who Is It Good For?

Hyrox is suitable for a broad range of fitness levels, with divisions for men, women, and teams, including beginner categories. It’s especially appealing for:

• Endurance Athletes: Runners, cyclists, and triathletes often find the 1 km running intervals a familiar aspect of the race, with the functional workouts adding a new challenge.
• Strength Trainers: Those who enjoy weightlifting or bodyweight exercises can leverage their strength to excel at many of the workout stations.
• Competitive Individuals: The race format and global rankings appeal to those who thrive on competition, either against themselves or others​.

The Workout Stations in Hyrox

Hyrox workouts are functional but intense. The eight workout stations, which follow each 1 km run, are:

1. SkiErg (similar to a rowing machine, but mimicking cross-country skiing)
2. Sled Push (pushing a weighted sled over a fixed distance)
3. Sled Pull (pulling a weighted sled)
4. Burpee Broad Jumps (burpees with a forward jump instead of a vertical jump)
5. Rowing Machine
6. Farmer’s Carry (walking while carrying heavy kettlebells)
7. Sandbag Lunges (lunging with a sandbag on your shoulders)
8. Wall Balls (squatting and then tossing a medicine ball up to a target on the wall)​.

Each station challenges different muscle groups and aspects of fitness, ensuring participants need to be both strong and well-conditioned to succeed.

Pros and Cons of Hyrox

Pros:

• Well-Rounded Fitness: Hyrox is a true test of all-around fitness, blending cardio, strength, and functional movements.
• Scalable for Different Levels: Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced athlete, you can participate in Hyrox thanks to its scalable workout options.
• Global Community: The standardized format allows participants to compete globally, adding motivation through the opportunity to rank against others.
• Competitive and Fun: For those who love competition, Hyrox provides a unique opportunity to race against the clock and fellow competitors​.

Cons:

• Physically Demanding: The combination of endurance running and strength-based stations can be taxing, particularly for participants who aren’t balanced in both areas.
• Repetitive for Some: Since the format is always the same, it might become repetitive for individuals looking for more variety in their workouts.
• Injury Risk: Like any intense physical challenge, there is a risk of injury, especially for those unfamiliar with proper form in exercises like sled pushes or wall balls​.

Things to Watch Out For

While Hyrox is designed to be accessible, there are some important things to keep in mind:

• Form and Technique: Proper form is essential to avoid injury, especially in the sled push/pull, burpees, and wall ball exercises. Taking time to master these movements before competing is crucial.
• Pacing: Many beginners start too fast, especially with the runs. Hyrox is a long and demanding event, so pacing yourself is key to finishing strong.
• Recovery: Given the intensity, recovery is critical. Participants should ensure they follow adequate recovery protocols, such as stretching, foam rolling, and possibly even using recovery tools like massage guns or ice baths​.

Conclusion

Hyrox has tapped into the growing demand for competitive, functional fitness events that challenge all-around athletic ability. Its standardized race format, accessibility to a range of fitness levels, and strong community appeal make it one of the most exciting fitness trends of 2024.

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just getting started, Hyrox offers an opportunity to test your limits in a dynamic and engaging way. However, as with any high-intensity fitness program, proper preparation, technique, and pacing are crucial for both success and safety.

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HIIT is one of the most effective ways to get the absolute most out of your workouts. The acronym stands for “High-Intensity Interval Training” and has been shown to burn more calories than most other exercise strategies. It’s easy to incorporate into your home workouts: just try doing a 10-minute HIIT workout three times per week and see the difference!

The Cardio in HIIT

If you are using HIIT to increase your cardiovascular health, there are a few different ways you can do it. The easiest way is to simply alternate between a short burst of high-intensity exercise and lower intensity exercise for the same amount of time, or making the lower intensity time slightly longer or even double the high intensity time. For example, if you want to work out for 15 minutes, alternate running as fast as possible for 1 minute, and do a light jog for a minute, for the entire length of your workout. You can also perform HIIT on aerobic machines. One to try is an elliptical machine or cross-trainer, or to try some of the top spin bike options which have adjustable speeds so you can push yourself as hard as you want. You can try to work up to 20 minutes of HIIT, and include a 2-minute warmup and 3-minute cooldown.

