You don't have to attend a gym to have a time efficient and effective workout. All you need is about 2 meters of flat ground and 20 minutes of free time. Try this short HIIT session which incorporates only 5 body weight exercises which will be sure to send your heart rate through the roof.
To begin, lets just start off with about 2 minutes of skipping. Don't worry if you can't skip for that long... as your fitness increases, so will your skipping reps.
To begin, lets just start off with about 2 minutes of skipping. Don't worry if you can't skip for that long... as your fitness increases, so will your skipping reps.
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/3458760.jpg)
Skipping
And now for the workout...
Choose five of the following exercises (make sure it is a good mix of upper and lower body exercises), perform 10-15 repetitions on each, depending on your current level of fitness (as your fitness increases, make sure you increase your reps). Try and limit your resting time until you have completed the exercise sequence. One you have completed it, rest for 20 seconds and then repeat another 4 times. Yes, that means 5 rounds in total. Please note that this is a High Intensity Interval Training session (HIIT) which means that your heart should be pumping pretty hard the whole way through. HIIT training puts you in your prime fat blasting zone and is the best type of training to increase your fitness FAST!!
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/6878778.jpg)
Lunges
Teaching points:
Step forward with one foot in a long stride
Make sure your feet are in line and pointing forwards
Keep your back upright bend your knee (don’t lean forward) until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle and your back knee is almost touching the ground (do not let it touch the ground).
Making sure your front knee does not go past your toes
Return to start position
Modifications:
Use a dumbbell in each hand
Walking lunges - after completing one lunge as above, swing the back leg forward so that it becomes the front leg and repeat
Muscles worked:
Quadricepts, Hamstrings, Gluetus maximus, Calf muscles
Teaching points:
Step forward with one foot in a long stride
Make sure your feet are in line and pointing forwards
Keep your back upright bend your knee (don’t lean forward) until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle and your back knee is almost touching the ground (do not let it touch the ground).
Making sure your front knee does not go past your toes
Return to start position
Modifications:
Use a dumbbell in each hand
Walking lunges - after completing one lunge as above, swing the back leg forward so that it becomes the front leg and repeat
Muscles worked:
Quadricepts, Hamstrings, Gluetus maximus, Calf muscles
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/57078.jpg)
Squats
Teaching Points:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, make sure your toes are pointing slightly outwards.
Keep your back straight as you begin movement
Push your buttocks out behind you and bend your knees
Do not let your knees move in front of your toes and do not lean to far forwards
Do not squat deeper than a 90 degree (right angle) at the knee
Start with shallow squats and increase gradually
Return to the starting position
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluetus maximus, Calf muscles
Teaching Points:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, make sure your toes are pointing slightly outwards.
Keep your back straight as you begin movement
Push your buttocks out behind you and bend your knees
Do not let your knees move in front of your toes and do not lean to far forwards
Do not squat deeper than a 90 degree (right angle) at the knee
Start with shallow squats and increase gradually
Return to the starting position
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluetus maximus, Calf muscles
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/3507246.jpg)
Push-Ups
Teaching points:
Kneel on all fours with the hands a little wider than shoulder width.
Straighten your legs out behind you so that you are in plank position.
Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor.
Push back up to the starting position.
Modification:
If too difficult to make the exercise easier, maintain body on all fours (knees on the ground in kneeling position)
Make sure to have a flat back and push your hips forwards so that the weight is on the hands
Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor
Muscles Worked:
Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Deltoid
Teaching points:
Kneel on all fours with the hands a little wider than shoulder width.
Straighten your legs out behind you so that you are in plank position.
Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor.
Push back up to the starting position.
Modification:
If too difficult to make the exercise easier, maintain body on all fours (knees on the ground in kneeling position)
Make sure to have a flat back and push your hips forwards so that the weight is on the hands
Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor
Muscles Worked:
Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Deltoid
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/1594928.jpg?364)
Burpees
Teaching Points:
Stand up straight
Get into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you
Kick your feet back into a push up position and lower body to the floor
Return your feet back to the squat position as quickly as possible
Jump up into the air as high as possible
Muscles worked:
Hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, abdominals
Teaching Points:
Stand up straight
Get into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you
Kick your feet back into a push up position and lower body to the floor
Return your feet back to the squat position as quickly as possible
Jump up into the air as high as possible
Muscles worked:
Hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, abdominals
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/6374576.jpg)
Mountain Climbers
Teaching Points:
Place hands flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Extend legs out behind you so you are in plank position. Ensure back is flat.
Bring left knee to your elbow and once foot is back to the original position repeat with right knee.
Complete repetitions in a fluid motion.
Muscles worked:
Core, upper arm, legs
Teaching Points:
Place hands flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Extend legs out behind you so you are in plank position. Ensure back is flat.
Bring left knee to your elbow and once foot is back to the original position repeat with right knee.
Complete repetitions in a fluid motion.
Muscles worked:
Core, upper arm, legs
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/4286884.jpg)
Crunches
Teaching points:
Lay on your back with the knees bent
Place your hands on your thighs
Lift the head, neck and shoulders off the ground and slide your hands up until they touch your knees
Important to keep the same gap between your chin and chest to avoid straining the neck (pretend you’re holding an apple with your chin)
Slowly return to the start position
Modifications:
Cross arms to make more difficult or have your hands behind your head to support your neck - don't pull your neck forwards
Muscles worked:
Abdominals
Teaching points:
Lay on your back with the knees bent
Place your hands on your thighs
Lift the head, neck and shoulders off the ground and slide your hands up until they touch your knees
Important to keep the same gap between your chin and chest to avoid straining the neck (pretend you’re holding an apple with your chin)
Slowly return to the start position
Modifications:
Cross arms to make more difficult or have your hands behind your head to support your neck - don't pull your neck forwards
Muscles worked:
Abdominals
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/0/5/13055646/1012287.jpg)
Tricep Dips
Teaching points:
Sit with your back to a bench or chair
Place your hands on the bench so your fingers are pointing forward (to you)
Lift your buttocks off the ground and straighten your legs so only your heels are on the floor
Bend your elbows out behind you to lower your buttocks towards the floor
Push back up until your elbows are straight
Modification:
Place feet raised up on another chair or bench in front of you to increase the difficulty
Muscles worked:
Triceps Brachii, Pectoralis Major
Teaching points:
Sit with your back to a bench or chair
Place your hands on the bench so your fingers are pointing forward (to you)
Lift your buttocks off the ground and straighten your legs so only your heels are on the floor
Bend your elbows out behind you to lower your buttocks towards the floor
Push back up until your elbows are straight
Modification:
Place feet raised up on another chair or bench in front of you to increase the difficulty
Muscles worked:
Triceps Brachii, Pectoralis Major