3 HIIT workouts for stamina, strength and conditioning
We all have different reasons for working out, for some of us it’s to let out steam, for others it’s to get some much-needed ‘me time’. Sometimes we might be preparing for a specific event or ski trip! If you’re looking to work on your stamina, strength and overall body conditioning, then check out these 3 amazing circuits that you can do at home - all you need is a mat!
Even if you haven’t come across the acronym HIIT before (which stands for High Intensity Interval Training) you will have done some form of HIIT in the past for sure - any exercise where you do bursts of high-intense movement followed by a little rest is a form HIIT!
The magical thing about HIIT, and the main reason we love it here at Form, is that just 15 to 20 minutes of HIIT workout can bring the same, if not more, cardiovascular benefits and fat burning than standard Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) workouts like jogging. HIIT achieves this by ramping up your heart rate much more effectively so puts you into the fat-burning zone almost straight away and keeps you there.
Perhaps even more interesting is that even after you’ve stopped working out, your metabolism becomes more efficient and you continue to burn fat for a few hours to over 24 hours! This is due to an effect called Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC); this is sometimes called an ‘oxygen debt’ and results in higher oxygen consumption and fat-burning as the body works to return to its resting state.
Okay, enough with the acronyms and the science; here are 3 circuits to do from the comfort of your mat anywhere.
As always you should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs.
1) The Ski Circuit
As you can probably tell from our Elevate mat, we love skiing; this workout is named after the ski jump and ski lunge exercises in the circuit.
To complete this circuit do:
10 reps of each of exercise (click the name if you’re unsure how to do any of them)
Give yourself 5-10 seconds rest in between each exercise
Complete the set of 9 exercises 3 times
Feel free to add extra reps or add an extra set of all 9 exercises if you want to feel the burn a bit more
2) The Inner Animal
This circuit takes inspiration from the animal kingdom. Feel free to finish up with a cobra pose or down dog!
As before:
10 reps of each of exercise (click the name if you’re unsure how to do any of them)
Give yourself 5-10 seconds rest in between each exercise
Complete the set of 9 exercises 3 times
Feel free to add extra reps or add an extra set of all 9 exercises if you want to feel the burn a bit more!
3) The Sumo Circuit
All our Sumo faves - with a few extra monstrous moves thrown in there!
As before:
10 reps of each of exercise (click the name if you’re unsure how to do any of them)
Give yourself 5-10 seconds rest in between each exercise
Complete the set of 9 exercises 3 times
Feel free to add extra reps or add an extra set of all 9 exercises if you want to feel the burn a bit more!
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