Just remember to always build it up gradually!

The Strength in HIIT

Adding short bursts of high-intensity exercise to your lifting routine is one of the best ways to build muscle, decrease body fat, and increase cardiovascular health. The best way to add HIIT to your strength training is to perform a HIIT workout immediately after a strength training session. Just try doing one set of your strength-training exercises, then immediately following it up with a HIIT cardio exercise. For example, if you were going to do squats for your leg day, try adding in some sprints on the treadmill or stationary bike right afterward.

You can even replace the sprints with something like burpees or jump squats if you prefer.

When it comes to strength or weight training and even calisthenics or bodyweight training, there are many ways to incorporate HIIT style principles into it. A simple way would be to do as many reps of an exercise as you can for a specified time, then take a rest for a small period of time and repeat for sets.

Another way could be to do a heavy (or advanced) exercise for reps and then drop down to a very light weight and perform more reps and then take a short rest in between. These principles can also be known as drop sets or super sets for example. A little exploration and research can go a long way and help you get creative with how you structure your workouts.

Can’t Get Enough? Give Tabata A Try!

One of the most popular forms of HIIT is called Tabata that has been shown to burn nine times as many calories as other forms of exercise. It is a very intense form of training and should only be performed 1-2x per week. The best thing to do is follow an hour-long workout with a Tabata routine. To perform it, you need to use a stationary bike or rowing machine (rowing machines are preferable), then perform an all-out effort for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This will be one set, and you should do eight total sets to complete your workout.

Increase Your HIIT With Plyometrics

Plyometric exercises are extremely high impact but also help improve speed and agility while increasing cardiovascular health. When performing plyometric exercises, you need to try and jump as high as possible, then absorb the weight of your body by landing in a controlled position. You’ll be using all the muscles in your legs, which is great for increasing speed and strength so you can work out harder with Tabata or HIIT.

Set Up Your Workout Station and Schedule 

You don’t need a lot of equipment to get a good HIIT workout, but there are some essentials that you should have. If you’re doing bodyweight exercises, it’s best if you do them outside on the grass perhaps for safety reasons. Just make sure that whatever area you use is clear of any potential hazards like rocks or sticks that could cause an injury. It’s also important to wear comfortable clothing and footwear for your workout.

Most people find it best if they exercise in the morning before they eat breakfast because this gives them more energy throughout their day, but experiment with different times to see what works best for you. Working out at night may seem better since it will help tire you out so you can fall asleep faster, but you might find that you’re too tired to do the workout at night.

There are many different ways to HIIT it effectively at home with minimal equipment needed. The most important part of any workout routine is lifting heavy weights or doing bodyweight plyometric exercises. When trying to incorporate a HIIT session immediately afterward, use an elliptical machine or cross-trainer combined with some light jogging or sprinting on a treadmill/stationary bike. And if you want to try one of the most intense HIIT workouts, try Tabata and plyometric exercises to keep your body fit and healthy!

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From cardio to boosting muscle, there are numerous benefits to cycling. Not to mention, it is an eco-friendly way to travel, making it convenient on all fronts. If you aren’t a serious cyclist, though, you may be wondering just how it is that you can turn it into an effective workout. 

Well, you can find all the answers you need right here. Just follow these guidelines and you will be on your way to cycling your way to a healthier body.

Find the Right Bike for You 

The first thing that you will need to do is to find the right bike for you. It isn’t just about choosing the best or fastest model on the market. Rather, you need to find a machine that is perfectly suited to you and is able to support you on your fitness journey.

