Fitness Friday: HIIT Your Way to a Toned Tush and Tummy

photo credit: google images

Do you have too much junk in the trunk? Do you feel like you spend hours in the gym slaving away yet seeing no results?  Whether you are looking to loose 20 lbs or 5 lbs an HIIT workout will burn belly fat at a furious rate. It is one of the best cardio workouts for weight loss. In fact a study from McMaster University in 2010 discovered that the same cardiac benefits achieved with steady state (think running on a treadmill or riding a bike) exercises can be attained through short burst workouts like HIIT. In a study done in 2001 at East Tennessee State University, J.W. king discovered that HIIT participants maintained an extra 100 calorie burn over the 24hrs following an HIIT session. This is because the workout is more strenuous, requiring more energy to recover, which continues the calorie burn. Just add a few HIIT workouts to your current workout regime to take your body to the next level of fitness. 

HIIT is high intensity interval training, a training technique in which you give 100% effort through quick intense bursts of exercise, followed by short sometimes active, recovery periods this training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. An HIIT workout increases the bodies need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery. This afterburn effect is also known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and it's the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat calories than regular aerobic and steady state workouts. The key to HIIT is that it doesn't allow your body to get used to what you are doing, I.e. By changing your pace and pushing yourself through each interval. It's a great workout for those who bore easily and there are so many variations that anyone can find an HIIT workout that suits there needs. You can modify 4 things to make this workout unique to yourself. 1: Intensity (speed) 2: Duration (distance) 3: Duration (rest) 4: Number of repetitions of each interval. You can also use any type of exercise for your training, including cycling, sprinting, any cardio machine (stationary bike, cross-trainer, treadmill, stair-master, elliptically machine) hula hoop, jump rope, and so on.

HIIT is filled with benefits. 

 It increases your metabolism by combing high intensity with interval training resulting in EPOC, which speeds your metobolic rate, resulting in a 48 hour after burn. You'll still burn fast after leaving the gym, and who doesn't want that? 

HIIT is Quick and Conveinant with no equipment necessary . These workouts can be done anytime from anywhere and only last about 30 min. 

You can use different interval times depending on your workout.  All of them are usually a 2:1 or 3:1 interval ratio, meaning you'll work at a moderate intensity for 2 minutes and then push your body to the limit for 1 minute, or you'll work your hardest for 20 seconds then slow down and recover for 10 seconds, or work as hard as you can for 3 minutes and slowly recover for 1 minute. You do each exercise back to back, with minimal rest between moves.

Before you start this or any exercise regime, warm up. On your resting intervals bring your heart rate down to 100 to 110bpm. Once you have mastered the basics and want ti intensify your workout, be sure to make slow changes to your program and always remember to mix it up, be creative, challenge yourself, and never give up. 

photo credit: google images

Try this HIIT workout at home. Do the following exercises for 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for 8 rounds.  Below is a tutorial and introduction to the exercises to get you started. 

Keep a record of how many reps you were able to finish for each exercise. Then challenge yourself the next time you try it. Trying to beat your own score. 

I want to hear from you. Did you try an HIIT workout? What interval program did you choose? Did you enjoy it? I can't wait to hear all about everyone's experiences with HIIT so please comment below.  I look forward to hearing from you.  

Are you tired of your loose caboose? Follow my tips and you’ll be tighter from tush to toe.

Everyone wants a little junk in the trunk, but little is the key word here. While some women are just blessed with curves others have to work at it. First things first let’s start with your diet. This is the most important step because you can work out all you want but it won’t do any good if you fuel up on the wrong foods. It’s important to flood your body with vitamins and antioxidants that will crush the free radicals that age your body. This is easy to say but hard to do. It’s tough to eat the recommended amount of daily veggies especially if you barley have time to cook. There is an easy fix to this dilemma and its called juicing. You can eat up to five pounds of leafy greens in one sitting and juicing removes the fiber in veggies so the nutrients will enter the blood stream at warp speed. An important thing to remember is to go raw in order to preserve the nutrients in your veggies. Spinach, kale, and leafy green goodness is low in sugar and high in polyphenols and carotenoids which protect the body from sun damage. Add some fruit to your veggies and get your daily servings of fruit and veggies in one sitting. Just remember to go raw and all natural. Make your daily dose of juice with fruit and veggies only do not add sugar like a lot of store bought smoothies do. If you must go with a store bought version be sure to read the label. Juicing is a great start to a healthier body. Making healthy choices can be hard but the benefits are worth it.

Once you have your diet on track you will need to add some tush tightening exercises to your daily regime to tighten and lift your butt. Butts are the new boobs and you don’t have to go under the knife for this lift.

Exercise #1: Get Down On All Fours

Wearing ankle weights, get down on your forearms and knees (similar to the hands-and-knees position, but you bend your arms and support your weight on your forearms instead of your hands). Keep your back straight and your head in line with your back so that your eyes are looking down. Keeping your back straight and leg bent, slowly swing your right leg back and lift your right foot toward the ceiling until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your foot should remain flexed throughout the exercise. Hold for 1 second, then return to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then switch and repeat with your left. Don't arch or hunch your back during the exercise. This will prevent you from putting stress on your back. You can also make the exercise easier by doing it without ankle weights. If you don't have ankle weights, you can do the exercise with a light dumbbell held behind the knee in the crook of your working leg.

Exercise #2: The Dog Walk

Get down on all fours with your arms fully extended, your palms on the ground, your back straight, and your head in line with your back so that your eyes are looking down. Contract your glutes and, keeping your knee bent, raise your left leg out to the side at a 90-degree angle until it is parallel to the floor. (The position resembles a dog lifting its leg on a fire hydrant, hence the name Dog Walk.) Pause, then return to the starting position. Do one set with your left leg, then switch and repeat with your right. Remember, while doing this exercise, keep the rest of your body still; swaying back and forth can put unwanted stress on your back.

Exercise #3: The Side-Lying Side Kick

Lie on your left side, resting your head on your upper arm, and place your right hand on the floor in front of you for support. Bend your lower leg back for balance, and bend your top leg toward your chest, holding it in front of you so that it's parallel to the floor with your foot flexed. Keeping the rest of your body stationary and your top foot flexed, slowly straighten your right leg up and out at a 45-degree angle from your body. Pause, then slowly bend the top knee and return your leg to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then roll over and repeat with your left. Lift Tips Avoid swaying forward or back during the exercise; keep your body completely stationary, except for the working leg. You can make this exercise more challenging by adding light ankle weights.

Exercise #4: The Standing Press Back

Wearing ankle weights, stand facing a sturdy chair with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold on to the chair for balance and keep your knees soft. Keeping the rest of your body stable and your hips stationary, contract your glutes and slowly extend your right leg up and back at a 45-degree angle. Pause, then slowly return back to the starting position. Do one set with your right leg, then switch and repeat with your left. Resist the urge to bend way forward while raising your legs. Standing close to your supporting chair can help.

Your Workout Plan:

Perform the exercises 2 or 3 days a week (just not on consecutive days; your muscles need a rest), and you'll feel significantly stronger after just 3 to 6 weeks. After 6 to 8 weeks, you'll start seeing and feeling an improvement in your butt's firmness and appearance