A lot of my clients want HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts because they hear about the benefits and they want short workouts. I enjoy having them perform HIIT workouts because of the benefits, such as increased metabolism, burning calories at rest, and it will improve heart health, but many of them are not ready for HIIT workouts and I also notice many people do not perform true HIIT workouts.

Imagine starting on the goal line of a football field. Perform an ALL-OUT sprint for 30 seconds to the other goal line. Just say you touch the other end of the goal line, turn, and sprint back towards where you started. Rest for 30 seconds and perform the same sprint again. If done correctly, you will notice that you are not ending at the same area as the previous sprint. If so, you are doing it correctly. You should feel sick; your lungs should feel like they are about to jump out of your chest and you can barely walk! This is HIIT, as in you feel like something HIIT you hard – OK, bad joke!

If you are performing HIIT correctly, not only you will feel exhausted, but you do not want to do this the next day or often during the week. HIIT training should be included in your workout and should be incorporated two to three times a week. If HIIT is done often, you could injure yourself, burnout your mind, and you may not be able to perform at your best during your other workouts.

Try this beginner workout plan with HIIT workouts:

Monday: upper body
Tuesday: HIIT (30 seconds on & off)
Wednesday: stretch
Thursday: lower body (30 seconds on & 1 minute off)
Friday: HIIT