If you are looking for comfort, then a cruiser bike may be your best option. With its wider tires, it offers you more support. In case you are already pretty comfortable on a bicycle, a road bike may be better suited to you as it offers up efficiency and performance. 

Finding the right bike is especially important if you have a larger physique. In this case, Amy Law of cyclingglobal.com advises you to look for bikes with aluminum alloy or steel frames. Similarly, opt for alloy wheels and choose ones that have a higher number of spokes. 

Not sure what you need just yet? Check out some bicycle rental spots in your area and test out different types or models. This may give you a better idea of what is most suitable for your requirements. 

Create a Consistent Schedule 

It is important to cycle consistently, particularly if you are attempting to build up your cardio and endurance. In the beginning, you should try to cycle every day. If this isn’t possible, strive for three to four times a week. 

In terms of how long your rides should be, this all depends on the kind of workout you want. As Hannah Reynolds of cyclingweekly, explains it, cycling for over an hour on relatively flat road at a regular place is great for endurance. Here, you never really break a sweat or huff and puff. 

If it has been a while since you have been on a bike, it is a good idea to start here. This will help you become more comfortable with riding and can help to stave off any aches and pains for a while, too. 

Once you have gotten your body used to riding, you can then speed things up. If you will be moving at a faster pace, though, then go for shorter rides. This way, you don’t push your muscles too hard. 

Practice HIIT for Maximum Impact 

If you want to improve your cardio and build muscle, then HIIT cycling is the way to go. As with any other type of high intensity training, here you will cycle using maximum efficiency for a minute or a few minutes. This is then alternated by a normal face for a slightly long duration. Then, you cycle with maximum efficiency once more. 

There are a few things about HIIT cycling that you need to know. First, this type of training is exhausting so keep your ride for no more than 30 to minutes long. The last thing you want to do is to overwork yourself.

The other thing to understand is that maximum intensity doesn’t actually have anything to do with speed. Therefore, this doesn’t mean cycling at full speed for a couple of minutes. Instead, it is all about getting your heart rate up to the right level. Due to this, the most accurate way to know that you are pushing yourself to the right level is to wear a chest heart monitor for example or type of smart watch that can monitor your heart rate while on your ride. While it isn’t absolutely necessary and you can ballpark it by determining how you feel, a monitor may be the more efficient option. 

During HIIT cycling, you will need to get your heart rate up to around 85 percent of your heart rate reserve (HRR). What is your HRR? Well, you can calculate it as follows: 

1. Subtract your age from 220 to calculate maximum heart rate.
2. Calculate your resting heart rate by counting how many times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest.
3. HRR = Maximum heart rate – resting heart rate.
4. 0.85 x HRR = heart rate target during HIIT cycling.

Switch Things Up With Inclines 

Riding up inclines is a great way to build muscle and keep your ride from becoming too boring. Once again, this is a type of endurance that you need to build up with time. Thus, in the beginning, you will need to start with less steep inclines. 

Furthermore, you should be mindful of your pace. Until your muscles get used to riding up hilly surfaces, you can go at a pace where you are still breathing relatively easily and your muscles don’t feel too engaged. Gradually increase your speed so that you are expending more effort. 

You are also going to have to find a gear that is comfortable for you. At the start, look for one that requires the least amount of effort and then slowly change over to something a bit more challenging. After this, it is time to tackle steeper hills and to attempt them faster and faster. As with HIIT cycling, it is best not to do this for too long as it can take a toll on you. Try to limit incline cycling to about 30 to 40 minutes at a time. 

Remember, if you are planning on switching over to mountain biking instead, you will need a mountain bike. These offer greater stability and are specifically designed for off-road trails. You may end up damaging a road bike or even hurting yourself without the right machine for the job. 

As you can see, there is a bit more to turning cycling into a workout than meets the eye. You have to know the proper technique and how to gradually build up your stamina. Furthermore, you should also be aware of how to train so that you are maximizing your fitness. The only thing that is left for you to do is to go ahead and put all these tips into practice!

