If you're looking for a quickfire workout so you can get on with your weekend, or you're after a session to raise your metabolism, built some muscle and continue your weight loss journey, you can't go wrong with a dynamic HIIT workout.
Yesterday, pro footballer Kalern Thomas took over our Instagram to share a live HIIT workout. Involving big, full-body moves like squat jumps, press-up shoulder taps and side planks, the multi-disciplinary workout will strengthen your core, upper and lower body in addition to torching fat.
Don't worry if you can't do some of the moves: Thomas provides alternatives to make the workout easier. Check out the workout in full below:
Why do HIIT training?
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a workout philosophy which involves working at maximum intensity for a period of time, and then resting for a short period before diving back into the fray. This is in contract to steady-state training, which is the equivalent of going for a half-hour jog, where you remain at the same pace.
It's a workout method that's been adopted by personal trainers and fitness fans all over the world, because it works. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found HIIT can increase your oxygen capacity, or VO2 max, and improve cardiometabolic risk factors, reducing your risk of heart disease.
This workout in particular has loads of benefits. The squat jump is a plyometric (explosive) movement, which trains your leg muscles more than an ordinary squat would otherwise do. it focuses on your fast-twitch muscle fibres, which is great for people who like playing football, rugby, fencing, dance... practically anything which requires a leap.
The side plank and push up homes your upper body and core. The side plank hones your obliques and rectus abdominis, helping you get better core strength, while push ups are actually a great marker of longevity.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the amount of push ups you can do has a very high correlation with cardiac events in later life. The more push ups you can do, the less chance you have of experiencing a cardiac event.
The addition of a shoulder touch takes away the stability of the move, placing an additional stress on your core to hold you steady. The end result won't only burn fat: it will replace that fat with muscle, creating a healthier body in the process.
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Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and Channel Editor at Fit&Well. He's previously written for titles like Men's Health and Red Bull, and covers all things exercise and nutrition on the Fit&Well website. Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen kickboxer and runner. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
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