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In simple terms, HIIT can be thought of as performing an exercise all out for a short period of time followed by performing the exercise at a very low intensity level for a slightly longer period of time, and repeating this cycle.

HIIT has many benefits and enables you to pack a lot of work into a short amount of time, which makes it very appealing. The catch is, that it does require a high amount of effort and drive to get through it and to push yourself. There are many ways to add HIIT exercises to you workouts and also ways to make your whole workout a HIIT style workout.

Some simple ways to add HIIT exercises to your workouts could be:

Sprints

Jog for a minute and then sprint all out for 30 seconds. That is one cycle. Repeat this cycle 5 times or do it for time and repeat the cycles for 10 minutes for example. 

Cycling

Similar to sprints, you can choose to cycle on a low intensity and for the 30 seconds of higher intensity work, be sure to cycle as fast as you can. You could also choose to rather than try to cycle as fast as you can, you can up the cycle resistance but keep the same speed to also work on some muscle strength.

Punching

For a perhaps more fun time, try punching HIIT style. Punch slowly and more form focused for a minute and then pick it up and punch faster for 30 seconds on a punching bag. Remember though, to learn proper punching form first to avoid injury, and to get proper gloves for you. Punch Equipment’s range of boxing gloves has a variety to choose from for example.

Battle ropes

There are many different battle rope exercises to try, using the ropes perform the exercise similar to how the sprints above are structured. Go all out for 30 seconds followed by a rest or low intensity of the exercises for 1 minute.

Incorporating HIIT into workouts

The above are specific exercises that you can add onto your existing workout, choosing one (for example sprints) and at the end or start of your regular workout doing it for a total of 10 minutes could be a sufficient mount of time. You can always build onto this or add to the intensity of each cycle.

Something to keep in mind is that these exercises can be quite intense so make sure you are resting and recovering adequately and do them sparingly.

If your workouts are more centered around weight training and you want to try incorporate HIIT principles into your workout, or you just want to increase the intensity of your workouts a few things you can do are:

• Reduce rest periods between sets.
• Incorporate supersets. Usually people superset antagonist muscles, but don’t be limited to only this. You can create a circuit style workout using a variety of exercises. For instance, a combination of the Bench press, jump squats, punches and bicep curls could be used to target a whole range of muscles while focusing on intensity and speed. 
• Alternate heavy and light weights on the same exercise, or use drop sets.

HIIT is a great way to train but it is intense on the body, so remember to ensure that you are sleeping and resting enough, as well as eating the proper foods and right amounts to facilitate growth and recovery. Ensuring this will help you perform at your optimal intensity.

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There are luckily some workouts that will aid in the process of shedding that fat, as well as being able to improve your overall health at the same time. We’ll touch on four intense workout routines that will boost your health and energy while increasing fat loss in the process.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Cardio

High-intensity interval training consists of exercises focused around a steady pacing, and then suddenly switching to a higher intensity for a short period of time. This could be implemented with running, biking, swimming, or weightlifting.

According to research of ourfitness.life HIIT workouts have been proven to be the most effective method to increase fat loss in the gym. HIIT workouts improve insulin sensitivity, which results in increased fat loss over time. Low-intensity cardio, however, doesn’t see the same benefit, solely acting to burn calories at a lower metabolic rate.

In addition to improving insulin sensitivity, HIIT exercise also boosts your metabolic rate well after your workout has ended. Similarly seen with weight training, burning extra calories after your workout is over is a benefit you won’t see with normal steady-state cardio. Here is an example of a HIIT workout that you can implement for increased fat loss:

HIIT Treadmill Workout:

• Round 1: 90 seconds of a brisk walk/jog
• Round 2: 30-60 seconds of a sprint
• Round 3: 90 seconds of recovery with a brisk walk
• Round 4: 30-60 seconds of a sprint

*Continue repeating the rounds for a total of 15-20 minutes.

This workout can be adjusted to any form of cardio, with intermittent sprints in between slower-paced rounds. Some great replacements would be indoor or outdoor cycling, swimming, or rowing. Not only will HIIT cardio help to burn extra fat post-workout, but you will also be in and out of the gym in a fraction of the time.

PPL (Push, Pull, Legs) Circuit Training

Breaking up workouts into specific body parts is a normal part of the fitness and bodybuilding workout regimen. The most common of which is the Push/Pull/Legs split. This means focusing on pushing movements one day, pulling movements the next day, and then leg exercises on the final day. Examples of each of the movements include:

Pushing Movements

• Bench Press
• Flat/Incline Dumbbell Press
• Tricep Extensions
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Skull Crushers
• Pushups

Pulling Movements

• Lat Machine Pulldowns
• Bent Over Rows
• Bicep Dumbbell Curls
• Bicep Hammer Curls
• Pullups

Leg Movements

• Leg Press
• Squats
• Hamstring Curls
• Leg Extensions
• Lunges

While normal weight lifting can act to boost your metabolism post-workout (similarly to HIIT above), it doesn’t have the same cardiovascular aspect necessary to really kick your fat loss into high gear. Implementing circuit training into your weightlifting can increase your overall heart rate, burning more calories and speeding up the fat loss beyond what is possible with a normal weight training session. Selecting four or five main exercises, rapidly switch from one to another without rest. Optimally you should perform the exercises at about 70-80% of your normal strength limit.

Here is an example of a ‘Push’ circuit training session:

• Dumbbell Press: 10-12 repetitions
• Tricep Rope Pushdowns: 10-12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Flys: 10-12 repetitions
• Overhead Dumbbell Press: 10-12 repetitions
• Pushups: 15-20 repetitions

*Rest and repeat this circuit 3-5 times

You can implement the same strategy with both pull and leg days, and then take your scheduled rest day and repeat. Try to avoid implementing this workout during busy hours at the gym, as you will need access to a number of pieces of equipment simultaneously.

Full Body Circuit Training

Similar to the circuit training method mentioned above, this workout strays slightly and includes a selection of exercises encompassing the entire body. These are a great option if you have limited time during the week, letting you attack your entire body in one fell swoop. An example would be:

• Bench Press: 10-12 repetitions
• Squats: 10-12 repetitions
• Overhead Dumbell Press: 10-12 repetitions
• Bicep Dumbbell Curls: 10-12 repetitions
• Dead Lifts: 10-12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Rows: 10-12 repetitions

If you are someone who prefers to workout from home, you can also implement bodyweight exercises to the same effect. An example of this would be:

• Pushups: 15-20 repetitions
• Lunges: 15-20 repetitions
• Crunches: 15-20 repetitions
• Closed Grip Pullups: 15-20 repetitions
• Wide Grip Pullups: 15-20 repetitions

Again you will be repeating either of these circuits 3-5 times, with little to no rest in between exercises.

HIIT Weight Training

A combination of the strength-building benefits of heavy weight training and the cardiovascular benefits of HIIT, these workouts can build and preserve muscle while simultaneously burning fat. Because of the combined benefits of muscle gain and fat loss, HIIT weight training proves to be one of the best workouts for body recomposition.

These workouts mainly focus on one or two muscle groups, switching between lighter and heavier weights for varied repetitions. An example of this would be:

Chest and Triceps

• Dumbbell Press: 12-15 repetitions at 40% of your max weight, followed by 6-8 repetitions at 60% of your max, followed by 12-15 repetitions at 40%
• Dumbbell Flys: 12-15 repetitions at 40%, 6-8 repetitions at 60%, 12-15 repetitions at 40%
• Skull Crushers: 15-20 repetitions at 40%, 12-15 repetitions at 60% , 15-20 repetitions at 40%
• Rope Pushdowns: 12-15 repetitions at 40%, 6-8 repetitions at 60% , 12-15 repetitions at 40%

*Repeat each exercise 2-4 times, with sufficient rest between sets.

This workout can be adjusted for each body part, or in conjunction with a whole-body routine. To achieve maximal fat burning during your gym routine, the main goal should be to increase your overall tempo. As mentioned above, weight training and HIIT exercises will also see increased metabolic effects after your workout, so these will be the most effective routines.

Whether it is bodyweight exercises, dumbbell routines, full-body workouts, or isolated movements, maintaining high intensity with your workout will be your best bet in burning excess fat and maintaining muscle mass.

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Simply just follow along, 30s for each exercise. Who would have thought you could do an ab workout and a HIIT session with someone like Jason Derulo!

Remember to also focus on working on your core as opposed to just following ab specific workouts to help enforce strength throughout your body that will help you in multiple exercises and scenarios.

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I haven’t done an ab session like this in a while. I’ve become accustomed to doing weighted ab exercises so this killed me!!! U gotta keep switching it up for results. @pamela_rf is the GOAT for killing my abs in only 8 minutes. You gotta try this. Everybody has 8 mins

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Jan 21, 2020 at 9:20am PST

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I won’t never sell my soul and I could back that

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Jan 18, 2020 at 7:38am PST

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Name this movie

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Jan 5, 2020 at 6:19am PST

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@michelle_lewin

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Jan 14, 2020 at 3:09pm PST

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Is this better?

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Dec 6, 2019 at 8:15am PST

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If you want a great workout in a short period of time to burn calories and gain strength, then you need to look into hill sprints. They can be done outside and can be done in a relatively short period of time. They are so intense just a few sprints will give you a great HIIT workout. If you are not convinced, Josh Bryant explains in more detail:

Photo Credits:

• Jonathan Chng
• Nicolas Hoizey
• Chander R on Unsplash

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If you’re looking for an intense group workout, with great instructors and all with a cool vibe, then you need to get down to Hout Bay and give one of the classes at Thrive fitness a try! I recently tried the ‘turf’ class with a couple of friends, and it was nothing short of intense, and fun. Our incredible instructor, Brad Tooley guided us and kept track of everything through the whole workout. His motivating aura was such a pleasure to be around while we sweated it out :p 

The turf  class is an outdoor high intensity class, where there are a number of exercises that are done one after the other, with some rest in between each. The catch is, that with each round, the number of exercises increases by one where no rest is taken between the exercises. So on the final round you are basically doing all the exercises one after the other with no rest.

It is very easy to book, all you have to do is create an account on their website, choose your class and show up. A bit more info about them is below:

4 STATIONS, 4 ZONES, MAX 16 PEOPLE, 1 INSTRUCTOR.

THRIVE Fitness SA is a Four Zone Four Station gym with the benefits of a personal training session set in a group environment. What differentiates it is the concept, which consists of four indoor zones each with four exercises that target your upper and lower body, core and cardio.

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We were lucky enough to try a cool #turf class at @thrivefitness_sa on the weekend! and it was pretty intense to say the least! If you're in and around hout bay and want to it a free class just check out their website to book Full article will be up on fitnish.com this week . . #gym #hiitclass #hiit #outdoorgym #thrive #thrivefitness #green #views #goals #nevergiveup #bodybuilding #motivation #fitness #gymmotivation #fitspo #fitness #bestrong #fitnish #fitbod #guyswholift #fitfluential #fitgirls

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It is designed to help people switch off from day-to-day life by dedicating just 45-minutes of their busy schedule to themselves, in a welcoming and judgement-free environment. It’s the perfect add on to your existing training routines and sport.

The classes are themed and each day of the week has a specific programme that brings with it a timed music set for that session. The music has been carefully selected and mixed by DJ Jon White and compliments the dramatic lighting which helps with cardio, timing and keeps you amped during training. There are also TV screens in each zone demonstrating the process and correct form.

But the real draw card is the expert trainers who are there to assist and stimulate you along the way, with the ability to tailor the moves according to your strengths and goals. Giving Thrive more of the feel of a group personal training session than the average gym class.

There is an outdoor section called “The Turf” which is in the back yard and is specialised for those who prefer to push themselves even harder.

Situated in Victoria Road, Hout Bay, there is no contract, no fees or membership allowing you to train in a way that fits your lifestyle and work with your other fitness interests. Your first class is free, thereafter you can buy one class pass at a time or group packages that end up costing R90 per 45 min.

To book visit thrivefitness.co.za or call 087 805 8758.

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What is hiit?

So what exactly is HIIT? Firstly, it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Basically it refers to:

• Alternating periods of high intensity cardio with periods of low intensity cardio.
• The periods are quite short, anything from 30 seconds up to 2 minutes each.
• It can also apply to any other exercises or groups of exercises, not just ‘cardio’ machines specifically.
• By doing this you are able to burn more calories in a shorter time period as it is very intense.

Note the second last point, you can apply the concept to anything, not just running or sprinting or cycling for example. The easiest way to demonstrate it is through the means of examples. So first, the most common example.

One of the best HIIT routines most commonly used:

• Sprint (basically go all out) for 30 seconds (high intensity period).
• Jog/walk for 1 minute (low intensity period).
• Repeat for 10 minutes.

Everything is adjustable. So you can change the times to suit you depending on your level. You can even do it using distances, say walking 3 light pole distances on the road, and then sprinting between 2 of them. You could also do it on a bike and increase the resistance for the high intensity period.

‘Non cardio’ hiit routine:

• Perform 5 reps of deadlifts, 5 reps of bench press, 5 reps of squats one after the other.
• Rest for 30 seconds and repeat.
• Do this for +-10 minutes.

Again it is all adjustable, you can adjust the reps and weights and exercises to suit yourself. You can monitor progress by seeing how many rounds you complete in the allotted time. You could also do something similar using bodyweight exercises such as pull ups, dips, push ups and squats.

Ultimately it’s just performing an exercise (group of exercises) at a very high intensity for a short period of time, followed by resting or doing the same exercise at a low intensity for a short period.

It can get much more scientific than that, but this is a good place to start and an easy way to start creating your own fun and intense workouts.

Photos by

• Chase Kinney 
• Demetrius Washington 
• MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

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Well I have just the thing for you to rev up your workout routine. I too was in that space where I was just going through the motions at gym and not really pushing myself and maximizing my time, so then I decided I needed to do something, and I came up with this.

It’s a pretty simple workout recipe, called the Flexible Max recipe or FMR (quite original I know). It’s split into upper body and lower body recipes. It is basically made to help with a few things:

• Work multiple muscle groups, increasing blood flow and intensity.
• Save time and maximize your training time.
• Increase flexibility and range of motion. (No more using the excuse that you got lazy at the end of your workout to stretch or train your core).
• Strengthen your core.
• Build up your stamina.
• Change up your routine and add variety.

The Flexible Max recipe:

For upper body:

• (The leg exercises are all body weight exercises)

1 Weighted exercise

Superset with:
1 x leg exercise
1x stretch (for time or pulses)
1x core exercise (for time or reps)

For example you could do something like this:

• 1. Exercise 1: Flat bench press

Superset with:

• Bench crunches
• Squat holds (20 secs)
• Forward fold stretch (20 bounces)

• 2. Exercise 2: Flat bench flyes

Superset with:

• Dish hold (10 – 20 seconds)
• Jumping alternating lunges
• Lizzard pose, each leg. (30 seconds)

For lower body:

• (The upper body exercises are all bodyweight exercises)

1 Weighted exercise

Superset with:
1 x upper body exercise (e.g. push ups)
1x stretch
1x core exercise

 Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you or if you have any questions about putting it all together ?
 

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